One sunny morning, eight days after our chance meeting at the liquor store, she came walking down the pathway to where I stood cleaning up weeds against the fence on the property line. I didn’t remember her ever coming out this way when we were together, but I was thrilled all the same. Any time I got to spend with her was better than any without her.
As I watched her make her way toward me, she waved and smiled broadly, looking truly happy to see me. I loved it, but then the fear that she’d found me out raced through my mind, and I stood frozen on the spot waiting to hear what she had to say.
She stopped in front of me and waved again as she said, “Hi!”
I smiled and waved back, putting down the weed whacker.
Then she spoke the sweetest words I’d heard in months. “I don’t know much sign language, but I’ve been reading up on it to learn some.” That she coupled that one sentence with an attempt to sign what she meant made me happier than I thought I could be still separated from her.
Even if I wanted to, I couldn’t have stopped myself from smiling. Knowing I had to contain my joy at her kindness, I signed back Thank you and then finger spelled M-i-s-s E-d-w-a-r-d-s.
Her eyes focused on my right hand as I spelled out her name, and she looked up at me with a quizzical look. Shaking her head, she said, “You’re too fast. What did you spell?”
I spelled out Miss Edwards slower this time, and she nodded her understanding. “Can you read lips?” she asked staring up at me with a look of hope in her eyes.
Wobbling my right hand to indicate I could read them a little, she finger spelled O-K with two letters, obviously thrilled that she knew how to do at least that correctly. She was too cute, but I still put up the OK sign nearly everyone in the world knew, making her blush at her mistake.
“Oh. I guess I should have known that.”
All I could do was smile at how adorable she was. But why did she bother to come all the way out here and why had she taken the time to learn some sign language?
We stood there looking at one another until I signed, Why did you come here to see me?
She recognized the why and the see me parts and an uneasy look crossed her face as she shifted her weight from one foot to the other. Signing the words with effort, she answered, I wanted to say I’m sorry for how I acted that day I met you.
I touched the tips of my fingers to the center of my forehead and pulled my hand forward and down into the letter Y to sign the question Why? as I shook my head to let her know she didn’t have to apologize.
Opening her mouth to speak, she shrugged instead. Looking back toward the house, she signed, How do you get here every day?
I pointed to my legs and smiled. In truth, I hadn’t walked as much in years as I did now. Not that I liked it. I’d have taken the Jag over my feet any day.
Signing, she asked, Do you live near here?
Again, I didn’t sign but pointed, this time toward the village that sat less than a mile from where we stood.
“Do you live in Millbrook? Have you ever had Tony’s pizza?” she asked, forgetting to sign in her excitement.
I pretended not to know what she’d just said, secretly thrilled that the idea of Millbrook immediately made her think of where she’d agreed to marry me. She finger spelled the name of our favorite restaurant and looked up at me in anticipation.
Nodding, I smiled and signed, Good.
I love their pizza! she signed with excitement, getting the finger spelling for pizza wrong, but it didn’t matter. I was in heaven just listening to her speak.
Unfortunately, Varo made his appearance right at that moment, interrupting what had been the best fifteen minutes in a long time. Just as he had at the liquor store, he marched up behind her, his brows knitted and his expression looking almost too protective as he informed her it was time to go. I enjoyed watching her brush him off with a quick “Okay” and loved that she didn’t make any effort to follow him, as he obviously wanted her to.
Needing to know how she felt about him, I probed with the question, Is that your fiancé?
She looked back in the direction of Varo and then focused on me. I watched as her eyes welled up with tears, and then she finger spelled, N-o. M-y f-i-a-n-c-é i-s T-r-i-s-t-a-n. She stopped signing and looked away to wipe a tear from her cheek, but quietly said, “I hope you get to meet him soon.”
I promise it won’t be long, Nina. I promise.
Obviously, Daryl hadn’t explained to her that she needed to pretend Varo was her man even at home. That she didn’t pretend here made me feel better. I still didn’t like Daryl’s plan, but Nina’s willingness to share the identity of her fiancé with me, someone she barely knew and merely worked for her, told me my fears about her with anyone else were based in my stupid jealousy and nothing more.