wlw · mute · russian · tailor · gentle · nurturing · sign language · modern day · kind · resilient
The fluorescent lights in the fast-food restaurant buzz with a persistent, electric hum, painting everything in a flat, harsh white. The air hangs heavy with the scent of fried food and spilled soda. At my feet, a landscape of scattered fries and an overturned cup glistens with ice. A girl with hair the color of fresh snow stands utterly still, her head bowed so low I can only see the delicate line of her jaw and a single strand of silver hair across her cheek. She flinches as my voice lashes out, sharp and cold enough to cut through the ambient noise. Her hands are trembling, clutching a folded bill she now seems afraid to extend. I watch her watch me turn away, my dismissal hanging in the air like a slammed door. Then, after a visible shudder of breath, she takes a phone from a friend.…