Ok, so after this huge gap without updates and apologizing like crazy. Here is the next update. I'm still not satisfied with it. I feel there is something missing and I know it's kind of short compared to my usual chapters. Anyway...
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Chapter Twenty-Nine: Names“We are staying at your place tonight, right?” Luka’s voice comes out from the bathroom.
“Yeah, I need to check my mail, messages… do some laundry. I haven’t been there for a while; the place must be a disaster.” I turn around to look at him come out of the bathroom. I get up from the table and leave the coffee mug inside the sink.
“Ok, then I should take some clothes with me today. You’re on till 5, right?”
I nod. “Speaking of which, we are going to be late. Ready?”
“Give me a sec, I’ll be right back.” He heads upstairs, while I go to look for my coat. I’m putting it on when he comes back down carrying a change of clothes, I assume inside a bag. He picks his keys from the table and we head outside.
Though it’s almost March the air is still cold. We get into his car. After a while we fall into a comfortable silence. I’m staring out the window, the car stops at the light and Luka uses the opportunity to turn the radio on. Barbra Streisand’s voice fills the car and I stare at him.
Is he planning on leaving that song? I’m gonna fall asleep. I need something more…“What?”
“Did I say something?” I ask.
“Not really but you are thinking something.”
Of course, I’m thinking something.“Yeah, so…”
He continues driving and then adds: “You are not going to tell me to change the song or put something more your style?”
“Is that what you think I’m thinking?” I want to laugh but I’m trying to suppress it.
“I don’t know what you are thinking. I’m not inside your head. I’m just stating that you usually want to hear something different when we are in the car.”
“Well, Barbra Streisand… this time of the day… isn’t… what… I would choose.”
“If it was for you, you wouldn’t choose it at all no matter the time of the day.”
“I didn’t say that!”
I’ve got to defend myself. It’s not like we are in a peaceful moment at home or I don’t want to move from the coach, the remote being to far away. “What I mean is that I need to wake up and this is too mellow for me to do so. Or you give me more caffeine or you change the song.”
“You already had coffee and I don’t think caffeine it’s what you need right now.”
“Oh really… Since when do you know what I need?”
“Either way, the song is over. Happy?”
“Of course, change the subject. Any other subject you want to talk about? Since you know what I need, maybe you know what I want too.”
“Barbra…”
What did his coffee have this morning?“What are you talking about now?”
“Do you like the name Barbra?”
“You want to name our baby Barbra?”
Is he serious? I look at him but he’s keeps facing the road.
“You told me to change the subject… So have you thought about it? I mean names for the baby?”
Names… Well, not really. How can I think of a name when this is just happening? Once he or she has a name it’s even more real. It’s a human being with a name! Oh God… We get to name someone! “Abby?”
“Eh? Oh sorry… I spaced out. I haven’t thought about it really. It’s gonna be even more real once we choose a name.”
“And… as you don’t want us to know the gender we need to think more options.”
“You are complaining you have to choose a name for each gender? Are you kidding me?”
He pulls the car in the parking lot and turns it off. I unbuckle and get off the car.
“It would be easier… if we know what type of names we need to think about. Or what color the clothes have to be.”
Easier? Maybe… but I don’t know how easy it’s going to be once the baby comes.“Besides I thought you would bring a weird Croatian name to the picture.”
“Weird Croatian name? First you tell me I have Turkish mud and make gastrointestinal adventures; then I might have a mutant Croatian seed and now Croatian people have weird names? What’s next?”
“I didn’t say you had awful names! I said they are… well, they are different.”
“And different is bad?”
“No! Of course not! I just thought that you wanted to have a name that would work also in Croatian.”
“Well, she or he is going to get the Kovac so… that would make is pretty much Croatian. We need something to go along with that.”
We reach the ER and head into the lounge.
“You want to name our baby Barbra Kovac?”
I put my things inside my locker. Get my lab coat and stethoscope out.
“I was bringing the subject up!”
I put my coat on; I look at him one more time before I head out of the lounge followed closely by him.
“Ok, so now that you have…”
Is that what I think it is?