Page 49 of A Wedding in the Bay

“Why?”

“It makes me think of The Titanic.”

She heard Dane exhale loudly from the bedroom, and she chuckled. “How about Andrew?” she called.

“Veto.”

“Well, what about Thomas?”

“Veto. What about George?”

“You already asked me that one. Veto.”

There was a pause, and then she had an idea. “How about Oscar?” she called, and at the same time she heard Dane call, “What about Oscar?”

Her jaw dropped. She ran out into the hallway, staring at Dane. He blinked at her, his eyes wide.

“Did you just say Oscar?” he asked.

She nodded, starting to laugh. “Yes!”

He hurried forward and wrapped his arms around her in a hug. “Alissa!” he cried. “That’s it!”

“You really like it?” she asked. “I thought at first you were just teasing me because you heard me say it first, but—”

He shook his head. “No, I was actually suggesting it at the same time you were.” He grinned at her, his eyes lighting up with excitement. “We’ve found it, sweetheart! The name for our baby. Oscar.”

“Oscar,” she said, the name rolling off her tongue easily. It felt right. She placed her hands on her stomach and looked down. “What do you say to that, Oscar? You like your name?”

Oscar declined to answer, but Dane chuckled and kissed Alissa again. “It feels perfect. Oh boy, what a relief.”

“I’ll say.” She leaned her head on his shoulder and sighed. “Our baby has a name! We’ve finally picked it.” She let out a laugh, remembering all the long and silly conversations they’d had.

“Oscar,” he said again, squeezing her. “Oscar.”

“Let’s not tell anyone just yet,” she suggested.

He nodded. “We’ll keep it to ourselves for now.”

“But we know.” She felt like she was floating with happiness. “We know what our baby’s name is.”

A strange feeling came over her—it was a wonderful feeling, full of excitement and nostalgia and tenderness. She’d never experienced anything like it before. In the next moment, she realized that she was feeling that way because until then, their baby had felt like someone who would arrive in the future. Now she felt as though he was a little personality waiting there inside her, ready to come out into the world. She felt almost as if he’d already arrived.

“It all feels so much more real now,” she whispered, feeling a rush of joy.

“It does,” Dane agreed with her softly. “Our baby—”

“Oscar,” she corrected playfully.

He grinned. “Oscar will be here soon.”

The young parents held each other close, and Alissa felt that she couldn’t wait to meet their little son.

Caitlin hurried out of her bedroom, startled by the sound of something breaking.

“Oh no!” Pearl cried from the bathroom.

“What happened, honey?” Caitlin called, hurrying forward in concern.

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