A woman makes a decision:
I had to make a decision. Scribbling into my journal, I compiled a list, the good and the bad. The pros and the cons. My identity, my family connection — these things I felt I was losing. These things had been swirling around in my head, they weren’t a surprise. They were simply now on paper.

And then I wrote, “It doesn’t feel equal.” It doesn’t feel equal. That equality thing surfaced again.

We have always been a unit. Two whole people, more whole together, but always equal. Without him making the change too, it was out of balance.

I race through the list of alternatives. Keeping our own names, hyphenations, new last names.

Frustrated with no obvious solution, I step back a moment. Why am I getting married in the first place? We’ve been together 10 years. We’re practically married. Why did we decide to get married anyway?
Also why she's going to be returning to her unmarried status before long, one presumes.