Name Game - Rucas
“I’m just saying it has a nice ring to it,” Maya said as she leaned back on the couch. She put her feet up on the coffee table and looked over to her best friend.
“I already have one favorite person named Maya, you want there to be another?” Riley asked. She absentmindedly rubbed her bulging belly as she spoke. It had become a habit of hers lately.
“Maya Friar, not Maya Matthews. There’s a difference,” Maya said.
“Maya Friar. Sounds like when you used to have a crush on me,” Lucas said from next to his wife.
“Hey. How many times do I got to tell you? Wasn’t a real crush on you. Riley Maya liked you, not Maya Maya, heehaw,” Maya said.
“Maya Maya. Double the Maya. How about that name?” Riley asked.
“No,” Lucas said with a shake of his head.
“What if it’s a boy?” Riley asked, turning back to Maya.
“Mayo?” Maya suggested.
“We’re not naming our child after a sandwich condiment,” Lucas said.
“Fine, fine, I’m flexible. How about Josh?” Maya asked.
“Why would I name my baby after my uncle?” Riley asked.
“Because you love him. And as your aunt, I have authority over you,” Maya said.
“I told you she would use that on us,” Riley said to Lucas.
“I hear my name?” Josh asked. He walked in the front door, kicking it closed behind him as he balanced five grocery bags in his arms.
“Yay, hubby is home,” Maya said. “You buy me good food?”
“Don’t I always?” Josh said.
“Do you have any name suggestions, Josh?” Riley asked.
“Boy or girl?” Josh asked.
“We don’t know. We’re going to be surprised,” Lucas said.
“Rose is cute. Or Bryan?” Josh offered.
“Rose and Bryan? Are these the names I’m going to be stuck with when we have kids?” Maya asked.
“When we have kids, huh?” Josh asked, raising his eyebrows at his wife.
“You know, way, way, way into the future,” Maya said.
“Mhmm,” Josh hummed.
~O~
“Albert.”
“No, Farkle,” Riley and Lucas said at the same time.
“Farkle was only suggesting that you name your child after one of the most famed scientists in the world. One, I might add, that my middle school was named after,” Smackle said.
“Albert Friar,” Lucas said. “That kind of name will paint a bullseye on his back for bullies.”
“Why must you always disagree with me? Playing hard to get is not going to work,” Smackle said to Lucas.
“Smackle!” Farkle called.
“That was out loud wasn’t it?” Smackle said, sliding down in her chair.
“Any other suggestions?” Riley asked.
“And please, not after any scientists,” Lucas said.
“That rules out Leonardo and Charles,” Farkle said.
“Charles?” Lucas asked.
“Darwin. Theory of evolution?” Farkle said.
“I know who he is. I just needed clarification because that’s a popular name,” Lucas said.
“Charlie. That’s a cute name,” Riley said as she thought it over.
“No,” Lucas said, shaking his head.
“Why?” Riley asked. “You don’t like it?”
“He doesn’t like it because Charlie asked you to that dance in middle school,” Farkle said with a knowing smirk.
“Oh, Lucas. That was years ago and I’m married to you now. Won’t you consider the name?” Riley asked.
“I’ll consider it. For you,” Lucas said, smiling at his wife.
“We could use Albert or Leonardo when we have a kid,” Farkle said to Smackle.
“We might as well. I’m not sure there’s anything better that will go with Minkus,” Smackle said with a shrug.
~O~
“You two have to be the ones who decide,” Topanga said.
Riley looked across the dinner table to her mother and sighed. This was one time she wanted someone to decide for her. If not Lucas, then her mother.
“She’s right,” Katy added. She nudged Topanga’s shoulder with her own from her seat next to her. “Maya came to me from a book. I read it and the name just stuck with me. Once you hear the right name, you’ll know.”
“You know, the name Cory means--,” Cory began to say.
“Cory, let it go,” Topanga said as she pat her husband’s arm.
“Fine. Well, Shawn means--,” Cory started again.
“Cory,” Shawn said, silencing Cory.
“Do you have any names in mind?” Katy asked.
“I’ve thought of a few,” Lucas said.
“But they just weren’t right,” Riley said.
“What names have you suggested?” Topanga asked, taking a sip of her coffee.
“Brittany or Jessica for a girl. Alexander or Steven for a boy,” Lucas said.
“Those are cute,” Topanga said.
“But not right,” Riley reiterated.
“What names do you like, Riley?” Shawn asked.
“I like a lot of names. But there’s none that have felt right for our baby so far,” she said.
“Don’t stress about it, sweetie,” Topanga said as she reached across the table and patted her daughter’s hand. “When you see the baby, you’ll know.”
“Really?” Riley asked.
“Really,” Topanga said with a nod.
~O~
“Lucas, I’m worried,” Riley said.
“Why?” Lucas asked. He glanced over to her quickly before he turned his attention back to the road. “We’re almost home, you can use the bathroom in a few minutes.”
“No, it’s not my bladder this time. What if when the baby comes we still can’t agree on a name? What if the right name never comes along?” Riley asked.
“The right name will come. Don’t worry, our baby isn’t going to go through life without a name,” Lucas said.
“But what if it does?” Riley asked, suddenly worried about that very situation. “What if we can never think of a name so he or she just goes around being called ‘it’ or ‘you’ or ‘kid Friar?’”
“Riley, relax. I’m sure the perfect name will come to us when we’re least expecting it,” Lucas said.
Riley sighed and leaned her head against the car window. Great, now she had to pee too.
~O~
“Lucas!” Riley shouted.
Lucas bolted upright from his sleep, looking around in a panic as his mind tried to clear out the fog from sleeping.
“What? What’s going on?” Lucas asked.
“It’s time,” Riley said.
“What? It’s three in the morning, time for what?” Lucas asked as he looked at the clock on the bedside table next to him. “Why is our bed wet?”
“Water broke. Contraction happening,” Riley said, gritting her teeth together.
“What? Seriously?” Lucas said as he jumped out of bed. He took a deep breath and calmed himself. He knew he had to remain calm for Riley right now. “Okay, let’s get you changed and head to the hospital.”
Riley nodded and slowly got out of bed once her contraction had ceased. Lucas helped her change into some dry clothes, grabbed her overnight bag for the hospital, and the two of them loaded up into the car.
“Mom, gah! Meet us at the hospital, okay? Yeah, it’s happening,” Riley said into the phone before hanging up. She felt another contraction starting and squeezed her eyes shut as she focused on breathing through it.
Lucas pulled onto the highway and reached over to take his wife’s hand in his own.
“Squeeze if you need to,” Lucas said.
“It’s okay, that one’s past. But I’m going to hold your hand anyway,” Riley said.
Lucas smiled and gave her hand a reassuring squeeze.
Riley took a deep breath and looked out the window. Her mind was racing almost as fast as her heart was. It was happening, it was all finally happening. Riley knew that her mom would call Maya and Farkle and all of the people who were going to be meeting them at the hospital. The plan had been settled for weeks now.
Riley watched as the signs for different exits off the highway passed by. It kept her mind focused on something instead of waiting for the next contraction to come.
Next Exit: Elizabeth, New Jersey
“Elizabeth,” Riley said.
“What?” Lucas asked.
“Elizabeth,” Riley repeated, looking to her husband. “That’s it, isn’t it?”
“Elizabeth,” Lucas tried the name out on his tongue. “Elizabeth Friar. I love it.”
Lucas wasn’t going to ask her what if it was a boy and not a girl. That would just get Riley more worked up than she had to be at the moment. For now, he’d just let her bask in the fact that she finally found a name if they had a girl.
~O~
“Alright, one more push,” the doctor said.
Riley took a deep breath, squeezed Lucas’ hand to her right, Cory’s hand to her left.
“You can do it, Riley,” Topanga encouraged from next to the doctor and nurse.
“Come on, Riles,” Cory said.
Lucas placed a kiss on her sweaty forehead. “You’ve got this,” he whispered to her.
Riley groaned as she gave one last, hard push.
“There we go, I can see the head,” the doctor said.
Topanga watched it awe, tearing up at the first sight of her first grandchild.
Maya stood behind Topanga, not wanting to see, but not being able to look away.
“Is it a girl or boy?” Maya asked from behind Topanga.
“Can’t tell by just the head, Maya,” Topanga said as she reached back and wrapped her arm around Maya’s shoulders.
“Almost there, sweetie,” the doctor said to Riley. “There we go!”
Riley fell back against her pillows, breathing heavily, as they heard the first cries of the newborn baby.
Riley grinned and looked up at Lucas, who was looking back at her in the exact same way.
“It’s a girl!” the nurse said.
Riley looked down and saw her brand new daughter, feeling tears fill her eyes.
“Elizabeth,” Riley said quietly.
“Yeah, that’s her,” Lucas said. “That’s our Elizabeth.”