It’s just not enough that I continuously beat her in Scrabble.

The amp to the office stereo system went out the other day, setting us awash in the tiny, tuneless humming of small appliances and the aquarium. Today, while Tessa was away doing therapies on patients, HotDoc and I shouted a conversation down and up the stairwell and back again. Ohhhh, the mundanity of the intercom system.

HD: GAH! This must be what it is like to be DEAF!

JETT: Funny you should say that….

JETT: Tess and I had this discussion the other day.

JETT: She was pretty horrified that I would rather go deaf than blind.

(silence, for a beat)

HD: Really. I’d much rather be deaf.

JETT: Ohhhh, delight; that’s one more point to ostracize her on.

JETT: I’m excited.