The Sigma Asset 🏳️‍🌈 (bxb)║AMBYS WINNER 2022

6: The Piano

"William Graz." It rolled so easily off my tongue that I wondered if I'd even said it before myself. "William Graz."

The name had rung familiar to my ears when Will had finally uttered it to Teresa and Sofi at Maria PD.

William Graz.

Was it the name of some American pioneer, half-remembered from that high school summer where I'd been so bored that I'd taken it upon myself to read an American history textbook?

William Graz reversed into a parking bay and stuffed his blue baseball cap into the glovebox.

"Doesn't sound very Persian," I said, more to myself than to Will, who was busy plugging the car into the charging point. We were headed toward the food court of a shopping mall somewhere off the Pacific Coast Highway.

"My father was American." Will's voice was barely a breath, pushed between pursed lips. His eyebrows wriggled as if surfing the crests and troughs of his thoughts.

I guessed that his Dad hadn't really been around. What kind of man would have captured Mozhgan's attention decades ago? Probably someone with a big heart like hers.

Will finally put into words whatever torrent of emotions was pouring through his curly head. "I'm gonna change my surname, anyways," he said, his jaw set resolutely. "I've been meaning to for a couple of months."

"Change it to what?"

"To my Mom's surname, Shirazi."

"That's a nice surname." It was weird that he'd spent thirty-two years as Will Graz and not thought to change it until now. "Why do you wanna change it after so long?" When Will didn't answer, I made a mental note not to mention his father for the rest of my stay. "Korean names are so boring!"

Will looked at me with the beginnings of a smile on his face, clearly appreciative of the clumsy change of subject. "Why do you say that, Park Jun-su of Saha-gu, Busan?"

His Korean pronunciation was great. The way that he made it sound short and clipped, yet whiny at the same time, was pretty impressive. I hadn't been aware of how brusque my language sounded to English-speakers when I'd first arrived in the States. These days it always tickled me at how unintentionally pissed off my Korean clients sounded.

"Good memory," I said, shuffling onto the escalator behind him.

"Why did you change it to Zephyr?"

"I didn't. Cal changed it. He said that my real name was a security risk, and changed it to something simpler."

"Zephyr was simpler?"

Don't lie, Zeph. Noah chose your name. Is that why you like it so much?

A chill rushed over my flesh. Cal had renamed me, but it had been Noah who'd suggested the name.

Zephyr.

The name had perplexed me since I'd been given it. If Noah had been truly interested in security, why choose such an obscure name as Zephyr, a name so memorable in its own right? The name Zephyr must have meant something special to Noah. If I was really honest with myself, the reason why I was so attached to my name was because it was the one thing that Noah had given me that I didn't regret.

Will looked at me, eyebrows shifting with concern.

"Fuck knows why, man." I attempted a laugh to brush off my disquiet. "Maybe Cal's really into meteorology. Maybe I was this close to being called Anticyclone or Albedo or some shit."

Will joined in with my laughter, shaking his head at me as we began a long circuit around the food court. I was strangely proud of myself for eliciting an emotion in him, or at least an emotion that wasn't upset. I wondered if he'd noticed my uneasiness talking about my stupid fake name, and was humoring me as a distraction. It was working to a certain extent.