“No, not really,” Dad said likebe serious. “It’s a ridiculous name.”
Emily deflated, flopping into the chair behind her. “You guys are the worst.”
Mom smiled at Dad and then at the nurse. “Her name is…Catherine.”
“Ooh,” Granny cooed. “Such a beautiful classic name.”
“Nickname, Cate, with a C,” Dad added.
“With aC?” Grandma asked like that was verging on scandalous.
“With a C,” Dad said firmly.
“Middle name is…” Mom looked at me. “Charlie. Catherine Charlie Dupree.”
Everyone turned to see my reaction.
I stared at my parents, blinking over and over. “Are you sure? You don’t need to do that.”
“Are you kidding?” Theo said. “This girl owes you her life. It’s the least they can do.”
Dad chuckled. “And she’s going to need a kick butt big sister to look up to.”
Jane huffed. “I’m kick butt.”
Emily jutted her chin. “Me too.”
“You are,” Dad said.
“But did you deliver her?” Theo asked as if I’d done something really significant, like change the course of world history.
Mom looked at me, waiting for my okay.
I gazed at Cate, so tiny and sweet. “I don’t think I?—”
Gramps silenced me with a pat on the arm. “Yes, you do,” he said like he knew what I was going to say. “You deserve it.” Okay, maybe he knew. “And so does she. She’ll always know she was named after the big sister who delivered her in a van.” He patted my shoulder. “It’s a good thing they’re doing. Let them.”
They really wanted this. That was evident in the pride on their faces. So I nodded. “Okay. Yeah. I like that.” I did. A lot.
“It’s settled then?” The nurse asked.
Mom and Dad gave her a nod.
She walked over to the bassinet, pulled a sharpie out of her pocket, and wrote my sister’s official name for the very first time.
“Time to go,” Granny said to my younger siblings.
“Yes!” Tristan pumped his fist, clearly stoked about being reunited with whatever video game he was obsessing over this week. Probably something to do with wrestling.
Jane kissed Cate on the cheek seven times before following Granny and Gramps into the hall. So Emily kissed her eight before skipping from the room.
twenty-three
Charlie
As the hospital room door closed behind Emily, Dad leaned his cheek against Mom’s hair. “Peace restored.” Within seconds, his feet twitched.
Mom and I snickered. Dad could sleep anywhere, in any position.
