“That’s oddly specific,” I said, amused.
She laughed, picking up a piece of chicken. “I just know your type. You’re going to go full drama with this. Something like Ursula or Medusa.”
“Medusa’s not bad.” I shrugged, trying not to smile. “She’s got attitude.”
“She’s also known for turning people to stone,” Livvi pointed out. “Not exactly a compliment.”
I tipped my head toward the tank. “Look at her. You can’t tell me she doesn’t have a little femme fatale energy.”
Livvi snorted. “She swam face-first into the fake coral five minutes ago. Femme fatale might be a stretch.”
“I’m still saying Medusa,” I said before taking a bite.
“You’re saying it because you want to win,” she teased.
I grinned up at her. “Obviously. What’s your idea then?”
“Something clever but not too obvious. Somethingyou’d be happy to yell across a room.” Her chin tilted thoughtfully. “Like Beyoncé.”
I straightened and shot her a look. “You want to name my fish Beyoncé?”
“She’s a queen. It makes sense.”
“That’s a lot of pressure for a fish,” I said, but I was grinning now.
“Fine.” She tapped her chin with her chopsticks. “Maybe something a little sillier. What about Blue Ivy?”
I groaned. “Still Beyoncé-adjacent.”
She grinned. “Exactly. It’s clever.”
I shook my head. “If we’re going pop culture, I’m still voting Sharkira.”
She groaned, burying her face in her hands. “You’re not serious.”
“Dead serious.”
“You can’t name a fish Sharkira.”
“Why not?” I leaned back in my chair, enjoying this more than I probably should have. “She’s got hips that don’t lie.”
Livvi’s laughter rang through the apartment, and something loosened in my chest. Something that had been wound tight for way too long.
“Okay, okay,” she said, still giggling. “We’ll put Sharkira on the maybe list. But only because that joke was so bad it might actually be brilliant.”
“I’ll take it.” I grinned as another name came to mind. “What about … Ariel?”
Livvi lit up. “That’s actually cute.”
“Cute?” I pretended to be offended. “Ariel is iconic.”
“Exactly.” She was clearly enjoying herself. “But does shefeellike an Ariel?”
We both turned to look at the fish, who immediately zipped through the castle like she was trying to make a break for it.
I nodded. “Yeah, that’s totally an Ariel move.”
“Okay, fine,” she said with a reluctant smile. “Ariel goes on the list.”