Seeing the proud look on my parents' faces, I felt very proud too. I remember more than a year ago, when I brought Vy home to meet them, my mother cried uncontrollably and threatened to disown me if I married Vy.

***

I first met Vy at a center for children with disabilities. That day, my sister Lan was busy and asked me to pick up my son, Bi, for her. Curious, I peeked through the window, observing the class unfolding before me. The classroom was silent, yet vibrant with the rhythmic movements of each person's hands. Innocent eyes intently followed the teacher's movements. The young teacher always smiled brightly, her hands seemingly dancing. Enthusiasm sparkled in the children's eyes. I stood there, completely captivated by the lesson.

Bi jumped up excitedly when he saw me. “Did you have fun at school, Bi?” I asked, writing on a piece of paper. Because Bi was born deaf and mute, communication was very difficult for him. Bi diligently wrote his answer, each letter large and round: “Teacher Vy taught me a lot of fun, Kien!” “Then you’ll take Bi to school again tomorrow, okay?” Bi nodded, a smile spreading across his face. I took Bi to the toy store as usual, expecting him to be very happy. But Bi shook his head and wanted to go home. That surprised me greatly; I have to admit, after only a few months of school, his personality had changed completely.

The family gathered for dinner, and everyone was happier knowing that little Bi was making progress. Lan excitedly shared that since Ms. Vy started teaching at the center, Bi has enjoyed going to school more. Seeing his happy face when picking him up fills her with joy. She's also learning sign language in an online course taught by Ms. Vy. She has to admit, the teacher is very enthusiastic and fun. Knowing sign language has helped her understand Bi better and made life more enjoyable. She wished she had learned sign language sooner. She smiled wistfully. Hearing Lan's story, an idea flashed through my mind. I decided to sign up for a sign language course.

The first lesson took place, with about 15 students of all ages and professions. The whole class was buzzing with excitement when they learned that their teacher was deaf and mute. Everyone was curious about the lesson, because for each of them, it was a special class, with a special teacher.

The teacher entered the classroom, bowing to the students. I recognized her as Vy – Bi's teacher. Vy smiled brightly. She looked at the class with a gentle gaze, then wrote the words "thank you" on the board. The projector screen displayed the sign language in sync with her hand gestures: "Thank you for being here. This shows your concern for deaf and mute people. Let me introduce myself. My name is Thanh Vy. I am deaf and mute from birth. I used to cry because I felt lost. I used to live in self-doubt and despair. But after discovering sign language, my life has changed for the better. Sign language not only brings us closer together, but also helps deaf and mute people conquer knowledge and live more meaningful lives. Once again, thank you all!" During that lesson, I felt deeply moved, and Vy's sharing helped me understand more about the difficulties that deaf and mute people face in life.

In each lesson, Vy always surprises her students with one thing after another, using vivid illustrations, making the class always fun and full of laughter. I myself became surprisingly diligent in my studies; besides attending class, I also searched for videos Vy shared online at home to learn on my own. After only a short time, I was able to confidently communicate using sign language. And with the dynamism of a city youth union secretary, I joined the "Connection" project founded by Vy. It's a project that supports sign language learning online and job searching for deaf and mute people. "Deaf and mute people can work and contribute like normal people." Vy hopes that through her project, people will see that. The project is shared on social media platforms and is receiving more and more attention. This motivates us to strive and always do our best. We feel that every time we discuss the project together.

As the city lights came on, we strolled along a street fragrant with the scent of milk flowers. Vy often walked to breathe in that fragrance. I picked a branch of flowers for her. She took a deep breath and smiled. At the same time, the wind brought a shower of flowers, tiny buds clinging to our hair. In that moment, my heart fluttered. Suddenly, I took Vy's hand tightly, placed it on my chest, and drew a heart, wanting to say, "I've fallen for you." Vy's eyes widened in surprise, then she buried her head in my shoulder and burst into tears. "I don't think I'm worthy of you, but my heart is different. It flutters whenever I'm with you. Last time you didn't come to the center for your classes, I missed you terribly. It seems I like you too!" Overwhelmed with happiness, I hugged Vy tightly and planted a passionate kiss on her lips. And we fell in love from that day on.

My parents were thrilled to hear that my son would be bringing his girlfriend home to meet them this weekend, and that his future wife was also a teacher. They were so worried about him being single, even though he was only in his early thirties. When I brought Vy home to meet them, I was incredibly nervous, but I still tried to hold her hand and encourage her. And then, what was bound to happen, happened. My father glared at me angrily and stormed off to his room. My mother shook her head in disapproval. Despite my pleas, my parents' opposition left me truly at a loss.

Moreover, for several long days I couldn't contact Vy. When I went to the center, they said she had taken a few days off. She messaged me on Zalo: "Let's break up. There will be someone better than me who will love you. I don't want you to suffer and be tormented because of me." The overwhelming feeling of pain made me burst into tears. It was the first time I had ever cried like that.

Lan patted my shoulder encouragingly: "I'm the mother of a deaf and mute child, so maybe that's why I can accept this more easily than your parents. I also really like Vy. So, I'll support you. Here's Vy's hometown address; you should try going there. I heard that your mother had a private meeting with Vy, and she sent Vy a long handwritten letter hoping she would break up with you. Maybe that's why Vy made that decision. Try your best, I'll try to persuade your parents!"

Following the address on the paper, I traveled along a winding dirt road through lush green tea hills, and it was late at night when I finally arrived at Vy's house. A middle-aged woman came out, squinting at me as she asked:

- Who's looking for Vy? She's not home!

- Yes, I'm Kien, Vy's friend. Where did Vy go, sir?

I don't know either!

The answer was like a cold wind rushing into my heart, making my legs buckle and my body tremble. The woman sighed and said, "Go inside, put your things down in the kitchen to warm yourself up. Poor thing, it's so cold!"

By the crackling fire, the woman scooped rice and offered it to me, her voice gentle: "To be honest with you, I'm Vy's mother. She came home a few days ago and cried a lot. Then she said she'd go to the South for a while. She told me not to say anything if Kien came looking for her. Out of love for my daughter, I just encouraged her to do what she thought was right." Then, she slowly asked:

Are you sure you love Vy?

- Uncle, I truly love Vy.

- Yes, looking at you, I know you're a kind person. But no matter how strong she is, in love, a deaf and mute person like Vy will always feel insecure. Therefore, she probably thinks breaking up would be better for you. You'll soon find someone better than my Vy.

- Uncle, I will never marry anyone other than Vy in this life.

The woman sighed deeply, handed me a piece of paper with Vy's address in Saigon, and said, "Take this. Before she left, Vy told me not to tell anyone. But after meeting you, I've changed my mind. Well, whether you two can be together or not depends on fate and destiny. For the sake of love, I hope you both try your best."

Saigon greeted me with a persistent downpour. I stood before Vy, drenched to the bone. Vy stared at me, tears welling up in her eyes. I quickly embraced her, as if she would disappear again if I didn't. In the small room, the warmth of our lips was palpable, our hearts beating in unison with happiness. That night, we knew we would belong to each other forever.

“If the earth won’t yield to the sky, then the sky must yield to the earth. Go home, tell Vy to come too. Your parents agree.” My mother called me, her voice choked with emotion. The wedding took place, and I happily held Vy’s hand as we walked down the aisle.

***

Today, Vy said she wanted to share some more good news with me. Besides the news that she's a special guest on the program "Shining Examples of Resilience" with a project called "Connecting," I wonder what other good news there is. I've been wondering for a long time but can't figure it out.

At night, we would often walk hand in hand along the path lined with fragrant osmanthus trees, a habit we had formed. Suddenly, Vy stopped, gently took my hand, placed it on her belly, and smiled. Following the sign of her hand, I exclaimed joyfully, "There's an angel inside!" So, I was going to be a father. Embracing Vy in overwhelming joy, I wanted to tell her from the bottom of my heart: "Thank you, my special teacher, the love of my life!"

Tran Tu