Alexa was thisclose to being Aurora. Or Dorigen.
At least, she would’ve been if my college self had any say in the matter. Throughout my 20s whenever baby names came up, I had always told friends that I’d had those two girl names picked out for a long time. The name Aurora was one I’d loved since I was a little girl. After the princess and all. Dorigen came from The Canterbury Tales. I liked that it meant “of gold” and that her nickname could be Dori.
As it turns out, I never had a chance to contemplate baby names or even try Aurora or Dorigen on for size.
It was my first trimester, and I was pretty convinced I was carrying a boy. I was also having crazy dreams. One stood out more than the others. In this dream I was preparing dinner in our house. This house was amazing, and believe me when I say I still think about it daily. It was a lake house with vaulted ceilings and floor-to-ceiling windows facing the lake. I had the distinct feeling H was on his way home from work. Sitting at the dining room table was a little girl, probably about 7 years old. She was working on homework and asking me questions as I cooked. She had long, dark hair. Her backpack was strung along the back of her chair. There was a name on it. Alexa.
The whole thing was so vivid I shared it with H first thing the next morning.
“Sounds like we’re having a girl named Alexa,” he said.
Fast forward a few more weeks, and we found out I was carrying a girl. And when Alexa was born she looked exactly as I imagined her. Exactly like the girl from my dream!
Now, if only the lake house were a reality. Maybe by the time Alexa turns 7?
