Page 72 of Hummingbird and Kraken

Ro jerked his head up.

“Like, sometimes I think of myself as a femmy gay boy. And sometimes I think of myself as non-binary or feminine-of-center or genderqueer or whatever you want to call it. Just because I was assigned male at birth, doesn’t mean it’s my only option. How I present myself to the world is my choice.”

Ro’s eyes grew large. “I’ve read about trans people. I just never…” he trailed off.

“You’ve probably met some of them, too. You just didn’t know.”

Ro nodded. “Um, should I call you something different?”

“You mean like pronouns? Nah. He/him works for me, though I wouldn’t be offended by she or they. I can never quite decide whether I’m expanding the definition of masculinity or wandering outside it altogether. Maybe both? The important part is I don’t really have to decide. I can just do what feels right.”

Declan reminded himself to slow down. Ro needed a minute to think before he said this next part.

“You, um, well,” Declan continued. “I feel like I always say too much. ‘Cause I’m pushy and annoying. But you’re always so sad when you talk about heart-singers. Can I just suggest that…. maybe you actually are one? Or maybe you aren’t quite that, but something similar or in between.”

Ro nodded, so small that Declan might have missed it if he wasn’t looking.

“I mean,” he went on, “I know it’s a bit different, but I don’t think that you have to stick with the identity that you’re born with. Or, um, given? Even if there are actual gods involved.”

Ro opened his mouth, then closed it again.

“Well, think about it,” he patted Ro’s hand. “I’m always here to talk.”

“Um, thanks.”

Declan figured that was enough for the day. “Hey May!” he called. “I need an expert egg cracker. Are you good at that?”

Ro’s brows wrinkled. “You’re going to be pulling out eggshells all night.”

Declan shrugged. “That’s why we’re putting the eggs in first. Anyway, how else is she supposed to learn?”

Ro grabbed a chair and May hopped up so that she could reach the counter. She immediately picked up an egg and held it over the bowl like she was going to drop it.

“Hang on,” Ro reached toward her, but not fast enough.

“I’m cracking the eggs!” She pulled it tightly to her chest.

“Um… you know that we only eat the inside, right?” Declan asked. “There are a lot of secret steps. You have to be careful, like a spy.”

She gave him a confused look.

“You have to be calm and careful, like a princess,” Ro corrected.

“Ahhhh… I see.”

Ro shrugged. “If I could get her to manufacture even the slightest interest in spies, I’d go that direction.”

“Well, Princess May. Let Princess Declan and Princess Ro show you all the fancy princess tricks for cracking eggs. After the princess brownies we can paint our nails.”

May squealed. “Princess tricks!”

“Calm and careful princess tricks,” Declan confirmed.

She nodded solemnly. Ro raised one eyebrow.

Declan elbowed him gently in the ribs. If Ro was flexible enough in his thinking to encourage May to be a spy, he could give himself permission to play with gender, too. Or… whatever the equivalent was. “You know you want to.” Sometimes it was better to show than tell.

By the time Ro and May left that evening, they’d made princess crowns, painted their toenails, and eaten brownies and peanut butter cookies, with a short break for some healthy sandwiches and fruit.