Page 14 of Future Like This

Leaving my phone behind, I stroll out to the living room. Miles is working on his laptop on the couch.

“Hey,” I say, walking around the couch.

He smiles and closes his laptop, setting it on the coffee table. He pulls me close and gives me a firm kiss before asking, “How was it?”

“It was good.” I nestle against him and pull a blanket over us. “Helpful. Not at all what I was expecting.” I tell him about the session, and it seems to ease some of his fears about therapy.

“I’m glad it helped you. It’s good we’re both doing this.”

“Definitely. We’re going to do the work on ourselves and build our relationship so strong even a nuclear bomb couldn’t rattle us.”

He laughs and kisses me. “I like the sound of that. Even if it is a little nerve-racking.”

“It’s worth it, though.”

“So fucking worth it, sweetness.”

He kisses me, long and slow, holding his lips against mine and pulling them away millimeter by millimeter.

I let out a content sigh and rest my head on his shoulder, my hand dropping to my stomach. He places his hand over mine.

“She needs a name,” I whisper.

It’s something we decided to wait on until we knew the gender, then once we knew the gender, we wanted to get a better idea about her energy before we came up with a name, but I’m ready to figure it out now. I’m tired of calling her ‘baby girl’ all the time. At least here at home, I want to call her a name. I think it’ll help me feel more connected to her.

“Any ideas?”

“Not really.”

“Any special names in your family? Something to honor your mom or dad with?”

“I’ve always loved my mom’s middle name, but I don’t love it for a first name.”

“What is it?”

“Mae.”

He laughs. “No way. Seriously?”

I look up at him. “Yes. Why?”

“That’s my mom’s middle name, too.”

My heart does a little flip at that. “They would’ve been best friends.”

“I think they still are. My mom adores your mom, and even if your mom’s grasp on who she is varies by the day, she seems to enjoy her company.”

“She does,” I agree.

“So, we’ve got a middle name, then? Mae? For her grandmothers?”

I look at him through glassy eyes and nod. “Definitely.”

“Still need a first name.”

“Is there anyone in your family you’d like to honor?”

“I mean, we’re honoring Ma with her middle name. There’s no one I’m that close to in my family outside of that. I love my grandparents, but my grandma’s name is very Korean, and it doesn’t feel like the right name for our daughter.”

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