''Mommy, can I ask you something?"
Melinda looked up from the book and looked at her daughter, who was lying on her stomach and drawing. It was quiet and peaceful in the place where they spread their blanket, and the sun was warming their skin.
''Of course you can," the brunette asked, putting the book aside. ''What's that?"
''Why do you have only one name?" asked the girl without taking her eyes off the piece of paper in front of her. Melinda frowned.
''I have two names, Melinda and Qiaolian. A lot of people have two names, honey. Your middle name is Lian, you got it after your grandmother. Daisy chose her middle name to be Julie, after your other grandma."
''No," Melissa laughed under her breath and reached for the pink crayon, still focused on the drawing. ''I have more than two names."
Melinda straightened up, surprised. She looked at her daughter closely. ''What do you mean, baby?"
''Sometimes you call me Melissa, dad calls me Meilin, Daisy calls me Liss, and aunt Jemma and uncle Fitz call me Lin."
May shook her head slightly, surprised. She leaned forward and tucked a strand of hair behind the girl's ear.
''Your names are Melissa and Lian. Others are just shorter versions of it, used by the people around you. They do this affectionately, to show you that you're important to them. Do you understand?"
The girl nodded thoughtfully, accepting a serious expression, and then started drawing again. ''I think so," she answered.
''Good, because Daisy just came to play with you."
Melissa jumper up at her feet and ran toward her older sister with a big smile on her face. Melinda smiled at her child's laughter in the distance as Daisy took her in her arms and began to tickle her.
''We've got sandwiches, muffins, a few bananas and orange juice," Phil said, placing a large picnic basket on the blanket. Melinda sighed.
''We have to stop cutting Melissa's name, Phil," she said. Coulson frowned, just like she did a moment ago, and sat down next to her.
''What? Why?"
''Our daughter thinks that every version of her name is her next name. She just told me that a moment ago."
''I didn't know it was a problem."
''It is, apparently."
''I told you we should've named her Melinda."
''And what, you think that would solve the problem?"
''Maybe it wouldn't," he admitted, gently pulling her close to him. ''But I love it."
She snorted with amusement. ''You love everything related to me."
''True."
Phil put his arm around Melinda and let her lean comfortably on him. They kissed and then stared at their playing daughters, who were the whole world to them.