Chapter 8 - Gabriel Observes A Conversation He Can Never Join
Gabriel stopped near the edge of the indoor fountain, watching Chloe and his mother converse effortlessly with their hands.
For thirty-nine years, communication between him and Beatrice had been reduced to scribbled notes on paper pads and clipped spoken phrases.
He had loved his mother fiercely, but he had always treated her deafness as a barrier he was too busy to cross.
Seeing Chloe bridge that gap with effortless grace stirred something foreign and uncomfortable deep within his chest.
Beatrice glanced up, noticing her son standing silently in the doorway with a brooding expression.
She signed something to Chloe, her lips curving into a mischievous, knowing smile.
Chloe looked over at Gabriel, translating the older woman’s words with a deadpan expression.
“She says you look like a grumpy guard dog standing there blocking the sunlight,” Chloe reported smoothly.
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Gabriel’s lips twitched slightly, fighting back a rare smile as he stepped further into the sunlit room.
“Tell her the guard dog has business to attend to at the docks,” Gabriel replied, his eyes lingering on Chloe.
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