When they had finished, Jack cleaned up the dishes, rummaging around for something to put the extra soup in. Sue smiled as she watched him navigate her kitchen, opening and closing drawers and cabinets as he searched for what he needed. He grew increasingly frustrated and Sue laughed. Jack turned to face her.
"I'm glad you find this funny. You and Lucy have the screwiest system in this kitchen. I can't find anything. Where's your Tupperware?" he asked, finger spelling the final word.
Sue rose and walked immediately to a deep drawer on the left and smugly opened it. Jack peered in. "You keep your Tupperware with your sandwich bags?"
She shrugged. "They both hold things."
"Unbelievable."
Sue smacked him playfully on the arm. "It works for us!"
"And only for you." Jack suddenly realized how close they were. Sue was leaning against the counter, arms crossed, smiling at him. He stood facing her, less than a foot away. His eyes met hers and he found himself leaning in to her, wanting so much to kiss her, feeling a magnetic pull drawing him near. Suddenly… Sue's hands flew up to her face as she sneezed violently, sending Jack into peals of laughter.
"I'm so sorry!" Sue exclaimed.
Jack handed her a tissue. "It's okay," he said, impulsively hugging her quickly before pulling back. "I forgot for a minute that you were sick."
Sue sighed. "So did I."
"Guess I was doing my job then, for a while."
"Do you want to watch TV or something?" Sue glanced at the clock. "Oh, wow, it's 7:00. You've been here for a long time, you probably have to go."
"Don't worry, I don't have any plans. I thought I'd hang out for a while." Jack didn't want to leave and it seemed like Sue didn't want him to leave either, but he wasn't sure. He wondered what it was about this woman that made him feel like he was 15-years-old again.
Sue smiled. "No hot date tonight? Not going out to pick up women in bars? Or what was the other one? Online dating?"
"Very funny." Jack grinned mischievously. "It just so happens I have a date for tomorrow evening."
Sue looked mildly disappointed, but tried to cover it by grabbing a tissue and blowing her nose. When she had finished and regained her composure, she said, "That's nice. Someone new?"
"Nope. Someone I've known for a couple of years now."
"Really?" Sue asked surprised. "Who?"
"Well, it's a friend of mine. A close friend." Jack raised an eyebrow and realized Sue had not yet caught on. "She's been sick."
"Oh…" Sue said slowly, then it clicked. "Oh! You mean me?" she asked, confused.
"If you don't already have plans… I thought we could do something. If you're feeling up to it." Jack felt his confidence slipping, suddenly wondering if his plan was such a good idea. Sue's quick response alleviated some of his worry.
"No! I mean, I don't have any plans. I don't know what kind of company I'll be though."
"You'll be perfect, I'm sure. Besides, I'm taking care of everything. You don't even have to leave your apartment."
Sue's mind was racing, trying to figure out what on earth Jack had in store for her. She still hadn't realized that the next day was Valentine's Day and that she had gotten herself a date for the evening without even knowing it.
The rest of the evening passed quickly, too quickly for Jack whose nerves were already beginning to fray over his Valentine's plans. As Sue watched TV, he'd snuck out for a quick call to Bobby, which turned out to be exactly what he'd needed.
"Jack, relax. It's going to be great. She's going to be so surprised she'll fall at your feet and pledge her love to you forever."
"You need to get a grip on reality, Bobby."
"Okay, so maybe I'm letting my imagination get the best of me, but there is no chance whatsoever that she will not be totally in love with you by the end of the night. She already is! So all you have to do is get it out in the open."
"Easier said than done. I seem to lose all control of my senses around her. I can't speak, I can't think…"
"That's love, mate, and you've got it bad." Jack heard a knocking sound in the background. "Speaking of love, Darcy's here, I gotta go."
"Okay."
"Listen, Jack, no worries. It'll all work out in the end."
"Thanks, Bobby." Jack hung up and returned to the living room, this time taking a seat on the couch next to Sue. She had been channel surfing and settled on a movie that was just starting. Jack turned to her and signed, "What's this?"
Sue popped up the digital cable display so he could read. Jack read the description out loud: "Annette Bening and Warren Beatty star in this unnecessary remake of the classic An Affair to Remember. While Bening and Beatty have chemistry off-screen it fizzles on-screen, the highlight of the movie is an appearance by Katharine Hepburn in her final movie role. An enjoyable movie for the romantic who's not too interested in deep thought." He looked at Sue. "Well, with a description like that, who wouldn't want to watch."
Sue smacked him lightly. "I like this movie! It's romantic. A story about two people who discover true love while they're with other people. And then they go their separate ways to settle their affairs and they plan to meet on top of the Empire State Building, only she gets in an accident and can't make it and he thinks she doesn't love him. But, of course, by the end they find their way back to each other and live happily ever after."
"Just like real life?"
"Sometimes," Sue replied softly, holding Jack's gaze for a moment longer than necessary. He smiled, got up to turn off the light, and sat down closer to Sue on the couch.
"Then let's watch."
Jack had to admit that he did enjoy the movie. It was cute, though he was surprised that a couple married off-screen didn't carry as much chemistry on-screen. Half the time he was distracted by Sue, who throughout the movie had managed to move closer and closer to him, or maybe he moved closer to her, he wasn't sure. But by the time the accident happened, his arm was around her shoulders and she was leaning into him.
At the end of the movie Sue was so quiet and still Jack thought she had fallen asleep. When he moved slightly to look at her face, however, she shifted and looked up at him, a few tears on her face. She chuckled. "Sorry, gets me every time. I guess I can empathize with the character, with Terry, though our stories are different. She found a man who loves her, who overlooks her disability. Like you do, with me." Sue sat up quickly realizing how what she said could be interpreted. She looked at Jack. "I mean, you never make me feel like I'm different or that my deafness matters to you."
Jack smiled and reached out to tuck a stray strand of hair behind her ear. "That's because it doesn't." He paused, thoughtful. "I mean it does in that it's a part of you, but it's not a bad part or a different part. It just makes you, you. Like Myles' ego is a part of him and Tara's rapid fire memory is a part of her. I don't look at you and see your deafness. I look at you and see one of my best friends, one of my favorite people. You're just Sue."
Sue looked away so Jack wouldn't see the fresh tears in her eyes. Her relationships, few that they were, were never bad. Her boyfriends never used her deafness against her or made her feel like an outcast because of it, but none of them were as welcoming as Jack. At least none of them had been vocal about it. Even David, who was so kind and good to her… He just didn't seem to fit like Jack did.
But there had been other times, with kids at school growing up – mean kids and those who just didn't know any better. And even adults, even now, who assumed she was inept or slow just because she couldn't hear. She was surprised because she viewed herself just like Jack viewed her. Her deafness didn't define her, it wasn't all she was as a person, just a body that couldn't hear. It was a part of her, an important part of her that made her who she was, but it wasn't the only thing. And Jack saw that and recognized it and shared it with her. It made her love him even more.
She felt Jack's hand on her arm and turned toward him. She glanced at the clock: 11:17. "I can't believe it's this late."
"You tired?"
Sue yawned.
"I'll take that as a yes. You should go to bed, get some rest. Take it easy tomorrow and I'll see you around six. Does that work?"
Sue nodded. She walked Jack to the door and they shared an awkward moment as they fumbled around goodbye. Finally Jack reached out and pulled Sue into a hug, giving her a quick kiss on the cheek when he released her.
"Good night, Jack."
"Good night, Sue," Jack signed and spoke. "Sweet dreams."
As Sue shut and locked the door behind him, she leaned on the doorframe and whispered, "They will be." Smiling, she went to bed.