Bold – Signing only
Underlined – Signing and talking
Regular – Just speaking
Italics – texts or thoughts
Emmett Bledsoe was nervous. He was a senior at Gallaudet and usually confidence wasn't hard for him to find. After all, it was his winning personality and cool under pressure attitude that made people like him. Many of his friends, Daphne included, were always telling him that he was the one they turned to to keep them calm. Yes, Emmett Bledsoe wasn't one to get nervous about anything, except when Bay Kennish was involved.
Emmett had loved Bay from the moment he'd met her after her and Daphne found out about the switch. That was six years ago. Even back then Emmett was sometimes nervous around her. At first it was because she was hearing, something he had little to no experience with. Then it was because he was so in love with her and he wasn't sure she would feel the same. When he cheated on her with Simone he'd been nervous again, but this time it was because he knew he had done wrong and he knew that he had no right to be forgiven. However, he hoped against hope that she would. When she didn't he had been crushed but, he knew that he would get her back someday. When that day came almost 2 years later, he was nervous again. He was nervous that she would regret getting together with him and that his dreams of ever spending the rest of his life with her would be crushed. However, she had stuck by him and now here they were four years later, almost to the day. Emmett was nervous yet again. This time his nervousness came from the little black box he held in his pocket.
Emmett surveyed the picnic he had set up. He and Bay were back home in KC for Spring Break. He knew that this was the perfect moment to do what he had planned. With a little help from Daphne and Travis, Emmett had put his plan into action. Travis and his girlfriend Mary Beth, would bring Bay to the park after taking her out for a day of fun at an art show. Daphne offered to help with setting up the picnic, and cooking part of it, and then later on filming it. The day was set up perfectly. Now all Emmett had to do was wait, which was easier said than done. Looking out over the grassy area, Emmett is reminded of his reunion with Bay here four years prior. It was a happy memory surrounded by embarrassment and hurt. All because of Matthew. Emmett hadn't really thought of that incident in years, usually choosing to keep it in the back of his mind. However, waiting for Bay caused his mind to wander.
A tap on his shoulder brought him out of his thoughts. He looked at Daphne who motioned towards the bridge and then hid behind the tree. Bay was walking across the bridge, slowly taking in her surroundings, and wistfully smiling. Seeing that look on her face caused Emmett to swell with happiness. Never again would he find a girl as wonderful and amazing as Bay Kennish. Taking a deep breath, Emmett straightened his tie and sat up straighter.
"Hey" Bay signed as she approached the picnic area and sat down across from Emmett.
"Hey" Emmett returned as he leaned over for a kiss.
"What's up?" Bay motioned with her hands as she looked around.
"It's a picnic." Emmett grinned, his eyes laughing.
"Well I know that!" Bay laughed and playfully shoved Emmett.
"I was wondering if I could ask you a question." Emmett signed quickly.
"Woah, slow down. I only caught half of that" Bay spoke, not bothering to sign.
"Question." Emmett signed more distinctly.
"Oh, a question!" Bay signed showing off her smile.
"Will. You. Marry. Me." Emmett said out loud, no signing, just his voice speaking her language.
"Emmett…" Bay whispers her hand on her mouth in surprise. Tears start to form in her eyes.
Emmett was concerned so he dropped the ring box and scooted closer to her.
"You ok?" Emmett signed.
"Yes. I'm more than ok." Bay smiled, and signed, through her tears. "I am just really happy you asked me."
"So…" Emmett mouthed, looking at Bay expectantly.
"Yes you moron! YES! I will marry you!" Bay squealed, only bothering to sign about half of her words, but Emmett understood what she was saying. He heard it loud and clear, in his heart.
The two hug and passionately kiss. After kissing for a couple of minutes, Bay pulled away with a mischievous look on her face.
"We were always good at the kissing part." Bay signed.
Emmett fell back on the blanket and laughed. Unadulterated joy was conveyed in that moment and from behind the tree Daphne couldn't be happier. Her best friend and her sister were getting married. She turned off the camera and snuck away.
"I remember this place," Bay signed. "It's where I realized that I was being stupid pretending not to love you."
"It was also where you found me after Matthew hurt me." Emmett signed back.
"Emmett, seeing you hurt that night made me realize that I never wanted to see you hurt, EVER again." Bay signed pointedly. Then she reached out and stroked Emmett's face. Emmett leaned into the touch and kissed her hand. Both were silently thinking of their reunion night four years previously.
-flashback-
Emmett lay there just looking at Bay. They had finally had sex and it was the most glorious thing in the world to him. He wanted this moment to never end, but then she looked over at him and his nerves got the better of him. He started to worry that she would immediately regret it.
"Well I guess I'm not a vegetable anymore." Bay signed lazily.
"You haven't been a virgin for a while. I know you had sex with Ty." Emmett signed back.
"Ty and I did have sex, but it's not the same." Bay signed as she sat up.
"What do you mean?" Emmett signed back, still not getting up.
"Things with you are always different." Bay replied vaguely. She got up and started to look around for the rest of her clothes.
Emmett reached out and gently grabbed her leg to get her attention.
"You can't say that and walk away." Emmett signed, his motions on the verge of anger. This was not going how he had hoped.
"I wasn't walking away Emmett." Bay signed, obviously annoyed.
"Then stop moving and talk to me." Emmett signed hoping to get his urgency across to her.
"We're signing Emmett, not talking." Bay signed exasperatedly.
Emmett let his head drop and his arms fall limply to his sides. He was never going to make it work with Bay. She had just made that perfectly clear. The difference between them was too great. He couldn't believe that his mom had been right. Bay and he would never make it because they didn't even speak the same language.
"Emmett, I didn't mean it like that. I'm sorry. I was just upset with myself over this. I'm still with Tank and I am doing the one thing I swore I'd never do. I cheated on him with you. I don't regret what we did, not exactly, but we shouldn't have done it." Bay signed, as best she could, and spoke the other parts.
"Then why did you do it? Why, if you knew that you were cheating on Tank?" Emmett signed loudly.
"I missed you. Coming here and seeing you hurt like that made me realize just how great being with you makes me feel. I never had that with Tank, and I never will. I also have never had sex like that before." Bay signed and spoke as she placed her hand on Emmett's face.
"So I was good then?" Emmett signed giving his lopsided, cheeky grin.
"Of course that is all you heard!" Bay laughed and slapped his shoulder.
Emmett smiled at the sight of Bay's laughter. In that moment he wished with all his heart that he wasn't deaf for a few seconds, just so he could hear her laugh. Oh how he loved to see her laugh, it made his heart warm and full.
"Emmett, I don't regret having sex with you. I only regret not breaking up with Tank before I did it." Bay spoke, she looked directly at Emmett so that she wouldn't have to sign.
"So go break up with him."
"I will, tomorrow, I promise."
"I have one more question."
"Yes?"
"You had sex with Ty right? So you would already have lost your virginity. If that's true then why did you tell me you're not a vegetable?"
"Ok, I only caught about 50% of that, but I think you asked me about being a vegetable?"
Emmett only nodded and motioned for her to answer.
"With Ty I lost my virginity, but with you I lost my vegetable status." Bay signed with a sly smile on her face.
"Oh" Emmett signed simply, all the while smiling.
-end of flashback-
Emmett Bledsoe was nervous yet again. Bay Kennish had said yes, which had made his heart stop, but now his nerves were taking over. Sure she had said yes in the moment, but she couldn't actually mean it. She probably really wanted to be with a hearing guy, not some guy who would never hear her talk or laugh or cry. Yes, Emmett Bledsoe was nervous, as only Bay could make him.
Bay glanced at Emmett and saw that he was retreating within himself and his nerves. She knew that if she didn't do something quick Emmett would start to seriously doubt their ability to love each other. He would pick a fight to try and help her break up with him so that she could go and find herself a hearing guy.
Bay pulled Emmett back towards her. She captured his mouth with hers and once again the two were kissing passionately and urgently. Before long they were laying on the picnic blanket, the picnic itself forgotten. Emmett rolled over so that he was on top of Bay. The two continued to urgently kiss while Emmett starts to take off Bay's shirt. Bay stops the kissing and looks into Emmett's eyes.
"Are you sure?" She signed quizzically.
"Yeah." Emmett simply replied and continued his kissing Bay.
The two end up with their clothes strewn all over the park and the blanket wrapped around them. Bay had dozed off a little while ago. Now Emmett was just holding her and stroking her hair. He loved the way it felt beneath his fingers and how it always smelled of lilac, or paint fumes depending on when Bay and he were together. Staring at Bay's tranquil face, Emmett knew that he had made the right decision. Or decisions come to think of it. From the first day he had met her he had never given up on her, even after he made his mistake. Four years ago when Bay told him that she loved him and had never stopped, well that made everything worthwhile to him. Now that they were engaged, Emmett couldn't be happier. He was going to get to spend the rest of his life with the woman he loves.
Daphne sat in her old room at the Kennish guest house. She couldn't believe that Emmett and Bay were going to get married. Sure things between her and Bay were rocky in the beginning but, after knowing each other for the last six years they were now able to call each other sisters. Bay was so smart and stubborn but, it worked out well with Daphne because she was mellower. They balanced each other out, all the time.
She had left them at the park over 4 hours ago, and now it was dark outside. Daphne was starting to worry because she hadn't heard from Bay. She just figured that Bay would immediately want to tell her the great news. However, when her phone goes off its not Bay who texted her, its Emmett.
Thanks for everything today. You are a wonderful friend. –E
No problem. So she said yes, that's exciting. Daphne texted in response
Yeah. Look I gotta go. I just wanted to say Thanks.
Daphne looked at her phone, completely puzzled. Things were kind of weird. Not only was Bay not rushing to tell her the news, but Emmett was being vague and really quiet for him. Daphne wondered if she should go over to the main house and see if Bay was home.
Deciding that there is no harm in going over for a visit, Daphne walked across the driveway. Halfway to the Kennish's door though she noticed that the light is on in Bay's studio. So Daphne walked over and knocked on the door frame. Bay was painting something with blues, yellows, and greens. She looked up when Daphne knocked and beckoned her inside.
"So Emmett texted me." Daphne signed and spoke.
"Yeah he asked me to marry him. I said yes!" Bay signed and spoke, clearly only faking her enjoyment.
"Okay I was there. I was filming the proposal, for Emmett." Daphne admitted in sign. "You seemed happy when he asked, what happened after?"
"We had sex." Bay signed, putting down her brush.
"And…" Daphne signed. "You've had sex before."
"Yeah but, this time I was supposed to tell him something. That's why I went to the park. I wasn't expecting for him to propose." Bay signed feverishly.
"What did you need to tell him?" Daphne responded. "Did you tell him?"
"Yeah I told him, and then I came here." Bay signed, still not answering Daphne's original question.
"What did you need to tell him?"
"I'm pregnant."
"WHAT?!"
"Yeah his reaction was sort of the same. So I left. He obviously wants nothing to do with me now."
"Bay, are you an IDIOT? He LOVES you! He wouldn't have proposed if he didn't."
"Can we just drop it?" Bay responded, picking up her brush again and not bothering to sign.
Daphne couldn't believe what Bay had just told her. Bay. Pregnant? Well that was totally shocking. She knew that Bay and Emmett had been together since the end of high school, but she wasn't aware that they had sex regularly enough for that to happen. Daphne knew she needed to talk with Emmett, but would he want to talk to her?
"Hey" Daphne signed as she approached Emmett working on a motorcycle at his old job.
"Hey" Emmett replied with a smile.
"So, are you going to tell me? Or am I just going to have to know what I know because Bay told me."
"Bay's pregnant"
"Yeah, that's what she told me. Are you ok?"
"No! How could I be? I thought today was the day I was getting engaged, not the day I was also finding out I'm going to be a father."
"Well you know Bay really needs you to be there for her."
"Are you thinking I would walk away? Daphne YOU KNOW ME!"
"I wasn't sure because you are here and she is there painting a really sad looking piece."
"I just needed some time to clear my head, besides she's the one that ran off after telling me."
"Well she's scared. She doesn't want to have to do this alone."
"Does she really think I'd leave her?"
"She's not thinking clearly right now Em. She is only thinking that you were shocked and not immediately okay with it and her bio dad did something similar to our mom. She's just worried that she'll end up like Regina."
"Wow, I know she never said all that so you really do know her well."
"Almost as well as you, but not quite. You should go to her. She may not say so but she needs you."
The two friends hug each other goodbye and Daphne leaves Emmett alone to decide what he wanted to do.
Emmett stopped his motorcycle right in front of Bay's studio at the Kennish home. She had music playing so she didn't hear him approach. Emmett was okay with that because it meant he would get to just watch her work, one of his favorite things to do. When Bay painted she was in her own little world that no one else could touch. Her strokes were always meticulous yet graceful and the paint always seemed to flow from her fingers. Emmett had always been mesmerized by her art, since day one. He loved her street art even more, but she gave that up after high school. After some time of watching Bay, Emmett could stand it no longer. He walked up behind her and enveloped her in his arms.
Bay was startled by the sudden touch of Emmett's hands but she was okay with it because he always made her feel like no matter what she'd always be safe. Bay turned in Emmett's embrace and they kiss.
"Hey" Emmett signed while gazing intently into Bay's eyes.
"Hey." Bay signed softly. "I just needed to think things over."
"I know. I have questions though."
"Sure."
"Are you okay? Is the baby okay? How far along?"
"I am fine. So is the baby. I am about 12 weeks, so around 3 months. And before you ask, I just found out a few weeks ago."
"A FEW WEEKS AGO?! And you didn't bother to tell ME? THE FATHER?" Emmett pulled away from Bay even more and began angrily pacing the studio.
"Emmett, please! I didn't know HOW to tell you. We were so happy and I was afraid that this would ruin things." Bay grabbed Emmett's arm to get his attention.
"So you were going to get rid of it?!" Emmett signed forcefully, his face showing his pain over the thought.
"NO! I stupidly thought that if I ignored it, it would just go away." Bay cried and tried to hug Emmett. "I'm so sorry! Can we please move forward? We are getting married and having a baby. This is a big deal and I need you to be there."
"I would NEVER leave."
"Good."
"Bay, I love you! Even if you drive me crazy."
"And I love you, Emmett Bledsoe."
The two lovers kiss and just hold each other in a happy silence. Bay wondered if this is what it felt like to be deaf. She hears no sounds, not a one even though the night is usually a noisy time. She was in love with the silence and actually wished her whole world could always be like this.
"I hope you are free tomorrow. I made an appointment to see the doctor. It's the first time we can hear the baby's heartbeat." Bay realized her mistake the moment she signed it.
"I'll still be able to hear. The doctor can make it loud enough that I will feel the vibrations the sound makes." Emmett smiled in a way that reassured Bay that they'd both be able to experience this moment.
"I'm so happy to have you in my life, Emmett."
"Me too."