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Lucy Bradford was currently 35 weeks pregnant, but it looked as if she was going to pop any minute now. The Bradfords liked to prepare; their hospital bag was ready, they had talked to all of the on-call staff in the maternity ward at St Stephen’s, and the Lopez-Evers family had offered to take care of Kojo while they were in the hospital.
But there was still one thing left to do before Lucy gave birth: pick a name for their daughter.
“This isn’t some quick, meaningless decision,” Lucy whined one afternoon as Tim was making her a grilled cheese sandwich, the only thing she’d been craving recently. Much like he had with Angela, Sargeant Grey had practically shoved Lucy out of the station, as her shortened temper and lack of flexibility was making it increasingly difficult to complete her job. “I want her name to mean something to both of us.”
“I agree, baby. Do you have any ideas?” Tim asked softly, trying to calm his wife’s nerves.
“I mean, I don’t know. I really want to honor Jackson, albeit in a subtle way.”
“Okay, let’s create a checklist of things we both want for the name, and go from there.”
Lucy reached over, stretching her fingers as she slid a pad of paper and pen near her. It took a good minute, but she eventually got a grip and pulled it towards her, resting it on her stomach.
“Alright, number one: honor Jackson, subtlety,” Lucy remarked slowly as she scribbled. “Anything you absolutely need for the name?”
Tim clicked his tongue on the roof of his mouth, flipping the grilled cheese as he thought to himself.
“I mean, I just think that it needs to flow. I’ve always loved the concept of middle names, and I want to be able to use it when she’s in trouble,” he explained, chuckling to himself because he knew that no matter what, he wouldn’t be able to stay mad at his baby girl for too long.
“Number two: name needs to flow. Anything else?”
“Hmm… you can totally disagree with me on this, but I think that her name should be short. I mean, we do both have short names.”
“I guess I never really thought about that, but you’re right. Number three: short and sweet.” Lucy tapped the pen against the paper repeatedly as she started intently at the list, as if looking at it would magically conjure something up in her mind. After about a minute of no epiphany, she groaned, collapsing her head back against the headrest of the sofa.
As she began to adjust herself upright again, her eyes landed on a series of picture frames laid out across the TV stand: one of Tim and Lucy during their wedding, the entire group at Nolan and Baileys wedding, and a picture of Lucy, Jackson, and Nolan holding their certificates at their Police Academy graduation ceremony, Captain Anderson smiling brightly beside them.
Lucy’s head tilted as she examined the picture further: her arm was wrapped around Captain Anderson, and she was clearly laughing as the picture was taken.
It was easy to forget how much of an impact someone had on you, and Lucy had definitely forgotten how much of a role model Zoe had been for her, for the short time they worked together. She had always looked up to the Captain, who motivated and inspired her, especially when things were rough as she began her rookie year.
“Tim?” she called out across the room, Tim making his way to her with their lunch.
“Yeah?”
“How would you feel about naming the baby after Captain Anderson?” Lucy asked softly as her husband sat down next to her.
“You know, I actually really like that idea,” Tim remarked, wrapping his arm around Lucy as she picked up her sandwich, stuffing it in her mouth.
“I mean, Anderson was a really important part of my life. She believed in me, even when I didn’t believe in myself,” Lucy explained in between bites, mouthfuls of food in her mouth. “In a male dominated field, sometimes I needed a reminder that I could… well, that I could still be successful.”
Tim pulled Lucy in closer, rubbing his hand up and down her arm as she spoke. “I want our daughter to be strong, I want her to know that she can hold her own. Captain Anderson was all of those things, and I think that naming our daughter after her would be a beautiful tribute.”
Tim smiled at his wife, kissing her forehead gently.
“Wow, don’t get all soft on me, Bradford!” Lucy joked, Tim rolling his eyes.
“I’m going to pretend you didn’t just say that, and continue our name conversation,” Tim remarked as he shook his head. “So, were you thinking of ‘Zoe?’ Or maybe something else?”
“Zoe is cute, and it’s short, so it fits our list. But I- I don’t love it,” Lucy sighed.
“Yeah, I’m not the biggest fan either, we never really called her Zoe anyway.”
Tim tapped his finger against Lucy’s arm, staring off into space as he thought about variations of the name.
“ Anderson itself would have worked if we were having a boy…” he trailed off. “Maybe we save it and hope our next one is a boy?”
“Bold of you to assume I want to do this again,” Lucy huffed, placing her hand on top of her stomach gently, feeling for baby kicks.
“I’m sorry- I didn’t mean-” Tim began to sputter, but Lucy interrupted him with a giggle.
“Relax, I’m just messing with you! But, now I’ve kinda fallen in love with the idea, so I don’t want to wait. Plus, what if we have another girl?”
“Oh, you’re right.”
“I always am.”
“Happy wife, happy life…” Tim muttered to himself, Lucy visibly rolling her eyes.
“Alright, no more getting distracted because if we don’t figure out a name right now, I’ll start stressing and I’ll nest and tear apart the nursery,” Lucy rambled, pouting slightly.
“Please don’t, Nolan and I spent hours decorating and building the furniture,” Tim whined playfully.
“Correction: Nolan spent hours working. You sat there and looked pretty as you watched him.”
“Hey, I helped!”
“Whatever you say, man,” Lucy shook her head. “Okay seriously, back to this name thing. Anderson, Anderson, Anderson,” she whispered repeatedly to herself, hoping it would spark something.
“Lucy,” Tim said softly, stopping her repetition . “What do you think about Andie?”
Lucy took a deep breath as she heard the name, a wave of emotion suddenly taking over her.
“Wow, I- I actually really like that. Andie Bradford,” Lucy remarked. “It has a nice ring to it.”
“And it checks the third box on our list, short and sweet. Now onto the middle name. What about… Andie Jack?”
“Ew, no,” Lucy winced. “Since Angela used Jackson, I don’t want to use it. Maybe… West ?”
“Andie West Bradford,” Tim repeated. “I think that flows pretty well.”
He expected Lucy to respond right away, but she was silent. He looked down to find tears welling in her eyes, her deliberately avoiding eye contact.
“Judging by your reaction, I think it’s safe to assume that you’re happy with this name?” Tim smiled.
“I know this is stupid, it’s the pregnancy hormones, okay?” Lucy said sharply as she wiped her eyes aggressively. And as much as he teased her for it, Tim loved that Lucy was sensitive. It’s what made her an amazing cop, and he could only hope that their daughter would be as kind and insightful as her mother.
“Should we practice?” Tim asked, Lucy furrowing her brow in confusion.
“Practice what…?”
“Using the name. Make sure that we actually like it?”
“Oh-kay,” Lucy huffed, pushing herself so that she was sitting up straight. “Imagine that she’s right there, in the middle of the carpet playing with dolls while we’re cooking. Suddenly we hear a crashing sound, and turn around to find that she threw one of her Barbie’s at Kojo. Now, he’s fast so he was able to avoid it, but she almost hit him. What would you do?”
Tim turned his head, glancing at his wife with a look of disbelief. “Why was that so detailed? Have you thought about this before?”
“No… Dude, just answer the question!”
“Okay, well I’d obviously turn around to see what was going on. Once I figured out what happened, I’d call out for her. ‘ Andie West Bradford! We don’t throw dolls at Kojo,’ I’d say sternly,” Tim explained confidently.
“Andie West Bradford. It’s perfect.” Lucy affirmed, smiling.
“It is.”
Three weeks later
Lucy went into labor twelve hours ago, and the Bradfords were perfectly prepared. To their dismay, labor wasn’t easy for Lucy, and her level of dilation incredibly slowly. It physically pained Tim to see her in so much pain, and he couldn’t even begin to imagine what she was going through. But, they kept reminding themselves that it was just a few hours, and once Lucy held her baby girl in her hands, it would all be worth it.
Upon hearing the news, Angela and Tamara were the first to leave work and rush to the hospital. They spent the entire twelve hours with Lucy and Tim, and once Lucy was fully dilated, they left for the waiting room and called everyone else.
Eventually, Nolan, Nyla, Celina, Aaron, and even Sargeant Grey came to meet the Bradford’s new bundle of joy, everyone anxiously in the waiting room.
“What do you think they named her?” Angela blurted out in the silence. It was late, about nine pm, and almost everyone had just gotten off of a shift and needed something to pass time.
Lucy and Tim had been very hush about the name, refusing to drop even the slightest hint before she was born. Part of it was superstition, but another part was them wanting to enjoy it for themselves, holding onto it for a moment, before they had to share their daughter with the world. Angela understood this well, especially since both of her children’s names held great meaning. That being said, she still tried her best to pester it out of the couple, but none of them would budge.
“Well, this is Lucy and Tim, two of the most sensitive and sentimental people we know. I bet it’s something meaningful,” Nolan explained.
“Wanna bet on it?” Angela asked slyly, Grey raising an eyebrow at her. “What? I’ve been here since 9am, and I need something to entertain myself.”
“I’ll join in,” Nyla sighed, everyone chiming in behind her.
“Okay, so we all get to guess one name. We’ll each put in five dollars, and whoever is the closest keeps it all,” Angela suggested, everyone humming in agreement. “I’ll give you all a minute to think, and then we’ll write them down and share.”
Everyone began to type things out in their phone, whispering to themselves as they deleted letter after letter. After about ten minutes they had all come to a personal consensus and began to share aloud what they had come up with.
“Before we share,” Nolan called out into the crowd, “are we trying to get the closest phonetically, or conceptually?”
“Given that this is Tim and Lucy, I’d vote conceptually,” Tamara suggested, and the crowd nodded their heads in agreement.
“Okay, I’ll go first,” she added. “My guess is Daisy May Bradford .”
Everyone stared at her with wide eyes, warranting an explanation.
“I remember them saying that they wanted something short and sweet. Daisy is a cute name, and Tim’s moms middle name was May.”
“Is it too late to throw in the towel?” Nyla groaned, Tamra laughing confidently.
“Yes, it is. What did you pick?” Tamara asked her.
“I- I don’t know why, but Nova came to me first. It was Lucy’s first undercover name, and I know it was important to her,” Nyla explained.
“Celina and I were thinking of something along the lines of Lily or Lyla,” Aaron said, Celina nodding her head alongside him.
“What about you, Sargeant?” Celina asked.
“ Josephine , Josie for short,” Grey remarked. “It’s a name that Luna and I considered for Dominique, and I mentioned it to Tim when he told me that Lucy was pregnant. Well, I guessed before Tamara so graciously let us know that they wanted a short name,” he shook his head.
“Hey, none of you asked,” Tamara remarked, everyone rolling their eyes at her.
“Well, Bailey and I guessed that they’d keep with their own theme of short names, and we went with Ellie,” Nolan stated. “Angela?”
“I’ve been thinking long and hard about baby girl Bradfords name. I’d bounced around a few ideas over the past few weeks, but I think my final guess is going to be Zoe,” she asserted confidently, Aaron and Celina tilting their heads in confusion.
“Zoe Anderson was our captain when Lucy started her rookie year. Especially with Tim as her hard-ass TO, I know that Lucy really looked up to her,” Angela explained to her friends.
“Captain Anderson could hold her own,” Nolan added on. “She… fought hard until the end. She taught us all a lot during the short time we had her as our captain.” He turned to Angela now. “That was a great guess.”
“I know, thank you,” she remarked, flipping her hair behind her shoulder.
At 9:08 pm, Lucy gave birth to her baby girl, who didn’t hesitate to scream and cry the second she came out. Lucy told Tim that he could hold her first, but he insisted that after all of her hard work, Lucy deserved the first touch.
And magical wouldn’t even begin to describe what it felt like to hold your child. The second that Andie’s skin touched Lucy’s, her cries subsided, and she looked up at her mother, her eyes wide of wonder.
Lucy tried to speak, but the lump in her throat was immensely preventing her, so she just stared down, admiring her daughter as tears silently flowed down her cheeks. After a moment of stillness, complete silence filling the room, Lucy could tell that her daughter was about to cry, and her mothers intuition kicked in as she began to slowly rock the baby, swaying gently from side to side.
Her eyes began to flutter closed, safe in her mothers arms.
“Do you want to hold her?” Lucy managed to ask, shakily. Tim sat down next to her on the bed carefully. Lucy knew him well, too well, and she could sense his reluctance.
“Don’t be scared,” she said softly, brushing her fingers across his arm.
“S- she’s so little…” he stammered, gazing down at his daughter, who was barely the size of his hands.
“So little, but you’ve got her,” Lucy affirmed as she sat up, carefully transferring Andie into her fathers arms. She stayed asleep, not making a peep as she settled into Tim.
“Hi baby girl,” he whispered, rocking her gently as she slept.
“See? She already feels safe in your arms,” Lucy smiled, wiping her tears.
“This doesn’t feel real,” Tim said, focusing intently on his movements, ensuring not to jolt or scare her. “She has your eyes.”
“You think so?”
“Yeah, she looks like you. She looks perfect.”
Lucy shifted upward, wincing as she reached over to her husband, running his back as he held their daughter.
“I might be biased, but she’s the cutest baby I’ve ever seen,” Lucy exclaimed in awe. She could barely believe that she actually had a child of her own; it was an ethereal feeling.
“It’s because she looks like you,” Tim remarked adoringly, his gaze fixated upon his daughter.
Lucy rocked her daughter up and down as she drifted to sleep, already comfortable in her mother's arms. She was so encapsulated that she didn’t even hear the knock on the door.
“Hi Mom and Dad, I just wanted to let you know that there is a herd of people sitting in the waiting room anxiously for you. If you want, I can let them know that they can come see your little girl,” the nurse said kindly.
The couple locked eyes, nodding in sync. Tim turned to the nurse and let her know that they were ready for visitors. He placed Andie in the bassinet and helped Lucy adjust herself to that she was comfortable, giving her another blanket. He picked a still peaceful Andie up once again, placing her in Lucy’s arms as the door began to creek open again.
One by one, eight of their friends tiptoed into the hospital room, their voices hushed as they filtered in. Lucy and Tim knew that they were resisting the urge to crowd over her, but they made sure to keep a safe distance, as Tim would undoubtedly kick them all out in an instance.
“Oh wow, you all didn’t have to wait this long, you could have come back tomorrow!” Lucy exclaimed.
“Oh, we made it this far,” Nolan remarked. “How is she?”
“She is perfectly healthy, and ready to meet all of you!”
“Slowly,” Tim chimed in, holding his hand out. “One by one.”
“So, dad-mode has already been activated,” Nyla joked, Tim giving her a death glare.
Lucy turned to the side so that everyone could see the baby’s face, everyone humming “Aww’s” as her eyes began to open, and then close again.
Silence loomed as the group admired both Lucy and her daughter, but everyone had one thing on their minds: her name.
“So Lucy, are you ready to tell us this mystery name you guys picked out?” Tamara asked.
Tim stepped over towards Lucy, wrapping his arm around his wife.
“Her name,” Lucy announced as she smiled up at Tim, “is Andie West Bradford.”
Tim carried on the explanation, as Lucy immediately choked up. “We really wanted to honor people who were important to us. Captain Anderson was… an amazing role model, not only to Lucy, but to me as well. We hope that our little Andie will be half as strong and brave as our Captain.”
“And we all know that Jackson was my best friend. West just felt right as a middle name,” Lucy managed to finish.
Tears brimmed in everyone’s eyes as Lucy delivered the news.
“Everyone, meet Andie West Bradford .”
“It’s perfect,” Angela expressed in admiration. “She’s perfect.”
“I think- No, I know that both Jackson and Captain Anderson would be honored,” Sargeant Grey said as he cleared his throat.
Tim grabbed into Lucy’s hand, squeezing it tight as everyone gazed upon their new little girl. As two people who grew up with so little love, it was refreshing to see an endless amount of it right in front of them.
“Who wants to hold her first?” Lucy asked, everyone practically jumping in line. She read online that many moms were hesitant when giving their newborn to other people, thinking that their baby would only be safe in their arms. But Lucy felt the opposite; she knew that the other eight people in the room would do anything for Andie, and she had complete confidence that her daughter was more than safe.
Reluctantly, Tim cleared a space on the bed for Angela, who carefully sat down next to Lucy, her eyes glistening with excitement. Lucy carefully transferred Andie over to her godmother, who held her firmly, as if she had done this a million times (which she had.)
“She is so precious, oh my god.”
“I know, right?” Tim exclaimed.
“Good thing she got her looks from her mom,” Angela mumbled.
“Hey!” she waved Tim away as she leaned forward, soaking in every detail of his little girl, asleep in his best friend’s arms.
“I’m just messing with you,” Angela smiled at Tim, who was visibly rolling his eyes. “But she really does look like Lucy.”
“She really does.”
“Is now a good time to remind you all that you owe me 5 bucks?” Angela announced, her gaze on Andie unwavering.
“What are you talking about?” Tim asked, everyone falling silent as he furrowed his brow.
“We… sort of bet on what you would name her,” Tamara admitted, knowing that Tim would give her the least grief about it.
“Not to brag, but I guessed Zoe, so I wasn’t that far off, was I?” Angela bragged, but her best friend was far from amused. She waved him off, knowing that he’d see the humor in it later.
Angela rocked Andie for a little while longer, the little girl cooing softly as everyone spoke in hushed whispers, gushing about how cute she was.
“Alright, I think Angela’s gotten enough Andie time, it’s my turn!” Tamara exclaimed, but quietly, making sure not to scare her.
“Sorry,” Angela muttered as she scooted over, Tamara joining her on Lucy’s hospital bed. Tamara held her arms out, Angela handing the baby over.
The minute Andie snuggled into her arms, tears welled in Tamara’s eyes.
“I can’t believe you have a baby,” she cried, looking at Lucy.
“No, don’t cry, you’re going to make me cry!” Lucy whined, but it was too late.
One by one, everyone got their chance to hold and bond with Andie, who magically stayed silent the entire night. Once everyone had left and it was just Tim, Lucy, and Andie, it began to sink in that this was their life now.
“You don’t have to stay with us, it’ll be okay. I can tell that you’re tired,” Lucy said softly, turning on her side to gaze at her daughter in the bassinet, sleeping soundly.
“That’s ridiculous, there’s no way I’m leaving you,” Tim scoffed, scooting a chair against the hospital bed.
“At least ask for something more comfortable. Or just-” Lucy muttered as she scooted over, making a space on the hospital bed.
“Luce, don’t move, you just gave birth two hours ago,” he stammered, but Lucy was insistent.
“I’m not going to let you sleep in a chair! And let’s be honest, we aren’t going to be doing much sleeping tonight anyways,” she said, motioning towards Andie. Tim carefully climbed in next to her, adjusting so that she had space.
“She looks so peaceful,” Lucy signed, nuzzling into Tim’s side. “Can I be transparent for a second?”
“Of course.”
“I’m scared,” Lucy paused, biting her lip. “I- I know what I’m doing now, but I feel like when we go home, everything’s going to change. I’m scared that- that I’ll mess up. That I’ll be a bad mom.”
“I’m scared too,” Tim sighed, tightening his grip on his wife. “I think it would be concerning if we weren’t scared. But the way I see it, I think that being scared is what’s going to make us kick-ass parents. It shows that you care. And of course you’ll make mistakes, you’re human. But that doesn’t make you a bad mom, because with each mistake, you’ll learn and grow. I know it all seems so overwhelming, but we’ll get the hang of things eventually. And until we do, we’ve got a village.”
“How did I get so lucky?” Lucy whispered, her eyes closing as she wrapped her arms around her husband.
“I ask myself that every day,” he murmured, running his fingers through her hair as she drifted off into sleep.
✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:*✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:*
Andie was two years old now, and as she’d gotten older, her personality had begun to shine through. She was very headstrong and knew exactly what she wanted, and she rarely gave up a battle. While it was a bit of a nuisance to her parents, who definitely learned the importance of patience, they liked her that way. They wanted her to hold her own, instead of mindlessly following what was around her.
Though, deep down Andie was still a sweet kid, and she was well-behaved for the most part.
So when the Bradford’s were expecting their second child, they were a lot more relaxed than the first time around.
“You know, your due date is in ten days and you haven’t once brought up the fact that we don’t have a name yet,” Tim blurted out one morning.
“Huh, I guess you’re right,” Lucy shrugged as she scrolled through ClipTalk.
“Is that not something you want to do before you give birth?”
“I- I guess I hadn’t really thought about a name. I’m waiting for it to come to me,” Lucy remarked, kicking her feet up on the coffee table. “Which it will.”
“You’re telling me that you haven’t thought about a name at all? It hasn’t crossed your mind even once?” Tim asked, astonished.
“What, why are you so shocked? If it’s stressing you out that much we can brainstorm,” Lucy huffed, but Tim could tell that she was just offering it as a formality.
“No, I’m not worried. I just wanted to make sure that you weren’t.”
“Well, I’m not. I know we’ll think of something,” Lucy asserted nonchalantly.
“Oh-kay,” Tim mumbled, tapping his fingers against his thigh.
To her dismay, Lucy’s water broke three hours later, and while she thought she was prepared up until that moment, she no longer felt that way.
“Lucy, we need to get you to the hospital. Tamara can bring over everything you need a little later,” Tim attempted to reason, but his wife shot him a death glare.
“Timothy Bradford, for the love of god please just throw something into the bag, and let’s go,” she said, wincing between deep breaths.
Slightly terrified, he followed orders and grabbed her favorite pair of pajamas, a few toiletries, and snacks into the bag.
Tim sped to the hospital, faster than he’d ever driven before. He was sure he was going to get pulled over, but managed to make it to the hospital safely, and in under seven minutes.
“Shit,” Lucy groaned as they entered the doors of the hospital.
“W- what happened, everything okay,” Tim asked in a panic.
“Andie’s still at daycare! Who’s gonna pick her up?”
“I already called Tamara, she’ll watch Andie for the rest of the day. She has a key to the house, so I told her to just take Andie home,” Tim affirmed.
“If I wasn’t in agonizing pain, I would kiss you right now,” Lucy huffed.
“You can kiss me later, but first we need to get you in a bed,” he stated, waving down a nurse.
Much like her first birth, Lucy remained in labor for hours. Near the twelve hour mark, the doctors began to float around the idea of a c-section if things didn’t speed up soon. And to Lucy and Tim’s dismay, they didn’t.
“I don’t want a c-section,” Lucy cried into Tim’s arms, both mentally and physically drained. “It’s painful and I’ll need recovery and it’ll be difficult to-”
“Luce, I know. I don’t want you to have a c-section either, trust me,” her husband said softly, stroking her hairy gently as she nuzzled her face into his shirt.
“I just wanna go home. We’re not ready.” Tim knew that Lucy didn’t mean what she was saying, and it pained him to see her in so much pain and discomfort. But there wasn’t anything he could do other than offer his unconditional support.
“Hey, we are ready. We’ve done this before, and I think that basically means we’re pros, right?”
Tim remarked playfully, Lucy laughed dryly. “Whatever happens, I know that we’re going to be perfectly okay.”
“I love you,” Lucy whispered, the hospital room door cracking open slightly.
“Hey, it’s Angela,” a voice called out from the other side of the door, Tim walking over to let in his best friend.
“How’s she doing?” Angela whispered into Tim’s ear as they stood in the doorway, out of earshot from Lucy.
“Not good,” Tim sighed. “They’re thinking about a c-section and she’s freaking out. Understandably so , but I can’t calm her down.”
“Oh, poor thing, I’ll talk to her. Go grab something to eat, I’ve got her,” Angela said confidently, Tim nodding as he opened the door wider.
“Hi, Lucy,” she said softly as she approached the bed, pulling a chair closer so that she could sit.
“Hey, what are you doing here?” Lucy sniffled, wiping her face, embarrassed. “I didn’t even know they allowed visitors this late.”
“Oh, they don’t,” Angela smirked, holding up her badge, which was hanging on a chain around her neck. “Thought I’d drop by and see how you were doing.”
“They’re saying I need a c-section,” Lucy choked, her bottom lip beginning to quiver.
“Tim told me, and I’m sorry, Luce,” Angela comforted, but she didn’t miss the tears of frustration welling in her friends eyes.
“Did you know that I delivered Jack by a c-section?”
“N- no, I didn’t. What was it like?” Lucy asked, her breaths anxious and sharp.
“Well, I was sedated so I didn’t feel anything during the procedure. It was a little bit scary to not feel what was happening, but it happened in a flash, and Jack was in my arms before I knew it,” Angela explained, grabbing Lucy’s hand.
“S- So it was all okay?” Lucy mumbled, Angela humming as she nodded.
“I won’t lie, recovery wasn’t fun. But you’re strong, and you’ll bounce back like I did. I promise you, this is nothing more than a minor setback. You’ll be okay,” Angela affirmed, squeezing her friend's hand harder as Lucy nodded.
“Thank you,” she remarked, Tim bustling back into the room a few moments later.
“I got you some water,” he said, handing a glass to her as he kissed the top of her head.
“I- I’m good,” Lucy shook her head, but both Tim and Angela raised their eyebrows, their look unwavering as they waited for her to drink.
“Okay, noted,” she giggled as she took a quick sip, setting the glass aside.
“Alright, I should probably head out,” Angela sighed, brushing her hands against her pants as she stood up. “Call me if you need anything.”
She gently hugged Lucy before she walked out, Tim thanking her for calming Lucy down.
The doctors ultimately scheduled Lucy’s procedure an hour later, Tim following her into the operating room. Despite the heavy anesthesia, Lucy stayed awake throughout the entire surgery, not relaxing until she heard the cry of her baby girl. It was soft and quiet at first, a panic rising through both Lucy and Tim, but after a few moments she grew louder and louder, everyone in the operating room letting out a deep breath in sync.
Since Lucy was still on the operating table, Tim got to be the first to hold their baby, and Lucy didn’t mind for a second. She watched the interaction as the nurses propped her up, Tim holding their daughter close to his chest, her cries subsiding rather quickly. He rocked her gently, but more confidently than he had with Andie.
Lucy was able to take her a few moments later, but if she was being honest, it was all a blur. She was quiet and still, her eyes refusing to open. It felt different than the first time she’d given birth, but Lucy couldn’t quite put her finger on why. She was so engrossed in her newborn that she didn’t even register the nurses transferring her back into the room.
Considering it was the middle of the night, they’d decided to wait until the morning to let everyone know Lucy had given birth, choosing to enjoy the quiet, at least for one night.
After an hour or so, things had settled down, and their daughter had been bathed, changed, and completed her initial testing for the day.
“I feel like I’m dreaming,” Lucy admitted as she gazed down at her daughter, who was sleeping peacefully in her arms. Her cheeks were puffy, and her tiny hand was curled into a fist.
“You know, we still don’t have a name,” Tim recalled as he tidied up the hospital room.
“Do you remember when everyone placed bets on what Andie’s name would be?” Lucy asked, Tim rolling his eyes, letting her know that he definitely remembered.
“Well, I didn’t hate some of the names they guessed.”
“Oh yeah? Which ones did you like?”
“I think there was Daisy May, Ellie, and… Nova.”
“Those are all… cute,” Tim remarked apprehensively, making his way over to Lucy. “Which is your favorite?”
“As much as I like the idea of Nova, I think that the name holds a different significance for me, and I just- don’t like the idea of giving it to our daughter, you know?” Tim nodded. “What did you think about Daisy May, since it is sort of after your mom?”
“I mean, I love the idea of it. But… I feel like it’s a cute name, and it won’t suit her as an adult,” Tim explained, Lucy humming in agreement. “Plus, isn’t that in a Taylor Swift song?”
“Yeah, it is,” Lucy giggled. “So that just leaves Ellie.”
“I like Ellie.”
Tim reached his hand down, stroking his daughter's cheek gently as she slept.
“Ellie Bradford,” he said aloud, but the baby immediately became fussy, her legs kicking back and forth as her face turned red, a loud wail suddenly escaping her tiny mouth.
“Oh baby, it’s okay,” Lucy hushed as she lifted her up, rocking her until she fell back asleep, which was luckily a rather quick process, considering she was just a few hours old.
“I’m going to take that as a ‘no,’ from her,” Lucy laughed in a hushed whisper.
“Clearly Ellie is a no go,” Tim shrugged, and the couple fell silent as they thought to themselves for a moment.
“You know that stereotype that all girls have a list of baby names ready, even if they’re teenagers?” Lucy blurted out.
“Yeah, but I thought you didn’t?”
“Well, I didn’t have a list per say… but there was a name that I’d always loved growing up.”
“And you’re saying this now?” Tim huffed sarcastically.
“Oh, hush! I fell out of love with it before we had Andie, which is why I never said anything. But, looking at this baby girl, I- I think that it would fit her perfectly,” Lucy explained, glancing down at the baby, who was once again at peace in her mother's arms.
“Okay, what is it?”
“Ivie,” Lucy said out loud, and this time, the baby didn’t make a peep. She shifted slightly, but remained content and quiet.
“Ivie Bradford,” Tim repeated, soaking in the name. “I- I love it.”
“Yeah?” Lucy smiled.
“Yeah,” Tim said with a deep breath. “It’s perfect. It’s short and it ends with an “ie,” like her sister.”
“15 year old Lucy would lose her mind,” Lucy giggled. “We still need a middle name, though.”
“I wasn’t going to suggest this…” Tim trailed off, Lucy clicking her tongue against the roof of her mouth. “Oh no.”
“But as you know, Angela has become a really important person in my life, and I think she has in yours as well. She was by my side when I joined the Academy, fresh out of war, and she stood by me though… well, through everything. Our rookie year, my first marriage, the divorce, marriage again, and everything in between,” he explained, Lucy nodding as she followed along. “So, I was thinking that maybe the middle name could reflect her.”
“You know, I really like that idea. I mean hell, we wouldn’t be here right now if it wasn’t for Lopez. Did you want to just use Angela as the middle name?”
“Oh no,” Tim remarked, slightly horrified. “That would boost her ego too much. Maybe something similar… Angelina?”
“Angelina. It’s longer, but I think I like it.” Lucy said as she looked down at her daughter.
“Ivie Angelina Bradford,” and the moment it escaped her lips, she knew that was her daughter's name.
“Hi, Ivie,” Tim whispered to his daughter.
“See, I told you it would come to us!” Lucy exclaimed proudly.
“You are always right,” Tim admitted, kissing her cheek. “Now, we should get some sleep before the entire station stops by tomorrow,” he suggested.
Lucy reluctantly handed Ivie over to her father, who placed her gently in her bassinet for the night.
“I would invite you in the bed again, but I honestly can’t feel below my ribcage,” Lucy winced, her husband waving her off.
“I wasn’t even considering it. Plus, they gave us a lounge chair this time,” Tim announced, clearing the hospital bag off of the blue velvet chair resting in the corner of the room.
He kissed his wife goodnight and set some water and food on the table near her bed in case she got hungry at night. He was about to ask whether she wanted the light on or off, but Tim noticed that she’d already drifted into sleep.
Word traveled fast that Lucy had given birth in the middle of the night, and everyone had promptly rushed over the next morning. The couple was significantly less protective this time, allowing everyone to hold their daughter immediately.
“So, have you come up with a name yet?” Angela asked as she rocked the baby gently.
“Depends, did you all bet on it again?” Tim asked, raising his eyebrows.
“No…” Angela trailed off, her best friend rolling his eyes playfully.
“It doesn’t matter, because none of you are even going to come close this time,” Lucy remarked proudly.
“Okay, stop beating around the bush and just tell us!” Tamara exclaimed, the crowd murmuring in agreement.
“Everyone, meet Ivie Angelina Bradford,” Lucy and Tim said in unison.
“Ivie, that’s a beautiful name,” Nolan remarked kindly. “And you’re right, none of us came anywhere close to that.”
“Angelina,” Angela whispered, her gaze shifting between the baby in her hands, and Tim.
“It’s inspired by you,” Lucy affirmed, tears welling in Angela’s eyes as her friends spoke.
“You… you mean a lot to me- to us,” Tim explained.
“I- I don’t know what to say,” she whispered, a tear rolling down her cheek. She refrained from wiping it, because that would mean letting go of Ivie, and she had no desire to do that.
“This is our thank you to you, for everything,” Lucy smiled.
“Why are you guys so good at naming,” Angela giggled, sniffling.
“You’re definitely going to be naming my children,” Tamara remarked, Tim shooting her a concerned, but intimidating look.
“Relax, that’s not happening anytime soon,” she confirmed jokingly, Tim rolling his eyes.
“The name is gorgeous, Lucy,” Nolan reiterated. “But, why Ivie?”
“Well, I liked the name as a teenager, so it had always been in the back of my mind. And when I looked at her, it just… felt right,” Lucy explained.
“It’s perfect, she’s perfect,” Angela said as she handed Ivie back to Lucy. “Even though she looks like Tim.”
“Hey, watch it, Lopez! We can still change the birth certificate,” Tim warned.
“I’m kidding!” Angela remarked quickly, Tim shaking his head. “She does look like you, though.”
“I guess we know who’s going to be a daddy’s girl,” Lucy joked, swaying Ivie as she started to become fussy.
“And this is your cue,” she said as Ivie began to cry softly, Tim jumping to take her, patting her back as he attempted to soothe her. He quieted almost immediately in her fathers arms, but Lucy didn’t feel jealous in the slightest; she couldn’t begin to describe the feeling of watching her husband with their children. She didn’t know it was possible to love him more than she already did, but witnessing him as a father filled her with an indescribable amount of joy.
“Alright Ivie girl, I think you’re getting a little tired of all of the attention,” he huffed as he placed her back in her bassinet. She cooed softly, as if she was agreeing with her father.
“Yep, definitely a daddy’s girl,” Lucy whispered to Angela with a smile.
“Thank you all for coming,” Tim announced, stepping away from his daughter for a moment. “But I think it’s nap time.”
Everyone said their goodbyes and quickly rushed out, leaving the Bradfords in silence for the first time in a few hours.
“You know, I think it’s our nap time too,” Lucy suggested as Tim sat next to her, taking Angela’s place.
“I wholeheartedly agree,” he said, Lucy shifting so that he could join her this time.
“You sure you’re up to share?” Tim asked apprehensively?
“Oh yeah, I’m fine. I sleep better with you anyways,” she said. He climbed in next to her, and she immediately nuzzled herself into his chest. He could tell by her long breaths that she had fallen asleep rather quickly, and he was glad, especially since he noticed she could barely keep her eyes open when everyone was visiting. He held her close, kissing her forehead as he shifted his attention between Ivie and Lucy.
In that moment, and in every moment going forward, he felt like the luckiest person alive.