INT. JO AND LINK'S APARTMENT – LIVING ROOM – EVENING

The living room is dim, lit only by the TV and a small lamp in the corner.

A half-empty bowl of popcorn sits on the coffee table. The house is finally quiet.

Jo is curled under a blanket, tucked against Link’s side. Her head rests on his chest. His good arm is wrapped around her shoulders; the other rests awkwardly in its sling. He rubs slow, absent-minded circles over her shoulder.

The movie plays in the background — something neither of them is fully watching.

Jo tilts her head slightly.

JO
What about Peyton?

He doesn’t respond at first, eyes still on the screen.

LINK
Hmm?

JO
What about Peyton?

He looks down at her.

LINK
Wait. Who’s that? 
Which character?

She reaches for the remote and pauses the movie.

JO
Not in the movie. 
What do you think of the name Peyton?

He shifts carefully so he can see her face better. 

LINK
Where did that come from?

JO
I had a patient last week.
Her baby was seven weeks early. 

A beat. 

JO (CONT’D)
So tiny. But stubborn. 

Another beat.

JO (CONT’D)
Already a fighter. 

He watches her more closely now.

JO (CONT’D)
Her name was Peyton.

She adjusts under the blanket, fingers playing with the edge of it.

JO (CONT’D)
I don’t know. 
I just like the name. 

A beat. 

JO (CONT’D)
(thinking)
It’s soft. But strong.
It sounds… steady.

She meets his eyes. 

JO (CONT’D)
And it would sound good with Luna and Scout.

The room goes quieter now.

He studies her — she’s not brainstorming. She’s anchoring.

LINK
I just… want something that feels more personal.

JO
I suggested Hattie. That’s personal. And you brushed it off.

LINK
I didn’t brush it off.

He tightens his arm around her slightly, protective instinct kicking in.
 
JO
I’m always the one suggesting.
You’re always the one weighing in.

He winces slightly at that. Not defensive, just aware.

LINK
I’m not trying to decide.
I’m trying to land.

A beat.

He says it softly, testing it in the room:

LINK (CONT’D)
Hattie and Peyton.

He lets the words sit in the air.

Jo watches his face carefully.

JO
It sounds good together.

He doesn’t argue.

LINK
Maybe.

He presses a small kiss into her hair.

LINK (CONT’D)
Let me sit with it.
And let me give other ideas.
 
Jo’s fingers tighten in the blanket.

JO
Don’t think too much, then.
 
The shift is subtle — but real.

JO (CONT’D)
I’m carrying twins, Link.
Things can change overnight.

The air shifts.

He sits up slightly.

LINK
You’re okay though, right?

JO
Right now? Yeah.

A beat. 

JO (CONT’D)
But I don’t know how I’m supposed to carry them another six weeks.

That lands heavier now.

He looks at her — not teasing, not calming. Assessing.

LINK
You need to slow down.
No more pushing yourself.

JO
I know. 

A quiet settles between them.

She relaxes back into him, listening to his heartbeat.

LINK
Can we finish the movie now?

JO
I might fall asleep.

LINK
(soft)
That’s allowed.

He presses a soft kiss on her head. 

He unpauses it.

The movie resumes, but neither of them really hears it.

FADE OUT.