Two Minutes Early

My deaf son mimics sounds exactly two minutes before they happen. The doctor called

it "auditory processing lag." He said the new cochlear implant, the experimental

one with the neural-link processor, might take time to sync with Danny's brain.

"He might hear a clap," the doctor said, snapping his fingers, "and only react

to it a few seconds later. It's like a bad Bluetooth connection. It'll pass."

It didn't pass. It got specific. We were sitting at the kitchen table on Tuesday.

Danny was coloring, his head bent low over a picture of a dinosaur. Suddenly,

he stopped. He looked up at the ceiling, tilted his head, and made a sound.