into their biggest movie room and everyone had tutus, tiaras, wands, wings…” She waved her hand in the air. “Everything you can imagine sparkling and puffy was there to horrify these guys and have them nearly running for the door.”
Ben leaned forward, hanging on Natalie’s every signed word.
“Gabe told the guys to take a seat and asked two of the teenage girls there with their younger sisters to help the guys out.” She bit her lip at the memory.
“What happened?”
She barely held back the smile as she signed. “We all sat and watched the movie while one of the guys held a glitter wand and the other wore a tiara. By the time we left the movies, the guys had about a dozen phone numbers of teenage girls in their pockets and I was suddenly their honorary little sister.”
Natalie’s joy in that moment was contagious. Ben’s cheeks were hurting from the smile he knew was plastered on his face.
She reached out for his hand and squeezed it, holding his hand as she slowly spoke her next words. “Gabe and Dad have a bumpy relationship. Every year, I ask him about Father’s Day. Sometimes he goes, sometimes he doesn’t,” she said with a sigh. She released his hand and continued signing, “That’s why I mentioned Father’s Day dinner the other day. You make him happy, happier than I’ve ever seen him. He’s more grounded and centered. He takes less risks and talks about a future that’s more than a few days or months ahead. I wanted our father to see that too.” She chewed on her lip, her gaze snapping back and forth between him and the ground. “That’s why I thought you could help me mend the break between them, but I never meant to say or do anything to hurt you.”
He leaned back, realization dawning on him. Gabriel leaving…Natalie in tears, worried she had hurt him. Ben had been surprised to see Gabriel at the store to help with the lunch rush. His mood swings over the weekend whenever Natalie or the dinner came up had given Ben whiplash. He glanced back at Natalie, her gaze pleading and remorseful.
“We’ve never really talked about personal stuff, have we?” he signed.
She shook her head.
“Do you even know why I was arrested?”
She shook her head again. “Not everything,” she signed. “I know you were originally arrested for theft and your second was a probation violation. Matt had asked if I wanted more details disclosed, but I said no. Aidan trusted you and that was enough for me to hire you. I prefer to make my own judgments. I only know about the theft charge because Matt said you weren’t permitted to work on the register while employed through the program.”
Ben took a deep breath. During the last few months, she had become more than his mentor and employer. He had taken for granted just how much Natalie had trusted him. It was about time he did the same.
For the next half hour, he shared the history of his parents, his sister, his experience in school and with others, both while in the foster care system and afterward with the small group he had thought were his friends. She watched each sign and waited as he typed out notes when a memory became too tough to share under her scrutiny. Especially when he relived those moments of feeling like the unwanted outsider, pushed aside and hidden away.
He stilled when she leaned forward and wrapped her arms around his neck. She squeezed him tight, then pulled away to grab another tissue and blow her nose.
“He would never hide you away. Neither of us would ever do that to you.” She shook her head as she dabbed her eyes with the tissue. “How do you not hate me for making you think we would do that?”
A half smile pulled at the corner of his mouth. “Because your brother is a magician and spent all weekend spreading his magic all over me.”
Among other things.
Her nose was getting red from all the nose blowing. “It’s no wonder he got pissed off at me.” She pitched the tissue in the trash bin and exhaled with her entire body. “Mom was a master at giving us one hell of a guilt trip. Gabe seems to think I learned a lot from her, but honestly, it’s pure luck when I strike a nerve that works in my favor. I’m as skilled at giving a guilt trip as I am at