Maren Vale Hartwell.
Vale was the name I had carried before the adoption.
Hartwell was the name they gave me afterward.
Celeste used the full name when she wanted the adoption to sound meaningful.
She shortened or avoided it when she wanted me to remember that belonging could be revoked.
I signed carefully.
Maren Vale Hartwell.
The letters looked firm on the paper.
The name they had given me.
The name they displayed when it made them look compassionate.
The name they expected me to keep small enough that it would never compete with theirs.
I placed the pen beside the receipt.
Across the room, Celeste looked directly at me.
This time she did not pretend the glance was accidental.
Her eyes moved to the closed folder and then back to my face.
Her smile widened.
She thought the payment meant I had accepted my role again.
Pay the deposit.
