him as she opened the door and welcomed him into her home. Hayden was one lucky sonuvabitch. But with his cheerful smile and serene, easygoing attitude, the man was impossible to dislike.
“My parents are down on the key for a visit,” Hayden told Pres. “They’re staying here at the resort. We’re having dinner in just a few minutes at your restaurant. Tell the chef to go wild.”
“I will.” Pres paused. “How’d the speech session go with Zander today?”
Hayden made a so-so motion with his hands. “The kid was tense about a lot of things: getting his hearing aids wet, all those reporters outside his house. … None of that helped. And school starts next week—he’s going to be the new kid. That’s got to be scary for him. New friends to make, new teacher to deal with … I didn’t feel like I had his full attention all afternoon. In fact, we ended early today.”
“What exactly do you do with him?”
“Mouth-and-tongue-placement exercises. It’s not easy for him. Can you imagine having to learnto make a sound that you can barely hear?
S, sh, f, th
. They all sound the same to him. The kid’s doing really well, considering.” Hayden grinned. “Of course, the fact that he talks
all
the time means he gets a lot of practice.”
Pres smiled. “Yeah, Zander does make for a lively conversation.”
“Most of the time he works hard. He seems to have a really good understanding of the fact that it’s important for him to learn to speak clearly now, while he still has some hearing.”
Pres felt a chill in the pit of his stomach. “While he still has some hearing?”
“Zander’s condition is degenerative.” Hayden looked puzzled. “Didn’t Molly tell you?”
Pres could barely breathe.
Degenerative
. “No.”
Hayden shook his head and backed away slightly. “I shouldn’t be talking to you about this, then. I’m sorry, I thought you knew. I mean, it’s no big secret, but I feel funny discussing it if—”
“Degenerative as in Zander’s hearing is getting worse?” Pres asked. He knew that’s exactly what it meant, but he needed it spelled out.
Hayden nodded. “Yeah,” he said, compassion darkening his expressive blue eyes. “Tough break,huh? All signs indicate that the kid’s going to be profoundly deaf by the time he’s twenty years old.”
Pres felt sick. Zander was going to be
profoundly
deaf. Suddenly it all made sense. The sign language, the word a day, the music. Molly and Zander listened to a new CD every single day—because in a few short years Zander wasn’t going to be able to hear music anymore.
I wish I could be an opera singer when I grow up
, the boy had told Pres.
I love music more than anything in the world
.
Pres felt tears stinging hotly against his eyes. “Oh, God.”
“Zander’s actually pretty lucky,” Hayden said.
“Lucky?”
“A degenerative hearing condition can be really tough to deal with. Most people don’t have the kind of support Zander gets from Molly.”
Molly. How could she stand it? How could she be so optimistic and happy when her beautiful son was losing his hearing bit by bit, piece by piece, a little more each day? Who, Pres wondered, was supporting Molly?
How did she handle those long nights all alone, while Zander was fast asleep? Did she mourn quietly, or angrily curse out the fates for making her child walk this path? Did she try to strike a deal with the Creator, offering him everything and anything in return for her son’s precious hearing?
And Pres knew in a sudden flash that he had found Molly’s price. He knew without a doubt that she would sell him the Kirk Estate in a heartbeat if he could offer her a way to restore Zander’s hearing.
There had to be some kind of operation or medical technique that was revolutionary and probably outrageously expensive. But outrageously expensive wouldn’t stop Preston. Not when it came to Zander. Or Molly.
Forget about buying the house. The house was nothing. It was
“My parents are down on the key for a visit,” Hayden told Pres. “They’re staying here at the resort. We’re having dinner in just a few minutes at your restaurant. Tell the chef to go wild.”
“I will.” Pres paused. “How’d the speech session go with Zander today?”
Hayden made a so-so motion with his hands. “The kid was tense about a lot of things: getting his hearing aids wet, all those reporters outside his house. … None of that helped. And school starts next week—he’s going to be the new kid. That’s got to be scary for him. New friends to make, new teacher to deal with … I didn’t feel like I had his full attention all afternoon. In fact, we ended early today.”
“What exactly do you do with him?”
“Mouth-and-tongue-placement exercises. It’s not easy for him. Can you imagine having to learnto make a sound that you can barely hear?
S, sh, f, th
. They all sound the same to him. The kid’s doing really well, considering.” Hayden grinned. “Of course, the fact that he talks
all
the time means he gets a lot of practice.”
Pres smiled. “Yeah, Zander does make for a lively conversation.”
“Most of the time he works hard. He seems to have a really good understanding of the fact that it’s important for him to learn to speak clearly now, while he still has some hearing.”
Pres felt a chill in the pit of his stomach. “While he still has some hearing?”
“Zander’s condition is degenerative.” Hayden looked puzzled. “Didn’t Molly tell you?”
Pres could barely breathe.
Degenerative
. “No.”
Hayden shook his head and backed away slightly. “I shouldn’t be talking to you about this, then. I’m sorry, I thought you knew. I mean, it’s no big secret, but I feel funny discussing it if—”
“Degenerative as in Zander’s hearing is getting worse?” Pres asked. He knew that’s exactly what it meant, but he needed it spelled out.
Hayden nodded. “Yeah,” he said, compassion darkening his expressive blue eyes. “Tough break,huh? All signs indicate that the kid’s going to be profoundly deaf by the time he’s twenty years old.”
Pres felt sick. Zander was going to be
profoundly
deaf. Suddenly it all made sense. The sign language, the word a day, the music. Molly and Zander listened to a new CD every single day—because in a few short years Zander wasn’t going to be able to hear music anymore.
I wish I could be an opera singer when I grow up
, the boy had told Pres.
I love music more than anything in the world
.
Pres felt tears stinging hotly against his eyes. “Oh, God.”
“Zander’s actually pretty lucky,” Hayden said.
“Lucky?”
“A degenerative hearing condition can be really tough to deal with. Most people don’t have the kind of support Zander gets from Molly.”
Molly. How could she stand it? How could she be so optimistic and happy when her beautiful son was losing his hearing bit by bit, piece by piece, a little more each day? Who, Pres wondered, was supporting Molly?
How did she handle those long nights all alone, while Zander was fast asleep? Did she mourn quietly, or angrily curse out the fates for making her child walk this path? Did she try to strike a deal with the Creator, offering him everything and anything in return for her son’s precious hearing?
And Pres knew in a sudden flash that he had found Molly’s price. He knew without a doubt that she would sell him the Kirk Estate in a heartbeat if he could offer her a way to restore Zander’s hearing.
There had to be some kind of operation or medical technique that was revolutionary and probably outrageously expensive. But outrageously expensive wouldn’t stop Preston. Not when it came to Zander. Or Molly.
Forget about buying the house. The house was nothing. It was
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