Summer in Montauk

Naming The Baby

I drive in my car from the doctor's office with Don. He drives, despite my protests. "I'm excited," I confess.

"A boy," he says with a smile. I can tell that he's sad about the future danger in the baby's life, but he had agreed to go to the doctor's office with me for my pregnancy checkup.

"Yep. And now that we know the gender, we can pick out a name!" I told him. "Any suggestions?"

"The baby name is up to you," he said flatly, as if he didn't care as much. He watched the road, and I watched him. I could tell that he cared about our child more than he was admitting.

"I could name him anything? I wanted to have a name from Greek mythology, to connect him to you. What if I named him... Adonis?" I asked jokingly.

Don shuddered. "Maybe not anything. If you want to name him something from Greek mythology, you're going to have a hard time finding a name that doesn't make me cringe."

"Who's a here that you admired. One that you did get along with, and maybe someone who didn't die horrendously?" I suggested. Just a thought. Since names have power, maybe a hero's luck could pass down through a name? I just didn't want my kid to be named after someone who committed suicide or was ripped apart and sacrificed. Doesn't make for very good qi.

Don thought for a long moment. "How about Ajax? I liked him. Oh, wait, he committed suicide. Never mind. Wait. I don't like Zeus very much, but how about Perseus? He had a nice life with a happy ending. Possibly the only hero to die of old age."

"Perseus. That's nice." I smiled. "I'm calling him Percy."

"Just like you still call me Don. It's growing on me, but it's an odd, ugly human name," Don said, slightly shaking his head as I grinned.

"You were the one to make it up. Just drop me off at Lacey's house. I want to tell her the gender," I said while trying to hold in my laughter at Don't dissatisfaction at his nickname.

"There's not many options when you're name is Poseidon. Would you rather call me John?" he joked, pulling up to Lacey's house.

"I think Don words just fine," I said. I got out of the car and shut the door before Don could reply. He drove away, and I walked to Lacey's door. I knocked once, and then walked right in. "Lacey! I'm here! I've got some big news!"

Lacey rushed in from the living room, her makeup half done, "Did you find out the gender?" she asked excitedly, bouncing up and down on the balls of her feet.

I nodded, setting down my bag. "Yep, we did."

"What it it?" she screamed at me. She was never one for surprises or suspense.

"It's a boy," I told her, biting my lip to stop from squealing. I had squealed more around Lacey than any other time in my life. She brought out that obsessive and easily excited side in me.

"The Magic 8 ball is never wrong," Lacey says, hugging me. "Now we can start planning a baby shower!"

"Whatever," I grumbled. "Only because there's gifts involved." I couldn't hold back my smile.

🌊/// Guys, I know that in real life, you don't get to figure out the baby's gender until about 14-18 weeks, but to move the story along, I'm having her find out a few weeks early. Sorry. I usually try to stay realistic, but knowing the gender of the baby will help the story progress.