“Have you thought about names?” Charlie asked, settling himself down on the sand and letting out a long breath.

Claire looked up from where she’d been staring at her stomach and idly twirling her hand back and forth across it. She shrugged. “I’ve thought about it, but…”

Sensing her unusual apprehension, Charlie attempted to lighten the mood. “I think Charlie’s a good name.”

“You would,” Claire joked, laughing wanly as if it was tiring her out.

“Well, think about it. You could use it for a girl OR a boy. It’s bisexual!”

“Multi-sexual?”

“Bi-lingual?”

“Maybe we should ask Jack.”

“Good idea.”

Charlie leaned over her stomach. “Do you know what it is yet? ‘Cause I can’t tell.”

She tipped her head back and laughed loudly. Her laugh always made Charlie smile.

“I don’t think you can tell just by looking at my huge stomach, Charlie.”

Charlie considered this. “It’s not that huge.”

“Didn’t anyone ever tell you not to lie to a pregnant woman?” She smirked at him, pressing her palm back down against her stomach and sighing without meaning to. “I just want him to be healthy. And okay. You know…when it happens.”

Silently, Charlie nodded. “At least there’s a doctor here.” He motioned toward Jack, who was in a heated discussion some feet away with Kate.

“That is lucky,” Claire agreed heavily.

“It’ll be okay, you know,” Charlie stated quietly, staring at her stomach as if to reassure the baby just as much as its mother.

Claire smiled at him; it was a tight smile, but it was a smile nonetheless. “Yeah. I know.”