Chapter 53- What's In a Name?
Thomas was gone when I woke up, as usual. He was always happiest when he was moving and working so it never surprised me when he was already awake. From the looks of things he had even showered before he got dressed and I heard nothing. I was still knackered but I felt my energy coming back and thankfully had no more nausea. Those weeks of nausea had been extremely unpleasant and I had a difficult time rationalizing why pregnancy was designed that way. It seems it would discourage women from wanting to be pregnant again and continue to propagate the species. Maybe I would understand some day. I showered and got dressed and got ready to go downstairs.
As happens more times than not, Thomas was waiting for me at the bottom of the stairs with his big crooked smile. It was apparent that he had already been working outside as he was rosy and windblown and we kissed a tender morning kiss. As we walked toward the dining room I asked the most mundane question possible. "So Thomas," I asked, "What have you been working on this morning?"
Cathy looked gorgeous, as usual, with her long hair down and her color high from her shower. I noticed small changes in her as her face looked glowing and her breasts were full. There was also a change across her tummy and hips…a little wider and fuller…and there was no mistake that she was with child as her full belly bulged out the top of her sweatpants. I could feel a stirring in my groin as I looked at her. There was something erotic and almost primitively female about the way she looked. I didn't need a stiffie at that moment for everyone to see so I suppressed the thoughts as best I could, but I could smell her fecundity and it was difficult. Getting to the table quickly seemed the best idea.
As we sat down, I explained what I had been working on. "Well, Cathy, luv," I began, "We both know that autumn is in the air and before the winter there are numbers of things I have to do outside. I have roses and other plants to cut back and prepare for winter. I have to check the perimeter fence and see to those fields that are flood prone. They have to be as dry as possible. I have to run the creek and check for changes that may predispose to the formation of ice dams because, although it rarely freezes here, if it does and an ice dam forms it can be a bloody mess." "Gosh," she said, "All I've done is take a shower." "Well," I replied' "You are welcome to come out with me and help anytime. There is plenty to do that should take me a couple of weeks."
Thomas was so happy when he was busy, especially outside. There was something about his enthusiasm that almost made me laugh. Tea and coffee came with a hot breakfast for this brisk morning. I had something to discuss with him that had been on my mind the last couple of days. "Thomas, you know about the baby?" I asked. "Is something wrong?" he replied, suddenly startled. "No, no, no, don't worry," I said to calm him down as I saw him start to panic. He took a few moments to relax. "I just have this weird idea that I'd like to do that would make me feel better about talking about it," I explained, "It is a bit silly but it would be better for me." "Whatever you want Cathy." He replied. "OK, this is it," I said, "We don't know the sex of our child yet, and I don't know if I want to know it. We can decide that as the time gets closer, but I've noticed when we discuss things we seem to have to call the baby "It" and I don't like that. He or she is not an "It" so I want to use another name, something of neutral sexuality, but anything but "It". Thomas looked at me and stared for a minute while I hoped he didn't laugh. He had stopped chewing his food. Then he replied, "Right, that would be good, that would be fine. What name do you have in mind?" "Now don't laugh," I replied, "I want to call the baby Fitz."
When Cathy had said Fitz my heart dropped a little. How many years had I gone to school being called Lumpy Fitz? It conjured up memories of teasing and sometimes fighting, having the other boys call me an ugly bastard or Lumpy Fitz. Young boys are particularly cruel to one another. The only way I got through is when my Father reassured me he had been called Lumpy Fitz too, and he had survived. I had to dwell on this a minute.
Finally I got my thoughts together to answer. "Cathy, that name brings back really bad memories…all through my school days I was called Lumpy Fitz. It was really hurtful. "OK," she said, "Then what name should we use. We could use Junior or Baby or Pickle or Skeletor?" "Skeletor?" I questioned, "What is that?" "That's just it, I don't care what the name is as long as it's not "It", she replied, "Plus you can't be the only one who had a bad nickname." I had to think on that for a while, then I answered, "Well, there was Barmy Alderton, called that because he truly was barmy. There was also Pee Wee DeWeese because he was very short and wet the bed. There was also Picky Nicholson because he picked his nose so bad he should just have had a tube from his nose into his mouth. We laughed because we thought it was his main source of nutrition. And then there was "Wide End" Williamson called that because he was so very fat and then…" "Thomas, Thomas, stop," Cathy said, "Look, so you weren't the only one teased and made fun of. I bet it was more common to be teased than not, don't you think?"
That stopped Thomas in his tracks. He had actually been laughing at the other boy's names. "I like Fitz because it's short and sexually neutral," I stated, "Besides, the baby will be a Fitzhenry after it's born so it will be perfect. Just easy." Thomas looked down at the table. I think he actually was embarrassed that he had been laughing at the other boy's names. He looked over at me and with a sheepish smile said, "Fitz it is then, or Little Fitz if we wish to embellish." "Anything but "It", I said. This had been an entirely strange and silly transaction, but now I knew I was pregnant with a Little Fitz."
