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Dierdre waited until there was a pause in Corwin's contractions. “Have you given any thought on names?” she asked.
He snorted. “Of course,” he said. “I've decided that the name Leon sounds nice.”
“And if it's a girl?”
Corwin shrugged. “I hadn't thought much on that, honestly,” he said. “I'm mostly just hoping that it's a boy. That'll make everything easier. Speaking of making things easier,” he continued, “can I get this thing out of me already?”
“No natural birth for dear Leon?” Deirdre asked. When Corwin made a face, she snorted. “I don't ever want to hear you calling a woman weak,” she said before fetching a doctor to perform a c-section.
She waited in the next room during the procedure, only returning when Corwin was stitched back up and resting. She waited with him, and the baby was brought in. Corwin's eyes lit up, and he held out his arms. “Leon,” he said excitedly.
The doctor stared at him with a look of confusion. “It's a girl,” she said.
“Er, Leon...a?” Corwin hesitated a moment as he rethought his answer and then nodded. “Yes, Leona. That seems like a pleasant name.”
Deirdre sighed.
*****
Fiona entered Bleys' room, a bundle in her arms. Bleys instinctively held his own child closer to him. “Don't you bring that murderous little creature in here,” he warned.
Fiona looked down at the child in her arms and smiled at it. “What do you mean?” she asked. “Freya is a precious little dear, completely harmless.”
Bleys snorted. “I'd suggest that you tell that to Brand, but he's dead.”
“And Freya is a living memorial to him,” Fiona replied. She sat in the chair at Bleys' bedside, and Bleys' eyes lingered warily on the baby in her arms. “Don't prevent her from meeting her closest cousin,” she said. “By the way, have you decided on a name yet?”
Bleys nodded. “Kendall,” he said simply.
Fiona smiled. “It's a good name,” she said. “I'm sure the two of them will get along well once they're older.”
“I doubt it,” Bleys muttered.
*****
Caine smirked as he watched Julian straining on the bed. “Push!” he mockingly encouraged.
“Stop talking,” Julian hissed through clenched teeth.
“I'm just glad I dodged this particular bullet,” Caine continued. “I'm surprised that you didn't opt out yourself, especially after the threat of return from your daughter.”
“I was more worried about what would happen if I'd aborted and she found out,” Julian replied.
There was a short break in contractions. “Have you thought about names?” Caine asked.
Julian took a moment to catch his breath before replying. “Tallis if it's a boy, and Eloise if it's a girl,” he said.
Caine nodded. “Not bad,” he said as the contractions resumed.
“It's crowning!” called the doctor. A little while later, crying filled the air. “It's a boy,” the doctor announced.
“Great. Why haven't the contractions stopped?” Julian said between pants.
“What?” The doctor passed off the baby he was holding to a nurse and returned her attention to Julian. “There's a second one! Keep pushing!”
Caine started to laugh.
Eventually, the second child came as well, and the two babies – one a boy and the other a girl – were set on Julian's chest. He grimaced as he held them.
“Well,” Caine said, “at least this means you get to use both of the names you'd picked out.”
Julian glared.