Christian came down to breakfast and found Jane sitting at the kitchen table in her bathrobe, staring into space. "What's wrong, Jane?"

"Don't call me that?"

"What?"

"I said, don't call me Jane."

"Why not?"

"Because it's not my name anymore."

"Really?"

"It's too much of a burden. You know, Jane Mansfield. Jane Austen. Jane of the Jungle. Calamity Jane. Jane Doe. I'm tired of living under the weight of all that."

He sat down across from her. "Okay, so what should I call you?"

She met his eyes. "Call me Zzyzx. You know, z-z-y-z-x."

"Okay, but why that?"

"You know, no history. No implications. Nothing to live up to."

"I see. Is she, this Zzyzx, anything like my Jane? I mean, can I at least count on her making breakfast?"

"She's not a she, and no, Zzyzx doesn't make breakfast."

"Right. Okay, then. Zzyzx it is, and don't count on . . . Zzyzx being like Jane." He smiled. "So, am I still Christian, or has that changed too?"

She scoffed. "Talk about a loaded name, not that you live up to it. I mean, you don't exactly live a Christian life. What lawyer does?"

"Is that supposed to be an insult?"

"No. Just sayin'. It's not a problem for me."

"I'm going to have to think about all this. In the meantime, if you're not fixing breakfast, I better get going so I can pick up something to eat. I've got a court case this morning. Guess, I'll see you tonight." He was about to give her a kiss, but he didn't know how that would go, so he just gave her a little wave and left her sitting at the table.

It was hard for him to focus in court. He hadn't noticed Jane, that is, Zyzyx, being dissatisfied. She hadn't said anything that would make him think that was the case. So, what happened? And what about that name, Zzyzx?. He'd better check it out to see if there was any hidden meaning that he should be aware of.

When the judge called a noon recess, he picked up some lunch from the snack bar and headed up to his office. His secretary had gone to lunch, so he had an hour to himself.

First thing he did was Google Zzyzx.

It wasn't such a meaningless name as she thought. In fact, it had a number of meanings. Some kind of buzzing sand wasp, a lonely road in the Nevada desert to the last place on earth, or, more interesting, and even better, a person who is dead, but has consciousness in an alternate reality where they cannot die, doomed to live in limbo for eternity or until the next death process begins. Who knows, she might like living in limbo. That's right, don't call her she. It wasn't going to be easy taking this seriously, or knowing what pronoun to use.

He headed back to court and put his client on the stand so the jury could see for themselves what a kind boy he was. A scared fifteen year old named Rael could not kill somebody's dog for any reason. Soft spoken, with a sweet face, he was innocent as a lamb, as his name conveyed.

The jury agreed, and sent the boy home with his mother.

So, that was done. Now what about Jane? Zzyzx. What did a woman named Zzyzx want? He was about to Google the word again when he realized she didn't want a name with pre-defined meaning, she wanted freedom from a name. She wanted a name she could define herself. But why at this point in her life? In their lives?

He thought of stopping off at the mall to buy her a nice dress, or maybe a beautiful necklace or ring.

No. If she wants something, she should choose it for herself. Maybe that was the problem. Maybe she was tired of him taking care of her and making all the decisions, tired of being his lovely wife. Of course. Why hadn't he realized it before?

When he got home, he walked in the door and smiled when he saw her at the kitchen table, right where he left her that morning. Only now she was wearing a pretty flowered dress. He sat across from her and waited to see what would happen.

They looked at each other for some time, seeing each other in a way they hadn't seen each other in years. Finally, he whispered, "I guess people change over time, don't they?"

She nodded and smiled. "Not necessarily for the worse.'

"Right. So, where should we start, Zzyzx?"

She looked around the room, tipping her head, this way and that. Then, with a playful smile, she came around the table, pulled him into her arms, and danced him around the dining room to music only they could hear.