Alright, time for the next theme! This theme took a while to write simply because I kept jumping back and forth between ideas for it. I had an original idea for it and wrote about half of the chapter, ended up hating it, erased it, tried a different idea, hated it more, and then just ended up going with an altered version of my first idea. So this is a follow up to the second theme, Truth Be Told. Anyhoo, I hope you guys enjoy it despite the wait!
Their daughter was due any day now. The nursery was finished, the hospital overnight bags packed, and the plans made for when the moment finally came. Alissa read through a book while Seto flipped idly through another book next to her.
"What if she's born with Sirenomelia?" she asked suddenly, raising her gaze from her book with a worried expression.
"Mermaid Syndrome only occurs in one out of one hundred thousand live births. Besides, it's more likely to affect identical twins than single births," Seto responded without even lifting his gaze from the page he was scanning.
"Well, knowing our luck we'd be that one of one hundred thousand."
Her response caused him to finally pull his gaze from the book he was reading.
"You're supposed to be looking at possible names for our daughter, not defects that may or may not afflict her." He paused to reach over and lift the cover of her book. When he saw the title he had to hold back a snort of amusement. 100 Things That Can Go Wrong With Your Baby. Seriously?
"Where did you even get this book?"
"I got it off Amazon."
"Well put it away, stress isn't healthy for you or the baby."
"Yeah, I guess you're right-."
"Of course I'm right, I always am."
She rolled her eyes with a small grin.
"You're so annoying! Just hand me the other baby name book please."
He smirked at her before grabbing the other book from her hands and giving her the baby name book. He placed the other book on the coffee table where the baby name book was sitting previously and leaned back into the couch.
"Have you found any you like yet, Babe?" she asked, watching as he resumed reading from his previous place.
"None that I'm particularly fond of."
"Should we look at certain origins?"
"I have no preference."
"Hm, okay. Um, what about Amaya?" she asked after a lengthy pause.
"I've already gone through names beginning A through G and I haven't found any I'm particularly fond of as of yet."
"Alright. H names then. How about Hailey?"
"No."
"Harmony?"
"Tch, please."
"Okay, how about Heather or Helena?"
"We aren't naming her after the woman who caused the Trojan War."
"You're being even more picky about this than I am."
"Of course I am. I'd like this to be something we spent time thinking about, not something we picked when we were being pestered about the name to put on the birth certificate."
"I understand that, Seto. I want her name to be meaningful too, but loosen up a little. The baby isn't here yet."
"She will be any day now."
She stared at him for a few seconds before turning her attention back to the book in her lap. He was really stressing out about this.
"I know she will be."
"We're moving on to I now."
"Don't I get a say in this too?"
"Of course, you just have yet to suggest a good name."
Her eyes narrowed at him with a frown. Like you're doing any better, she thought.
"Well, I don't see you suggesting any names either, Asshole."
"There haven't been any I've been especially fond of yet. Don't act insulted when you know that wasn't my intention."
"I know, I'm sorry." She paused momentarily to flip through a couple pages. She stopped when an idea hit her.
"Hey, Seto?"
"Yes, Alissa?"
"What was your mother's name?"
He went rigid and pulled his gaze away from the page he had been intently staring at.
"What?"
"What was your mom's name? We've been together since high school and you never told me."
"Her name was Lillian," he replied, turning his gaze back to his book. He hated talking about things from his past, especially his biological parents and their unfortunate deaths. Even though he and Alissa had been together for well over five years and married for nearly two, talking about his biological parents still made him uncomfortable.
"Then why don't we name our daughter Lily?"
"No," he responded without even a second thought.
"Why not?"
"We aren't naming our daughter after my mother, Alissa."
"Why not? It could be an homage to your mother."
"I said no, Alissa."
"You said you wanted our daughter's name to mean something. Your mom is obviously very important to you and she's important to me too 'cause she's the reason that you exist. She's the reason I have you."
"Do you always have to be so sappy?"
"We don't have to name her after your mom you know. It was just a suggestion."
He sighed and ran a hand through his hair. He knew that making him uncomfortable was not her intent. It had been two decades since he lost his mother, but despite that the wound caused by losing his mother still hadn't healed. Even though he wasn't too fond of the idea of using his mother's name, he decided that it wouldn't hurt to be something to consider.
"I'll think about it, Alissa."
"Thank you. Hey, Seto?"
"Hm?"
"Will you tell me more about your mom? You don't have to if you don't want to. I'd just like to know more since all I really know about her is that her name was Lillian and that she was an artist."
"I'll agree to this only if you agree to telling me more about my father."
"Okay, deal."
And I'm going to end it here. First off, I hope you all had a wonderful holiday! Second, I apologize for how short this chapter is. I had originally planned to add more to this theme, but I decided that Selissa's talk about their deceased parents would work better in a theme that happens later on. The ending for this one is a bit abrupt but not as bad as I thought it would end up. Anyhoo, read and review and what not. The next story I'll be updating is A Change In Me, so if you haven't read it or you have, keep an eye out for that in the next few days. Peace out.