It had been a normal day like any other Aadya had been sitting in her living room at the sofa in front of which was a coffee table on which her friend legs were propped on.
Aadya cradled Archie in her arms and rocked him up and down as she touched a small part of the hair on the head and spoke "hmm marry".
Marry who was sitting on the sofa did not speak as she looked at her drawing which she had drawn just yesterday.
"MARRY!!"Aadya shouted.
Suddenly Marry flinched and spoke "YES'
Aadya said "is it normal for a baby to already have hair"
Marry spoke "YES it is normal even a bit late"
Aadya soon spoke "you know you could totally do something else"
Her friend who was not looking up from her tablet on which she was questioning her own existence spoke "pardon".
Aadya replied "you know marry you have natural pink hair even though that is biologically impossible you know you could become a celebrity"
Marry finally looking up from her drawing and said "yeah pink hair girl becomes famous for existing"
Aadya smiled faintly "worked for some people"
Marry snorted "I am two months behind on two coding contracts my son just drew a dragon on the upstairs wall with yogurt last night"
Aadya said "you sure? You've got that 'mysterious burnout artist' thing going on."
Marry coldly replied "too mysterious. Even i don't know what i am doing"
The silence returned for a moment broken only by the sound of the fridge.
Marry spoke after a moment "you doing okay".
Aadya answered "i don't know" She said finally "I think I've just been on autopilot since… everything"
Aadya eyes widened as realization dawned on him "I never gave him a name"
Marry eyes flashed with shock at her friend statement as she spoke "wait-like never?" she said
straigthing her back "You seriously never named him?"
Aadya looked down at the baby, a small crease forming between her eyebrows "i just didn't. I kept thinking i would later. when everything calmed down. But it never did"
Marry blinked "You've been calling him what "The Baby" This whole time?"
"yeah" Aadya replied laughing, but it was a broken laugh "Or "him" i don't know. It didn't feel real and i didn't want to make it real"
The baby yawned in her arms tiny fists waving like he was trying to argue with the world.
Marry stared "Okay, that's kinda messed up. But like, Not in a mean way. Just-wow. You really haven't."
'I think i was scared" Aadya admitted "like naming him meant i had to accept everything That Mom's gone. That Nobody's coming back. That this just… me now"
They both went quiet for a second the air in the room going silent.
"You wanna do it now?" Marry asked, more gently this time.
Aadya hesitated. Then she nodded.
She looked at the baby again and in the way the name just appeared in her mind quiet and calm and solid, She knew it was right like it had been his name for a time older than tome even was.
"Archie" she said softly "i think his name is archie."
Marry tilted her head "Archie… huh, I mean, Yeah. HE kinda Looks like an Archie. Not like, a lawyer archie. More like cartoon-genius-kid Archie."
Aadya smiled faintly. "He does have that scrunched-up 'Im smarter than you' look sometimes.'
Before either of them could say more, a thudding sound echoed from upstairs. A crash. Then, the chaotic stomp of small feet running full tilt.
"OH NOOOO" came a distant yell. "THE DRAGON BIT ME BACK"
Marry winched back "Noah's coming."
Seconds later, her three-old son barreled into the room at full speed, Wearing a Spider-Man hoodie backwards a dinosaur plushie in his hands.
"MOM" he shouted, breadthless "THE DRAGON TASTED LIKE YOUGURT."
"Noah what dragon?" Marry asked confused.
"The one i drew with yougurt" He pointed to the ceiling.
Aadya … blinked. "That's… really something."
Noah marched right up to her and leaned dangerously close to the baby and spoke "Is he still a potato"
"A potato?" Aadya echoed.
"you said babies are potatoes," Noah said seriously. "Has he evolved yet? Does he shoot lasers?"
"He's got a name now," Aadya replied, playing along. "Archie."
Noah gasped like it was the most dramatic plot twist of his week. "NO WAY. That's a wizard name."
"That's what I said," Marry muttered from the couch.
Noah squinted at the baby. "Does he have a last name?"
Aadya hesitated, then shrugged. "No. Just Archie."
Noah nodded slowly, the way toddlers do when they pretend to understand the universe. "Nice. Like Sonic. Or Beyoncé."
Marry looked up. "Do you even know who Beyoncé is?"
"She dances," Noah said confidently. "Also God. Same energy."
"I'm gonna pretend I didn't hear that," Marry sighed, standing up. "Time for lunch, dragon boy."
"YAY!" Noah fist-pumped the air. "CHICKY NUGGIES FOR THE WARRIOR!"
"You're three. Calm down," she said, already heading to the kitchen.
Noah flopped dramatically onto the couch next to Aadya, eyeing the baby. "Don't worry, Archie. I'll teach you everything. Like how to fly. And which cartoons are actually mid."
"Thank you?" Aadya said, barely holding in a laugh.
Noah nodded solemnly. "He's gonna be strong. I can feel it. Like Ultra Instinct but sleepy."
Aadya looked down at her baby brother again. His chest rose and fell, calm and warm and safe. "Yeah," she whispered. "He's already stronger than he knows."
And somehow, giving him a name made all of it feel a little more real.
Not fixed. Not easy.
But maybe, finally, a beginning.