[fyodor]

Maybe it's just me but I have never considered opening a fortune cookie wrapper with my teeth. They are pretty easy to pull apart with your fingers. And yes, I'm talking about the plastic wrapping.

'hardened batter' doesn't work for my either. How about he just cracks it open?

No need to say his wife is eating Chinese food when you've already introduced the fortune cookie.

I was thinking the adverb "silently" was unnecessary, but perhaps it has some relation to the final paragraph.

I wouldn't use either of the parenthesi following the message. Keep it simple.
(and Shadowrun - I believe it's a choice - pick one)

Ok now the main thing. Like rothko, and I suppose the person who first made the recommendation to you, I too entirely missed the fact he was deaf on first read. I actually read 'signed' as 'signaled' and paid no attention. I thus thought the 2nd paragraph totally detracted from the story.

I guess you have 3 choices here.

1- dump the 2nd paragraph and change your intended message
2- revise the 2nd paragraph to make it more obvious
3- solicit more intelligent readers [img]/images/graemlins/frown.gif[/img]

btw I personally had no problem with "John Dere" but it might be because I have nephews who have had one.