Page 69 of Catching Dreams

“Do you, uh, need me to leave?” Dad asked. I could sense his discomfort.

“Only if you’re not comfortable,” Molly said. “I don’t mind at all. She’s just eating.”

Dad nodded and said he would stay in the room, but I could tell he was keeping his gaze off my wife. He instead busied himself with taking his phone out and snapping some pictures of Olivia holding the baby.

“We were just about to announce the babies’ names, so you’re just in time,” I said.

“Oh, good!” Mom said with a clap of her hands. “Which baby is Hazel?”

“This hungry princess is Hazel Eloise,” Molly said with a smile. “Named after my mimi.”

“That’s a beautiful name!” Mom and Olivia said at the same time and then just laughed.

“Mom, could you stand next to Nurse Olivia so we can get a picture of you three together?”

“Sure, honey,” Mom said and walked over to our new friend and nurse.

I switched my phone to video mode and began recording as Molly told them our other daughter’s name.

“I would like you guys to meet Olivia Susan Stone,” Molly said.

Both women gasped, and my mom already had tears running down her face.

“What? No way,” Nurse Olivia said. “There is no way you would name your baby after only knowing me for a few hours.”

“You were there for us in more ways than a normal nurse would be,” Molly said with a smile. “When I looked at her face, I didn’t see her as Sophia or Willow. She looked like Olivia to me.”

“We had already decided on using family names for the middle names,” I explained.

“Well, I am very honored,” my mom said as she wiped away her tears. “Thank you.”

“Would you like to hold your namesake?” Nurse Olivia asked. “I just can’t believe someone would name a baby after me.”

“Michael, did you get a picture of the Olivias together?” Mom asked Dad.

“I think so,” he said.

“Well, take another one, just in case.”

After several more pictures, Nurse Olivia handed baby Olivia over to her grandmother and said she had to go clock in for her shift. She did mention she’d be back later to say goodbye at the end of her shift. She was still in disbelief that we had named our second baby after her.

“Hi, sweet girl, I’m your Gigi,” Mom said. “And this here is your - what did you decide to be called, Michael?”

“I don’t know. Maybe just Grandpa? They can decide when they are older what to call me.”

“How about Gramps? Or Pop? Or Granddaddy?” Mom suggested.

“You better pick one, Dad, or she’ll pick something like Granddude,” I said with a laugh.

“Ok, fine. How about Gramps?” Dad said with a sigh.

“I love it,” Mom exclaimed a little too loudly, and Olivia began to fuss in her arms. “Oh, well, maybe Miss Olivia doesn’t like that nickname.”

“I think she’ll like Gramps just fine,” Molly said with a laugh. “I think Olivia is just hungry.”

“Gramps it is,” Dad said as Mom took Olivia over to be fed. My mom picked up Hazel and began burping her softly. I could just tell she was loving being a grandmother.

By that afternoon, all our friends and family had taken their turns coming in to meet our girls. They came in small waves and were very good about making sure to be quiet while our daughters were sleeping. Everyone loved the family names as middle names and agreed that Olivia looked like an Olivia.

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