A small little piece that was originally meant to be the introduction to a much longer story. The inspiration for that story sort of faded away, but this short story lives on…
InA Name...
The exhausted mother gazed in disbelief at the bundle cuddled within the protective embrace of her arms.
"She's...beautiful..."
"As if our daughter could be anything but," Amano teased gently. A faint blush enhanced the red of Hitomi's already-flushed cheeks.
"Oh, I didn't mean it that way! But you always hear how newborns are, are, well...wrinkly, and misshapen...but that doesn't apply to her at all..."
"You're right, she is beautiful. I must be the luckiest man in the world, two beautiful girls for me to care for." A grin curved up from the previous smile, and the young man chuckled. "But it does present a bit of a problem. I rather doubt our darling daughter would forgive us if we named her 'Van.'"
"Oh, you! Just because I threatened to wash all of your shirts in pink dye if you wouldn't let me name our child..."
"Well, I was rather surprised when you were so insistent on the one name..."
If she hadn't held the sleeping object of discussion in her grasp, Hitomi might have thrown up her hands and stalked out of the room. Circumstances being what they were, she gathered her dignity and settled for sticking her tongue out at him. "Well, you got your way in the end. I guess I'll have to wait until the next one."
Amano looked at her in surprise. "Are you sure? You can still pick the name if you'd like. Surely you have one..."
She shook her head. " I was so sure that she was going to be a boy that I never even considered a girl's name. It would take me weeks before I finally decided on an appropriate one." Merle, Milerna, Yukari...How could I ever choose between them?
"Well, there is one name I really like. I don't know where I originally heard it from, but...if you don't mind me choosing, I'd like to call her Persephone, Sephie for short." Amano had been staring at his daughter as he spoke, but glanced up as a faint giggle reached his ears. "What?"
"Oh, I'm sorry, Amano, but...you really wouldn't understand." Persephone. Gaea's Daughter. Oh, Amano... "Persephone is a lovely name. Although it's not very Japanese, is it?"
"Well, Van is unusual, too, so I guess we're even." Hitomi smiled and turned her face away to hide a yawn. "Now, you should sleep, or that nurse will come to chase me out of here."
Amano reached out and gently touched her cheek. When he spoke, his voice was just above a whisper. "But I promise you, Hitomi. Our first boy will be named after your Van. I just wish I could have known him...could have thanked him...for saving you, and bringing you back to me..." But Hitomi didn't hear, for she was already soaring through her dreams.
Sooo...hate it? like it? or (gasp) love it? Let me know what you think! If enough people are interested, I just might finish the longer story...Thanks for reading!