"Did I tell you I have been thinking about baby names?" Penny Pingleton chirped happily, shaking the wrinkles out of a plaid dress before neatly folding it into a crisp square. She placed a hand on her protruding belly and smiled softly.
"No, what d'you have in mind?" Seaweed J. Stubbs was rushing around the cramped bedroom, throwing dirty clothes into the hamper, clearing leftover dishes from the boudoir, and kicking dress shoes out of the way before finally coming to his girlfriend's side with a plate of blueberry muffins and fresh fruit. He planted a quick kiss onto her cheek and she giggled and shooed him away. "Well, if it's a boy I think we should name him Jeffrey, and if we have a girl, her name should be Lori." She plucked a strawberry off of her plate and popped it into her tiny, rosy mouth. "What do you think?"
Seaweed turned around from shoving a stained dress shirt into the hamper and flashed her his famous charming smile. "I think they're hip, baby."
She rolled her eyes playfully and put her hands on her hips, making her baby bump even more prominent in her yellow daisy print dress. "Seaweed! You always agree with everything I say! And it seems like you've gotten even worse ever since I got PG…"
"Naw, naw, Penny, don't take it that way!" Her boyfriend insisted, stopping everything he was doing to come sit by her side. He angled himself around her and wrapped his strong arms around her thin ones. "I'm not just agreeing with you just 'cause," he said, his voice dropping, "it's just…I feel like you and I are on the same level. I think it's really choice. I never met a girl like you before, Pen, and it just makes me happy that we always agree…"
The blonde girl snickered and tried to resist rolling her eyes. She thought Seaweed was just saying all that to sweet talk her, but at the same time, it sounded so sincere and righteous. "Oh, okay, honeybee!" Penny gave in, leaning back to peck her man's cheek lovingly. "One thing's for sure," she started, grabbing Seaweed's large hands and placing them protectively on her pregnant belly. Her tone became sad and a little disappointed. "This baby is gonna need all our love when he or she comes… I wish the world was just a little more ready." She sighed.
"Like we are." Seaweed stated.
Penny nodded slowly.
"Well Penny, I think this is as ready as it can get right now. But times are changing. I'm not gonna lie, it will be rough, but…" Her boyfriend squeezed his hands tighter over hers and hugged the bump, "Li'l Jeffrey or Miss Lori will make it through and will be lip flappin' 'bout all this segregation junk, that's for sure." A huge grin spread across Seaweed's bright face. His girlfriend turned and beamed up at him then.
After a second, he said, "Our kid."
Penny rubbed her belly and said, "Our checkerboard kid."