Yes Please || c.g. {complete}

"It's a..."

63

.Carl.

The weeks in between Thanksgiving and Christmas break were really busy. Layla had finals, and was even more bogged down with work than normal. I was still gone almost all day, and although I knew it was necessary, I hated that I wasn't around more for her. The baby and her belly were growing everyday, and she was beautiful.

The day before Christmas Eve marked 18 weeks in Layla's pregnancy, and we'd scheduled our baby's anatomy scan for that day. We would finally know if we were having a boy or a girl.

We would sit up at night tossing around names. Sometimes we both liked them; other times one of us would veto the other's suggestion with uncontrollable laughter. One example of the latter was Francis.

Layla was adamant about the name Matthew if it was a boy. I liked the name just fine, but I was confused about why it was such a big deal to her. There were lots of cool names out there.

We were lying in bed the night before our appointment when the topic came up again.

"I think old-fashioned names are cute for girls," she said. "Like Sylvia or Ella."

I scrunched my nose. "I like '80s names better, like Jessica or Vanessa."

She laughed. "Those are '80s names?"

I shrugged. "At least half of the people I know who were born in the '80s have those names. Oh- or Megan. Lots of Megans from the '80s."

She giggled. "Well Carl isn't exactly a '90s name, is it?"

I shook my head and laughed. "1890s, maybe. Your name is really pretty," I grinned. "It's unique. Where'd it come from?"

She smiled and blushed. "It's an Eric Clapton song. Well, Derek and the Dominos."

"Why that song?" I asked.

"Well it's a really good song, for one," she smiled. "You've never heard it?"

I shook my head.

"It's based off an old Persian story of a man falling desperately in love with an unavailable woman," she said.

I raised my eyebrows. "Wow. I'm whoever that guy is...minus the you-being-unavailable part," I winked.

She laughed. "So the guy ends up going crazy because he can't marry her."

I pouted. "Well that's no fun. Although, if I couldn't marry you, I'd go crazy too."

She laughed, leaning in to kiss me.

I grinned at her as our lips parted again. "Do I even dare bring up boys' names tonight?"

She rolled her eyes. "You know which name I like."

"Matthew," I sighed. "Can I ask why? You never want to tell me."

"Why did your parents name you Carl?" she asked, changing the subject.

"Because they were drunk or high or both and it sounded good at the time?" I half laughed. "There was very little thought behind it, I'm sure. I mean they completely overlooked circumcising me, and only me, so you know something was off." We both laughed a little. "Now why Matthew?"

She sighed heavily. "He was my twin brother."

My eyes widened. "Your what? But you're an only child."

She nodded. "I am now. He died in utero."

My mouth dropped as I tried to think of something to say. "Why have you never told me this?"