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Never The Same Again
Part 10
By: Ashley

Four days later, however, Shirley’s fever had broken, her infection cleared up, and the baby’s jaundice had disappeared.

            “Whaddya gonna name her Shirl?” Squiggy asked.

            Shirley beamed at the little bundle in her arms.  “Lily.”

            Rhonda’s arm shot up in the air.  “Rhonda knows why!  Rhonda knows why!”

            “Why, Rhonda?” Shirley asked impatiently.

            “Because she’s beautiful like a little flower!”

            Laverne whirled around to the blonde.  “It’s her mother’s name, ya dumb…”

            “Ya gonna give her a middle name?” Lenny inquired.

            Shirley nodded, her dimples flashing.  “That is, if it’s okay with Laverne.”

            “What do you mean ‘if it’s okay with Laverne’?” Laverne asked.

            “If it’s okay with you, I want to name her Lily Laverne.”

            Laverne’s heart sank.  “Aw, Shirl, I’m gonna cry…”

            “Her last name can’t be Laverne!” Squiggy said.

            “Why would she give her the last name Laverne?!” Laverne asked.  “It’s the baby’s middle name!”

            “That’s right,” Shirley said.

            “Well, as long as we’re givin’ out names, if she gets Laverne as her middle name, I think Squiggman ought to be her last name,” Squiggy said.

            Shirley looked him square in the eye.  “Don’t ever do those things to my baby’s name again.”

            “Squigg, ya can’t pick out a kid’s last name,” Laverne said. 

            “Yeah, it’s gonna be Meeney, like Walter,” Lenny replied.

            “When do you get to come home, Shirley?” Mr. DeFazio questioned.

            “In three days.  Laverne’s being sweet and letting me stay with her for a little while.” 

            “Only ‘cause you named the kid after her,” Squiggy said.

            A fair-haired nurse in crisp white entered the room with a clipboard in hand.  “I’m sorry, everyone, but visiting hours are over.”

            “Bye Shirl,” Laverne said, kissing her roommate on the forehead.  “I’ll be back to see you tomorrow, okay?”

            Shirley grinned.  “All right.”

            “Bye baby,” Laverne said, touching the baby on the chin.

            “Laverne.  She has a name.”

            “Bye Shirl,” Lenny said.  “And bye to you, little flower,” Lenny said, giggling and tapping the infant on the nose.

            Mr. DeFazio gave Shirley a squeeze.  “G’bye Shirley.  You call if you need anything, all right?”

            “Sure thing, Mr. DeFazio,” Shirley nodded.

            He leaned over to Lily.  “You can call, too.”  He kissed her on the head.

            “Goodbye, Shirley!” Rhonda said.  “And don’t worry; Rhonda will make sure you get your figure – or what you had of it – back in no time!”

            “Thank you, Rhonda.  It’s never anything but compliments from you,” Shirley said.

            “Shirl, I just want you to know that I am here for you come hell or high water and that I will help you out with whatever you need helpin’ with while you’re in California,” Squiggy assured her.

            “That’s… very kind of you, Squiggy, but I don’t think I’ll…”

            “You know – I’ll change her diaper, I’ll feed her, I’ll water her… whatever she needs to grow.”

            “Yes.  Thank you.  Goodbye, Squiggy,” she said rather shortly. 

            “Bye, Pop,” Laverne said.  Throwing her arms around her father’s neck and planting a kiss on his cheek.

            “Bye, Muffin.  You call me tomorrow and we’ll come see Shirley and the baby together, okay?”

            “Okay,” Laverne nodded.  “Boy,” she said to the group, after her father had gone.  “I feel like celebratin’.”

            “Ooh!  Rhonda thinks this calls for a night out on the town,” Rhonda said with a gleam in her eye.

            “We could go to the tar pits.  Or the midget throwing contest at Michelangelo’s,” Squiggy suggested. 

            “Why don’t we just pick up a couple of cases of beer and go back to my place, huh?” Laverne asked.

            Rhonda’s face fell.  “That’s not a night on the town.”

            “Rhonda, I’ve been at this here hospital for four days.  I don’t feel like a night on the town.”

            “Yeah.  Besides, after a case of beer, Laverne might be easy pickins,” Squiggy chimed in.

            Laverne gave him a look as cutting as a shard of glass.  “Uh, you say that again, and you’re gonna be pickin’ yourself up out of a dumpster.”