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"Atticus," Alex says simply, looking at Olivia.
Olivia looks down and sets a hand on her rounded belly. "Hell no. We are not naming our baby Atticus."
"Why not?" Alex asks.
"Because," Olivia snorts, "I actually love him. And if you love your son, Alex, you are not going to name him Atticus."
"Atticus is a great name," Alex protests.
"In what universe?" Olivia asks her.
Alex sighs and says, "Olivia, I don't know if you liked the book or not, but I really did like To Kill A Mockingbird. I liked it enough that it inspired me to become a lawyer. And I know I'm not the only one. Atticus Finch inspired a lot of people like that. Even if he's fictional, he does everything he can in the name of justice, an amazing person, and is a great parent in addition to that."
"I always thought your Uncle Bill was the reason," Olivia says softly. "You two are very close."
Alex smiles softly. "We are. But he wasn't what first got me to want to do this with my life. He supported me once I decided I wanted to, he taught me a lot and helped me get into Harvard. But To Kill A Mockingbird is what first got me into it. It made me realize how important lawyers are, how important it is to try and make things fair and to fight against certain evils. Even if Atticus was a defense attorney, prosecutors do some of the same things. I knew, the second I finished that book, that this is what I was meant to do, you know?"
Olivia inhales slowly, nodding. In a way, it was like she felt with her mother, once she had learned that she was a child of rape. From that moment, her path in life had been clear. For Alex, that moment had been on much better terms, but it was no less powerful.
Even if the name itself was absurd, the idea made sense. So much of Alex's life was based around being a lawyer, and their relationship- and thus the baby himself- wouldn't have happened if she had done something else. It did make sense to name their first child after the thing that had ultimately allowed them to meet.
But still… why did the name have to be Atticus? It couldn't have been a character with a more reasonable name?
Finally, Olivia looks over at Alex, who smiles at her and sets one hand on Olivia's stomach. The baby starts to kick, as if he knows who it is. "Let's think about it," Olivia says, smiling softly at her wife. "I can't promise I'll agree, but I'll think about it. I don't want him to grow up hating us for naming him that."
"I'm sure George could testify that he won't," Alex says. She grins. "Plus, Elliot called his son Dickie until he was a teenager, and he still loves Elliot."
Olivia snickers at that. "You've got a point there." She moves to stand up, and Alex moves first, steadying her and helping her up. She'd been like that through the whole pregnancy, devoted and thoughtful.
"Let's eat," Alex says, kissing her gently.
Two months later, the baby is born. His eyes are soft blue, and he doesn't have any hair. He's small, but strong, grasping Olivia's finger tightly.
And the second she lays eyes on him, Olivia knows two things. First, and most important, that she loves him more than anything on this Earth (except for Alex). And secondly, that yes, he should be named Atticus after all.
So she holds him up, looking at Alex, who's standing at her shoulder with awe and adoration in her eyes, and whispers, "Welcome to the world, Atticus William Cabot-Benson."
And Alex tears up, leaning over to kiss Olivia's cheek and stroke Atticus's forehead. "Hi, little guy."