After a stressful day of dealing with anxious parents and several unexpected surgeries Annie headed home early. Josh would get a ride with Duncan when they were done with their last patient of the day. While Annie was frustrated that Duncan hadn't moved out yet tonight she appreciated the ride home for Josh.
Annie sat on the couch for a few minutes petting Milo and watching the news. Thinking she had time she decided to make one of Josh's favorite dinners, a recipe she had learned from a friend years before in medical school, Catrina had been from New Orleans and loved to cook with Annie and Stephanie. Tonight Annie would make the jambalaya Catrina had taught her to make. She defrosted the meat in the sink under running water and started chopping the celery, peppers and onions. Part of Annie's logic was that the dish made enough for several days' lunches which meant she didn't have to think about what they would take for lunch and she could feed Duncan which he always appreciated. They had stopped doing communal groceries after Annie and Josh had gotten married but did still share meals a couple times a week. With the jambalaya simmering on the stove Annie sat on the couch and began flipping through the book of baby names. Many of them were silly and not one you would want to introduce yourself as dr Daisy or judge Pansy. She loved the name Ellie for a little girl but didn't know what would work as a full name, Ellie was a sweet nickname but dr Ellie was like dr Annie it didn't inspire confidence. Had she not changed her name Annie would have used Annabeth professionally. She knew that when she needed to be in control Teddy used Theodora instead of Teddy. Her mama managed to make Teddy sound strong and powerful. Annie was a little girl in a musical, not a smart educated confident woman. While she didn't have a first name for a boy she had two ideas for a middle name Owen or Henry. Using names from the McKellar family was out of the question.
"Something smells good," Josh said as he walked in and picked up the cat.
"Just jambalaya," Annie called out, "it needs to simmer for another 20 then I have to add the rice it's already in the measuring cup."
"I'll do it, you relax," Josh replied, "you did the hard part already. What are you doing?"
Annie blushes, "looking at books of names."
"We should get that figured out shouldn't we," Josh said, "but I thought we'd wait until after we found out tomorrow."
"We don't have to nail it down until they're here but it's fun to think about," Annie replied.
"It will be nice not to call it the baby or it," Josh agreed, "maybe use their name."
"Or try different names and see how they react," Annie laughed, "it likes music already. Music makes it wiggle."
"Are you sure it's not responding to you dancing around," Josh asked.
"I doubt it," Annie replied, "I've only been doing gentle barre work to keep moving. Any sort of turn my balance is way too unpredictable for. And jumps are starting to feel awful."
"I think it's just dancing with you and wondering why mommy is shaking it around," Josh teased.
"It feels like another dancer the way it wiggles and moves," Annie laughed, "please say it got my turn out because yours sucks."
"So we want it to do your weird hip tricks," Josh teased.
"We want it to have my flexibility," Annie said.
Annie had joined Josh in the kitchen and gave him a passionate kiss.
"Isn't that what got you two in this situation," Duncan laughed as he came in.
"Please," Annie laughed, "that was just an I haven't seen you all day."
"Let's go with that," Duncan laughed.
"Are you eating with us," Josh asked.
"I made jambalaya," Annie added.
"Then I'm in, that's always good," Duncan replied, "one thing I'm going to miss when I move out Annie's cooking."
"I'll put the recipes in a binder for you," Annie teased, "then you can do it yourself."
"You've got to start looking dude," Josh said, "we have 19 weeks so need your room now."
"There's nothing I like that's a short term rental," Duncan said, "I can't commit until I get my fellowship offers and sign on for one."
"Find something," Josh urged, "we really need that room. We got Teddy to okay us repainting as soon as we pick a colour."
Annie interrupted, "dinners ready. I can't handle this debate tonight. Duncan I want you to have a plan by the end of next week."
"I'll talk to Shawna," Duncan said, "I just need to get her son to like me."
"Speaking as the step kid and I'm on my second step father. I think I'm an expert," Annie replied, "get to know the boy on his own, not with his mom right there. Let him be himself."
"How did Hunt win you over," Duncan asked.
"I was 19 not 7 so surgery," Annie replied, "I was watching mama do a transplant in the gallery and he pulled me out of the gallery while she sewed in grafts to scrub in with him and Kepner. She was still a resident. He stole one of mama's scrub caps and then had me hold a retractor for the first time."
"So what do I do," asked Duncan.
"With her permission take the kid to do something he'll enjoy," Annie suggested, "Henry mama's first husband and I played board games while she was at the hospital if it wasn't a call she could take me in with her. He had been a professional baseball player so he taught me to throw a baseball and swing a bat in the backyard. We also made waffles. That's who taught me to make waffles and eggs benedict."
"Time with you without your mother," Duncan stated.
"Yes they got to know me without her," Annie replied, "Henry it took longer for her to let him get to know me. Owen knew about me and was her best friend before she moved to Seattle for the first time. I spent more time with Owen right away. I skied with both step dads, try taking him skiing or hiking."
"Is it cool with you guys if I eat and run," Duncan asked, "maybe take some ice cream over to Shawna's for her and Luke?"
"Please," Josh said, "we wouldn't mind a quiet night on the couch."
"Text Shawna and tell her," Annie said leaning against the counter.
"You okay," Josh asked Annie.
"Tired," Annie, "I cooked you clean up dinner."
"I can do that," Josh said, "you already did most of it as you went."
"Then can we start thinking about names," Annie asked.
"We will," Josh said, "you're cute when you're excited."
"It's coming," Annie smiled, "tomorrow we find out what we're having."
"We do," Josh said, giving Annie a kiss.
"How were your surgeries," Annie asked.
"Good," Josh said, "all emergent but nothing weird and wonderful."
"We had enough excitement on Friday," Annie replied.
"Two cardio traumas in teens," Josh said, "when will you see that again."
Annie replied, "not for a long time. The last time I saw one in a teen was when we went to Haiti."
"That was incredible," Josh said, "not just the surgeries but the people."
"Working with Chris was cool," Annie agreed.
"You yelling at your brother that your patient wasn't stable enough to move was awesome," Josh said.
"He's never seen me take charge other than then," Annie said.
"You called him a silly name," Josh replied.
"Sargent Shamoo," Annie laughed, "he was obsessed with orcas when we were kids."
"Didn't Meghan get mad at you for that," Josh asked.
"She did. I reminded her that that's my dum dum of a brother," Annie laughed, "and she let it go."
"I don't get it," Josh said, "dum dum?"
"She calls Owen that when he pisses her off," Annie laughed, "Chris pissed me off that day so it fit."
"The day he took you, Teddy and Meghan to those girls at the top of the mountain I worried," Josh said.
"Only females on the team," Annie replied, "we were flown up to a group of teens who were pregnant or had new babies. They needed other women. We got them all out safely and the care they needed. Meghan and I delivered one of the babies up there. The cardio and trauma surgeons delivering a breech baby in the bush with nothing other than field kits."
"Still seeing your get in the helicopter and going wasn't easy," Josh said.
"Nathan must have been a mess," Annie replied, "the way he ran to her and held her when we got back he didn't let go until we went back to our tents."
"He was a mess all day," Josh said, "he kept radioing out to Chris to make sure she was okay and Chris would bring her back. I noticed that he walked her to your tent that night. Usually you and Meghan walked back together."
"That was the hardest part of that trip," Annie teased, "being away from you."
"Two weeks of no chance to be alone together," Josh laughed.
"Sharing a tent with Meghan," Annie replied, "I tried to get rid of her a couple nights."
"I know you did," Josh said.
"She said she knew what I was doing because she used to do the same thing to mama to get Nathan into her tent," Annie replied, "I got told to count down until we went home."
"And what happened when we got home," Josh asked.
"We decided it was time for a baby," Annie smiled, and put his hand where the baby was kicking.
Duncan came back into the kitchen, "this cuteness is why I have to get out."
"What cuteness," Annie teased, "this is us when you're not around. But it's time to eat.
They ate dinner together. Afterwards Josh cleaned up the kitchen while Annie curled up on the couch with the name book.
Josh came into the living room with a container of Half Baked Ben and Jerry's and two spoons. Sitting down he passed Annie a spoon.
"You are the best," Annie said, taking the spoon.
"Names," Josh said, "what do you think?"
"I love Ellie for a little girl," Annie said, "but it has to be a nickname."
"Elizabeth," Josh suggested.
"Elizabeth Riggs Altman," Annie said, testing it out.
"Elizabeth Altman Riggs," Josh tried.
"My name first sounds better," Annie said, "but it sets us up for confusion with Leo and Allison because I know day care just uses Altman for them instead of Altman- Hunt."
"Alphabetical works," Josh said, "daycare can learn."
"What about a middle name," Annie asked.
"Grace," Josh suggested.
"It was my middle name before I changed my name," Annie explained, "and it's mama's middle name, I think it was her mom's middle name."
"Keep the tradition," Josh suggested.
"We could," Annie said, "is there a girl's name you really like?"
"I love Elizabeth and that fits," Josh said, "when I think of us having a daughter I keep mentally calling her Elizabeth."
"So Elizabeth but call her Ellie if we have a girl," Annie smiled, "I've wanted a little girl named Ellie for years. It's always been my name for a little girl."
"Boys, any ideas," Josh asked.
"Middle name but not first," Annie replied.
"So middle names are," Josh asked.
"I've always thought we could use Owen as a middle name," Annie suggested.
"I've thought about Nathan," Josh said.
"We could do two middle names," Annie suggested, "Nathan and Owen."
"We still need a first name," Annie said.
"Any good ones in the book," Josh asked.
"Something strong and traditional," Annie said, "something you could say doctor or judge or president before. Annie or even Annabeth is not a strong name."
"Let's try That with Elizabeth," Josh said.
"Dr Elizabeth Altman Riggs," Annie said, "sounds good."
"Judge Elizabeth Altman Riggs," Josh said, "it works."
"President Elizabeth Altman Riggs," Annie nodded, "still works."
Annie took Josh's hand and placed it on her bump, "Elizabeth is getting approval."
"They're so much stronger then a week ago," Josh said.
"Try having them kick you while you operate," Annie said, "I know you're there you don't need to remind mommy you exist."
"In the OR really," Josh asked.
"Sewing in grafts on my CBAG today," Annie replied, "I almost had to stop. I did pause at one point and wait for them to settle."
"That's not helpful," Josh laughed, "monkey we don't distract mommy when she's operating on someone's heart."
Annie laughed, "because they listen."
"They can hear our voices," Josh said.
"I hope so I talk to it like an idiot when I'm alone," Annie smiled.
"Boys names," Josh said, "I like Jordan."
"Maybe if we want to keep Js what about Jacob," Annie suggested, "I had a cousin named Jordan."
"Is this a McKellar," Josh asked.
"He passed when I was 10. He fell off his horse," Annie said, "he was the oldest of us."
"No Jordan then," Josh agreed, "Jacob isn't my favorite. What about Justin?"
"Justin is okay," Annie said, "I like Brayden or Bradley."
"Bradley Altman Riggs," Josh said, "it sounds okay."
"Bradley Nathan," Annie tried.
"Bradley Owen," Josh tested.
Annie said, "Bradley is okay but I'm not in love with it."
"I like David," Josh said.
"It's Chris's middle name," Annie replied.
"Your brother doesn't need the ego boost," Josh laughed.
"He doesn't," Annie said, "Dillon?"
"Not a fan," Josh said, "Hayden? Or Matthew?"
"Matthew I like," Annie said, "Mathew Owen."
"I like it," Josh smiled, "Matthew was my grandad, my dad and Nathan's dad."
"Matthew Owen Altman Riggs," Annie said.
"What does the baby think," Josh asked.
"They've settled down now and are napping," Annie said.
"No response to our boy names," Josh said looking disappointed.
"They'll perk up soon," Annie said, "it's the first they've calmed in a few hours."
"Is it Elizabeth Grace or Matthew Owen," Josh asked.
"I don't know," Annie said, "I think Matthew from all those old wives tales."
"Elizabeth," Josh said, "so one of us is right."
Annie put the book of names on the coffee table and leaned back against the arm of the couch with her feet in Josh's lap.
"You seriously want me to rub your feet," Josh asked.
"I do," Annie laughed.
"I'd rather cuddle with you," Josh said.
"That does sound good," Annie replied. She moved so she was leaning against Josh with his arms around her.
"When we find out let's keep the name to ourselves," Annie said.
"Our little secret," Josh said, "because we know you won't keep the gender to yourself. You'll run and tell your mama right away."
"I'm excited," Annie said, "she knows we go tomorrow. I made them promise no stupid gender reveal."
"You really don't want the celebrations do you," Josh said.
"I don't," Annie replied, "but mama and Meghan are doing a shower."
"Enjoy it," Josh encouraged.
"I'll try," Annie agreed. She turned her body so she was leaning on him and he wrapped his arms around her. Josh began to slide his hands under her top. Annie turned and kissed him.
"Not here," Annie said, she stood up and lead Josh into their bedroom making sure the door was closed behind them. She wrapped her arms around his neck and began to kiss him. They quickly undressed each other before he laid her on their bed.
Is it baby Elizabeth or baby Matthew? Please review the current chapters.