Hear No Evil - Chapter 38

When Jack and Sue arrived back at her parents, they walked in on a heated debate between them. Sue couldn’t hear what was being said, but the amount of arm waving that her mother was doing meant that it couldn’t be good. The look on her father’s face was one she had seen many times, usually when her mother was over reacting and blowing something up out of all proportion. Suddenly her mother stopped when she saw them enter the living room.

“I have just had to go through one of the most humiliating experiences of my life because of you two! I can’t believe you would do that to me.” Carla said as she came to stand in front of them.

Sue and Jack looked at each other, both clearly confused about what she was referring to.

“What are we meant to have done mother. Surely it can’t be that bad, we only got here last night.” Sue asked.
“I just went down to the shops to get something in for dinner tonight and I bumped into Sharon Holloway. You might remember her son Rick? You went to school with him.” Carla explained, her arms now folded across her chest.

Sue took a deep breath as it dawned on her what her mother was rambling about and she looked at Jack. From the expression on his face, he had realised what she was referring to as well.

“Mom, I know what you are going to say and before you do, I want to say something. Jack and I are adults. We knew what we were doing and we didn’t do anyone any harm.” Sue said.
“Didn’t do anyone any harm? Did you hear that Paul? She was all over Jack in a public place and she didn’t do any harm? Didn’t you think about how that would look to everyone in the diner? I can’t believe you would do that Susan. I thought I had brought you up better than that.”

Sue opened her mouth to speak but was silenced when Jack squeezed her hand and he began to speak.

“You have raised her very well Mrs Thomas, but if you had heard what that Rick chap said to Sue, you might understand a little more. All through high school Sue had to put up with being teased and taunted just because she was different. It didn’t matter to them that she got straight A’s or that she was a lovely person, all they were bothered about was her deafness and how it made them look to be associated with her. Rick Holloway still has a problem with Sue’s deafness and he made that clear when she told him she worked for the FBI. He couldn’t believe that the FBI would employ someone like Sue and we just wanted to prove to him that she is just as normal as you and I. That she was capable of living her own life, of having a boyfriend and working. I know it probably wasn’t the best way to go about it but it felt right at the time. We didn’t do it to humiliate you, if fact, you and Paul never entered our heads at the time. I am sorry if you have been upset by all of this but that wasn’t our intention.”

Sue looked at Jack as he spoke and couldn’t stop the smile that spread across her lips. Pulling her hand from his, she moved to his side and wrapped her arms around him, holding him close to her side. His arm went round her shoulder as they waited for a response from Carla, instead, it was Paul who spoke first.

“Jack is right dear. You know as well as I do what Suzie had to put up with at school. They are both adults and I am sure no harm was intended, especially to you.”

Sue smiled at her dad and then turned her attention back to her mother. By the look on her face she could see that she was still deciding how to respond to Jack’s words. It was a few more moments before Carla sighed and unfolded her arms.

“Apology accepted. But I still think that that kind of intimacy should be kept behind closed doors.”

With those final words, Carla walked out of the living room and went upstairs. It wasn’t until they heard the bedroom door close that the three remaining adults released the laughter they had been holding inside.