All You Have To Do Is Stay

Namesakes Given

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ℂ𝕙𝕒𝕡𝕥𝕖𝕣 𝔽𝕚𝕧𝕖 :

𝙽𝚊𝚖𝚎𝚜𝚊𝚔𝚎𝚜 𝙶𝚒𝚟𝚎𝚗

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"Mother and Father never gave you a middle name ?"

Tim was a little surprised when Jane mentioned that. He and his brothers all had middle names – two, as a matter of fact, though they weren't favorable, and more than likely just listed from that night's pasta dish that sat in front of their parents at the time, on the long, polished wood table ( it was one of a kind, artisan ), but out of the four of them, the squeakiest wheel of the bunch, didn't bravely bother their parents of a middle name.

Tim was quick to want one, as soon as he saw some of the long, fancy names in the books, and he pestered the two endlessly, in hopes of fishing for a name and catching some nibbles. After a few months, and more trips to the coal bin than he could count ( he was only about four, and he managed to bribe a two - year - old Jane to get him out, with promises of food ) , he finally managed to get not one, but two middle names, one from each of his parents – he was, from that moment on, Timothy Anthony Malachy Willoughby. He'd repeat it in chanted whispers in the bathroom for such a long time, just so he'd never forget a name that would one day bring greatness to the world. The twins soon followed a good few years later, with their own unfortunate names. He much preferred calling them A. and B., and maybe they could find new names – Orphan Services needed papers, so they could procure birth certificates and legal documentation and they'd finally be able to experience life like normal kids.

They sat at the dining room table, Tim writing his name in sloppy cursive, in an attempt to refine his penmanship, because Nanny did point out that, while it was readable, it was considerably sloppy, and could use some work. The twins were both tracing the letters in a penmanship writing book, so they could catch up on modern knowledge, such as reading, mathematics, among other things. She had even bought them small novellas to get them started, none being much higher than a second grade reading level ( though B. showed promise with his reading, and might even be able to move onto third grade level soon ) . Jane worked on her own reading, reading a book with a magenta cover, comical title letters, sketchy hearts and stars, and an illustration of what seemed to be a teen girl writing in a diary.

"I didn't even know that you could have more the ones we already had," Jane claimed. ". . . But it would be nice to have middle names, like you three. Maybe I could have three !!"

"Don't you think three might be too much ? " he questioned.

"Three syllables for a proper first name, and three middle names for a proper full name," she insisted. "One of the girls in this book has a three syllable first and last name – I also think I might change my first name."

"To what ?" Tim asked. "I don't think we should be trying to change so much so quickly -"

"Eugenie," she continued . "And we could always use Jane as a nickname, like the girls in this book have for eachother !!"

"Eugenie ?" he stifled a laugh. "Don't you think that's a boy name ? Like Eugene ?"

She was quiet for a moment, and her face turned into a bright pink. She hated to admit it, but he had a point. One of these book characters was made fun of for his name sounding too girly, she wouldn't want to be on the opposite end of the spectrum.

"Maybe changing my first name is jumping into too much," she sighed. "Maybe three middle names would be too much."

She slapped her face into the book and sighed to herself in frustration. It was starting to settle in that having middle names was a huge responsibility, they weren't things that she could simply change after a few days if she didn't like them, they weren't temporary, like ink stains from a pen on the skin. They were ink stains on very important pieces of paper, and you couldn't erase ink, regardless of how much the fancy dual colored eraser blocks promised.