July 18th, week 24
"Hey Mari, do you think you could take a look at something?!" I ask, as my sister is about to leave the room. Back when I was first put on bed rest, Mari volunteered to be my 'helper' when Viktor's at practice. Normally she just gets me food and stuff, even though she offers to hang out and chat and stuff like that. And I never know how to respond, because I don't want to keep her cooped up in Vikor and my's room (which my parents have started calling the Nikiforov suite), yet at the same time, I get rather desperate for companionship. Makkachin does help soften the blow though. The only problem is keeping him off my stomach.
"Sure, what is it?" She nonchalantly responds, walking back over to the bed. I opened up a list on my laptop.
"Viktor and I are between 2 names for the baby, so we thought that we could maybe run a little poll to see what everyone else thinks. It's ok if you don't want to pick, I completely understand. "I explain. Viktor has been doing this sort of thing all week, and it's definitely been working.
"Yuri. You don't have to act like I'm being dragged into all this. I volunteered to help you remember?" She explained.
"Yeah, but that just for getting food and stuff. This is way bigger and more important. I mean this will affect literally the entire world I mean-" I pant, and the world starts to get blurry and spin. I mean, it won't just affect her but whatever she does will be recorded in history as whatever namewepickforherandwhatifwepicksomethingterribleand-. Mari firmly places her hands on my shoulders and looks me dead in the face.
"Yuri, take a deep breath."She commands. I do. When we were younger, and even before I was officially diagnosed with anxiety, Mari's always been excellent at handling my attacks, sometimes even better than mom or dad. "Let me take a look at that list."
The list wasn't even technically a list, just two names, Sakura-Sanya and Mai-Maryana. It took us forever to weed it down from the list of 10 we had last week. And while the names all sound great, Something just seems wrong with Mai-Maryanna, yet also whenever I think of it, I feel like it's so close to being the perfect name, but somehow is missing the mark.however on the other hand, I can look at pictures of the baby and call her Sakura, but I feel a bit reserved, mainly because the name Sakura just feels too literal to me.
"Oh, and If it won't be too much trouble, could you maybe put a checkmark or an x or something next to the one you like best?" I request. I study Mari's thinking face, and it takes her a few minutes to decide.
"Sakura-Sanya. It's a bit cliche, but I think it best out of the list." She answers. Typing an X next to the name, and stars to walk out of the room. "Remember, when you need something, just text me."
"Thanks, Mari. Wait, best out of the options?!"
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A 10 minute walk away from the Inn, Viktor was asking literally everyone in Ice Castle the same question. Takeshi, Axel, and Luz had voted for Sakura-Sanya, while Yuuko and Loop pickled Mai-Maryana.
"Hey Yurio, want to do something for me?" He asked as Yurio skated off the ice to take a break.
"No! I am not going to participate in another of your stupid name polls!" The teenager exclaimed, then put on his head phones. "Figure it Out Viktor."
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"I'm starting to think that maybe everyone is starting to get a bit annoyed by our ongoing saga of picking a name for Baby Nikiforova," Viktor observed that night.
"You're just starting to realize that?" I semi-sarcastically shoot back. "But in all seriousness, we really need to pick something."
"Да. But nothing is quite right." Vikor added.
"Exactly! And I even tried doing a poll today and adding your results, both names have exactly 4 votes!" I sympathize. (my parents were both for Mai-Maryana)
"In all seriousness though, we need to pick something tonight, or Yurio is going to strangle me."
"Yeah, you're absolutely right."
We both sat (well technically neither of us were sitting, Viktor had taken to lying down next to me because he reasoned 'If you can't sit up then I wouldn't sit up either'. What did I do to deserve someone as amazing as him?), trying to push our brains to the limit, to think of the perfect name. It's out there, I know it, we just have to find it. And to our great surprise, an answer comes to us, in the form of Yurio throwing open the door, storming in our room, slamming down a piece of paper, storming right back out, and slamming the door behind him.
"What was that about?" I ponder, as Viktor grabs the sheet of paper.
On it was written:
The community can't deal with this anymore. Just pick something that's not Japanese or Russian. That would be enough.
Alexandria
Lorette
Marie
And as we read it, I want to laugh, but then something rises up from inside me. I turn over to Viktor, and I can tell that he is experiencing the same thing. The last name on the list. It's French, but the Spanish version was the name of the place we got engaged. That ticks off my meaningful name box. And I know that Masha(ka) is the Russian diminutive of it. Viktor's eyes and mine lock, and at the same time, we both say our Daughters name.
"Maria."
And as the weight flys off of my shoulders, I feel the most magical thing on the entire earth.
I feel Maria kicking.
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On Love: Agape!!!
FanfictionAfter the new Yuri Nikiforov gets home from his wedding, he finds out that he is expecting! But unfortunately, things aren't going so well on Yurio's side of the story. If the science part is messing you up, just come up with whatever explanation wo...
