This is the second part of a double update. If you haven't read the first one, please make sure you do.  Hopefully you will enjoy your read.

---

 

Jackson helped Mark get onto the examination table. This was one of the most exciting appointments they'd have. Today was the day they'd find out of the of the baby, hopefully. They'd been good so far for each checkup so hopefully everything would go well.

 

“Are you excited?” Jackson asked. He could barely sit still in his seat. He even nibbled at fingernails.

 

“Yeah.” Mark continued tapping on his phone while waiting for the nurse and the doctor. He was excited, but not as much as Jackson. He'd been talking nonstop all morning and I'm the car.

 

It'd been two weeks since his last appointment so now he was about almost five months pregnant. The nurse had done all the preliminary checks, which indicated healthy growth of the child.

 

“Which one would you prefer?”

 

“It doesn't matter as long as they're healthy.” Mark honestly didn't prefer a boy over a girl or vice versa.

 

“Me neither.” Unsurprisingly, Jackson had been great so far. He didn't spill the news prematurely. He was even being extremely proactive. Last month, he went to the bank and made plans to calculate upcoming expenses and how to pay for them. He even started a savings account for college stating, “Who knows how much it'll cost in the future. We also might have more so we need to be prepared for that.” Mark was genuinely impressed.

 

Mark on the other hand did his job by eating properly, taking his vitamins and taking care of himself. The only junk food he ate was because of cravings. Jackson had been very steadfast on establishing healthy habits during the pregnancy. He'd even enrolled him in a pregnancy exercise class which had been strange yet fulfilling. So far everything was going well.

 

“Nice to see you Mr. Tuan and Mr. Wang. I'm glad to see you both here for this special checkup.” The doctor read over the patient file and started her routine. Once he finished, it was time for the moment they'd been waiting for. “Now, let's see if you'll be having a girl or a boy.”

 

The doctor spread the ultrasound gel over Mark’s exposed abdomen. He moved the wand through the gel and interpreted the image on the screen. “The heartbeat sounds strong and healthy. The measurements are good too. They seem very healthy as they're on the larger side of the scale.”

 

“Is that normal?” Mark asked concernedly.

 

“It's still within the normal range. Whatever you're doing seems to be helping the baby develop well. I wouldn't be surprised if they're on the large side when they're born.”

 

Jackson just smiled. His diet plan for Mark was working.

 

“Okay now let's find out the gender. Okay the legs seem to be closed. I'll rub your sides and see if they'll turn.” The doctor rubbed a little in ungelled areas of skin. The baby rolled a little to the side and opened its legs. “Well congratulations. It's a girl!”

 

“We're having a girl?!” Jackson seemed surprised. Did he secretly want a boy? Was he disappointed? These questions didn't last long when suddenly he started jumping and dancing all over the small examination room. “YES! YES! YES! We're going to have a beautiful baby girl. I've always wanted a daughter.”

 

Jackson resumed dancing while Mark just watched his husband while laughing. He caught his arm and pulled the excited man to him and kissed him. “I love you.”

 

“I love you too.”

 

The doctor wiped off his stomach and allowed him to fix his clothes. She then started speaking, “Congratulations once again. You know the procedure. I'll have you scheduled for some time in the next two to three weeks. Continue taking your vitamins and eating well. If you feel fatigued rest. Other than that, you're free to go. I'll see you soon Mr. Tuan.”

 

“See you soon Dr. Yang.” The doctor exited the room and closed the door.

 

“Are you excited?!” Jackson hadn't stopped smiling. He wanted to tell the world he was going to be a father to a daughter.

 

“Yeah, but now that we know we've got to name her. We can't just call her you.”

 

“Why not? You is fine.”

 

“She'll need an actual name before I give birth. We only have a couple of months to figure it out.” They went to the registration desk and finished their business. As they walked out, Mark said, “I'm giving you a deadline. I want to decide on a name by my eight month. That's a very generous deadline.”

 

“Fine. It shouldn't take more than four months to find a name.”

 

Mark was picking Jackson up for an afternoon date. They were going to eat lunch then go back to their respective jobs. “So what type of names do you want?”

 

“A girl name preferably, but I am open to something uni.”

 

“That's not what I meant.” Mark huffed out. It had been a week since they found out they were having a baby girl. This just happened to be their first conversation about it.

 

“What did you mean then?”

 

“Like is the name going to be Western or Chinese or both?”

 

“We'll both of us have both so why not let our child have both?”

 

“You sound like an idiot, but I understand what you meant.”

 

“I know.”

 

Later that night, they were sitting at their desks in their shared office space. Mark was working on a design, and Jackson was analyzing his expenses.

 

“Which name do you want to choose first?” Jackson asked randomly. He wanted to do something else besides work.

 

“The Western one. There's less thought that needs to go behind it.”

 

“Agreed.”

 

“I'll look some up.” Jackson looked up names on the Internet. “What type of name do you want? Do want it to be a popular name? Something pretty or classic? Something unique?”

 

“Something popular isn't a requirement. Unique but not obscure seems good. Something that sounds nice is also desirable. A classic name isn't necessary.”

 

“Fine. Let me see.” Jackson scrolled through the list. “She'll have my last name right?”

 

“Yep.”

 

“Okay I'll just go through the list. I'll include the last name as well. Oh! I found this list with unique alternatives to popular names. We could name her something cool after my mom. Sonia Wang?”

 

“No.”

 

“Sophina Wang?”

 

“No.”

 

“Josephina-”

 

“No.”

 

“Well we've run out of those options.” Jackson looked to the sky even though his mom was in a different country. “Sorry mommy. Okay, onto the next set.” Jackson looked at a different list. “Do you like Emma, Olivia, or Ella?”

 

“Ella is okay.”

 

“Okay. Amelia Wang?”

 

“Nope.”

 

“Lillianna Wang?”

 

“It's okay.”

 

“Mary?”

 

“No. Mary Wang sounds strange.”

 

“Jocelyn Wang?”

 

“No sounds a bit awkward.”

 

“Caroline Wang?”

 

“That's not bad. It's a contender.”

 

“So our current list consists of: Lillianna, Ella, and Caroline. Are any of them strong in your mind?”

 

“Not exactly.”

 

“Juliana? Catherine? Hazel? Alexandra? Vivian?”

 

“Juliana Wang. Okay. Catherine Wang. Okay. Hazel Wang. No. Alexandra Wang.That sounds youthful yet distinguished. Vivian Wang. That has a similar feeling of Alexandra.”

 

“I agree.” Jackson made a kissy face at his husband. “Markie, you have such a good ear.”

 

“Thanks babe.” Mark winked at him.

 

“Eliana?

 

“Okay.”

 

Alice?”

 

“Alice Wang. Pretty. Keep it.”

 

“Eloise Wang.”

 

“Okay.”

 

“Cecilia Wang?”

 

“Okay.”

 

“New list: Cecilia, Eloise, Vivian, Eliana, Alice, Alexandra, Catherine, Juliana, Lillianna, Caroline, and Ella.”

 

“We should narrow the list. What do you think?”

 

“Cecilia Wang. That's okay. Eloise Wang sounds okay but I don't want to name her Eloise. Vivian Wang. That's really pretty. Eliana Wang. Pretty. Alice Wang has a fierceness that I like. Juliana Wang. No thank you. Alexandra Wang. I like that one too. Lillianna Wang. Too long. Caroline Wang. It's nice but doesn't suit our family. Ella Wang is nice too.”

 

“I think Cecilia is too mature. So our new short list is: Vivian, Eliana, Alice, Alexandra, and Ella.”

 

“Do you want to make a decision tonight?”

 

“No. Let's sleep on it.” Mark stretched his arms back. He need to get a massage soon because being at the office all day was wearing on him. He was also growing bigger and bigger everyday. His body was slender when he got pregnant; now it was much more curvy and squishy.

 

“Well I don't plan on sleeping tonight.”

 

“Why?”

 

Jackson looked at him with dark, lidded eyes. “I want to see if pregnancy has made your body more sensitive.”

 

The expecting couple were eating dinner when Mark spoke, “I talked to your mom today.”

 

“Really?! How is she? Is she eating well? What's she been up to? Did she go to the doctor like she said she would? Did her and dad go on their anniversary date? How have her classes been going? Did she send my baby stuff? How's dad? Has he been healthy? He hasn't been giving my mom a hard time right? Are they going to visit before the baby's born?”

 

Mark just looked at his husband while he fired off question after question. He should have expected it though. Jackson had been busy trying to do some menu revamps of a couple of his restaurants. He was trying to get as much done as possible before the birth. Jackson wanted to spend at least six weeks with Mark and the baby.

 

“Jackson, I don't know the answer to all those questions.”

 

“What answers do you know?”

 

“Your mother said she's good and she's been eating and sleeping well. She did go to the doctor and she has been following his instructions. I don't know about the anniversary dinner. She said her classes are fun and she likes being with her classmates. Your baby stuff is still being assembled. She said she was having a hard time going through it. I think you should talk to her. About the visit, she wants us to come before I get into my third trimester.”

 

“That's two weeks from now!”

 

“Well we can take a couple of days off next week. I can at least.”

 

“I'm sure I can rearrange some things. Why didn't she tell me she wanted us to visit? Why didn't my dad tell me?”

 

“She knew you were busy. It was a wish of hers not a definite thing.”

 

“We have to go. I'll do whatever it takes.”

 

“You can do it.” Mark shot him a thumbs up. “While we were talking, I asked her for some suggestions for the Chinese name.”

 

“What did she say?”

 

“She told me that we should choose something that has a good meaning and is pretty. It should reflect our family and what we want for her the future.”

 

“That sounds like a large burden. We have to choose well for her.”

 

“Yes.”

 

“Did you or her have any suggestions for one of the syllables?”

 

“I did a little research. Your mom did suggest some, but she told me to tell you what I liked.” Mark saw a small amount of disappointment on his face. The poor baby wanted to know exactly what his mom chose, but Sophia was right. They had to choose a name for their child. Hopefully, it would be something that both of their families would like. “Would you like to hear what I'm considering?”

 

“Of course.”

 

“Okay… I like Jian which means build, establish or strong, healthy. It seems to align with your mentality. It also is similar, when using the alphabet, to your name Jia.”

 

“You thought about that one a lot.”

 

“Yeah.”

 

“Why weren't you working?”

 

“All I can do is consultations and video calls. My partners don't really allow me to be at construction sites. I just sit in front of my computer and wait for them to FaceTime me.”

 

“You shouldn't have gone into business with BamBam.”

 

“It's not only him though.”

 

Jackson chuckled. He was happy that BamBam was listening to his request. He knew it was selfish of him to want to keep Mark safe at his desk but away from doing the work he loves. Jackson decided to make it up to him by being the best husband possible. “Unfortunately, I can't say I disagree with them.”

 

Mark pouted. He wasn't an invalid, but he did understand that construction sites were dangerous. He just wished he'd be allowed to do more in person designing. He only got away from the office to go shopping for materials and furnishings for projects. Even decorating a completed house was a debate. It was completely exhausting. He wanted to work while he could, before his life was seriously changed forever.

 

“Whatever. Would you like to hear the other names?”

 

“Yes.”

 

“I also like Min and Shu. Min because it means quick, clever, smart. Shu means good, pure, virtuous, charming. I'm considering Wen too which means literature, culture, writing.”

 

“I think it's nice but I don't think Wen is right.”

 

“I think you're right. Next on my short list is Shun which means good-natured. Then there is He which means harmony, peace or river, stream or lotus, water lily. It gives a pretty element to names that are a bit deeper.”

 

Jackson nodded. “Any more?”

 

“Xiu which means charming would be in that category too. That's the end of my list.”

 

“It's a really nice list. I also did some brainstorming recently.”

 

“What did you come up with?”

 

“Xia which means a halo, vapor and red sky. Bai meaning person of purity. Hua meaning prosperous. Xiang means good luck. Zhi will, purpose, ambition or wisdom, intellect.”

 

“I like Zhi and Bai the most.”

 

“I like Jian, He, and Xiu.”

 

“So we have our agreed shortlist?”

 

“Yup. Jian, He, Xiu, Bai, and Zhi.”

 

“So we should figure out which order we like more.”

 

“Could you write them down? I'll clean up the table?”

 

Mark nodded and went to the kitchen and wrote on the back of a random piece of paper. It was a flyer for a popular pizza place they frequented on movie and pizza nights. After a couple minutes writing it in the alphabet, Mark was done and so was Jackson after loading the dishwasher.

 

Jian He

Jian Xiu

Jian Bai

Jian Zhi

He Jian

He Xiu

He Bai

He Zhi

Xiu Jian

Xiu Bai

Xiu Zhi

Xiu He

Bai Jian

Bai He

Bai Xiu

Bai Zhi

Zhi Jian

Zhi He

Zhi Xiu

Zhi Bai

 

“I finished. Come see.”

 

Jackson read over the list, muttering the names to himself. “No to: all of the ones with Zhi, He Bai, and Xiu Bai.”

 

“Okay.” Mark crossed out all the names Jackson had crossed off. He had no problem agreeing. Whatever name they chose would satisfy both of them.

 

Jian He

Jian Xiu

Jian Bai

He Jian

He Xiu

Xiu Jian

Xiu He

Bai Jian

Bai He

Bai Xiu

 

“Now we have ten names left.”

 

Jackson looked shocked. They definitely need to narrow it down more. “Um… Wang Bai He. Questionable. Wang Bai Xiu. No. Wang Jian He. That's pretty. Wang Jian Xiu. That's a mouthful. Wang He Jian. No. Wang He Xiu. Questionable. Wang Jian Bai. No. Wang Bai Jian. No. Wang Xiu Jian. No. Wang Xiu He. Mouthful.”

 

“Okay, now we have…” Mark counted quickly. “Five left. Good. This is a list we can look at later.” He kissed Jackson happily. “Now we have five Chinese names and Western names.”

 

“Name choosing is stressful.” Jackson said exasperatedly as he flopped on the couch. Mark sat down next to him. He wiggled into his lap until his face was pressed against the pregnant belly. “Hopefully she likes whatever we choose for her.”

 

Mark rubbed his belly and then moved into Jackson’s hair. Moments like this made him tear up. He was very excited to become a mother and to have a child with Jackson. Whatever they would choose would be perfect for her.

 

“So after months of deliberation, what will we name our first child?” Jackson asked dramatically.

 

“I think Vivian is my top choice. If we have another child and it's a girl, we'll look at the list again.”

 

“Agreed. So with the Western name chosen, what will the Chinese name be?”

 

“I'm still debating. I like Wang Jian He, Wang Jian Xiu, and Wang Xiu He.”

 

“I think we should go with Wang Jian He.” He looked over at Mark for confirmation. He responded with a nod. “If you agree, then her full name will be Vivian Jian He Wang.”

 

“Do you like that little one? I like it. Hopefully you'll like it. Your daddy and I thought about it long and hard. We kept thinking about it until a week before you're due. We're sorry it took us so long, but now you have a name now. You're a certifiable person now.”

 

Jackson laughed. “She's a person now?”

 

“Yup.”

 

“Agreed.” Jackson took a deep breath. He finally could talk to his baby with her name. “Hello Wang Jian He also know as Vivian Jian He. We were a bit late with your name, but it was only because we really wanted a great name for you. I'm happy you waited and didn't surprise us, again, with your arrival. You've been so good all throughout these nine months. You didn't make yourself too comfortable in your mother's body. In a week or so you'll be in the world crying and eating and pooping. So until then enjoy your time inside your mommy. Sleep well.”

 

“Mark I love. Thank you for giving me such a beautiful gift. I love gifts we can share together.”

 

“You better remember that for the rest of our lives.”

 

“I took it from the vows I wrote you.”

 

“I forgot.”

 

“Marrrrkkkk…”

 

“Shut up dummy.” He kissed Jackson’s forehead. “I didn't forget.”

 

 

They walked to the bedroom, and Mark got in the bed. He and the bed had gotten to know each other pretty well recently. Being on bed rest had been great for his body. Sure he got restless occasionally, but his family and friends always visited. He'd only been on bed rest for three weeks. He spent most of his time

 

“So what do you want to do until the baby's born?”

 

Mark snuggled in between the sheets more. The cool, smooth sheets wrapped around his shirtless body.  “Sleep. Record stuff on TV. Wear fluffy socks.”

 

Jackson chuckled. He had to go shower, but he wanted to snuggle ain't the bed with him. “I'll fulfill all your wishes then.”

 

Mark smiled sleepily at him. “You always do.”

 

---