"I did," Ash said, nodding. "Val was blown away. She's going to tell all her friends about that one."
Luna laughed and wiggled a little, but she didn’t move her hand. In fact, she snuggled closer to him. "They were both really impressed with that trick you did on the rug when they first got here."
"A stand-up backbend?"
"Yeah, that was the one."
"Your sister said she used-ta could do that."
"Yeah, Val took gymnastics, I remember that."
"What does Val mean? Like a-e-i-o-u-and sometimes y?"
Ash chuckled. "I never thought of that. No. It's spelled different. My sister's name is short for Valery. We just shorten it and call her Val, like we call you Lu for Luna."
"Does Val have your last name?"
"Adams? Yeah. She's my little sister. Valery Adams. Why?"
"Cause Carly said my mom will have your last name if you marry her."
"I hope she would," Ash said, not knowing how Luna felt about it. He glanced down, and she was staring up at him with wide, serious eyes, and he gave her a little smile. He realized that this sort of talk could easily be a slippery slope, and he paused and prayed that he could say the right thing.
"Does your mom have your same last name?" Luna asked.
"Yeah, she does. Jamie Adams. She took it when she married my dad." He paused, and she stared at him with those big eyes, blinking.
"Do I change my last name like my mom when you marry her?"
Ash's heart.
It was cracking in half.
He had no idea what to say because he could not tell by the way she said it or by her expression how she felt about it.
"You don't have to," he said. "But you could. I think it would be up to you."
"My mom said it would be up to you."
"I thought you said you talked to Carly about it."
"I asked my mom too."
He stared at her. She was serious—so sweet and sincere. He could not believe he was sitting here having this conversation with her. He felt an inward urge to protect her at all costs, and it was because of that that he shrugged and acted casual.
"It's really up to you," he said. "You're the one who would have to get used to a new last name." Ash put his hand to his chest. "My choice is obvious. I would obviously want you to have my last name. Who wouldn't want a girl as cool as you to have their last name? To me, I don't even have to think about it. I thought it was obvious. That's why I think the choice is really up to you."
"Ohh," she said, nodding. "Oh, well then, yes, then, I do."
"Okay, great. So, when I marry your mom, you'll just be Luna Adams?"
She nodded, and so did Ash. They said a few more things about her birthday party, and then he prayed and sat next to her for a minute before whispering goodnight.
She was half asleep by the time he left the room.
Audrey was standing at the sink with her back to him, and she turned briefly to smile at him. She was being elusive, and she wiped her cheek on her shoulder before turning back around. Ash was about to ask if everything was all right, and she spoke first.
"I’m crying, but nothing's wrong," she said. "These are happy tears. I'm just so thankful and happy."
