put on the spot

"Yes!" Sarah was thrilled to hear the news from Lucy. Thankfully, she didn't make Jake cry, who sat there on his baby blanket in the livingroom and watched her do the happy dance.

"Mommy and Daddy are getting married." She was in a sing song mood as she grabbed Jake and danced around with him. Of course, he drooled on her with delight.

Ezra came out of the kitchen with suds still on his hands. "What? We won the lottery?"

"Powerball, was last night, honey." She shook her head, no. "But, the good news is, Todd can marry us."

His seriousness prevailed as if maybe he was still digesting the idea. Just her luck, he'd hate it.

"That's OK, isn't it?" She didn't like it when he put her off like this, sometimes. He'd been doing that more, lately. It was not exactly what she looked for in a husband, but still she wanted him.

"Yeah. Of course." He went back to the sink. Sarah came around the corner holding Jake on her hip.

"What's the matter then?" She stood there barefooted in her gray leggings and oversized gray tee-shirt she'd worn when she was pregnant with Jake.

He rinsed a dish and put it in the drain and turned back to her. "I've been thinking." He was being mysterious. She hoped he wasn't going to make it a guessing game. Was he on board with a wedding at Todd and Lucy's or did this have to be a formal affair?

"What have you, been thinking?" Sarah smiled as if she'd let him take all the time he needed. Of course, his old Tee was wet from all the dishes he rinsed. She guessed she'd mop the floor when he was done.

"I want to take your last name." He informed her.

Sarah thought her ears might burn when she heard him. Not that she thought Pond was a bad last name. She could certainly live with it. But what would her parents think? On top of that, was her last name even her real last name?

"Hummmm." She found herself squinting. "Why?"

"My last name isn't even real." He shrugged as he dried his hands.

"God, we don't need to make this anymore confusing than it already is." Sarah wasn't sure what he was getting at. She went to put Jake down so he could play with his toys.

"That's why I don't want to make it confusing. I really don't. We'll just take your name. Because, you know..who you are. I never knew my father. And..and who knows where that last name came from."

"But you use it. You're a composer. You use that name." Sarah told him. "Besides, Sarah and Ezra Pond sounds..very traditional. And, we need new traditions." She pinched his cheek then when she kissed him. She liked to think she was a little old fashioned, after all.