"Emma?" Elmer said quietly, worried that he had misunderstood what
Lona had said. Or maybe he was letting himself read to much into it if she
really had said Emma. Did she even know that was his mom's name?
"Would you like it?" Lona asked again, a bit of hesitation slipping into her tone now. Maybe that had been a mistake. She knew that Elmer's mom had walked out on them so maybe he wouldn't want to name the baby for her but....
"You know that was my mom's name, right?" Elmer said quietly as he snuggled Lona and the baby closer against him, fighting not to react to thinking about his mother, about the fact that she wasn't there and wouldn't get to see her only grandchild.
Lona nodded, worried that she might have hurt Elmer with her suggestion. That was the last thing that she had wanted to do. "It was just an idea. If you don't want...."
Elmer didn't really know what to say. The more he thought about it, the more he definitely liked the name but.... Suddenly something hit him and he looked down at Lona in surprise. If she was willing to name the baby after his mom, did that mean that she was wanting him to be a part of the baby's life after all, that she was okay with letting people know that he was the father? He couldn't bring himself to ask, though. He was too afraid that he might be wrong. Thinking of his mom had jus brought the pin of losing her back even stronger than before. He didn't think he could stand it if he had to lose his little girl too.
Lona barely was able to keep from giggling at the sight of the expression on his face. Giggling, she wasn't sure when the last time she had done that was. Okay, Elmer could be immature but at least he could make her laugh if she could get past annoyance with him.
"She loves you, you know." she said softly as she looked up at him. "Probably because you haven't tried giving her someone's head yet."
"Hey, it was just a joke," Elmer protested with a hurt look as he looked down at her. "And you were going to do worse to get back at me."
Lona thought for a moment before speaking. Okay, what she had had in mind had been worse. That stupid head wouldn't have fooled her for a moment but her idea for Elmer.... "True." she said as she smiled up at him. "I'll let you off the hook for the head, okay, if you promise never to do something like that again. Were you reading about Van Gogh? And I certainly hope that you returned that head to the morgue where it belongs."
Elmer wasn't even going to try to answer that question. He didn't know how the head had vanished from his locker the first time and he certainly didn't know where it had disappeared the second time either.
Things had been a bit weird, though. Maybe the head somehow got returned to its rightful owner? He should probably check with the anteater about that. That creature seemed to know a bit about the head situation, after all.
"So, what do you think of the name?" Lona asked, snapping Elmer back to the situation at hand.
"You're okay with it?" Elmer said hesitantly. Okay, his hopes were slowly creeping up but he was still afraid, nervous that if he said too much it would upset Lona for some reason and spoil the entire thing.
"You're her father, you know. If you're okay with her being named after your mother...." Lona was still a bit worried that Elmer wasn't exactly ready for parenthood, that he was too young to know what he was getting into and when he finally found something better and realized that his feelings for her were just a crush he would chose to walk away. She dimly recalled some of what had happened that evening, though, how Elmer had tried to protect her, how frightened he had been that something might happen to her and their baby. And he had been there when she woke up,
holding their daughter as if she was made of china, the look of love in his eyes almost palpable. That had to count for something.
Elmer didn't speak for a moment, felt like he had been suddenly rendered mute. He reached down, letting the baby take his finger in her tiny fist as he thought. Okay, his mom had hurt him but that definitely didn't mean that he had ever stopped loving her or wishing that things could be different. He was barely able to hold back tears as he thought of that, of how they would never have a chance to change things now. "I think I would like Emma," he said softly.
Both of them were silent for a little while, just staring down at the baby as Lona lay firmly snuggled in Elmer's arms. Suddenly he spoke.
"What about Eloise for a middle name?" he asked her hesitantly, a tiny bit afraid that she might get upset with him for suggesting something instead of leaving it to her. "And we really ought to do something with Mary." If not for that little girl and her brother, neither one of them would be here now and he wouldn't exactly want to be here either.
"Emma Eloise Mary." Okay. Three names but two were short so it wasn't too bad. Lona thought about it for a moment before speaking once more. She wasn't exactly sure how to ask this, wasn't sure if she should even ask it. Emma was likely the only baby she would ever have, after all.
It was only fair for her to have her mother's last name but still....
"What about her last name, now?" Lona asked Elmer softly.
"It's your decision." Elmer told her as he leaned down and kissed Lona on the forehead. "She's my daughter now matter what her last name is,
you know. Whatever name will make you happy is fine by me."
"Would you like it?" Lona asked again, a bit of hesitation slipping into her tone now. Maybe that had been a mistake. She knew that Elmer's mom had walked out on them so maybe he wouldn't want to name the baby for her but....
"You know that was my mom's name, right?" Elmer said quietly as he snuggled Lona and the baby closer against him, fighting not to react to thinking about his mother, about the fact that she wasn't there and wouldn't get to see her only grandchild.
Lona nodded, worried that she might have hurt Elmer with her suggestion. That was the last thing that she had wanted to do. "It was just an idea. If you don't want...."
Elmer didn't really know what to say. The more he thought about it, the more he definitely liked the name but.... Suddenly something hit him and he looked down at Lona in surprise. If she was willing to name the baby after his mom, did that mean that she was wanting him to be a part of the baby's life after all, that she was okay with letting people know that he was the father? He couldn't bring himself to ask, though. He was too afraid that he might be wrong. Thinking of his mom had jus brought the pin of losing her back even stronger than before. He didn't think he could stand it if he had to lose his little girl too.
Lona barely was able to keep from giggling at the sight of the expression on his face. Giggling, she wasn't sure when the last time she had done that was. Okay, Elmer could be immature but at least he could make her laugh if she could get past annoyance with him.
"She loves you, you know." she said softly as she looked up at him. "Probably because you haven't tried giving her someone's head yet."
"Hey, it was just a joke," Elmer protested with a hurt look as he looked down at her. "And you were going to do worse to get back at me."
Lona thought for a moment before speaking. Okay, what she had had in mind had been worse. That stupid head wouldn't have fooled her for a moment but her idea for Elmer.... "True." she said as she smiled up at him. "I'll let you off the hook for the head, okay, if you promise never to do something like that again. Were you reading about Van Gogh? And I certainly hope that you returned that head to the morgue where it belongs."
Elmer wasn't even going to try to answer that question. He didn't know how the head had vanished from his locker the first time and he certainly didn't know where it had disappeared the second time either.
Things had been a bit weird, though. Maybe the head somehow got returned to its rightful owner? He should probably check with the anteater about that. That creature seemed to know a bit about the head situation, after all.
"So, what do you think of the name?" Lona asked, snapping Elmer back to the situation at hand.
"You're okay with it?" Elmer said hesitantly. Okay, his hopes were slowly creeping up but he was still afraid, nervous that if he said too much it would upset Lona for some reason and spoil the entire thing.
"You're her father, you know. If you're okay with her being named after your mother...." Lona was still a bit worried that Elmer wasn't exactly ready for parenthood, that he was too young to know what he was getting into and when he finally found something better and realized that his feelings for her were just a crush he would chose to walk away. She dimly recalled some of what had happened that evening, though, how Elmer had tried to protect her, how frightened he had been that something might happen to her and their baby. And he had been there when she woke up,
holding their daughter as if she was made of china, the look of love in his eyes almost palpable. That had to count for something.
Elmer didn't speak for a moment, felt like he had been suddenly rendered mute. He reached down, letting the baby take his finger in her tiny fist as he thought. Okay, his mom had hurt him but that definitely didn't mean that he had ever stopped loving her or wishing that things could be different. He was barely able to hold back tears as he thought of that, of how they would never have a chance to change things now. "I think I would like Emma," he said softly.
Both of them were silent for a little while, just staring down at the baby as Lona lay firmly snuggled in Elmer's arms. Suddenly he spoke.
"What about Eloise for a middle name?" he asked her hesitantly, a tiny bit afraid that she might get upset with him for suggesting something instead of leaving it to her. "And we really ought to do something with Mary." If not for that little girl and her brother, neither one of them would be here now and he wouldn't exactly want to be here either.
"Emma Eloise Mary." Okay. Three names but two were short so it wasn't too bad. Lona thought about it for a moment before speaking once more. She wasn't exactly sure how to ask this, wasn't sure if she should even ask it. Emma was likely the only baby she would ever have, after all.
It was only fair for her to have her mother's last name but still....
"What about her last name, now?" Lona asked Elmer softly.
"It's your decision." Elmer told her as he leaned down and kissed Lona on the forehead. "She's my daughter now matter what her last name is,
you know. Whatever name will make you happy is fine by me."