Being pregnant with their first child during college had been stressful. Between never ending classes, Asher working as many shifts as he could to make extra money, and having a baby, it had felt like they were always busy. But now they had made it to a year and a half with their baby boy, and while it was hectic, the couple was very much enjoying every bit of parenthood. Today, though, they had a doctors appointment for a checkup, to run some tests as their son wasn’t talking properly, but Asher wasn’t concerned. A lot of kids their sims age wasn’t talking yet. But, as he got ready, their son laying on their bed as he always did when he got changed, Asher looked over his shoulder at Zoey. “What too me is the appointment today?“ he questioned. “I want to be there but I need to make sure I call work depending on what time it is.i was still on the schedule for all day when I left last night.”
Zoey had finished changing him when she sat next to the toddler, “10:45. But I’ll probably get there earlier to do paperwork.” She looked back at their son, biting her lip as she noticed he was still looking up at the ceiling at not even reacting to her voice. Something she had been noticing for a while. At first she thought it was because he was an infant. There were to many things to distract him. But then it started to concern her. Loud firetrucks passing on the street, loud enough to make Zoey jump and Eli didn’t we bat a eye. As he got older she would ask him if he wanted to eat and he wouldn’t make a sound. She would say good morning and when her baby sister use to giggle he would stare blankly at her. Zoey felt something was wrong. But spending most of her time alone with their child, by the time Asher got home she was to wrapped up in wanting to spend every second with her boyfriend, the topic never got brought up. She wasn’t even sure it was something he noticed himself.
“That’s what I thought. So I’m going to call and tell them I’m not coming in until after.” He spoke. “Because you know if I do go in they’ll never let me leave in time.” He spoke, standing and moving to kiss Eli’s head. “Do you remember what kind of tests they’re doing?” He questioned. He’d noticed that Eli didn’t seem to reply to his name, but, Asher didn’t think a ton about it. To him, it was just typical toddler behavior, and nothing he was too concerned about. He seemed to be excelling in most other aspects, but with Asher himself having been developmentally delayed, he knew Eli would come around on his own.
Zoey shrugged, “probably just to check things out. His response time. His hearing. Ale sure everything is developing Like it should. “ She shrugged looking back at Eli. “Just to make sure he’s it experiencing any kid of major set backs or anything they need to keep an eye on. I think they mentioned shots to which you know I hate.”
“I’m going to try to take the day off.” He admitted. “Because I know when he gets shots he needs the extra love. And today wasn’t my originally scheduled day anyways. They just added it a couple of days ago and I’d rather be here.” He admitted. “Are you nervous?” He asked. “About the results.”
Zoey nodded slowly. “Watch.” She spoke, moving her hand out of their son’s eyesight and snapping. “Nothing. No head turn. Nothing. But if I-“ she moved her hand in front of Eli and did the same thing the child laughed and reached for his mom’s hand, “That doesn’t feel right to me. Like if he can see it it makes a huge difference.” She shrugged, looking back at their son. She smiled softly before tickling him, “What if something it wrong?”
Watching as Zoey demonstrated how Eli would look at her when she snapped in front of him, but not even acknowledge when he wasn’t definitely raised some red flags for Asher. “And he doesn’t really respond well to his name. Honestly he doesn’t respond to it at all.” He shook his head. “Which has always concerned me but I didn’t think it was a huge deal..until now.” He sighed. “I mean, if he can’t hear properly, there are a lot of things technology wise they can do for him.“ he admitted. “I guess we’ll just have to see what they say. And hope for the best.”
“A lot of things we don’t have the money for. We’re kids. I- if he is I’d have to drop out of school for sure. No option. No way we can afford doctor visits and things to help. Plus both of us in school.” She sighed, “We have to do something.”
Nodding slowly, Asher looked over at her. “I mean, the place I’m trying to get an intern ship through has insurance but I have to get hired first. But you know if he needs something the doctor is never going to not let us help him. They’re going to figure out a way to get us to help him, however we can.”
Zoey shrugged, “I mean. I guess that’s good for you and him.” She commented, knowing they were barely even dating. “It’s not just that though Ash. If he is deaf or even hard if hearing, do you understand how much harder that’s going to be on him? Special classes. Special teachers. Sign language. It’s a lot.”
“It will be good for you too.” He spoke, looking at her for a moment before he looked over at their son. “I know, and I hate that for him, but, I mean, he isn’t going to know any different.” Asher shook his head. “And I know that wasn’t your point, but, think of it this way. With technology, doctors, and everything we can eventually get him, plus him knowing sign language, he’ll be able to make a difference. He’ll be able to show others that none of that is going to slow him down.”
“I mean, good in the aspect that I don’t have to pay for his insurance out of my own pocket too I guess.” She shrugged, getting up and finding the diaper bag, “How? With him getting secluded for being different. With having so many obstacles I his way. For having to learn slower and- and having to learn to lip read and people treating him like he’s stupid when our baby is just trying his hardest.” Zoey looked down at her hands. All she could imagine was her sweet little boy bringing her a flower after school. Proud of himself. And others laughing and pointing at ‘the weird kid’ and it broke her heart.
Seeing that Zoey was worried about Eli, Asher stood, waking over towards her and kissing her cheek softly. “I know.” He spoke, reaching for her hands, squeezing them as he tried to comfort her. “I was that kid. I wasn’t bullied as much as I think people thought but I had learning disabilities. I was behind my entire class until I hit high school, and sure there were some difficulties, but the kids that had my back were so good about helping me. About showing me that no matter what others said I wasn’t the ‘weird kid’.” He shook his head. “I promise you that if I have any sort of say so in how Eli is in school, he won’t be the ‘weird kid.’ He’s going to be kind. He’s going to be the kid that everyone wants to be friends with. We’re going to reach him he can do anything he wants. No questions asked.”
“But we don’t have a say. And a learning disability is way different than this. Taking longer to read or struggling with your times table is different than physically not being able to communicate with people. Not everyone knows sign language. He won’t be able to communicate with students. He’s going to struggle making friends. He will have to have different teachers since he can’t learn like normal.”
“What do you mean we don’t have a say? We have all the say when it comes to him.” Asher spoke, looking at Zoey for a moment and then looking back at Eli. And I know it’s scary. Sure, it doesn’t compare, but it kind of does.” he admitted. "I know that he’s determined; he’s not even two yet and I already know he’s determined. And they have schools for kids with disabilities of all sorts. Whether we put him in a school with only kids with disabilities or if he’s in a smaller classroom with a teacher that can help him, he’s going to be okay. Sure, he may have a harder time, but he’s not going to be completely incapable.” he spoke. Sure, his learning disabilities had been less than not being able to hear, he would admit that it wasn’t the same thing, but, he remembered all the times that he’d been told he couldn’t do anything, just for his dad to be the only support he’d had before he met Zoey. And he knew that if he had a say so, Eli would never think less of himself than what he was capable of.”
“Not in how other kids treat him. You forget. I was a cheerleader. I was surrounded by bitches 24/7. I’ve seen them tease people for a hell of a lot less. I know what people are capable of.” She shook her head, pulling away from her boyfriend, “Sure. Let’s just put him in a school for others. That way he will never learn how to arable to the real world where not everyone is deaf.”
“It was just an option. I’m just trying to ease your mind. Because I know you’re stressed. And I don’t want him to be bullied, of course I don’t I hope it didn’t come across that way. I want what’s best for him. Whether that be a regular public school or what.” He spoke, leaning forward and kissing her forehead. “How can I help?”
“Make him normal.” Zoey mumbled, curling into his chest and turning her head to look at their toddler, his foot in his mouth. She sighed, turning her head away, “I’ll have to homeschool him. He can’t be in any kind of preschool. This sucks.”
“If I could do that I would do it in a heartbeat.” He spoke, kissing her forehead as he looked down at her and then over at Eli. “We could try a preschool first. I mean, there has to be at least one around here that has someone that can communicate with him.” He spoke. “Talk to the doctors, they may know even more than we do about places that will accommodate him without outcasting him. But, if we have to home school, we’ll figure that out. Even if I have to work a second job to cover ‘tuition’.”
Zoey reached up, wiping her eyes in an attempt to stop crying, “We’re going to be late.” She whispered, pulling away and getting the car seat. She smiled down at the toddler, making sure he could see her in an attempt to not scare him as she picked him up. She learned that the hard way once and vowed to never do it again. “Up.” She spoke slowly, hoping somehow he magically understood what she was staying before picking him up and buckling him into the car seat.
Grabbing their bag and moving towards the door, Asher locked it, a habit he’d formed anytime they left the house. “Do you want me to carry his car seat? I know he’s getting heavy. You can have the bag if you want to carry something.” He spoke.
“You have to let him know.” She spoke, stopping in her path, “he’s started getting upset with suede movements.” She shook her head, adjusting her grip as her arm was already starting to turn red, “Actually. It’s fine. I’ve got it.”
“If you’re sure.” He spoke, looking at her for a moment and adjusting the bag to his other arm in preparation to put it down and take Eli. “You’re arm is already red. I can get to where he can see me and do that thing where I reach for him. You know, the one that makes him giggle.” He smiled. “With a lot of finger wiggling.” He used his free hand to imitate what he meant, doing spirit fingers with his right hand.
Zoey smiled softly, shaking her head, “Honestly. It’s okay. Like you said. He’s just heavy and there’s not exactly a lot of padding on this thing. Besides. The car isn’t that far. I’ll survive.”
