Little Bill...

Lunasia: Bill, we did it!
Ballard: …It’s alive… We really saved him...
Lunasia: But this is just a temporary fix. We still need to find a way to get him to a real vet.
Relief washes over Ballard like a tidal wave. He can’t believe it. Two children, against all odds, have brought a dying creature back from the brink.
Lunasia takes Ballard's hand and presses it against the Maltese's chest.

Lunasia: Listen. That’s the sound of life. This little one fought hard… and it’s all because of you, Bill. He trusted you, the one who protected it. That’s why it didn’t resist, even in pain.
Ballard: Thank goodness…
At that moment, a quiet certainty blooms in his chest.
No matter how big the hardship, as long as his sister is by his side, they can overcome anything.
He turns toward her, ready to share his joy, only to see her solemn expression, half-lit by the slanting rays of the setting sun.
Lunasia: Bill, we saved it, so it’s ours now. Should we give it a name?
Ballard: A name… What should we call it?
He's never been good at naming things, so naturally, that task falls to Lunasia.
Lunasia: Let’s call it Bill!
Ballard: Huh? But that’s my name…
Lunasia: Nope~ Not anymore. One day, you’ll grow up. You’ll stop being Bill and become Ballard.
Lunasia: But this little Bill… he can stay just the way he is. Forever.
Her smile dims, tinged with something quiet and sorrowful.
Lunasia: A sister’s duty is to protect her brother until he becomes a man.
Lunasia: But… as for me, I have a selfish wish I’ve never really said out loud.
Lunasia: I wish Bill could always stay just Bill. Not Ballard. And never Oberstein.
She reaches out and strokes his cheek, her eyes glistening with tears… or maybe laughter. Maybe both.
Lunasia: If only you could stay this small forever, then I could protect you forever, too…
Lunasia: But if you’re destined to grow up, to become someone strong, then at least… let this little Bill stay with me, forever…