Nonverbal - Aria Grace Page 0,25

Avery looked at me. “Is this about sex?”

I’d just taken a sip of my smoothie and choked on it, spitting it across the table. “No!” Not entirely.

Liam and Avery both laughed as I did my best to wipe up my mess. “Sorry. But no. I think he’s just ready.”

Shocking us both, Liam put his other hand over mine and squeezed it. “I’m ready.”

I nodded and held his gaze. “Good. Then we can work on this together.” I turned to Avery. “All of us. I’m sure the doctors will be surprised and will probably need to do tests or whatever.”

“No.” Liam pulled both of his hands out of my reach and crossed his arms over his chest.

“No, what?” I looked between him and Avery. “What did I say?”

Avery sighed and leaned back in her chair. “Liam hates doctors. He refused to keep going a long time ago.”

Liam nodded once then looked at me with desperate eyes. “No.”

“I know it’s scary, bud. But the doctors won’t hurt you. They’ll just want to check you out and make sure everything’s good.” I turned to Avery. “Right?”

She shrugged. “Honesty, I don’t know. They don’t know a lot about TBIs and there are always crazy experiments and trials they’re trying to get him in. With his,”—she held up her fingers in air quotes—“’miraculous recovery,’ I’m sure they’ll want to do even more. Besides, those brain scans are kinda intense. I wouldn’t want one.”

“It'll be okay, Liam.” I reached for him again and waited for him to place his hand in mine. When he did, I interlaced our fingers together. It wasn’t my place to make any promises, especially about his medical condition, but I couldn’t stand to see fear in his eyes. I didn’t want him to regret speaking. And I certainly didn’t want him to hold back any precious words out of fear they might lead to more doctor visits. So I did something that probably wasn’t smart. I made a promise I didn’t know if I could keep. “I won’t let anybody hurt you. I promise.”

His shoulders relaxed and I could tell he believed me.

I just hoped neither of us would come to regret my words.

Seventeen

When the Brenners first got home from their trip, Avery ambushed them at the door with the news about Liam’s recent progress, first mentioning that he’d followed me into the pool and then dropping the bomb about his first words. I was worried Mrs. Brenner might have a stroke right there in the entryway with the way she fell to her knees and cried into her palms.

Mr. Brenner was equally shocked but held himself together much better, carrying his wife to the sofa and calming her down before turning to me and asking the question on everyone’s mind, including my own. “How did this happen?”

“He said he’s ready.” That was the only explanation we could get from Liam, so I was going with it. “I know you did a lot of research on traumatic brain injuries when he was first hurt, and maybe since then, but I’ve also done some research. According to the stuff I’ve found, there are more and more cases of people who…well, cured isn’t the right word, but people who have evolved out of an altered or delayed state after experiencing heightened emotional responses.”

Mrs. Brenner took a stuttering breath as she looked at me. “What kind of emotional responses?” Her gaze moved to her son and then to our joined hands. “You mean your relationship? You think that’s what fixed him?”

“No, I’m not saying that.” I guess I kinda was saying that but her response made me reconsider. “I’m just saying he’s been displaying a lot of emotional development lately, and I think that might be part of the reason his speech is coming back.”

She pressed her fingers to her lips to either keep from speaking or to keep from crying. She looked like she was on the verge of either…or both. “That does seem possible.”

“Dr. Khory will have more answers.” Mr. Brenner rubbed his wife’s back then gave her a kiss on her temple. “We’ll go in this week and he should be able to tell us more.”

“No.” Liam released my hand and stood up, ready to bolt. “No doctor.”

Mrs. Brenner’s tears started to flow as she heard her son’s voice again for the first time in over eight years. “Oh, sweetheart. I can’t believe it.”

Liam ignored his mom and looked at me. “No.”

I nodded and coaxed him into sitting again, this time