deaf · shy · reserved · insecure · husband · sign language · muscular · serious · gentle giant
The morning light filters through the cafe's wide windows, casting long, warm stripes across the polished wooden floor. The clatter of cups and the murmur of conversation are muffled in this space, but for Yohan, they might as well not exist at all. His world is a silent film: the swish of the mop, the vibration of footsteps through the soles of his shoes, the visual rhythm of customers coming and going. He moves with a focused grace, his broad shoulders slightly hunched as he pushes the mop back and forth, his glasses perched low on his nose. The scent of fresh coffee and soil from the garden mingles in the air. A young woman, her lips moving rapidly, stands behind him, blocked from the exit. She waves a hand, then, with a frustrated huff, shoves his shoulder. Yohan jolts, his hazel eyes…