He again woke to his sister gently singing the name chrissie. He yawned.
"Why do you keep calling me that?"
"I heard Mummy call you that before and I thought it was very cute. It's a very sweet little boy name and it rhymes with what you are."
He was just awake, and so not on his toes.
"A sissy!"
He groaned.
"Please can you not call me that? This isn't my choice..."
She giggled.
"When this is all over you will love it I promise!" She said, with seriousness.
"Anyway....you've been such a good boy, this is such a happy time for me." She leant over and stroked his weedy arms.
"Don't spoil it, please..." She said this with a crestfallen face, this was something so important to her. He could not hate her at this moment, even after all that happened.
"Next thing I want you to do is tell Mummy you want to be called Chrissie. Please, make it sincere. Please. No grown up words."
She was pleading this time. She could have threatened him, but she clearly wanted this to be perfect.
"That's going to be your name in all this. Chrissie Amy. Your middle name is after your Mama." She smiled and bit her lip. This was a proud moment.
"Come on. let's go have some lunch."
She dressed him back in his outfit, and he instinctively picked up his doll. Did he do that because he anticipated her asking him, or because he was so used to it? He did not know.
Lunch proceeded the usual manner, with his mother getting the "honour" of feeding him from her fingers.
When all was over, Amy looked at him and raised her eyebrows. What? Oh...
Chris stood and walked over to his mother, Anna, curtsying. This had to be a good performance.
"M-Mummy... th-the other day y-you called me by a special name..."
She looked sympathetic.
"Yes christopher. I remember. You cringed. It was chrissie. I'm sorry. I know this has been hard on you and you've been such a good boy I don't want to push you. You have your Mama for that. I'm sorry..."
"N-no M-Mummy...I wasn't cringing...it was just scarey...it's such a pretty name... Mummy can always push me too..."
She seemed to perk up, as if disappointment had given way to hope.
"You like it? truly?"
He was very nervous, that was true, but that was a permanent fixture right now.
"Y-yes Mummy...could you do me a big favour?"
She smiled.
"What is it sweetness?"
"C-could you call me that from now on please? Make that my name?"
Once again a traitor to his future and past self.
"Hmm. That is a big favour..."
WHAT? She JUST said she loved the name. Oh gosh.
"I suppose I could, for another fortnight on your time..."
WHAT? Another 2 weeks!? That's 11! 10 and a half left! He looked out to Amy, for a shake of the head. She gently shrugged and gave have an embarrassed nod. He...had to do this? She had a much larger threat if he didn't.
"Y--yes Mummy" he said, masking his frustration with a fake smile.
"Then it's settled Chrissie!"