They did not need to.
The following winter, Rosalie gave birth to a healthy baby boy.
Gideon stood beside her throughout the difficult hours, holding her hand and watching her face because he could not hear the instructions shouted around the room.
When the child finally cried, Gideon did not hear the sound.
But he saw the midwife lift the baby, saw Rosalie’s tears of relief, and understood that their son was alive and well.
Rosalie placed the child in his arms.
Gideon stared at the tiny face.
Then he looked at his wife, his eyes shining.
She wrote on a piece of paper and placed it in his hand.
He has your eyes.
Gideon smiled.
He pressed his lips to the baby’s forehead and held him close.
For years, he had believed that his deafness had made him unfit for a life other people took for granted.
Now he understood that hearing was only one way of experiencing the world.
