Make Me Stay II: A Second Chance Romance

by Avant, Amarie

Each melody was meant for us . . . He leaned back onto the couch, placing his hands behind his head. An image of her face floated through his mind. “We’re very good friends.”

  The doctor’s eyebrows perched. “Have you considered inviting her on Saturdays? You refuse your mother and brother. It would be nice to have a family or friend visit you.”

  “Have her see me here, at this place?”

  “Hunter, at any point and time you can leave. I no longer see you as a danger to yourself or others.”

  “So what? I’m staying here until I’m good and ready to leave. Avery and I have a plan.”

  Dr. Rembrandt’s keen gaze searched him over. “What’s that?”

  “Murder her fiancé when he least expects it. Possibly during hurricane season so nobody notices the body until venturing out after a storm. Then we’ll be kicking back on tropical island with pina coladas before the cops come looking for us.” Hunter winked.

  “That’s a helluva plan!”

  Laughter rung out in Hunter’s ear. An incessant, grating against his eardrum continued for what felt like minutes. Yes, the plan that he’d divulged to his therapist sounded dumb. If the hurricane was dangerous enough, there’d be no leaving. His hands clutched the chair.

  “Hunter, are you listening to me?” Doctor Rembrandt spoke.

  Blinking, he shook the dazed look from his head.

  “Let’s get this session started. How do you feel about being discharged?”

  “What?” His pupils expanded. The last few minutes had transpired in his brain, and now the idiot was telling him what he’d thought he’d heard.

  “You do not have any issues hindering you from being in the real world, Mr. McIntosh, and this facility is not in the position of creating a codependency.”

  “But . . . but I’m not ready,” he stuttered. Clearly, he still needed time to figure out how to get to Avery, without having Hawk all over him before he left the state. “I should stay a little while longer. Prove to my brother that I’m safe. That he doesn’t have to be riding my ass all the time.”

  She smiled. “I’ve spoken with your parents. They’ve agreed to act on your behalf. I have already consulted with a therapist in your area as well, Mr. McIntosh. The therapist will identify your goals and advise when you no longer need to have caregivers. It’s my professional opinion that you’ve used this facility as a resort. Our mission is to help you as a fully functioning adult in the world. Now, I will continue to consult with your therapist and . . .”

  The sound of water rushed into Hunter’s ears. His lips curved into a smile. Why did he second guess his decision to murder Donavan Hardy during hurricane season? Though the Dr. Rembrandt that was in his brain hearing his thoughts had laughed—wow, I sound crazy—it had been a valid option.

  “I’ll go home.” Hunter smiled. Long as the LTG isn’t there I can handle Mom until it’s game time.

  * * *

  He should’ve known. The weak woman who had given birth to him wasn’t yet prepared to care for him without any additional assistance.

  The sky was a mask of orange and blue that evening when Hunter walked out of the facility with his father, making quick purposeful strides before him. They hadn’t said a word to each other while Dr. Rambrandt addressed Hunter’s current needs.

  The lights to a Lincoln Navigator lit up, and they got inside. The LTG tossed the freezer sized Ziplock bag of medication at him. Before Hunter could catch it, preventing it from slapping him across the face, the LTG’s finger was up—like a gun pointing at him.

  “Listen here, son,” his father growled. “I dare you to make your mother cry like she did the last time you were home. I’ll kill you myself and dump you somewhere nobody will ever find ya.” Turning away from Hunter, the LTG muttered the rest to himself. “Give your damn ma a real reason to be crying about.”

  “Trust me. I don’t plan to be in y’all’s hair for too much longer.”

  “The fuck you are.” Clucking his tongue, the LTG placed the shift into reverse, backed out and said, “Dr Rembrandt says I’m legally in charge of ya now. So congrad-u-fucking-lations, your twenty-something-odd ass is a kid again.”

  41

  Avery

  June

  Spring had blossomed and was now fading away as summer took root. Avery, along with Carly, got into the habit of running the day to day activities of the bed and breakfast. She even had enough time to pause and help Donavan with gardening. Although, he managed to keep the massive lawns trimmed, and he made a helluva maintenance man clothed or not, she felt a disconnect between the two of them. She wanted to believe the stressors of opening their own business were almost done taking their toll, since they were due for a vacation and more alone time after the Fourth of July.

  Then she recalled how angry he had become in the bathroom when she offered to help via the Castle’s health coverage for his father. He’d scared her more than anything, growing so livid when she’d talked about handling Greg’s situation on her own.

  She didn’t know what was wrong with Donavan, but she had an idea. For the past few months, it had been on the tip of her tongue to ask if this was his dream too.

  Did the truth scare her so much? That maybe it wasn’t his dream as well? And could that be the source of his anger—resentment?

  This morning, Avery and her family sat at Flap & Jacks with Carly and Joshua. She was surprised that even Greg made an impromptu appearance.

  “How are you feeling?” she asked Donavan’s adoptive father, who was in a wheelchair across from her. Josh and Junior had decided to crowd around their grandfather today. He seemed to be in good spirits, and it had to be more than the aroma of fresh-made maple syrup.

  “Blessed.” He nodded, picking up his fork and butter knife. “My new nurse has kept me on my toes, metaphorically speaking.” He chuckled, placing a hand on the armrest of his wheelchair.

  “Oh, you have a new nurse? Do you have to go to the hospital a lot?” Avery winced, hoping that although he had a nurse he liked, he wasn’t inconvenienced by the travel.

  “Hey, no talk about hospitals, Miss Avery.” He finished cutting up his pancake and took a bite of the golden delight. “I rue the day that I ended up with MS. But today, we’re celebrating. It took two long hard months for you guys to get an appointment with the Cochlear Clinic. Avery, are you ready for your meeting?”

  She shrugged, a beam brightening her face. “A little nervous. Ready for new experiences. There isn’t anything that I wouldn’t do for my baby.”

  Her son smiled.

  “Junior,” Greg wiggled his fingers. “Just a little too stiff in the joints to have a good chat with my grandson. And I want to respect your language by not having you trying to keep up with mine. Donavan, can you do the honors?”

  As Donavan began to sign his father’s words, Avery reached down and rubbed his thigh. Every time Donavan came home from visiting his dad, she knew his heart was breaking. But today was going to be a good day.

  “I want to hear for so many reasons, Grandpa,” Junior said. “I want to hear my mommy perform more songs.”

  “Oh, really?” Donavan signed, arching an eyebrow as he nudged his shoulder against Avery. “Mommy will have to get back in the grind then.”

  “Ha, don’t sound like Antonio.” She smiled at her son, signing, “If you want me to play the piano, I will, sweetie. I’ve always felt like it was something that my mom wanted me to do. But it served its purpose when I gave piano lessons, and when Mommy and Daddy spent some time away. The piano helped me.”

  “I want to play the piano, too, Mom.”

  Carly gushed. “Wow. The two of you have yourself a jack of all things. Baseball. Piano. Will you be trying out for football this year too?”

  “Yup.” Junior grinned.

  Carly pressed Joshua’s face away from them. Everyone laughed while she signed, “Talk to your cousin. He needs some motivation.”

  With Donavan helping with ASL, Greg inquired, “So you want to h
ear in order to play the piano? Anything else?”

  “Well,” Junior played with his food. “Just to make things easier on Anya . . .and Mom . . .”

  Donavan chuckled. “I’m sure honey bun will learn sign language if she has the proper incentive.” He forked up some pancakes, insinuatingly.

  “I’m just happy that my mom is going first. Maybe I’ll just need a regular, old hearing aid. I hope. What Mom has to do sounds scary.” Junior signed back.

  “I hope so too,” Avery said, readjusting four-month-old Anya beneath her white-and-pink polka dot nursing blanket. With cherubim cheeks, Anya’s ruffled dress hardly hid the extra chunks on her chubby, little body. At the scent of food, Anya became the cutest little tyrant, refusing to allow Avery to eat without getting her fill too.

  Donavan placed his arm around Avery. “Your mom is strong. She can do anything.”

  “You tried a few hearing aids already?” Carly asked. Though she didn’t want to mention the surgical process Avery had to undergo for the implant, for Donavan Junior’s sake, Carly’s eyes widened somewhat with concern.

  Avery nodded. “When I was much younger. All I heard were weird . . .” She paused unable to come up with a word for the noise. “Weird sounds?”

  She glanced down at her plate for a second, determining how different a cochlear implant was from a hearing aid. The former required a lot more to process as well as a life changing surgery.

  “But I’m a mama now,” she grinned. “I’m not afraid of anything.”

  “Well,” Joshua caught Avery’s attention. “There was that one time you almost fell through the floor in your house.”

  Junior’s eyes brightened in interest. “What happened!”

  Donavan nudged his chin. “Josh, you brought it up. I’m not getting slapped around for mentioning AC’s weak moments.”

  Joshua glanced back and forth from them all.

  Avery tilted her head. “Hey, though you’re my favorite nephew, I wouldn’t.”

  When Donavan held up his hands to sign that he was her only nephew, she giggled, pushing his hands down.

  After another hour, Joshua had told the story to a soundtrack of sniggering and laughter. Afterward, they paid the tab and helped Greg get into the family van while Joshua and Junior piled into the seats in the rear. Avery placed Anya’s car seat in the center.

  Before heading to the driver side, Carly gave Avery a hug. “My dad said you are victorious, AC.” Carly was hesitant, not as a faith driven as her parents had always been. “So just be victorious, girly. I’ll get Dad home with the kids then head over to your house. Hopefully, all the guests are still out. They were all understanding and even rooting for you when heading out this morning. Josh is supposed to call me if anything happens while you two are in North Carolina. The neighbor will check in on Dad, Anya, and the boys ever so often too.”

  “Thank you. We’ll return by eight p.m.,” Avery said with a grateful smile. She backed away slowly. Donavan closed the passenger door.

  “We’ve got a long ride.” He claimed her in a tight hug.

  “I know.” She pressed her lips against his, feeling the smile on his mouth. She couldn’t believe that last night she didn’t get an ounce of sleep due to her thoughts of her first meeting bombarding her psyche. When they pulled away, she watched the van creep out of the parking lot. Greg offered an infectious thumbs up.

  “Your dad seems happier. So is there a hot, new doctor at County I’m not aware of?”

  Donavan clasped her cheeks. “I reckon a really, really beautiful face can stop the pain of a bullet or MS.”

  “Oh, bullets? Good. If I catch you staring at the nurse, I have one with your name on it.” Avery joshed with a chuckle.

  “Why do the gorgeous ones have to be so violent.” He shook his head, his pleasing lips curving into a smile. Then his hand slammed down on her ass, forcing her to give a tiny yelp. Donavan palmed and squeezed.

  “That actually hurt.” Avery glanced up at him with mesmerizing eyes.

  He gave her thick hunk of ass another pawing. “I’m the crazy jealous one. There can’t be two in this relationship. Now, let’s go. You’ve got this, AC.”

  * * *

  Once her appointment had been scheduled, Avery had been sent an email with a video about the Cochlear Clinic, so she could consider a plan b after hearing aids were attempted. It was a very different alternative since a hearing aid magnified sounds, so they could be detected by damaged ears. On the other hand, the implants bypassed the impaired portions of the ear in order to stimulate the auditory nerve and then travel to the brain, which recognizes the signals as sound. It would be big decision if Avery went through with it.

  Donavan’s hand found hers as they walked through the sliding glass doors. A deep intake of air funneled through Avery’s lungs. She was not only leaving the deaf community—which was the foundation of what she felt made her unique, such as being so strong willed, a difference she loved—she’d also have to re-learn hearing.

  There were vases of tapered tulips around the clinic waiting room, and pristine, highly pixelized photos on the walls of people who had undergone the procedure. Their happiness was palpable.

  Once they were called, a nurse escorted them down a hall and into an office. Dr. Wang rose from a sleek, glass desk, behind her were awards and other accolades.

  “Welcome, Miss Castle.” They shook hands.

  “Thank you. And this is my fiancé, Donavan Hardy.” They all took a seat.

  “The cochlear implant is a journey and should not be considered as just a procedure.” Dr. Wang began talking about some aspects of the process. “This technology is not a cure, and the physical surgery is just a small piece of the puzzle, not even to be considered the hard part.”

  Dr. Wang smiled while holding up a model of the side of a face, ear, and skull.

  “One part is planted internally,” she gestured toward the skull with a prototype, “the other is worn around the ear, which is similar to a hearing aid.”

  Avery and Donavan nodded, understanding the progression.

  “Okay, well now to my favorite part of the discussion.” Dr. Wang goofily smiled. She took out a glossy photo album and showed pictures of her as a CODA, having been raised by a deaf mother. Dr. Wang had attended a prestigious university and was very open about her past, and how it paved the way for her to join the field. “So, Miss Castle, I’ve reviewed your files. You were born profoundly deaf with no desire to have a hearing aid in the past after your parents few attempts. Please, why are you here now?”

  “My son,” Avery began, “I gave birth to a severely deaf child, and he has just now shown interest in hearing.”

  Ms. Wang offered a smile, nodding in thought. “Have you considered hearing aids for him?”

  “Yes. His adoptive parents tried hearing aids with him; however, Junior didn’t take too well with having them in his ear. He’s ready to try again. He’d like me to go first. Hearing aids weren’t helpful enough for me. Once I’ve had the procedure completed, we will start on the same path for him.”

  “I see. That makes a lot more sense. I commend you for respecting your son’s wishes. However,” Dr. Wang’s fingers paused from signing, “this is a life changing decision. Hearing aids you can remove. This is a delicate subject for someone so immersed in deaf culture, Miss Castle. I do a bit of recon work prior to being introduced to my new patients. And you have been a pillar in deaf culture in the past. Not only as a child pianist protégé, but also for releasing your own album.”

  “Thank you.” Avery hesitated.

  “Oh, please don’t thank me. You see, being born profoundly death, and having no training with regard to hearing at a young age, would make you a disadvantageous candidate for this process. We are training the brain, and a brain is more susceptible at a young age.”

  Avery’s heart sunk. She didn’t know whether Dr. Wang was about to decline her request to hear or not.

  “You have perfected the art of re
ading lips.” Dr. Wang stopped signing, folded her hands, and continued. “You have learned sound via music. That Miss Castle is the reason you are here because the cochlear implant is training your brain to perceive sound. It’s not like flipping a switch after the surgery is complete, and voila, violin notes are caressing your ears. It’s not like that at all. It takes months for the brain to perceive sound, and at your age, without the background of music, we would not be having this discussion.”

  Avery stared at her in shock.

  “My tactics of Googling each of the candidates I encounter might sound a little unorthodox. I like to get to know my patients before I take them on. This is a life changing process. Learning about your background made my initial no from just reading your health history change to a yes.”

  Licking her lips, Avery said, “We understand that the implant is nothing like a hearing aid.”

  “And that she is using her brain to hear.” Donavan helped when Avery struggled to find her words.

  “True. Your brain’s comprehension of sound has compelled me to believe that, this late in your age, you might be able to pick up sound after the implant and after months, or in certain cases, years of practice. But—”

  Avery scoffed. “I felt a “but” coming on.”

  The doctor’s eyes twinkled with a smile of their own. “Do you want this for yourself? I’ve mentioned my children. I’d do anything for them. I suspect you would too.”

  Donavan’s large fingers twined with Avery’s. The answer was written all over her face. Avery appreciated Dr. Wang’s candid story about her background. On the other hand, Dr. Wang had also been against the odds of Avery’s age, and having not used hearing aids in the past. But if I say no, will she conduct the procedure?

  “Look, when I was really young, my parents had all of their ritzy affairs. My mom took me to have a hearing aid fitted. I understood the stigma associated with having that thing in my ear. Perceived my father’s embarrassment. So, I did my best to learn to read lips, hardly even used ASL. When I was five or six, I smashed the hearing aid. Okay? Being perfect in their eyes was enough for me to get what I wanted.”