The second baby arrived on a January morning, early, before the rest of the household was assembled into its daily shape.
His name was Thomas.
Named for no one in particular and for everyone in general, for the Thomas-quality of the name, solid and real and without the weight of specific inheritance.
Thomas Robert. The middle name arrived when I saw Damien’s face at the moment of the name discussion and understood from what I saw there that he wanted to give his father something without being asked to and without asking himself to, which was the best version of the gesture.
Robert received the middle name by phone from Damien.
I could not hear his response.
But Damien’s expression when he ended the call was the specific one that belonged to moments when the thing you did was exactly
