The topic of baby names had been lingering in the background ever since Aiah and Mikha found out they were having a girl. They had both agreed that the name should have a beautiful meaning, should flow nicely, and should honor both sides of their families. What they hadn't anticipated was how utterly chaotic the process of actually picking a name would be.
It all started one quiet evening on the couch. Aiah was curled up with her feet propped on Mikha's lap, scrolling through a baby name app. Mikha was half-paying attention, her free hand lazily rubbing Aiah's swollen feet as she sipped tea with the other.
"Bub," Aiah began, not looking up from her phone. "What do you think of the name... Seraphina?"
Mikha raised an eyebrow, her lips quirking into a grin. "Seraphina? Babe, parang pang-fantasy novel character 'yan. Are we raising a dragon queen?"
Aiah rolled her eyes, though her dimples appeared as she tried not to laugh. "It's elegant! Parang princess name. I like it."
"I mean, it's pretty," Mikha said, setting her tea down. "But ang haba naman. Imagine shouting, 'Seraphina, get down from there!' when she's climbing furniture."
"Okay, fine," Aiah muttered, crossing the name off her list. "How about... Amara?"
Mikha tilted her head, considering it. "Amara's nice. Pero parang ang dami nang batang Amara these days. She might end up as Amara #3 in her class."
Aiah let out an exaggerated groan, tossing her phone onto the couch. "This is impossible! Wala tayong mahanap na perfect name."
"Babe, calm down," Mikha said, laughing softly as she ran a soothing hand over Aiah's leg. "We've got time. And besides, if all else fails, we can always name her something classic. Like... Juanita."
Aiah gasped dramatically, sitting up straighter. "Juanita?! Mikha, ang layo naman sa aesthetic natin! Baka ma-bully pa siya!"
"Hey!" Mikha said, laughing as she raised her hands in mock surrender. "Juanita's a classic!"
"Classic pang-1900s!" Aiah shot back, swatting Mikha's arm. "Hindi ako papayag!"
/
The next night, the baby name debate continued, this time over dinner. Mikha was scrolling on her phone, rattling off the most ridiculous suggestions she could find.
"Okay, babe," Mikha began, trying to keep a straight face. "What do you think about... Cleopatra?"
Aiah choked on her water, glaring at her wife. "Cleopatra?! Anong gusto mo, lumaki siyang pharaoh?"
Mikha shrugged, grinning. "Pwede rin. Cleopatra Arceta-Lim. Regal."
"Regal sa panaginip mo!" Aiah fired back, laughing despite herself. "Next!"
"Fine," Mikha said, scrolling again. "How about... Bubbles?"
"Bubbles?!" Aiah exclaimed, her jaw dropping. "Mikha, anak natin, hindi aso!"
"I'm just kidding!" Mikha said, laughing as Aiah reached over to playfully swat at her. "Okay, okay, what about something modern, like Zayleigh?"
"Zayleigh?!" Aiah repeated, narrowing her eyes. "Babe, parang Gen Z influencer 'yan. Hard pass."
Mikha groaned, dramatically throwing her head back. "Ang hirap mong please! Ikaw kaya mag-suggest."
"I already did!" Aiah said, pouting. "Pero sinabi mong Seraphina sounds like a dragon queen."
"Eh kasi naman!" Mikha teased, leaning across the table to steal a bite of Aiah's dessert. "Okay, okay, seryoso na ako. Let's find something simple, sweet, pero timeless."
/
By the middle of Aiah's seventh month, the name discussions had evolved into playful teasing that sometimes crossed into petty arguments. One afternoon, they sat on the couch, surrounded by baby name books and sticky notes. Aiah, hormonal and slightly emotional, was starting to lose her patience.
