“That’s the projected value.”
“Yes, ma’am,” she said. “Of course, it depends on final sales, but that’s the projected value.”
For a second, all I could hear was my own heartbeat.
“They… my girls did that?” I whispered. “Hannah and Diana?”
“Yes,” she said. “You’ve raised very talented young women. We’d love to set up a meeting—with interpreters, of course—so they’re fully involved.”
“We’ll look it over.”
I swallowed hard.
“Please email me everything,” I said. “We’ll look it over.”
We hung up. I just sat there, staring at nothing.
Steven walked in and froze.
“Abbie?” he said. “You look like you saw a ghost.”
“Closer to an angel.”
I laughed, half crying. “Closer to an angel,” I said. “Or two.”
“What happened?” he asked.
“That design contest?” I said. “A company wants to work with them. A real contract. Real money. Like… life-changing money.”
I signed the number.
His jaw dropped.
“You’re joking,” he said.
“What’s wrong with your face?”
“I wish I were,” I said. “Our girls. The ones someone left in a stroller. They did this.”
He pulled me into a hug, both of us laughing and crying.
The back door slammed.
Hannah and Diana stormed in.
“We’re hungry,” Diana signed. “Feed us.”
“What’s wrong with your face?” Hannah signed at me. “You’ve been crying.”
“Are we in trouble?”
“Sit,” I signed. “Both of you.”
They sat, glancing at each other.
I took a breath.
“Your school sent your designs to a real clothing company. BrightSteps. They called.”
Their eyes widened.
“Are we in trouble?” Hannah signed. “Did we break the rules?”
“You’re serious?”
“No,” I signed. “They loved your work. They want to make real clothes from your ideas. And they want to pay you.”
“How much?” Diana signed, squinting.
I signed the number.
Silence.
Then they both signed at once: “WHAT?!”
“You’re serious?” Hannah signed, hands shaking.
“Because you thought about kids like you.”
“Yes,” I signed. “Meetings. Lawyers. Interpreters. The whole thing. Because you thought about kids like you.”
Diana’s eyes filled with tears.
“We just wanted shirts that don’t pull on hearing aids. Pants that are easier to put on. Stuff that makes life less annoying.”
“And that’s everything,” I signed back. “You used your experiences to help other kids. That’s huge.”
“Thank you for taking us in.”
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