It was a new beginning not only for me but for Emily as well. Two days after graduation Emily was in a car accident. She came close to dying. She was unconscious for more than a week. All of us had gathered at her side praying for her, willing her recovery not just for the students at Wolf Lake or for her friends but for her daughter as well. What happened the day of the accident is sad. Joanna in her attempt to take Laurel away from Emily had paid for someone to cause Emily to have an accident. Because of her own obsessive desire to take a child from its mother Joanna had almost claimed a life. When the truth came out Joanna was sent to prison for attempted murder. Her accomplice plea-bargained. Because they helped the prosecution they were given a lesser charge.
But it was because of the accident that Matt finally acknowledged his feeling for Emily. I remember it was about eight days after the accident where Emily’s breaks had failed and she slammed into a tree going 60 miles an hour. Laurel was not in the car thank God. The doctors didn’t know if or when Emily would wake up. Matt like the rest of us stayed at Emily’s side for hours on end. I remember I walked into her room and saw him with his head bowed over her hand. I could hear him praying as he held her hand with both of his. He hadn’t heard or seen me come into the room. When he raised his head he wiped away a tear. Then he turned her hand over so that it was palm up and then made the sign of I love you with his hand and placed it in the palm of her hand. He cradled her hand with his free hand then and wrapped her fingers around the sign so that if she was with us at all she could feel that he was telling her he loved her. He turned his head and saw me standing against the wall with tears running down my cheeks unabashed. “I love her. I can’t lose her now when I finally have figured out that I love her,” he said to me unashamed of his tears or his words. All I could do was smile through my own tears of happiness and pray that she would know.
One year has passed since that day. Emily woke up the following morning and Matt again pronounced his love for her. It seems like yesterday that all this took place but I know its not because I look around me and see people dancing and laughing. I see Emily in yet another dress looking radiant and completely at peace. I see Matt smiling with joy and happiness as he leads his bride around the room. As for me, I am holding their daughter as she watches her parents dance at their wedding reception. I’m happy too. My dream has also come true.
I point to Emily. “Who is that?” I asked Laurel with my voice when the music stopped. The little girl though profoundly Deaf in one ear had only a mild loss in the other and wore a hearing aid to facilitate her hearing.
Cherry and I both smiled as she yelled, “Mommy!” at the top of her lungs so that Emily looked at her child with awe and love. Cherry and I had taught her the word. It was the first time Emily had “heard” her daughter’s voice call her by the name of mother. It was one word Emily never dreamed she’d hear. But it was one she understood even with her lack of auditory processing. Emily and Matt rushed to Laurel, scooped her into their arms and danced around the room as a family.
Another new beginning had begun!