November, 2020

"And we're very sure about what we want to call him?" Percy asked for the umpteenth time as they drove home from the hospital. They had just found out that they were having a boy, and Percy was a bit overwhelmed by the idea.

"Yes, Percy, I'm sure," Annabeth replied tiredly. "How can we call him anything else?"

"Well we could go with-"

"No, Percy, this is what I want to name my child."

"Okay because you know once we tell Olivia-"

"I know," she said. "Its her brother, so whatever she likes is what goes."

He sighed heavily as he drove and Annabeth leaned her head against the window. Work had been rough at the architecture firm today, so her patience for anything was running very low. Her four-year-old had woken both of them up last night because she had a nightmare, and even though Percy kindly handled it, Annabeth hadn't been able to fall back asleep for another hour. Not only was she overtired, but this was the point in her pregnancy when everyone knew to avoid her because the hormones supposedly made her more bossy than usual. So basically, it was a lonely, busy, exhausting day and she was very ready to go home.

They finally reached the Zhang's house and pulled into the driveway. Hazel had agreed to pick up Olivia from preschool today so they could go to their appointment, and she had taken their daughter home for the afternoon.

"Hi!" Hazel greeted them excitedly when she opened the door. She gave Annabeth a hug. "What's the news?"

"It's a boy," Annabeth told her. Hazel squealed.

"Oh my gods! Frank, it's a boy!" She called into the other room. She happily let them inside just as Frank came to the door.

"It's a boy?" He smiled, "Congratulations," he pulled Percy into a bro-hug and then gave Annabeth a hug as well.

"Thanks guys," Percy said. "Where's our other little troublemaker?" He asked as they wandered into the living room.

They got their answer immediately when they reached the doorway. Hazel and Frank's two-year-old son, Nate, sat on the floor banging plastic daggers together, while Olivia ran around him wildly waving a plastic sword in the air.

"RAAAHHH!" Olivia shouted loudly when she saw her parents. She ran over to her dad and pointed the sword threateningly at him. "Stay back!" She demanded. "Dat sea monter will attack if you get any cwoser!" she pointed at Nate, who appeared to be oblivious to the older girl's plan.

"Oh no!" Percy played along. "I guess I'm gonna have to fight him then, 'cause he has something of mine."

"I controw him, I am his maser, and he will kill you!" She warned, narrowing her eyes.

"We'll have to see about that," Percy lunged at his daughter and grabbed her around the waist, lifting her off the ground. Olivia squealed loudly as the sword fell out of her hands.

Annabeth laughed, placing her hand absentmindedly on her growing baby bump. Now that she knew she was having a son, she could picture so much more clearly how her life would be in another few months. That thought warmed her insides. Her little girl would soon have a baby brother, and their family would be a perfect size of four. Nothing could make her happier.

"What are you smiling about?" Hazel asked knowingly.

"Just thinking," Annabeth replied, watching Percy swing Olivia around playfully.

"As always. Anything to do with having another child?"

She looked down and rubbed her belly. "I've always wanted two," she said. "One is not enough, three is too many. But two- two is perfect."

"Glad to hear that everything is going as you planned," Hazel responded in a bemused, slightly patronizing tone. "I wouldn't expect anything less."

Hazel dodged being slapped and laughed, going to pick up her son from the floor.

"Okay, time to go home," Annabeth announced to her family, interrupting their game of horsie.

"Nooo," Olivia groaned dramatically.

"Oh, don't whine at me," she picked up her daughter and held her to her hip. "You can play more at our house. But Mama and Daddy have something really important to tell you first, okay?"

"Okay," she gave in reluctantly.

Home was at the very top of the hill, with a gorgeous view of the bay. Percy had insisted on the location for the house, but Annabeth had made all of the architectural decisions, obviously. Olivia spent the entire car ride babbling about the house-of-cards city they built in school. When they finally pulled into the driveway, the girl immediately jumped out of the car and did a sloppy cartwheel on the grass, landing ungracefully on her butt.

"You'd think she did nothing all day," Percy mumbled.

"Not my genes," Annabeth answered.

"I am not the only one with ADHD here," he defended.

"Mama, flip!" Olivia held out her arms, waiting expectantly to be swung over her mother's shoulder.

"Mama's belly is starting to get too big for that, baby," Annabeth lifted her daughter again. "Guess what, Livy? We found out something really exciting today," she said as they walked into the house.

"What?" Olivia asked, her eyes widening in anticipation. When they got inside Annabeth put the girl down next to her on the living room couch. Percy sat in the love seat across from them.

Well," she said, "it has to do with the baby in Mama's tummy."

Olivia poked Annabeth's belly, looking for confirmation that that was the baby she was talking about.

"Yeah," Annabeth nodded. "That is your little brother."

"My wi'l bruh'r," she repeated quietly, rubbing Annabeth's tummy.

"You wanna say hi?" She asked. "He can hear you if you talk to him. Say, 'hi Bob,'" Annabeth said.

Olivia looked up, unsure. "Go ahead, Liv," Percy encouraged her. "He's not gonna hurt you."

She looked at Annabeth again and then put her lips on her belly. "Hi Bobby," she whispered.

Annabeth looked up at Percy, absolutely shocked. "W-what was that, baby?"

Olivia smiled. "I love you, Bobby," she said, pressing her cheek against her tummy.

Annabeth looked at Percy again. He was smiling. "I think that Bobby is gonna love his big sister, too."

And they never called him anything else.