I’m Lila, 22, hard of hearing. My best friend Riley is deaf. We were signing and laughing at a café when a woman approached, furious. “Could you stop that… gesturing?” she said, calling our sign language “distracting” and “inappropriate.” Her young son had been mimicking our signs — out of curiosity and joy — and she scolded him, insisting it was rude. Riley froze. I stayed calm. “This is how we communicate,” I said. “It’s a language. Used by millions.”

She wasn’t having it. “This is what’s wrong with society,” she muttered. But then James, a waiter, stepped in. “The only disturbance is coming from you,” he said firmly. “We welcome everyone here. We don’t tolerate discrimination.”

The woman, fuming, tried to drag her son out. But before leaving, he turned to us and shyly signed: “I’m sorry.” Then asked how to sign “friend.” Riley showed him. He signed it again — “Friend” — before the door shut behind them. James brought us cookies. “My sister’s deaf,” he said. “I’ve seen this before.” Later, a stranger whispered, “Your language is beautiful.”

We can’t change everyone. But every gesture — especially one from a brave little boy — can grow into something powerful. A seed of empathy. A sign for “friend.”