“I know my name, Dr. Lindsey. I know my name! “

Victor held her close, felt her excitement, and let her enjoy telling him.

“I’m Meg, Dr. Lindsey. I’m Meg.” Her face was beaming.

“Hello, Meg. Meg who?” Victor’s smile faded as Meg’s countenance fell. He whispered. “Darling?” as he questioned with the word of tenderness.

Carol Lindsey slipped out of the room and went to find someone to help unload the supplies. She knew her dearly loved son would have to help the over excited girl and she would be a hindrance in the minutes that lay before him.

Victor was barely aware he spoke the endearment. The feel of her against his heart had overcome his reason. Meg’s expression had changed from one of joy to utter defeat. Victor knew his question had thrown Meg into frantic disappointment, hurt, and now, as he watched her lovely face, a shadow of shame. Victor drew Meg even closer to him and asked gently, “Tell me, what troubles you, Meg?”

“I don’t know who else I am. Just Meg. Could I be Meg Ashley until someone tells me who else I am?” Her face lay against his heart and her words seem to cry.

Victor tried to lift her spirit as he said lightly, “Meg Ashley, it is. I like that very much, don’t you?” Victor released her slightly in an attempt to see her face.

Meg lifted eyes filled with tears as he held her still. “I want a real name, Dr. Lindsey. Could I possibly have yours?”

Victor looked long and searching into Meg’s face, saw the tears, and her complete loneliness. He gathered her again very close, trying to find words.

“Please, please give me your name. You like me, don’t you, Dr. Lindsey? I’ll do anything, anything you want me to do, if you will?”

“Meg, Darling. You don’t understand. I want to give you my name more than anything, but Sweetheart, I can’t just give you my name without a process of law. That would take so long you are sure to remember your own name before you could take mine.”

“You could marry me, please, say you will. I know I’d have your name then without waiting.”

Victor could hold her no closer. Her pleading eyes tore at his heart. “Beloved. Oh, Beloved, you don’t know what you are saying.”
“I do so, know. I saw on television and I read in a book. The girl had one name. She got married and had the man’s name.”

“There is so much more to marriage, dear, than getting a new name.”

“I know that, too. You live in the same house. I can cook and clean our house. You get babies. I don’t know much about babies but I think, I would like them very much.”

Victor fought temptation with difficulty. He held a very desirable woman in his arms but the woman was a child. He knew he loved her enough to overcome the problem of that circumstance but he would have to make her understand so much more.

“Meg.” Victor moved to put her in a chair. When she was seated, he sat in another and faced her. “Listen, dear. Just suppose you were married to me, and this minute you remembered your life, your name, and the people who love you and you love. Don’t you think you would want to live with your own people?”

“No!” Meg turned sparkling emerald eyes to look him full in the face. Her eyes held his with challenge in their depth. “You said for me to accept things as if they belonged to me. You wanted me to live each day as every minute was my own. You said, what I am inside is what I truly am. I know I am happy doing what you said. I want to remember everything and I was glad to know my first name. Well, I’m still what I am inside whether I am Ashley or Meg. But, neither name is enough for me to sign and get money from the bank, if I have any. Neither name is enough to know my Social Security number, or where I belong somewhere or anything at all.”

“I know, dear, but to marry, you should love the person and want their way of life.”

“Very well. I will love you and I do want your way of life.”

“Meg, you still don’t understand.”

“Are you saying you don’t love me?”

“Oh, Darling. I could never say that, for I do love you.”

“Don’t you want to marry me then? Is it because what I am inside isn’t enough?”

“You are a child, dear, living as you knew life at the age of twelve.”

“So you think I can’t love you because my mind is blank of understanding the way a grown up would love. Well, I do understand. Do you or don’t you want me like a man wants a woman?” Meg left her chair in a flash, her eyes flashing fire with her golden hair flung back and her hands on her hips. She waited for his answer.

Victor sprang to his feet as Meg faced him. He met her blazing challenge by taking her shoulders in his hands. His voice was deep, compelling her attention. “Meg, Meg!”

“Well.” She replied and waited again.

“Do I want you? Oh, little one, you cannot know how much I want you!”

“Then it’s settled. We get married.