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“Do you ever tire of radical positivity, Lloyd?” I sighed, dropping a kiss on his lips.

Lloyd shook his head. “I've always been aggressively optimistic. Plus, I found you. Can’t help being obnoxiously happy. I wish on stars too, remember? I’ll be here every day if you need. Just talk to me. I’m going to spend the rest of my life proving how incredible you are, Tully, how resilient.”

Our lips were magnets, and they met again. I lingered until my lungs burned.

“This is new to me.” My chest ached. “I’m used to taking care of myself and not doing a very good job of it.”

Lloyd drew me closer, his arms banded around my back. “Eventually, I’m going to carve off the grooves of hurt other people left in you, and you’re going to see yourself like I do.”

“Hmm, what’s that?”

“A vision, a goddess.”

I snorted and arched an eyebrow. That was pushing it, even for Lloyd.

He stifled a smile. “The Baylark name doesn’t sit well on my shoulders. A bit like the Hartlock one doesn’t fit you. If I can manage it, you can too.”

I wrapped my arms around his neck and squeezed. The stars glinted like they knew my secrets.

“We’re a pair, aren’t we?”

“A perfect mess,” he declared, pulling me down for a kiss.

“Can you tell me about this gala coming up? The one for Esta Hartlock.”

“We’re celebrating one hundred years of omegas being able to vote. Esta Hartlock fought hard for the right, along with her sister Birdie. It’s going to be an incredible night, and I think Walden is going to reveal he’s running for mayor next year.”

Walden wanted to go into politics? My stomach twisted. “Y-you don’t expect me to attend, do you?”

“Not unless you want to,” Lloyd said.

“My ancestor left her entire life, not once, but twice. She caught a train alone and married an alpha she didn’t even know. I can’t even imagine how difficult it would have been to live as a pack when they were illegal. She did all those things, and I can barely leave the house, Lloyd. I’m trying, but bravery isn’t my forte.”

Lloyd cupped my cheek, nodding silently in support. He understood more than I realized. There was still the sharp voice in my head that told me I didn’t deserve my name. I wasn’t impressive, intelligent, or worthy enough.

But what’s in a name?

The people who hung up on legacy are the ones who don’t have to shoulder the burden. Except for Walden.

“When you were Tahlia, was there a part of you that was proud? Were you amazed by how resourceful you were, takingcharge of your future? Don’t get me wrong, I’m glad it didn’t work out, because we would have lost you to those prim and proper Astalians.”

“In some ways, yes. Every other moment of my life hinged on someone or something else, like my surname. When I was Tahlia, I was in control.”

Lloyd made a noise low in his throat.

“You control your future now, Tully. Tahlia is a part of you. She’s the person you allowed yourself to be without the fear of your parents or the asshole alpha who broke your heart.”

In the sky, a bright shooting star carved an arc over our heads. I followed its path with a trembling finger.

“Gods. I’ve never seen one so bright.”

I sank my nails into Lloyd’s shoulders and tilted my head to follow the blazing remnants. A rare moment, a jewel dropped into our memories. Would we look back on this and remember it as the time everything changed?

“Make a wish, honey girl,” Lloyd whispered.

Fireworks reflected in his gaze, and I knew he was thinking about his own shooting star. The one that gave him the courage to pave an unknown path with only his grit.

“I’m taking back my name, Lloyd. Starting today.”