Silence by the M(in)ute

16

Connie feels her heart swells as she hopes she heard Cherry correctly. She pulls away and then Cherry realizes what she has said.

"Oh- Connie I'm sorry- I didn't- it slipped."

Connie giggles and leans in to kiss Cherry again. Connie moves her third and fourth fingers down leaving her other three pointing up. I love you.

Cherry mimics her hand movements then adds; "You know, I've only known you for almost a month, but it seems so much longer and I can't believe I said I love you because I do," Cherry promises rather then just saying it. "I hope you know that."

I know.

"Girls! Dinners ready!"

Connie and Cherry walk out the door, but Connie travels behind. She wonders if Cherry really does love her because there's still parts they don't know about each other even if Connie has mutual feelings. She wonders if you could love someone with still so much hidden.

Once they enter the leaving room Connie's heart knocks against her chest making it difficult to breathe. She's never met her girlfriend's dad or brother and only talked to her mom for no more than three minutes since they met.

Cherry's dad is thin and his blonde hair is slicked back with dark brown eyes that seem to be hiding sadness as he sets the table. Cherry's mother had her blonde hair pinned back in a low pony tail, and icy blue eyes that take away from her clothes that are worn out. Connie then looks over at Adam already filling his plate with pasta, and he seems the only one that's not on edge.

"Oh hello," Mr. Swan smiles at her. "You must be Cherry's friend. Please sit."

Connie sits next to Cherry at the table and Cherry smiles awkwardly filling both of their plates, and for the next couple of minutes all they could hear was the clattering of silverware on plates. Finally, Mrs. Swan spoke up.

"So are you deaf Connie, or-"

Mute.

"Oh I see," she nods. "Well I'm glad we know sign language. You see, our son Adam, is deaf."

Connie nods and Cherry pats her thigh under the table. When Connie looks back up she sees Mr. Swan starting at her intensely. She catches his eye and he shakes his head going out of his gaze.

"Were you born mute?" Mrs. Swan asks curiously.

"Mom," Cherry hisses but Connie shakes her head.

No. I was in a car accident when I was sixteen and the surgery made me mute.

"I'm sorry," Mrs. Swan frowns, but it seemed forced. "What happened?"

A van hit my dad's car.

Mrs. Swan gasped. "So your father was Shane Shepherd!"

The mood in the room shifts as Mr. Swan shifts uncomfortably, Cherry mumbling something under her breath, Adam looking between his parents, Mrs. Swan narrowing her eyes at Connie, and Connie herself feeling her throat tighten up.

"You have your father's eyes," Mrs. Swan continues. "Such a beautiful golden color."

How do you know my father?

"Well, we," she pauses, "worked together."

Silence overcame them and suddenly Cherry groans. "You two worked on the same little drug company. Just say it since you're starting this now."

Connie raises her fingers to ask what but Mrs. Swan snaps at Cherry.

"No! Why did you invite Connie for dinner? You could've let us alone. You know exactly who the Shepherd's are. You and dad tried talking to me about it and I told you to not bring it up. Connie is going through a rough time right now and she doesn't need this right now."

Cherry is left breathless and they all stare at her. Connie couldn't believe what she just heard. So Cherry's mom knew who she was and her family as well. She wants to know what Mrs.Swan knows. She opens her mouth, but if course nothing comes out. Tears swell up in her eyes as she remembers the voice box she hates. If she had it now, she could communicate easier, but she's left with using sign language.

Tell me what you know about my father.

Mrs. Swan seemed hesitant and Connie wanted to scream out, but instead she stared intensely at her until she spoke up.

"I used to work for a drug company yes, I don't know if Cherry told you, but that's why I couldn't take care of my kids. Anyway, I had met your father there along with your mother. I thought they were working together, but it was just Shane, and Alice she just took the drugs for free."

She her mother was a drug addict as well. That's why those blue and green pills were on her mom's floor. That part made sense, but it didn't make Connie feel better.

"Your father and I were close; we were partners in fact. Frankly, I ended up falling in love with Shane, and I'm sure he felt the same way. I'm not saying what we did was okay, because it wasn't, but we couldn't help it," Mrs. Swan sounds ashamed. "Your mother, she was  jealous of our closeness and found out what happened between us. She was furious, so furious she had told the group that worked against; which was worse than the police because they went to kill.

That evening the group were after him first and he had gotten into a car crash with another young lady; which I know now is you. I saw you in papers and you've grown up to be a beautiful young lady. You know," Mrs. Swan says matter of factly,"your father and I had planned to meet later that evening; he wanted to introduce me to his daughter." She paused for a moment as her eyes softened on Connie. "That's why I invited you over. We never got the chance to meet, but I'm glad we did now. Even though your father was involved in a risky business, he was a good and caring man."

Hearing all of this made Connie's head spin out of control. She didn't understand, she thought her parents were happy together. She never knew her father was in love with another woman and she never knew later on that day if it weren't for the car accident, if it weren't for her mother, she would've met the mistress; Mrs. Swan. Would her father introduce Mrs. Swan like that to Connie? Then her mind drifted to her mother. She was a drug addict in hiding. The memory of her mom laying on the floor made Connie shiver. Her mom also called out on her dad and Mrs. Swan because of some love affair. Connie couldn't ask about it from her mother now because she was in a coma.

Connie felt like she was going to be sick, she couldn't look at anyone at the table, but Cherry grabbed her hand.

"Connie..." Her voice trailed off; Connie couldn't hear anything, her ears were ringing.

Did you know about this?

Cherry nods slowly and with that Connie shoots up and runs out of their apartment. She ran into her car, started it immediately, and went on a long drive that lead to nowhere in particular. Just to get as far away form that mess as possible.