Earning a Name

"I always will, as long as you'll have me." Wade reached over the tabletop and gripped her hands with tender strength.

"Maybe not when you hear how I fucked up," Dia huffed, but didn't pull away as she hoped he would understand. "Remember how we celebrated on excellent days?" She hinted at what her news could be.

"I don't think there is much about you I can forget." Wade grinned briefly.

"Well... In the hectic days... I must have forgotten... I didn't... I missed my birth control." Dia looked away as her tears fell.

"We're pregnant!?" Wade didn't need more explanation.

"Yes, I'm pregnant, Wade." Dia turned back to look him in his glimmering blue eyes.

"Do..." Wade looked away with a pained expression. "I know I was there for the easy and fun part, but do you think I'm going to run away or be angry?" His words were soft as he turned back with a small smile.

"It's too soon." Dia sobbed. "Don't get me wrong, I'm having him or her, but it was my fuck up. It's the one thing about my Catholic upbringing that I won't argue with. You don't have to be brought down with me."

"Brought down? Are you kidding me?" There was a brief look of anger in his eyes before he took a breath. "You're talking about having a baby that's half you, Dia. How do you think I wouldn't want to be here for that?" Tears were falling from his eyes. "I've been looking to buy a house, Dia, but I want nothing that isn't big enough for you, Fredo, and our baby."

"It's so soon. I love you, but this is so soon."

"And? I love you, Dia. That's not something I say to bed a woman or keep things going. If I was scared or wanted to run, I could've. I'm here every step of the way if you'll have me."

"Really?" Dia sniffed back tears. Hope was burning hotter in her chest.

"Yeah. I've... I guess I better let you in on a secret of my own. I know we've only been together for what? Almost six months?"

"It'll be six months in a few weeks, though I think we were dating for longer," Dia argued softly. "Since that day in the waiting room, you've been a constant in my life."

"Far too soon for me to carry this around in my pocket, but I saw it and knew it was you." Wade pulled a small pouch from his jacket. "I was trying to figure out how long was appropriate. My heart is yours, utterly." He opened the little bag and pulled out a white gold ring that would look appropriate with the necklace and belly button ring she often wore. The single brilliant diamond was big without looking gaudy.

"I wanted to wait for a day that wasn't Fredo's, but if I don't do this now, you may think I went out to buy this after you told me you were pregnant. I want you to know nothing pressured me into this other than my love for you." Wade's honesty showed through his eyes. "You and Fredo have made every day a blessing despite the challenges. Will you marry me, Melodia?"

"Wha... I..." Her head was spinning, but Dia knew her answer. "Yes!"

"I love you, Dia." Wade smiled before he hugged her across the table. When the embrace ended, the grin was still there. "We don't have to announce anything tonight, do we? I want to let Fredo have his day."

"Same, but can I wear the ring? I'll let Tabi, Nat, and Rissa know without making a big deal about it."

"Of course."

"I love you, Wade." Dia kissed him. It surprised Dia that the ring fit her perfectly. "Are you scared, Wade?" She switched subjects.

"Yeah, but not about the baby or marrying you." Wade blew out a long breath. "I'm worried that there are now three people depending on me, and what happens if I get sick again?"

"Better than going at it alone?"

"Infinitely." Wade leaned over the table and kissed her.

Wade - A little over two years later

Olivia snoozed peacefully in Wade's arms after her midday meal. Her sippy cup dangled from her fingers, about to fall. Wade couldn't clear the smile from his face that he'd managed to dodge spit up on his tux. "Hey Fredo? Can you run and get your abuela for me?" Wade kept his voice soft, as he looked over his shoulder. "Or your grandma if your abuela is busy." Wade's parents were grandma and grandpa for his boy, while Dia's were abuela and abuelo. His biological father's parents were still in Fredo's life, but were Grammy and Pop-pop.

"Sure. I guess Clem can handle greeting the guests on her own." Fredo seemed amid a growth spurt with how much he ate. Clem was an inch or two taller than him at the moment, and the boy wanted to catch up.

"Make sure not to disturb Mom if you can help it. Aunt Gabby would work too if it comes to it." Wade implored. Gabriella had spent the last two summers living in the guest room and had been an incredible help to Wade and Dia.

"I got this, Dad." Fredo grinned. His soon-to-be stepson needed a new nickname for Wade once they had both regrown a full head of hair. Being called dad by the boy was slightly disconcerting, but no one had seen Chet since his probation ended. He was too embarrassed to stick around, but the one positive that had come out of the day was that the man had hit rock bottom and finally walked away from drinking.

Olivia looked like a near-perfect clone of her mother's baby pictures, though Wade could see some of himself in her nose and paler complexion. Olivia's name had come from her grandmother's maiden name, Olivares. She'd been a good baby, Dia informed him regularly. Wade agreed wholeheartedly, but he had little as a point of comparison. Although Fredo grew into a fine young man, he had been colicky in his infancy. Livvy hadn't taken long to sleep through the night.

A busy life wasn't easy, but nothing worth its value ever was. Wade may not have nearly as much sleep as he used to as a single man, but he was a magnitude happier with his often chaotic life. Although they had gotten engaged in near record time, Dia hadn't wanted to have a wedding until she could fit in her perfect dress. Getting her whole family together precluded it from happening before Olivia started showing on her mother. Besides, she wanted a real wedding experience this time. Years ago, Chet had convinced her that a small ceremony at the courthouse, with only a handful of guests, was the right way to go.

"You need something, Wade?" Dia's mother whispered as she entered the living room. They primarily arranged the guests in the backyard as their loved ones and close friends arrived.

"Would you mind putting Livvy down for her nap? I still have some things to get ready." Wade stood slowly from the rocking chair.

"Sure, I need more time with Mija, anyway." The woman smiled. Winning over Dia's parents hadn't been easy. They were wary of any guy after how things had ended with Chet, and getting Dia pregnant before they were engaged had done Wade no favors. Treating their daughter and grandson right had slowly eroded a prickly façade.

"Gracias," Wade whispered as he handed over the sleeping babe. Dia's parents spoke perfect English, but Wade liked to sprinkle in Spanish to practice when he could. It was essential to Dia that her children would be bilingual, which was one more thing Wade could help with.

"De Nada." Dia's mom smiled brightly, showing off where Dia and Olivia's smile had come from.

Wade rushed outside to ensure that everything was perfect for the ceremony. An arbor and recent landscaping had transformed the space into something special. Wade had toiled back here when he got a free moment over the last few years. His efforts and Dia's had paid off to make a tranquil slice of paradise, but they had to call in landscapers to finish their vision before the wedding.

"How's it going out here?" Wade asked Jake, as he was setting up for the reception.

"Excellent. You look good, man." Jake's recent marriage looked good on him. Tabi had finished her doctorate, and they were trying to have a baby together.

Livvy's radiant presence influenced their friends. Rissa was pregnant with her and Natalie's first girl, who would arrive near the end of the summer. Dia had commented more than once that she didn't understand why the pair had decided to have Rissa in her third trimester during the hottest part of the summer, but the women seemed ecstatic to become mothers soon. They were likely with Tabi, helping to get Dia ready. The trio had helped get his love prepared for their first date, and he had no doubt they would perform admirably again.

Across the lawn, setting up the rows of rented chairs and wrapping each of them in white to make them look spectacular, Dia and Wade's gaggle of respective siblings appeared to be getting along. Jorge, Marisol, and Gabriella were laughing about something with Georgia. It was the first meeting of the future in-laws. Maybe they're plotting something. Wade smiled. Having all the nieces and nephews together meant more fun for Clementine and Alfredo, though the two were mostly hanging around each other.

Clem and Fredo were impervious to their friends, mocking the pair for being opposite-sex best friends. They were near-constant companions together, going on adventures that involved the pair and usually Sandy, Jake, and Tabi's Brittany spaniel, which adored Clem as much as Fredo did. A dog is next on the agenda. Wade didn't think of himself as a dog person, but Fredo's interactions with Sandy had the boy begging for a puppy. The kids had plenty of time to interact as Dia and Wade's house was within easy walking or biking distance of Tabi and Jake.

The pair mostly loved Lego and reading together, but a nearby cluster of parks gave them plenty of places to explore. Fredo's checkups since beating cancer had been impeccable. Dia and Wade prayed daily that the boy wouldn't have to fight the specter's return.

Wade hadn't quite been so lucky. However, the prescribed appointments every three months caught its return early. A single round of chemo obliterated the illness this time, but not before a minor panic attack. Olivia was only a few months old then, and Wade worried he wouldn't be there to care for his family. Thankfully, the treatment went smoothly, and he barely had to spend time away from the three people he loved most.

"You got the rings?" Wade asked his younger brother, quietly.

"Of course! I gotta pay back your impeccable best-man duties from last year." Darren smirked, "Although we waited until we were married to get pregnant."

"Yeah, yeah. Livvy's perfect, though. We'll have to see when your little one comes along."

"My boy will be here soon." Darren's eyes suddenly got wide. "Shit! My baby will be here soon."

"Molly not letting you tell the gender yet?"

"Yeah, she's making a big deal about her baby shower in a week."

"We'll still be in Puerto Rico, so your secret is safe."

"Congrats, man. You're marrying into a great family. Are you sure Dia didn't bonk her head or something?"

"She may have the same problem as Molly." Wade shrugged. "Some women can't resist the Coolidge charms."

"Head injury! It's the only explanation." Georgia, Wade's sister, winked as she laughed and chased her younger child across the lawn before he could get into the sweets.

"She may have a point." Wade's father chuckled. "You two seem to punch above your weight class, so to speak."

"Their father didn't do too poorly." Georgia, Wade, and Darren's mother walked by and stole a kiss from the senior Coolidge. "Ice skating. I smacked my head ice skating, or at least that's what I tell everyone." She laughed uproariously. "Where's Livvy?"

"Dia's mom has her."

"Darn, I wanted a turn."

"Fredo found her first." Wade shrugged.

"You must not have bribed him enough yet." Wade's dad chuckled.

"You four are spoiling my son!" Wade shook his head with a smile. Fredo was a good kid and deserved some spoiling now and again.

"It's what grandparents are for." His mother shrugged.

"This is your fault for marrying such a great woman who comes with a fantastic son." His father shrugged. "Speaking of which, I think it's about time for you to get hitched."

"We've got an hour. Not everyone is here yet."

Wade went to ensure everything was buttoned up and ready for the ceremony. Many of Dia's family and friends had asked her taqueria to cater for the wedding, but she refused. Too many of her employees wanted to be at the ceremony. For the first time since the surprise remodel, on a day that wasn't a holiday, Melodia's Taqueria was closed. While Wade and Dia were on their honeymoon, she had no doubt that the place would be in good hands, but her employees wanted to join in today's celebration.

After one more visit to the bathroom to check his tux, Wade retrieved Livvy from her abuela. He took his place under the arbor beside the preacher. His brother, Jake, Derek, and Wade's college roommate stood beside him one by one as they walked in with the bridesmaids. Rissa, Natalie, Gabriella, and Tabi arrayed around the opposite side of the arbor.

Dia looked spectacular in her wedding gown, walking hand in hand with her smiling father. Wade rocked Olivia in his arms to keep her content as his soon-to-be father-in-law gave him a nod at the end of the aisle. Sticking out of the bottom of her incredible, form-fitting gown was a sparkling white pair of canvas tennis shoes that completed his bride's look. She did wear heels occasionally and made those look incredible, too, but the casual white shoes completed her formal look perfectly.

The gown was strapless and superbly contrasted with her fantastic, deeply tanned skin. The bouquet she held was a more extensive, well-arranged relative of the first flowers that Wade had brought her. A white ribbon tied up her magnificent tight curls as her best feature, her gleaming smile, seemed to sparkle in the light. Wade knew there was a no-more-perfect woman than the one walking toward him.

When her father broke away, Fredo got up from his seat beside Clem. He took his mother's open hand for the walk to the altar. Wade and Dia wanted their children to participate in the ceremony. It wasn't just the couple that were having their lives changed today. Livvy may not remember the wedding, but there would be plenty of photos to show her when she was older. Their girl's inquisitive eyes opened at the end of the service right before Wade leaned over and shared his first kiss as a married man with his incredible bride.

Cupid 542 - Many years later

"Are you ready, hon?" Angela fluttered into their bedroom wearing her formal muse vestments. It was a purple toga outfit that had appeared on several Grecian urns from millennia ago. The ancient Greeks had briefly found secrets of seeing into the ethereal world through exotic combinations of items in potions. They always forgot the wings on the muses.

"Almost. We got an hour before we have to leave, right?" 542 questioned. He already had his formal cupid uniform. He frequently bemoaned that it looked like a diaper, but at least they weren't naked, as depicted in Renaissance art.

"You're the guest of honor, my dear." Angela kissed him on his cheek as she peeked over his notebook. "Checking up on them?"

"All three couples that earned me a name are there." 542 smiled. He wouldn't be bestowed with a moniker until the ritual of names in the High Aether Tower soon. "I just want to watch them on their special day."

"Why don't we take a portal and look in on them before we get you a name? We can take in the wedding and still make your ritual."

"That'd be perfect. If we have time."

"A sprinkle or two of magic can ensure we have time. You know the most recent union will bring plenty in return."

Within a few minutes and via several portals, Angela and 542 arrived at a church on the outskirts of the city where Dia and Wade still made their home.

"The tux looks good on you, Mijo!" Dia welcomed Alfredo outside the sanctuary.

"Did I get the tie straight?"

"Don't worry about it, Fredo. Your mother had to straighten mine when she got to the altar. I swear I had it on right. Don't stress about making things perfect and miss out on the celebration of you and your bride."

"Thanks, Dad." Alfredo embraced Wade. "Where's Livvy?"

"Where do you think?"

"Hanging out with her girlfriend?"

"Taylor and she were five minutes behind us," Dia explained. "You know they don't get a lot of time together with Olivia in law school."

"Is that one going to work out, too?" Angela whispered as they watched.

"That's still undecided, but it's getting more likely." 542 pulled out his notebook. "Ninety percent possible." He confirmed his previous calculations.

Alfredo and Olivia's life paths had many spiraling possibilities, but some things were already coalescing. Wade had made a significant impact on his stepson's life. His encouragement in math and Fredo's fight against cancer as a boy, encouraged Fredo's interest in medicine. It was why he and his future bride's high school romance didn't work out. 542 had to stay his hand and let things emerge naturally, instead of loosing the first arrows on the pair. They needed time apart to reach their full potential.

When the pair returned home one weekend after finishing his doctorate in medical research and hers in engineering, 542 finally fired arrows. He only needed to use the less powerful variety as love grew organically. It required a light push, not a shove. They may not have needed it, though, as they still pined for one another.

"You bring some first arrows?" Angela grinned, as Olivia entered the church hand in hand with a tall brunette. Taylor was the eldest daughter of Rissa and Natalie. Angela's assistance had been instrumental in getting her parents together.

Taylor looked like an incredible blend of Rissa and Natalie. She had her Momma Natalie's height, effortless intelligence, and elegant way of dressing. From Rissa, she got her brown eyes, gregarious personality, and larger chest. Although Rissa had carried Taylor through her pregnancy, her DNA came from Natalie's ovum and a sperm donor. Whoever they had selected was an incredible match for Rissa's physical traits.

Olivia looked like a clone of her mother, only three inches taller, with a touch of Wade's nose and a paler complexion. The curls in her jet-black hair were looser than her mother's and didn't have the distinguished white and gray peppering. She was an incredibly bright young woman who grew up surprisingly close to her brother, who was nearly a decade older than her.

"Not yet. Olivia may be like her brother, and we need time for that relationship to grow organically." Another pairing coming from prior first arrows without needing new ones would earn vast magical power for the ethereal realms.

Olivia had a destiny as the first lesbian president in the future, if 542 could guide her path correctly. Taylor was likely to be her first lady, but there needed to be more time and observation for that route to coalesce.

"Congratulations, son. Remember, always treat her right, and you two will be each other's strong foundation for life like your mother is for me." Wade smiled and embraced Alfredo.

"I'm glad I let you two go to New Year's Eve without me." Fredo chuckled, with a tear in his eye.

"Don't make your bride have to be as patient with you, my boy. Your mother is a saint. I love you, Fredo." Wade had a tear in his eye, as he headed toward the sanctuary to meet up with Rissa, Nat, Tabi, and Jake.

"Your father exaggerates how patient I had to be. I'm glad you and your bride didn't take our route to the altar. Don't get me wrong, we were blessed with your sister, but I'm ecstatic you two are using a different order of operations."

"Not from a lack of trying!" Livvy's laugh boomed out as Fredo turned pink in a blush. "What? You two aren't exactly quiet."

"Says the girl I caught attempting to make grandchildren with Taylor yesterday in the pool." Dia glared at Olivia before laughing.