I'm sorry, I didn't mean to scare you," he told her, verbally and with the sign language he was still practicing in his free time. Because of school, his classes had had to be moved to Saturdays before his usual gathering with the other ladies. Her eyes dropped to his busy hands and narrowed tightly as they swept in on the refined motions of his fingers.

"It's okay," she said, speaking out loud, shrugging slightly. She had not commented on the use of sign language he had made, and he felt both relieved and a little sad that she had not. He brushed past her and headed over to the...