Page 48 of Missing Pieces

“Because it’s not common today.”

“Oh really? Not common today. Hmmm. Is it Gertrude?”

I snort. “Thank God it is not Gertrude.”

“What if I tell you mine?” he asks politely.

“Nope,” I say sternly.

He rolls over and looks me in the eyes. “Are you really going to be difficult?”

I nod and start laughing.

He starts to tickle my sides. “Whatever you say, Dorothy.”

I try to push him off me but lose all strength with the tickling. “It’s not Dorothy.”

He straddles me. “Alright then Gladys?”

My sides start to cramp from laughing so hard. “Fine if you want to know so bad, what is yours?”

“No way am I telling you after I so kindly offered it earlier. What does it start with?”

I try to push him again, but he holds my arms down with one hand. “Okay, okay it starts with an E.”

He sits back on his legs and stops the tickle attack. “Eleanor?” I shake my head. “Ethel! It’s totally Ethel!”

I roll my eyes as tears start to come out of them and shake my head. He pauses looking quizzical and then shouts, “Edith!”

“I don’t even know how you figured that out.” I huff. “But you better give it up tough guy, what’s yours?”

“Theodore, after my grandpa, it’s my dad’s name too, but they didn’t want me to be a third, so they just gave it to me as a middle name.”

I reach up and give him a kiss. “Mine is after my grandma.”

“Well, Edith, I am glad I finally got it out of you,” he says as he rolls onto his back pulling me into his side. I shake my head at the name and go back to gazing at the stars.

* * *

We must have fallen asleep because I wake up to the sound of roosters somewhere and see the sun beginning to rise. Easton wakes up just after I do, and he smothers me in kisses. We clean up the small mess we made and then he drives me home, which happens to be all of three minutes away because we were in his backyard the whole time.

He walks me to my door and leans in for another kiss. “I hope Poe is okay after leaving him for so long.”

I completely forgot about Poe and I scramble out of his arms to unlock the door. Poe comes racing to me and jumps right at Easton giving him kisses before trotting out to the grass to take care of business.

“I guess he survived.”

“Looks like it,” I say. “Well, I should probably get ready for work.”

“Me too.” He says and leans in to give me one final kiss. “I’ll see you later, Edy.”

I laugh at the nickname, it’s better than him calling me Edith. I watch him pull away. I call Poe inside and collapse against the door after I close it. Oh, man, do I got it bad.