My phone rings as soon as I go into my room, and I look down at the screen. I see it’s my mother calling on FaceTime. I accept the call and prop the phone on the dresser. “What’s up?” I sign to her.

“I just talked to Patsy’s mother,” she says quickly.

“And?”

“And Patsy’s doing well. She’s checked into rehab for at least the next ninety days. Since she’s going to be away so long, Patsy’s mom wants the kids to come and stay with her. She wants to get them registered for school and get things sorted out as quickly as she can.”

“But Patsy said her mom just had hip replacement surgery.”

“She did, but she’s recovering well. And she has help. And Patsy has agreed to go and stay there with the kids for a little while after she gets out. So she can have some support. It’s not going to be easy transitioning.”

“So, is her mom coming to get them or what?” I can’t lie; my gut’s twisting a little at the idea of the kids being moved so far from home.

“Well, we were all hoping that you could take them to her.” Mom winces as she signs the last little bit.

“She wants me to drive them all the way to San Diego?”

“She was hoping you’d agree.” She waits anxiously.

“Why can’t we just fly them there?”

“That was one of Patsy’s stipulations, when they talked. No flying for the kids. Apparently, the last time Patsy flew, there was engine trouble and it scared her off flying. So it’s driving or nothing.”

“Mom, it would take me a week to get the kids all the way to San Diego.”

“You have vacation time coming up, don’t you?”

“You expect me to drive three thousand miles with four children all by myself?”

“Actually, I was talking to Marta, Wren’s mother, and she said she’d bet Wren might want to go with you, just to be sure the kids get there safely.”

“You were talking to Marta?” I ask. What reason would she have to talk to Marta? “Mom, were you meddling?”

“Would I do that?” She tries to look offended.

Hell yes, she would do that. “Mom,” I say, chastising her with my hands and face.

“What?” She throws up her hands. “Marta and I are friends.”

“Since when?”

“Since my other son married her other daughter, dummy. She’s family.”

“Emilio’s here,” I mention casually.

“I know,” Mom says. “Marta and I discussed it and decided it would be a good idea to send him over to be sure everything is going okay. Everything’s going okay, right?” she asks, trying to look innocent. But if innocence was a perfume spray, I’d be drowning in scents right now.

“Everything is fine, Mom. The kids are quiet and a little nervous about being in a strange place, but they’re doing great.”

“They’re happy kids? This thing with their mom hasn’t been too bad for them?”

“They haven’t said one way or the other, and I don’t want to make them think about it if they don’t have to. We know Patsy was in trouble and needed help, and that’s all we need to know.”

“So you’ll take them? Marta says you can drive Emilio’s minivan.”

“Emilio has a minivan?”

“He had five daughters. How else do you think he took them from place to place?”

“I can’t imagine Emilio driving a minivan, that’s all.”

“Oh, Emilio is a big old softie. Don’t let his gruffness fool you.”

“I don’t believe that for a second.”

“So, call Patsy’s mom and set up a date to drop the kids off, okay? I’ll text you the number.”

“Okay.”

“And Mick,” she says, and her hands slow, like she’s thinking about her words. “Did I tell you yet how proud I am of you for taking all this on?”

“You don’t need to tell me, Mom,” I say. “That’s not why I did it.”

“Why did you do it?” She tilts her head and stares at me.

“It was the right thing to do.”

“I remember when you and Patsy were small, and she used to visit and chase you and your brother through the house, pretending she understood what you both said in ASL.”

“She learned a lot that summer.”

“That was the year you refused to speak. Do you remember?”

I laugh. “I just wanted to be like the rest of you.”

People ask me all the time what it was like growing up with two deaf parents and a deaf brother. But it was just my life. I didn’t know any different. For a long time I thought everyone communicated with their hands, until I started kindergarten and realized that some kids weren’t deaf. I realized that I wasn’t deaf. That was a tough blow to take. I was suddenly different from the rest of my family, when I’d always thought I was the same.

“I love you, Mick,” she says.

“I love you too, Mom,” I reply.

“Text your aunt and get it all worked out, okay?”

“I will.”

She flashes an I love you sign at me, which is the general goodbye for a lot of deaf people, and then she’s gone.

I look up and find Wren standing in my doorway, and she looks so damn beautiful that I can’t stop staring at her.

“Everything okay?” she asks.

I nod. “My aunt wants me to deliver the children to her.”

Her face clouds. “When?”

“As soon as possible.”

“Oh,” Wren says quietly.

I explain the rest of the conversation to her. “So…it looks like I’m going to San Diego with the kids.”

“Should I start packing for them? I’ll need to say goodbye.”

“Just ask her already!” Emilio bellows from the hallway.

“Stop eavesdropping!” Wren calls back.

“It’s not eavesdropping if it’s your daughter! It’s a perk of being a dad!” I hear him stomp down the hallway, probably chasing one of the kids.

I should just go ahead and ask her. The worst that can happen is she says no. “Is there a chance that you might want to go with me?”

“Go where?” she asks absently, probably already packing and preparing for the kids’ departure in her mind.

“To San Diego. It’ll be a long drive. We can stop several times a day and we’ll take lots of movies and things to keep the kids occupied.”

She points toward her chest like I’ve lost my mind. “You want me to go with you to take the kids to their grandmother?”

“Never mind. It was a dumb idea.”

“I’ll go,” she rushes to say. “I mean, if you want me to.”

“I want you to,” I say softly.

“Then I will. I’ll go with you.”

“Really?”

She stares into my eyes. “I’d go just about anywhere you needed me to go, Mick. You should know that by now.”

The door opens a crack. “If you two are done making fuck-me eyes at one another and declaring that you’ll meet one another’s needs for all of eternity, there are four children out here that could use some childcare,” Emilio says. He shuts the door again with a click.

“Your dad’s amazing.”

“I know, right?” She gets up and walks to the door. She turns back to me at the last minute. “Did you take care of that little problem?” she whispers.

“What problem?” I whisper back.

“The morning wood thing,” she says, and she drops her eyes toward my lap, then brings them up to my face, and then down again, over and over.

“Well, it was taken care of, but if you’re going to start talking about it, then no.”

She laughs and says, “Oops.” Then she steps out of the room.

I’m in trouble. Big fucking trouble.