Nonny came home pretty quickly, with the assignment to get lots of rest. The doctors said morning sickness like this was a bit unusual, but that she’d be okay if she drank lots and didn’t overdo it. Mostly things went back to normal, but any time Nonny only nibbled her food, Mom’s face seemed to get one more tiny wrinkle. Other times I’d hear Nonny on the phone with Thomas, worrying about what they were going to do for his next job, telling him how much she missed him. Those times were reminders for me. Reminders of how important my mission was.
Her baby bump was also starting to show. That was another reminder. She wasn’t nearly at bowling-ball level yet, but there was a roundness in her belly that you could tell was something special.
I sent another email through the Knight-Rowell Publishing website. And I wrote another letter to Mr. Trent Hickman.
Nonny had this look that I started to think of as the After the Doctor Look. Usually her appointments were during school, so I didn’t get to go after the first one, but when I walked in the door and she was on the couch with the sugar-glazed eyes and more light in the room came from her face than from the lamp by the piano, I knew she’d seen one of those TV-static pictures of her baby.
One day when I came in from school, before I could even drop my backpack in my room, she grinned at me wide and patted the seat next to her. “Come here, I want to tell you something.”
I slid my bag onto the floor and hopped onto the couch next to her. I wanted to snuggle up to her, but I didn’t because I also wanted to look at her face and the swirl of fireworks happening in her eyes.
“We went to the doctor today. We’ve sort of known the gender for a while but today it was definitely confirmed. And … and I talked to Thomas and we’ve picked out a name.”
I bounced up and down. “You did? Boy or girl? It’s a girl, isn’t it? What’s the name?”
“Yes, it’s a girl. She’s a little girl.”
More bouncing. “You’re having a girl! I’m going to have a niece!”
“And we’ve decided to name her Cecilia.”
I stopped bouncing.
I felt a jolt between my shoulders.
“Are you okay?” Nonny said. “Do you not like the name?”
“I…” I swallowed, gripping the edge of the gray couch cushion. I wished I could get such a grip on my own thoughts. If I’d had any doubts about my deal with the universe—with Cecilia—I couldn’t doubt anymore.
This was like Cecilia herself calling me up on the phone.
I hear you, I thought.
“I like it,” I finally managed to say. “I love it. What … what made you choose it?”
“Well, it’s Thomas’s grandmother’s name,” she said. “And I think it’s beautiful.”
“It is beautiful,” I said. I looked at Nonny, at the tiny girl growing in her belly, and then looked out to the sky. I made a promise to all three. “And your baby will be beautiful. She will be perfect.”