It was 7 am and I had already showered and done every routine that I created for myself to feel and be clean. I wore some light makeup, only adjusting and fixing my hair not putting any jewelry on.
I headed downstairs and woke Jun up giving the boy the option to shower because I was aware he had no clean clothes to change into, still I offered him the shower and let him know I had extra towels to lend him. He thanked me and nodded with his face still showing the whole world that he had just woken up. His face was puffy and eye bags heavy. I'm sure my parents won't be too happy with him staying with me and as for now all I could do was hope that he'll prove them wrong and make them trust him.
I received a message from Rosie as Jun stood up to head to the bathroom. "Do you trust him?"
"Yes darling im an adult with the ability to make my own decision and trusting him enough to let him in my home was one of them."
"Babe I meant
I trust that you trust him I was talking about the fact that we're supposed to be laying low and he's gonna see me when I go over." She cleared up.
Oh, that's right. Things have felt like a new normal that I forgot my girlfriend is a sexy worldwide singer and model with rumors going around saying they have proof of her dating someone. I'm glad I live my little happy introverted life at my restaurant I don't know how celebrities deal with gossip and rumors, having the whole world watching and judging you.
"That I don't know the answer to
I'll talk to him though, before, and we can just hope he doesn't say something."
"Right, hope."
I frowned at the last message because although I wasn't seeing her face I could tell she was bothered by it. Maybe not bothered but scared because of what's on the line here however if the guy who started the very true rumor does have proof, whatever we do now doesn't matter. Plus I can't be hidden forever, sooner or later the results are gonna be the same, people will hate us or love us, my restaurant may do better or it may be burned down, and her sexuality will be supported or frowned upon. Point is, it doesn't matter at least not for me.
I shook the thoughts off as I put myself in Roseanne's shoes, how her fans will affect her career and her image. She can lose a lot because she isn't a regular working person like me. I had to be mindful of just how different our situations are.
I put on my running shoes hurrying around the house to gather my things as I wanted to stop by to buy breakfast for Jun and I as well as my family. My shoes were a hot neon pink matching my windbreaker because the days were starting to get cold. Attire has to be different now from when I started seeing Roseanne which was in mid-June.
Holy shit it's been 4 months and it's felt like a decade that I've known her.
We rushed out of my house and hopped in to get to the airport, stopping at a cafe nearby to make sure that we had enough time to make the pit stop and not risk having angry parents attempting to FaceTime me asking me where the hell I am.
I hopped out of my car to run into the cafe and just my luck the doors were locked with a big sign that I missed saying, 'drive-thru services only.'
This is fucking ridiculous.
Luckily I had a hearing and speaking teen in my car who worked as a waiter therefore not being anxious to order through the drive-thru. I ran back to my car and sent him a text message of the things I wanted. I was thinking he was going to lean in towards me but instead he managed to pull his lanky body to the back without opening any doors like an octopus that can maneuver its slimy body through any small space. Weird, intelligent, and delicious creatures I thought.
He tapped my shoulder to let me know that he was done and we drove up to the first window to pay, the second, to collect our food and I mentally cheered as I saw the time notifying me that we were still on track.
We made it to the airport, texting my brother like crazy to get an idea of his location but there was no answer so Jun and I sat down, enjoying our food in peace skimming through a magazine filled with really sexy pictures of my girlfriend; until a tap on the shoulder interrupted me, the thick finger belonging to my dad.
I stood up and hugged him; I was excited enough to jump into his large arms that encased my body. My mom who hasn't gained a single wrinkle standing tall with her comforting smile and my brother, standing taller with a much different haircut and a shirt I knew I had to steal from him before he leaves.
"So good to see my beautiful daughter." My dad signed before his eyes caught the figure standing shyly behind me, avocado spread smeared on the corner of his mouth. "Is this the gf?" My dad joked.
"No!" My eyes widened as I let out a laugh, "that's my employee and I'm helping him out for a while... we'll talk more when we get home I have a lot to discuss." And I did from why Jun was here, my girlfriend, her being a celebrity, and— they're gonna hate this one— the cochlear implant.
I grabbed the white bag with grease spots staining it and handed it to them which they accepted with delighted faces. I also made sure not to forget the magazine, hoping I wasn't stealing the airport's property.
They can't get mad at me though, I'm literally the woman on the covers girlfriend.
——
"I just ate and I'm hungry already, what's for dinner?" My dad asked rubbing his abdomen.
"Anything you guys want, just sit back and relax." Meaning every word. They did a pretty good job caring for me— to some extent—and it was my turn to return the service, plus they were my guests and they were allowed to be treated like royalty. After all, they were because they were my family and all that I have in this ginormous world.
Apparently, my brother and Jun had become acquainted in the car because as soon as they stepped into my house they were talking about something enthusiastically, I figured video games because Mike is always playing on his console and I know since he rarely replies. Or maybe he got tired of texting me. Perhaps both.
I showed them to their rooms, my parents having their own and Mike his own, or so I thought because Mike had brought his console not being able to stay away from his addiction for a couple of days and now he's sharing with Jun who I'm guessing will be playing with him all day and night except...
"Do you want something to snack on before work?" I texted him, looking up right away to see his face from my kitchen to the living room through the open space in front of my sink.
His brows relaxed shifting downward and he slouched. Maybe he got too acquainted with Mike, but he's not here for free even if he's not paying rent during his stay he has to fulfill his responsibilities. It's the next important thing I can teach the kid. Call me harsh or whatever but I needed to do more good for him than bad and allowing him to depend on me... all judges would press the red buttons.
"No I'm fine thank you though. I'll be heading out soon." And soon he did indeed head out, leaving me with prying worried parents and an anxious brother to spill all the information I was withholding.
"Talk." My mom signed sitting on an island stool with her chin resting on the palm of her hand and her elbow planted on the countertop.
"If I could I would." I joked hoping it would lighten the situation.
My brother laughed, "Technically you can you just don't want to." Right he was but of course, he had to get in his sarcastic comments because he knew how much I love-hated them. Meaning I loved them when I was in the mood otherwise I'll be chasing him until he runs out of breath.
"But fine, I'll rant.
Jun is my employee with a difficult family life. He asked me if he could come home with me because I'm the only one who knows about his situation— and before you guys say anything I did think of all the pros and cons and I took the risk because if he's in real danger I wouldn't forgive myself if something happened to him." My dad was the first one to get his opinion on the table because he can be very overprotective, but I was an adult at the end of the day, and I still had common sense abilities.
"We trust you but not him, at least yet. We don't know if he'll take advantage of you, you're vulnerable dear."
"Deaf or not he could still take advantage of me but he's a good kid, shy and clumsy like any other teen. If I was him I'd want someone to be there for me and help me." My parents were great and did everything in their power to make sure I lived comfortably, including learning sign language from the moment they found out I was deaf completely in both ears. But at some point when I was a teen and my mom was pregnant with Mike they were almost angry at me, in reality, they were just scared he was going to end up like me and often pushed me away until his birth when they confirmed that he had excellent hearing. Definitely not the same as Jun's situation but, I needed someone and I had no one.
I also hated when my family treated my deafness as a weakness and disability, it felt like they didn't trust me to be an adult when one, I've been doing great on my own, and two, saying they do despite it not feeling like they really do. "Anyways no more on that, I'll suffer the consequences on my own for if something does happen which I doubt,
As for my girlfriend, I love her very much and she's different from Morgan. From the moment she waved me over she accepted me in every way and I know she does because she does this really sweet thing where she signs on my hand when we are hugging and it makes me feel safe.
Her presence in general makes me feel safe and she's amazing. She has a really great singing voice too." I added in hopes of catching them off guard and if only worked on my brother and dad (because how would I know that she does I just take what the comments say and love), my mom was awe-ing me with her hands stacked on her sternum.
"I'm really happy for you love, she sounds sweet but we'll need to confirm with that face time call." My mom returned to her first position.
Intrigued, Mike had to get his question answered before I added or moved on. "She has a great singing voice? How do you know?" And I was glad he asked because this is where the magazine came in handy, and what I hope is a smooth transition to the scary topic.
"I mean I don't know but her fans do, they compliment her voice all the time on YouTube. They use words like honey, sweet, unique, and golden to describe her voice." And that was my cue to pull my magazine out of my bag, slamming it onto the table. "That's her." I pointed at the blonde who was wearing a black modern mermaid dress, the cloth hugging her curves deliciously. One hand was on the wall while she posed, one of her knees bending. All while her left arm was holding a huge bouquet of Red roses and I couldn't feel prouder.
My mom visibly gasped and the guys' eyes widened. I was getting worried because they weren't commenting anything anymore; until my mom took the BAZAAR magazine and flipped through it.
My brother couldn't believe it and thought I was pulling a prank but I hated pranks especially when they were scary ones like hiding behind a corner and scaring me which he often did. "Proof." He slammed his hand rather harshly.
I took my phone out and clicked on my album, which wasn't as filled as I want it but it'll do for now. "She's coming to see you guys face to face, she took time from her busy schedule to meet you guys so please be nice to her."
My dad clicked, zoomed, and compared the pictures because apparently, they couldn't believe their deaf chef daughter was dating a singer and model. I couldn't believe it either but I have kissed her a couple of times and that was enough proof and a touch of reality for me.
"And she took time off her busy schedule to learn sign for you? Definitely different than Morgan and... it makes me really happy." My mom expressed.
And when my mom put the magazine down and my dad slid my phone back, I let them know without hesitation that, "I'm getting the cochlear implants."
——
The house was calm, there were no movements from my parents, and although Mike supported my decision and thought that it was cool he'd gone to his temporary room to play some violent game.
My parents were upset by my wanting to get them for Roseanne and it took a million different signs to let them know that she didn't force me and hadn't even brought it up because she loved me the way she met me.
They really wanted me to think it through because I was so against it for a very long time and now I just want to hear her sing and tell me that she loves me. I had my whole future planned out with her which was crazy because I didn't even get time to think with Morgan and my goal was to hear her sing... to me, her fans, and our kids. I just want her.
I was heating up some homemade naan in my oven when I accidentally burned myself as my thoughts were running rampant, flinching at the feeling causing me to jerk and drop everything on the floor. I stayed crouching on the floor with my hands running through my hair in frustration. The impact must've been alarmingly loud because my mom was by my side in no time signing to me and asking if I was ok.
I stood up abruptly, "yes I'm fine it's just a burn."
"Dear let me see please I want to-"
I interrupted her, "I said I'm fine so please stop coddling me and doubting everything I do because I'm an adult and this is just a stupid burn!" Angry wasn't the right word, it took a lot for me to reach that state, I was more 'really upset', and if my parents still kept that emotions chart around I would be pointing at that little dumb blue face with the frown. My mom knew I would be too.
She also knew that I wasn't upset because of the burn, "Sorry, I didn't mean to overstep. I trust you dear and I trust you about the implant it was all just too sudden."
She rubbed my back with her face screaming worry and that she was genuine about trusting me. "It's a big decision and we want to make sure it's what you really want and if it is then ok, you're getting the implants."
——
"Answer my calls? I want to see you and talk about your day." I stared at the text message from Roseanne whose calls I'd been rejecting all day. My mom was back to normal and Mike was making his usual table jokes that upset my mom but my dad was still upset about everything as a whole and I wish I knew why because sincerely he had no reason to feel anything negative. He wasn't the one getting them and they certainly didn't affect him negatively.
"I'm tired darling, how about I text you instead until I fall asleep?"
"Guessing parents meet up didn't go well."
"It did, just some parts didn't actually but don't worry I've been up since pretty early. No matter how long I've been waking up early I never get used to it."
"I'm like that too. Want to talk about the not-good parts?" And reveal the big surprise and secret?
"No darling, thank you though it's nothing that serious either way." I tried to divert the conversation. "I burned myself in the kitchen today and I wish you were here to kiss it all better."
"I'll kiss it better tomorrow.
Any other places you hurt?" I blushed. "Joking but I will kiss your burn better.
I'm so excited to see your beautiful face again."
"Me too, I've missed you and the smell of your perfume."
"I'm glad you like my perfume, your sheets will smell like it for a while after tomorrow."