“…Something.”
“…That was too easy.”
“……..”
…To cut to the chase, it’s all over.
Pregnancy is done, childbirth is done.
Next to me was the Commander, and the baby went off for some tests.
Personally, I wanted to see the baby a little more.
When that little guy was kicking my belly, it hurt so much that, honestly, giving birth was a bit scary.
Seriously… it was nothing dramatic.
It hurt a little, but it wasn’t like the screaming you see in dramas or movies.
“…I didn’t expect anesthesia.”
“Yeah, surprisingly… it really wasn’t a big deal.”
“Right?”
I was anesthetized!
It honestly amazed me.
Of course, I knew the technology was much better than in my previous world.
Medical technology was obviously advanced enough that a broken arm could be healed in about two weeks, but… I never imagined I’d give birth with anesthesia.
Of course, the hospital I was in was the best and most expensive in the area, and the Boss didn’t spare any expense for my delivery, but still.
In my mind, giving birth was supposed to be chaotic.
Screaming like crazy, blood everywhere, crying from pain, swearing like mad… all that.
I was honestly worried, imagining myself clutching the Commander’s hand so hard it might break while yelling.
But in reality… thanks to the anesthesia, it was nothing.
It hurt a bit, but I didn’t scream for my life; it was just a few groans and a tight grip on the Commander’s hand.
“…Money is nice.”
“…Yeah. This isn’t the childbirth I remember.”
Even the Commander acknowledged it.
My delivery was just too… quiet.
The baby did start crying right after being born, though.
But the doctors placed the baby next to me, and once I touched the little hand, I calmed down a bit.
I didn’t really feel pain, but maybe the whole process and labor made me a little tired.
I couldn’t remember everything clearly.
…I only felt like the baby was born.
“…Everything went well.”
“Yeah.”
“…The Commander’s baby has been born.”
“Our baby.”
“…Indeed.”
It felt… strangely awkward in various ways.
I wondered if I had always been this kind of person.
Of course, I wanted the baby to grow up healthy, but now that I gave birth… that feeling was stronger.
Is this what maternal love is?
It felt… funny.
“Chuckle…”
“Are you happy?”
“Yes, very. Everything.”
I felt genuinely happy about everything.
Like, really, everything felt great.
“When will the tests be done?”
“They said they’d do a comprehensive one, so… probably in about 10 minutes?”
“Well… that’s a relief. I want to see the baby soon.”
“Me too. I want to see them soon.”
We were just in the single room, resting and waiting for the baby.
Even with the anesthesia, I honestly felt too tired to move around, and since the Boss insisted that we keep resting, we were just following orders.
Of course, it wasn’t just the Boss; the Commander’s mother said the same thing.
Anyway, we were resting.
“…Lindera, are you very tired?”
“Not that tired. I just have nothing to do.”
“You look pretty tired. Want to take a little nap?”
“…Can you tell?”
“Absolutely.”
“………”
Well, it was true that I was tired.
But since the baby was supposed to arrive in about 10 minutes…
So I was just holding out, but, wow, I didn’t expect to be caught so easily.
“Anyway, the baby is coming soon. I just want to see their face for a moment… then I can rest.”
“I’ll wake you when they come. Just close your eyes a little until then.”
“…Still.”
“Lindera.”
“…Yes.”
The Commander laid me back down properly on the bed.
Covering me with the blanket again.
“…So, what name will you give?” A girl was born according to the Commander’s preferences.
Right before labor.
Well, to be specific, before the contractions started, I made a promise with the Commander.
If it was a girl, he’d get to name her; if it was a boy, I would.
And since it turned out to be a girl, it was the Commander’s turn to choose a name.
“Ah.”
“Why?”
“…The name.”
“…?”
“The name. Go ahead.”
I had been forgetting because of giving birth, but now…
As labor got closer, the Commander’s name became clearer in my mind, but I couldn’t fully realize it.
But now that I had given birth, I had the confidence that I could do it…
Of course, that was just my own brain’s speculation.
“…I think I can do it now.”
“Ah… right.”
“…Did you forget?”
“No, well… I’ve been busy lately, right? Even after entering the single room, I’ve been helping, talking to the parents, and even the doctors?”
“………”
So the Commander started making excuses.
He said he’d briefly forgotten because he was worried about me, that it wasn’t that he didn’t care, he just couldn’t think of it.
He kept making those excuses.
“Geez… just say the name already. The Commander isn’t thinking hard enough. I’ve known for a while now.”
“…Got it. Sorry.”
“It’s fine. I know how busy the Commander has been… I know it best.”
Well, it was a bit ridiculous, but the Commander wasn’t wrong.
So I just let it slide.
Anyway, what mattered now was the Commander’s name.
“So, what is it?”
“Corbin.”
“…What? That’s really… ordinary.”
Seriously.
It felt… ordinary.
Of course, it’s not weird for a name to be ordinary.
But it was so unremarkable, nothing dramatic about it; I didn’t think there was anything epic or amazing since the Commander forgot.
Just a “Well, that’s nice.”
“…But I’m glad it sounds okay now that it’s ordinary.”
There was no overwhelming feeling of achievement from knowing the Commander’s name.
It was supposed to be normal to know a name…
In fact, I didn’t suffer much because of it, and I was only a bit sad that I couldn’t call him by his name, not the title.
I just felt relieved it worked out.
Of course, it didn’t mean I was unhappy; I was thrilled.
“Corbin…”
“………”
It felt… um.
“Hmm…”
“What’s wrong?”
“Maybe it’s because of working out, but it feels a bit mismatched with him now.”
“…Really?”
“It’s a compliment.”
“…Is that so?”
“Yes.”
It seemed like a name that would fit someone flimsy, but he has been working out, so he’s become bigger in many ways.
If I had heard the name back when I first met the Commander, I might have agreed it suited him.
Back then, he didn’t have much muscle aside from his height and looks.
“…But I’m glad you look good.”
“Yeah.”
…It was something so trivial, but I was surprisingly smiling.
I just learned his name and was about to call him by it, but… how is that so significant?
“…Commander, hurry and go see the baby, okay? Like you said… I should rest a bit.”
“Okay, I’ll rest. I’m going to see the baby.”
“Yes.”
As he let go of my hand, the Commander left the single room.
After this, I never expected that things would be resolved just like this… No, saying resolved is an understatement because childbirth is a huge event.
Anyway, I never thought giving birth would somehow solve it all.
It’s just… absurd.
“…Still, it turned out well.”
Truly.
I was glad everything went well.
I really couldn’t understand why I felt this way, but now everything was sorted out.
I got to see and hear the Commander’s name, and others would probably feel the same way.
Because I had already tested it with names for other people, starting with the Boss, my colleagues from the Office, friends, and my sisters, so I was confident.
Things had been improving little by little, just like the Commander’s name.
“…But suddenly calling him by name feels awkward.”
I had never called him by his name, and I had gotten too used to it.
I used code names to address each other on the ship, and that’s how it was for us too.
But now…?
“…Heh.”
Having these thoughts was… well, it felt like a relief.
The baby seemed to have been born healthy, and everything was resolved.
“…I wonder when they’ll come.”
Even though I was resting comfortably lying down, deep down I just wanted to go see the baby.
Of course, I was way too tired for that?
*
“Commander.”
“………”
“…?”
The Commander, holding the baby carefully, woke me up.
So I called him, but for some reason he didn’t respond.
What’s going on?
But as he kept looking at me, I felt a bit flustered.
What is this prank?
“Commander?”
“………”
“I want to hold the baby too.”
“………”
“…?”
He kept silent, not giving me the baby, just staring at me.
What the heck…?
Was he experiencing some strange disability, like before when I couldn’t call him by his name?
But… he could hear me, and was purposely choosing to not respond.
His eyes and expression looked a bit sulky…
“……..?”
Name?
“…Ah.”
I realized what I had been thinking.
Now I understood why the Commander was acting like this.
…Of course, the problems have been resolved, and he had wanted me to call him by his name for a while now.
So it made sense…
“…What are you, a child?”
“…Hmph.”
“It’s not cute for a man to act like that, so stop that pout.”
“…Okay.”
But he still listened well.
Geez…
“Corbin, I want to hold the baby.”
“Got it.”
“…Pff.”
“…Why?”
“Nothing. You’re just cute.”
Maybe it was because I was tired from the tests, but the already sleeping baby was adorable, and the pouting Commander because I called him “Commander” instead of his name was too.
It was a strange feeling, but I liked it.
“Corbin, kiss.”
“…Now?”
“Yes. Is there a problem?”
I asked while holding onto the baby.
There was no issue at all.
The baby was sleeping well, and there was no one else in the single room besides the three of us.
And… it’s between us anyway.
Now that we’ve come this far, kissing wouldn’t be a problem at all.
“Hurry.”
“…Okay. It’s just that… it’s a bit awkward.”
“You wanted this. Why are you saying this now? Corbin.”
“…Sorry.”
I couldn’t tell if he was apologizing for not calling me by my name or for delaying the kiss, but it was a classic Commander, no, Corbin response.
…But it might take me a while to get used to this.
Calling him by his name instead of Commander felt unfamiliar.
Well, the kiss felt just fine, though.
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