Chai Tea Sunday Read Online Free PDF

little girl named Baby Sedgwick,” Eric teased.
    â€œOkay, what new names are you thinking of?” I asked, taking a big bite. The maraschino cherry pressed into the centre of the cookie was gooey compared to the satiny crumble of the shortbread.
    â€œWell, I was thinking lately that I really like
Emma
,” Eric replied. “What do you think?”
    â€œHmm. Too popular,” I answered.
    â€œOkay, how about
Matilda
?”
    â€œToo trendy. And too Hollywood.”
    We were having another repeat of our daily conversations and getting nowhere. For some reason, I just couldn’t seem to commit to a name. Nothing seemed good enough. Nothing seemed right.
    â€œI know —
Whitney
!”
    â€œUh . . .
no
. I’d feel like we were raising someone destined for MTV .”
    â€œWell, we can’t have that.” Eric scratched his head. “Maybe we should take a different approach and consider the names of our relatives. My grandmothers don’t really help at all, given that they were Stelladora and Beatrice.”
    â€œUm, yeah, just a little old-fashioned.” I looked into the fire and thought of our grandmothers, and any iteration that came from their names. And then it hit me. “But what about Ella?”
    Eric stared at me in disbelief. “I can’t believe you finally like a name! That’s a version of my nana’s name . . . I love it. Are you sure about it?”
    â€œYes. I definitely like it. A lot. And I love that it is special.”
    â€œWell, then, Ella it is.” Eric smiled at me. “Now what about a middle name?”
    â€œDon’t push it, Eric. It’s a wonder that we even found a first name.”
    â€œJust hear me out. I think I have a great suggestion. What about Ella Margaret? I think a plane ride back from Laos warrants being named after, yes?” Eric suggested, referring to my sister. “Not to mention that Margaret is your mom’s middle name.”
    â€œAnd my grandmother’s middle name, actually.”
    â€œSo it’s perfect!”
    â€œElla Margaret,” I said out loud, realizing that I loved it. It had a charming ring to it that felt like home.
    â€œDo we have a winner?”
    â€œI think we do. It really feels like the right name,” I confirmed, kissing Eric and sinking into him next to the warmth of the fire.
    â€œMmm-hmm. I love it too. And I love you, Nicky.” Eric nuzzled into my neck, and my insides stirred.
    I deepened the kiss. Reached out to my husband in a way that I had avoided since living through the hormone crazies of my second trimester. And Eric immediately reacted, drawing me closer with a response so intense it felt like obsession.
    Within moments, heat as strong as the fire we were sitting beside snaked through our bodies. My breath caught on the fervor of its intensity, both of us desperate for the peak that was as selfish as it was giving.

    On the Saturday morning after we chose Ella’s name, Eric finished painting the nursery. He had been working on it for over two weeks, taking painstaking efforts to ensure every detail was perfect. He had painted the walls light green before adding giant lilac bubbles to one wall to match the decor I had selected. He had been fastidious about every inch and I knew the finished room was going to be perfect.
    â€œDo you think we can move the furniture in now?” I asked Eric, taking in the newly painted room. “I can call the store manager to see if everything can be delivered today. I know it’s short notice, but they said to just give them a ring when we were ready.”
    We had purchased all of Ella’s furniture at a trendy baby boutique and they were holding everything in storage for us until we needed it. We had spent a large chunk of change at the store, purchasing everything from our overpriced baby stroller to organic baby bibs, and I had gone a bit overboard with the number of sleepers and outfits