Chapter 13 - THE LIFE WE BUILT WITH OUR HANDS
A year after Eli came home, I completed the first stage of my interpreter training.
I was exhausted.
Proud.
Terrified of the exams ahead.
Salvatore attended my graduation ceremony.
He sat beside Eli.
Both of them signed encouragement when I walked across the stage.
I laughed.
Afterward, Eli hugged me.
You did it.
I shook my head.
Not yet. I still have more training.
He grinned.
Still counts.
Salvatore smiled.
It absolutely counts.
Salvatore's businesses continued changing.
He hired qualified interpreters for meetings.
Introduced communication-access policies.
Created independent oversight structures.
Some people complained.
He ignored them.
For the first time, he was building a company where nobody could claim to speak for him without permission.
One afternoon, he invited me to see a new community workshop.
It offered technical training for Deaf and hard-of-hearing young adults.
Eli helped design the program.
I watched students working with tools.
Laughing.
Signing.
Learning.
My eyes filled.
Salvatore stood beside me.
What do you think?
I smiled.
I think Eli would have loved this when he was younger.
Salvatore nodded.
Then maybe someone else will love it now.
May you like
I looked at him.
And realized that the man everyone feared was learning how to use his power for something other than control.
