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“I still can’t believe that’s the name they chose.”
“I know, honey,” Eddie laughed, looping her arm through his. “You haven’t been able to believe it for the last two blocks. But he’s everyone’s dog, remember? That means majority rules, and I am sorry to tell you this, but you’ve been outvoted.”
“I figured that out when I realized they’d already built him a house,” Jamie remarked drily, careful to step around a puddle before he accidentally led the both of them right into it. “Look, all I’m saying is, if we ever have kids, the only two people in that precinct who’re going to get a say in their names are you and me. That’s it.”
“Oh, but Edmie would be so cute for a little girl!” Eddie protested teasingly, smirking in response to the look her husband shot her way. “No? Okay, I’ll go ahead and take that one off the list, then.”
“If that’s even on your list, then I’m going to start praying for a boy,” Jamie told her seriously. “Just for the sake of the kid’s emotional wellbeing.”
“I would never do that to our daughter,” Eddie promised with an amused sigh. “Or our son. If we’re ever in a position to name kids, we’ll pick normal ones.”
“Yeah, like Shannon and Alannah and Grace and...”
“Joseph,” she interrupted softly.
He paused in the middle of the sidewalk to stare at her, his eyes wide and filled with both fondness and wonder. “Joseph?” he repeated. “You’d want to name our son after my - you’d want to name him after Joe?”
“Of course I would,” Eddie answered. “From all the stories I’ve heard, your brother was a really good person. He was a great cop. He always did what was right, no matter what it cost him. Also,” she continued, squeezing his arm gently to get him to start up walking again, “you’ve told me more than once that he has this huge impact on your life and helped make you into who you are.” She smiled up at him, then rested her head on his shoulder. “The way I see it, I owe him more than I could ever even begin to repay. Anyway, who wouldn’t want to name their son after a real-life hero?”
Jamie nodded once, more emotions than Eddie could begin to count reflecting in his eyes when they finally met hers again. He cleared his throat before speaking. “Thank you.”
“Of course,” she murmured, squeezing his arm gently. “Look, I know that your brother was your best friend. If we have kids, they won’t ever get to meet him, and that sucks, Jamie; it really does. I hate that, for you and for them. But just because they’ll never meet him doesn’t mean they won’t know him. We’ll make sure of that.”
“Have I told you lately how amazing you are?” he questioned seriously.
“Yeah,” she answered laughingly, resting her head back on his shoulder. “Have I told you?”
“Yeah,” he echoed, pressing a kiss to the top of her head. “I just...”
“What?” Eddie asked when he trailed off.
He shook his head, glancing down at her with a fond smile. “Nothing. I just love you, that’s all.”
Her own smile brightened significantly as she beamed up at him. “Yeah,” she breathed, eyes sparkling with the sort of happiness she’d never imagined she’d get to feel, “I love you, too.”