Here is the last regular chapter of this little fic. I've really enjoyed writing this story, and it truly means a lot to me. Writing As Leaves Fall and now this, made me realize how much more open I am becoming with my own Deafness, and bringing people into my little world about my life. I usually don't share a lot of about it unless you are close to me. These two stories are the most open I've ever been with embracing my deafness. I definitely think, maybe sometime in the future, I'll be writing another story with another Deaf character. We shall see.

The Epilogue will post tomorrow. I'll give my proper thanks to all you amazing people then. For now, thank you to Kyla713 for looking all of this over. And to Mo, for telling me to stop worrying, that it really is great.

Now, I hope this last chapter is all you hoped it'd be. Enjoy.

~.~

Chapter 14-

I'd like to have said that the last few weeks with Rose had been easy, that she was taking to hearing new things with no complications. Unfortunately, it had been a lot of crying, meltdowns and straight up ignoring us. I knew I couldn't blame her. Her world was changing fast, and it had to be scary for small child to go through all the changes that were now swirling around her. I knew that if I were in her shoes, I'd be just as disoriented and scared as well.

I wished I could somehow make it all easier on her, but I also knew that we were essentially having to go through all of her milestones that she should've hit when she was a baby, had she been able to hear perfectly.

I still wouldn't have traded my angel for anything. She brought a smile to each day and filled my heart with love, even when she'd scream and cry.

The first time she cried and heard it, she stopped for a minute, went totally silent, and then screamed and cried again. I think that was the moment that she realized, hey! I can make noise, too. That's me I'm hearing!

Bella thought the meltdowns and her acting up was her way of hearing herself; that Rose was still grasping that she could hear herself.

From the moment we left the doctor's office the afternoon her implant was turned on, we began to speak to Rose, as well as sign, to allow her to get used to our voices and placing speech with sign. We also looked up a speech therapist that specialized in working with deaf/hoh kids. Rose's first appointment was fast approaching, but first, we had to take her in for another hearing test, just to see how much the aids and implant were working for her. We were told that, at most, she'd maybe only hear at thirty percent, which was better than nothing, and what Bella currently was able to hear in her right ear, even with her aids.

It had been an adjustment for all of us. We were slowly retraining ourselves to be vocal, so Rose could hear and learn speech.

Toby was still his sister's protector. When she'd cry or begin to feel frustrated, he'd bring her a favorite toy or try to get her interested in a game. Sometimes it worked, other times, not so much, but the one thing that did get her attention was Star Wars. Toby had completely called that she'd like the light saber noises. Since the week after her implant was turned on, they'd watched The Force Awakens almost every day. She would become completely enthralled, even though she really didn't get it, nor did she care. It seemed as if she was just there for the sound effects. If it made her happy, I was all for it.

The first time Buster barked, because Toby and I were roughhousing a bit, was the first time I'd ever seen my Rosie scared. She wasn't sure what to do; whether she should scream or cry, or run. she opted to throw herself down and cry. She spent the remainder of that afternoon glued to Bella. Buster, I could tell, felt horrible. He kept trying to go up and lick on her, but Rose wasn't having it.

Though, later that night, I found him cuddled up next to her feet on her bed. All was forgiven.

We were learning fast what her favorite sound was, and she'd gravitate toward it whenever she heard it.

Her mom's voice.

She'd run up to Bella the second she heard it, and Rose quickly found out other ways she could hear her mom. She eventually pieced together that she could hear her mom on the phone. On one especially trying day, I was home waiting for Toby to get off the bus from school, while Bella was at work, and Rose kept making grunting noises. I couldn't figure out what she wanted, until I carried her all over the house and she eventually pointed to the phone.

"Momma?" I asked her, waited a few seconds, and then signed to her.

Rose nodded, her eyes teary.

I dialed Bella's number, and the second she answered, Rose became vocal. Just grunting out random sounds and reaching for the phone. I placed it up to her ear, but she didn't like that and moved away. She was still getting used to having anything near her ears when her aids were in. I put the speaker phone on, and let mom and daughter connect. Bella talked about anything and nothing, knowing our daughter just wanted her voice, and I couldn't blame her. Bella's voice was beautiful.

Rose's most disliked sound, apart from Buster's bark, was the sound of running water. Bath time had quickly become a frustrating time. She'd fight to get into the tub and cover her ears, and refuse to get in. Eventually, we began to run the bath before she got in. Though, on the opposite side of things, she loved the sound of splashing water.

Even though we were all learning to navigate this new life of ours, I loved seeing it all through my daughter's eyes. Her amazement at sounds I had long taken for granted amazed me once again. Sometimes it was just a simple sound on the television, or from a toy. Nonetheless, when her eyes grew wide and her smile overtook her; it made getting to this point for her completely worth it.

Three weeks to the day of the implant being turned on, we were back at the audiologist. That time, she'd be awake for her hearing test. We hoped she'd be able to raise her hands at sounds and go through a typical test. And she did, although a few meltdowns and tears occurred, but we got through it, and results were what we expected. With the Cochlear and hearing aid, she was hearing at or around a thirty percent level. Still nothing on her left, but we were happy with what she had—a second chance at hearing. If, when she was older and more technology became available, she wanted to try something on her left ear, we would leave that up to her. She'd gone through too many changes already, and we didn't want to dump more on her until she was ready or asked.

A week after the hearing test, we found ourselves with a speech therapist. Her name was Carmen, and she was patient and understanding. She laid out her plan, how she'd approach certain words and sounds, working Rose slowly up to where she should be for a child her age. We left that office with a plan to be there two times a week, thirty minutes each time, but also, with materials to help Rose at home as well.

A month of therapy for Rose brought the best surprise we weren't sure we'd ever receive.

It was just before bedtime and we were saying goodnight. Bella had just given Rose a kiss and tucked her in and began to walk out of the room to shut the light off. I was standing right outside the door and a tiny voice came just before my wife switched the light off.

"Ma!" our daughter not so quietly said. "Ma. Ma. Ma. Ma!"

My heart stopped and I found myself staring at my wife, who now had tears streaming down her face and a huge smile, and that made my chest fill with love.

Bella turned around and walked back to our daughter, pulling her up in her arms and hugging her. The whole time, our little Rose kept saying, "Ma."

Who knew one two-letter word could light our world.

And light our world she did.

Rose was the best gift our family could ever ask for. She made us better. She made our love seem like it couldn't be contained, and it couldn't. It overflowed all throughout the house and family.

My kids and my wife made this life worth it—every moment, of every second, of every day. Just perfect.

What started as a habit of my son collecting leaves that had fallen to the ground to give to his, now, mom, and my daughter who loved to play all through the snow, made me realize it truly is the simple things in life that bring you the best gifts that make the greatest impacts felt for ages to come.

The End.

~.~

Again, the Epilogue will post sometime tomorrow.

Thank you for reading and sticking with me for this story.