Becca smiled down at Ash, tears welling in her eyes. Of course Becca was already crying, Ash thought. “The luckiest day of my life was when I met this remarkable young woman. Ash has changed my life. She has taught me so many things, how to appreciate Malibu at sunset, the culinary pleasure that is putting salt on watermelon, a Southern thing I urge you all to try. She even turned me into a country music fan, which I would have said was impossible. I watched her grow as well, overcoming things most people couldn’t begin to imagine, developing her photography talent, and learning how to love. Ash has made me better in every way possible. I already feel like her mother, but I would love to make it official. It would be my greatest honor to have her as my daughter.”

Ash bit her lip, promising herself she wasn’t going to cry in front of all these people. She could see the judge peering down, the courtroom’s attention focused on her.

“Young lady, would you mind telling the court why you would like Dr. Ortiz to adopt you?”

Ash paused. The lawyer told her the judge sometimes asked questions, so this wasn’t coming out of nowhere. Ash wanted to take her time and answer the question the right way. She nervously adjusted her watch, catching sight of the Tribe tattoo. Becca offered to pay for laser removal, or she suggested they find a tattoo artist who could transform the current tattoo into something new. Ash considered both options, but in the end she decided to keep it. This tattoo was a reminder above all else that she was a survivor.

With that in mind, Ash addressed the judge, her voice trembling slightly. “I wasn’t very nice to Becca the first time we met. If I’m being honest, I was kind of awful. At first, I was just using her. I knew it wasn’t right, but using people is all I knew. Use them before they used me. Becca would take me to all these nice dinners and buy me clothes and makeup. Only Becca wasn’t most people. She kept coming back. Again and again, she came back. Even when I screwed up. Even when I almost ruined everything.” Ash’s voice trembled. She took a deep breath. “She never gave up on me. That’s why I want her to be my mom. Because no matter what happens, she’ll always be there.”

The judge nodded, a lazy smile appearing on his face. “Young lady, tell me, what would you like your legal name to be?”

Ash didn’t hesitate. “Ash Ortiz,” she said