Mutism In Love

Is Your Voice Broken

Reese smiled as Hayden chatted on about his cousin. From everything that was being spilled, the little boy was a rascal, for sure.

Hayden smiled the entire time he told unbelievable stories. "Oh, and once he even choked a teacher!" He exclaimed.

Reese stopped walking, her initial reaction to cover her mouth in shock. She furrowed her brows as he laughed. "That's not funny!" She signed.

"Well, he didn't really choke her. He just tugged on her lanyard from the front. I mean, he's five! How strong can the midget be?" He asked, thoughtfully. "If you ask me, they blew up the whole situation, really."

They slowed as they reached the daycare doors. The were greeted by Bianca, an older woman with ginger hair always in a side ponytail.

"Oh! Reese! I missed you!" She yelped, wrapping her in a bear hug. "Oh, please! Volunteer whenever you can! There are so many little devils in one place, but somehow, they all turn into angels the moment you show your face."

Reese smiled and patted the older woman's back. "I will soon." Reese signed as she walked through the daycare doors, trailing behind Hayden.

"Reese!"

Children ranging from ages three to six had flocked to the high schooler, hugging any part of her they could reach.

Grinning from ear to ear, Reese signed hello to each child and they all piped with "hello"s of their own, letting her know they've been attempting to understand sign.

"That's my big sister!" A small boy pushed past the small barricade of children. He tackled her, squeezing her tightly. Reese ruffled his fluffed hair as he glared at each of the kids.

"Which one is your cousin?" Reese asked, glazing over the sea of kids. She signed, knowing Hayden was watching her.

She followed Hayden with her eyes as he glided over to a child who sat alone playing with blocks, unbothered by the chaos in the room.

"This is Ridley." Hayden beamed.

A small child with blonde hair and dark eyes looked up at Hayden, no certain emotion readable on his face.

Reese jumped as the child's eyes drifted to hers. "Hello." She signed, anxiously. This child scared her almost as much as kids her own age.

Ridley said nothing as he returned to his blocks. He sorted blocks by color, slowly separating oranges from blues. "Are we going home?" He whispered finally.

Hayden smiled and bent down to pick up the five year old. "Yeah, buddy. We're going home."

Reese watched Hayden as he laughed and told Ridley stories. He told fibs of how Reese and him found a goblin under a bridge on the way to the daycare, and how a dragon nearly burned all of his hair off.

"I know those stories are fake, Denny." Ridley muttered, silencing Hayden. "Dragons only live in really cold or hot places. Here it's too normal. They wouldn't like it."

Hayden's cheeks puffed and he held in a laugh. "You're so right. Maybe I just imagined the dragon." Hayden struggled to balance Ridley on his hip as he fished for his I.D to sign him out.

Reese looked to her brother who held onto her shirt tightly, tugging ever so lightly just to remind her he was there.

"I know, dear. We will go home soon, but I am helping out a friend. He is not good with kids, so I am going to help him." Reese signed apologetically. She smiled softly when he gave up a small nod.

Reese tapped Hayden's shoulder, pulling his attention. She held out her arms, gesturing for him to hand over the child.

Hayden didn't hesitate to pass Ridley over, and he quickly searched for his I.D.

"Why don't you talk?" He asked. "Is your voice broken?"

Reese's eyes found Hayden's as he finally scanned his I.D, causing a loud beep to interrupt the silence. Reese breathed sharply and closed her eyes. It was only natural Hayden was curious. She couldn't hold it against him.

She pulled a smile and shook her head. There wasn't much she could do since he didn't understand sign and he probably couldn't read that well.

"Selective Mutism." Reese's brother piped up. "That's what the doctors say she has. It means she just can't talk sometimes. Her voice doesn't let her." Ori puffed his chest proudly, obviously happy he remembered the simplified definition their mother had given him.

Ridley looked to the little boy and back to her. "So your voice is mean?"

Reese nodded as she passed Ridley back over to Hayden.

Ridley pulled a face. "That's bad."

Hayden pinched his arm. "Hey, be nice." He frowned. "She's helping me out with you, so at least be respectful."

Ridley frowned. "I can take care of me."

"Oh, can you little guy?" Hayden asked, raising an eyebrow. "You're a bit too tiny to take care of yourself, I think."

Ridley soon his head, his golden ringlets bouncing. "I can make me cereal. And I go potty alone. I even tuck me into bed." He played with Hayden's lanyard as they walked.

"What if the cereal is on a high shelf? And what about when your bed sheets and blankets need to be washed?"

Ridley's face scrunched. "I could buy workers to do that. I'm gonna have lots of money when I'm big."

"Oh, really?" Hayden's face brightened in amusement and he pulled a wide smile.

It was then Reese had gotten a good look at him. Hayden wasn't too tall, and he didn't have any obvious muscle, but his shoulders were wide, and he was built proportionally. His nose angled with a little round bulb at the end, and his dimples were especially noticeable when he grinned. Occasionally, his brown curls fell into his eyes as he laughed with Ridley. It was clear that curls ran in their blood.

Reese flinched when Hayden's smiling eyes flickered to her.

"Is something wrong, Reese?" He asked, his smiling slowly fading.

Reese shook her head. "No. I'm just tried." She signed, smiling tiredly. "Today at school just kind of shook me a little." She signed. She pointed to her neck when Hayden tilted his head, quizzically.

"Oh!" Hayden exclaimed. "Does it still hurt from earlier? Do we need to stop by the ER or anything?"

Reese shook her head. "Scary." She spelt out. She chuckled silently as Hayden visibly relaxed.

"Hayden." Ridley interrupted them. "Can you open the door? I have to pee."

"Sorry, sorry." Hayden mumbled, his face quickly reddening as he fumbled for his keys. "This my house. You're free to run around and play with Ridley, Ori."

Reese stood by the doorway as Hayden let the children in. Ori immediately followed Ridley up to his bedroom when he said he had the latest edition of space robots in his closet.

Hayden was standing by the kitchen, rolling his sleeves up. "So, um..." He mumbled. "Are you hungry?"

He was awkward. And Reese found it cute.

She paused when she reached him, her eyes wide.

Wait... she thought he was... what?