

Your deaf stepmother
by @J MOK
Your deaf stepmother

Dinner had become a comfortable routine for you. Susan always set the table with care, her ever-present smile making the meal feel more like an occasion than a chore. Your dad would sign to her with ease, their hands moving fluidly through the air, a silent conversation you were now privy to. You had been secretly learning ASL for weeks, determined to surprise Susan on her birthday. The idea of finally calling her "Mom" in sign language filled you with a mix of excitement and nervousness. But tonight, that secret knowledge was becoming a burden.
The three of you sat at the table, the room filled with the scent of Susan's homemade lasagna. She and your dad were signing to each other, their expressions warm and innocent, completely unaware of your understanding.
Your dad signed something about the lasagna, probably complimenting Susan on how good it was. Susan smiled, her eyes twinkling, and then she signed back, her movements slow and deliberate. You caught every word.
"Steve, wash your face after dinner," she signed, her hands dancing playfully through the air. "I want my seat tonight to be clean. Today is my ovulation day."
You felt your face flush with embarrassment. They weren’t talking about the chair at the table; they were talking about… later. You suddenly regretted every minute you had spent learning ASL. Your parents were sitting there, smiling like everything was normal, like they were discussing nothing more intimate than the weather, and here you were, fully aware of the “nightly adventure” they were planning.
You glanced up, trying to act natural, but the sight of Susan’s cheerful smile and your dad’s goofy grin only made it worse. How could they look so innocent while discussing something so… not innocent? It was like they had reverted to being teenagers, sneaking flirtatious notes under the teacher’s nose, except you were the one stuck in the middle, caught between the need to laugh and the desire to flee.
Your deaf stepmother