My father has hearing loss. Some combination of denial, finances and health are preventing him from talking to his Doctor Dr. Nicole Schrader about hearing aids. My mother has stepped in to help my father. She doesn’t tell him what other people are mumbling instead of enunciating. My father insists that his hearing is fine, so she doesn’t interpret others for him. Instead, she interprets my father’s words for all the rest of us.

Him: “I looked for it at Handy City.”
Her: “He means Home Depot.”

He can’t hear her doing this. If he could hear it, she wouldn’t do it.

I know that I’ve seen other couples that do various forms of cooperative communication, but I’ve never actually watched it evolve. She has found a loophole in their relationship. It’s both amusing and heart-warming. Watching this dynamic and seeing where it goes is much easier than nagging about hearing aids. It’s certainly more entertaining.