Pick

“The right to name belongs not to its bearer,” she said. “Upon whom does a name reflect?”

I watched her, and spoke carefully. “Upon the one who names. A name is the gift of a first hope, a first path. But you’re not an infant, nor a pet. Choose your own hope, and walk your own path.”

“How do I make such a choice? How is an adult without a past any different than a babe or beast?”