Page 83 of Slap Shot Surprise
“Yes.” I looked down at the napkin in my lap, twisting it around my fingers. “I mean, someday I hope to get married, and I’ll take my husband’s last name. Any kids I have then will have that last name too. So it doesn’t make much sense to give our babyBuckleyas a last name.”
“You don’t have to take his name,” Joe said, an unmistakably defensive note in his voice, as if my future husband was being unreasonable about it.
“I know,” I said gently. “But I hope I’ll want to.”
Joe was silent for a minute, his brow furrowed as he sliced his steak but didn’t take another bite.
“What are some Italian names in your family?” I asked.
“There are a lot of Joes,” he said. “My dad is Domenico, but he’s always gone by Nick.”
“Domenico is cool,” I said.
“You think?”
“Yeah. It’s kind of old world, but it has an edge too.”
“It’s a mouthful for a little kid.”
“Right, we’d need a short version.” I giggled. “And Dom is a little harsh for a baby. What about Nicky?”
Joe’s eyes widened. “After my dad? You’d do that?”
“It’s something to think about,” I said. “I like the idea of respecting your family’s history and traditions. This baby will grow up surrounded by Buckleys, you know? I want him to feel connected to his Lupo roots too. So yes, I would do that.”
Joe swallowed and opened his mouth like he might say something, but he closed it without speaking. He took a drink from his beer.
“Do you think your dad would like it?” I asked.
Joe cleared his throat. “He’d love it,” he said.
SEVENTEEN
joe
Back at my apartment,I asked Mabel if she wanted to watch a movie.
“Sure,” she said, curling up in one corner of the couch with the blanket. “What should we watch? I picked the museum, so you can pick the movie.”
“What kinds of movies do you like?” I picked up the remote and turned on the system.
“I like almost everything except horror. Nothing gory or scary. What kind do you like?”
“Slasher films,” I joked.
She laughed. “What’s your favorite movie of all time? Like from when you were a kid.”
“You won’t want to watch it.”
“Is it Texas Chainsaw Massacre or something?”
I shook my head. “No. It’s just a movie I used to watch with my family.”
“I like classic films too.”
“I’m not sureThe Sandlotqualifies as a classic film.”
She giggled, burrowing deeper under the blanket. “I’ve never seen it. Show me.”
