Eve: What’s that?
Adam: A dove.
Eve: And that?
Adam: A squirrel.
Eve: That squirrel looks different than that one. Are you sure they’re the same thing?
Adam: That one’s a squirrel, and that one’s a chipmunk.
Eve: You really did name everything.
Adam: God told me about lots of things, like the trees and the flowers. Then He told me to name all the animals.
Eve: Did you name yourself?
Adam: No, God named me.
Eve: Adam, if we ever find something that doesn’t have a name, can I name it?
Adam: We’re not going to find anything else, Eve.
Eve: But if we ever do find something, can I name it?
Adam: Sure.
*****
Adam: I miss how good the plants tasted in the garden.
Eve: Me too. Oh, there’s some food on your face. On that little spot that’s sort of an indent between your mouth and your nose.
Adam: Did I get it off?
Eve: Yes. Is there a name for it?
Adam: For what?
Eve: That little spot that’s sort of an indent between your mouth and your nose.
Adam: There’s no name for that.
Eve: I think we should name it.
Adam: We don’t need to. It’s not like we’ll be talking about it much.
*****
Eve: There’s food on your face. On that little spot that’s sort of an indent between your mouth and your nose.
Adam: You say that every day.
Eve: You always get food there. I think we should name it.
Adam: In the garden, God said our language was perfect.
Eve: But we’re no longer perfect, and we’re no longer in the garden.
Adam: Maybe we should both pray about it.
*****
Adam: I think it’s fine with God if you name other things, things that don’t have names.
Eve: That’s the answer I got too. Philtrum!
Adam: Phil—what?
Eve: Philtrum. That little spot that’s sort of an indent between your mouth and your nose. It’s now called a philtrum.
Adam: That’s a really strange name to choose.
Eve: Well, I thought elephant was a strange name, but I never complained.
*****
Adam: You’ve named shawl, rotten, hangnail, rope, and hungry. How many other things are you going to name?
Eve: As many as I can find.
*****
Eve: It feels like it’s going to happen soon. We should call it childbirth. It’s a good thing we helped the cows with childbirth, or I would be really—what was that word I came up with?—scared.
Adam: I’m a little scared.
Eve: So am I.
*****
Eve: This really, really hurts!
Adam: You’ll be fine. We have a word for this. Pain.
Eve: Pain isn’t good enough. I need a stronger word.
Adam: What do you want to call it?
Eve: You name it. It hurts too much for me to think of a name.
Adam: Let’s call it agony.
*****
Eve: Let’s call him Cain.
Adam: He’s perfect.
Eve: I want to name this feeling.
Adam: We already have the word happy.
Eve: I know. But it doesn’t feel quite strong enough. Let’s call this joy.
*****
Adam: Can I name this baby?
Eve: You said I could name everything else.
Adam: Fine. What’s his name?
Eve: Abel.
Adam: That’s a good name.
Eve: You can name one of our children, some day. But I get to name all of the rest.
*****
Adam: He’s not breathing. And his skin is cold.
Eve: His body is here, but Abel—Abel is gone.
Adam: There is no name for this. This thing that happened.
Eve: I suppose we need one.
Adam: Yes, I suppose we do.
Eve: We’ll call it murder.
Adam: What about what we’re feeling?
Eve: I don’t think I can name this.
Adam: I don’t think I can either.
*****
Adam: Eve, I don’t think we’ve ever spent so much time praying.
Eve: I think we still have a lot more praying ahead of us.
Adam: But I feel slightly—not better, but I feel, I feel—
Eve: Adam, God already gave us a name for this.
Adam: Did He? What is it called?
Eve: Hope.
This piece was published in 2013 as part of the 2nd Annual Mormon Lit Blitz by the Mormon Lit Lab. Sign up for our newsletter for future updates.
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