Half way through the semester of senior year!

Should I be scared or worried or excited? How about all three! I'm still writing furiously trying to get my novel to be somewhat finished by the end of the semester. I will probably end up writing more during the summer just to please my inner writer. I have decided to turn my book into two parts. One will be the growing up part called Learning Process. The second will be about the meet. Meaning at some point my characters will meet I just haven't figured out when or how.
Here is another section of my book. Still in part one.

Spokane, Washington

“Now what?!” Sharon’s tears haven’t subsided during the couple’s hour long conversation. It took Luke awhile to get Sharon to even look at him at the beginning of the conversation but now she was huddled in his lap. Luke’s throat closes at a loss for words. Again and again his mouth opens but no words escape his tight esophagus.

“How did this happen? Did I do something that caused this!”

“No, honey, don’t think like that. Dr. Burns told us that sometimes things like this happen with no explanation”. He rubbed his hands up and down her back. She curled up against his chest sobbing. Luke tenderly held both his wife and little Jamie. He let a tear fall down his face but then wiped it away before it hits the sleeping child. “We love you” he whispers to her. After a few minutes, Sharon pulls away, fixes her hair and wipes her tear stains.

“Ok”, she says taking in a long breath. “We can do this, right?” she turns to Luke for comforting words. “Oh course, baby. We can do anything as long as we are together”.

Sharon takes a deep long look into her husband’s sparkling green eyes that she loves so much. She can’t believe she ever doubted him, the love of her life. Jason had proven himself to her a million times even through the many miscarriages.

“Did I tell you how much I love you?” she asks not bothering to hide her smile.

“Ummm, not really”.

She punches him slightly hard in the shoulder. “You know I’m kidding”. With a huff, she shakes her head. “So… who should we talk to about this?”

“Well, Dr. Burns gave me these” he shows her the pamphlets about cochlear implants. “They talk about putting a metal disk inside the child’s skull in order to provide hearing and…”  “Surgery!? No one is going to stick a metal disk into my child’s head!” Sharon yells out causing Jamie to stir in her arms. Sharon stops moving and waits until Jamie is still.

“We are not giving her a cochlear implant. We can’t” she whispers urgently.

“I’m not a fan either. What if…what if we learn American Sign Language?” Luke suggests.

“It’s probably hard”.

“We won’t know if it’s hard until we try it but I think we should do whatever it takes to make Jamie happy” says Luke watching her reaction. Sharon sighs quite loudly. Sharon’s mind races with doubts. She looks at her daughter and gives a smaller sigh.

 “I hate it when you’re right…but yea, we should be thinking about her needs before ours”.

“Why are you agitated with me?” Luke asks confused by his wife’s apparent attitude.

“Our child is Deaf! Do you really understand that?” she asks throwing her hands up in the air.

“Yes, I understand that but it’s not the end of the world. We just need to work together and not get too emotional about it”. Luke says trying his best to stay calm. “It says here in this that they suggest seeing an audiologist. Maybe he will give us better insight”.

Sharon looks at him twitching her lips in thought. She begins to realize he does have a point. Sharon was never good at admitting someone else was right.

After a minute of silence she nods and says, “Yea, alright we can ask Dr. Burns when he comes back to see if he has a recommendation”. She gives a tight smile. “I’m sorry I’m so…” She struggles to come up with the right words, “So annoying. It’s just that…I’m scared. What if I’m not a good mother? What if we can’t learn ASL? What if…” Her tears start to fall faster than before. “Sweetie” Luke says tenderly as he gathers her into his lap. “We need to focus on the silver lining of this situation. After years of trying, we have finally been blessed with a child. That alone should make you the happiest woman on Earth”. Sharon looks up and smiles and gives her husband a passionate kiss. All three of the Leighton’s are curled up inside one another. “I love you” Luke says. “I love you too and you” Sharon says turning toward Jamie. Luke inhales Sharon’s scent and asks, “You feeling better now?”

“Yea, I’m so glad I married you”

“Me too” They both huddle around little Jamie until a knock came at the door.

“Come in!” says Luke getting up from the bed and settling into a chair. Dr. Burns walks in and greets them all.

“How is little Jamie doing?”

“Good, thank you so much. We did have a question for you Dr. Burns”.

“Sure, what can I help you with?”

“Who should we see about helping Jamie? This suggests seeing an audiologist. You know what you could recommend to us?” Dr. Burns nods then takes out a pad of paper and a shiny pen from his coat breast pocket. “Go see Dr. Loiseau at the Spokane Audiology Clinic. I’m writing down his phone number too. We actually went to high school together. Amazing we are still in touch”. He hands the paper to Luke. “Thank you so much” Luke says giving Dr. Burns a firm handshake. “Good bye Sharon, Luke and Jamie” he smiles as he starts for the door but before he leaves he turns and says, “A nurse will be by shortly to escort you to your car. You’re officially released. Have a safe drive home”. He closes the door firmly behind him. 

This is a really emotional time for Sharon and Luke. I'm hoping the tension comes out in this well enough.