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Leo pointed the pink Wii remote at the television, the strap still secured around his little sister, Georgina’s wrist. All the characters from Mario Super Sluggers grinned at them, and the music played loudly as they prepared for a game in the Toy Field.
“What character you want, Gigi?”
Georgie looked at the abundant list of characters, her eyes examining every single one with precision. “Baby Daisy, please.”
Leo moved the finger with the number 3 over to where Baby Daisy was, and clicked it, letting the character do her little dance of joy. “H-meister, you need help?”
Harley was moving the finger with the number 2 over to Funky Kong with his red remote and selected the character. “I got it, Leo.”
Georgie let her Wii remote swing from her wrist like a pendulum. “You need to choose, Leo.”
Instead of verbally replying, Leo moved his controller (player 1! He loved being the oldest) over to the Mii section and picked himself—the bright fiery red of his character’s clothes illuminated against the white box he was standing in.
“Of course you pick you,” Harley sighed. “You don’t want to pick a cool character?”
Leo put his Wii remote to his chest and gasped, “Harley, I am offended. I did pick a cool character.”
Georgie giggled. “The coolest,” she said sarcastically.
“Are you being sarcastic?” Leo gasped again. Georgie’s giggles multiplied, telling Leo he hit the Jackpot. “Georgina! You wound me.”
“Just pick a computer, Leo.”
“I will never forget this, chiquita,” Leo lamented as he selected random for the computer and King K Rool came up. “Never, never.”
“Okay, Leo,” said Georgina.
Leo set up a few more things—the teams were him and King K Rool on his newly programmed Idiot Mode, and Harley and Georgina together—as well as making sure it was set so that they could swing the bat instead of touching buttons because that was so much more fun. They waited until the game chose who was going first (Georgie) and set up the Toy Field.
Georgie did a few practice swings with her rattle bat despite Harley reminding her that she has played before, before she started her round. Leo gave her a banana in the random slot machine.
Georgina hit the giant metallic ball, and both Funky Kong and the Mii version of Leo ran towards it. King K Rool, in all his Idiot Mode glory, ran not only the wrong way, but straight into the letter N of “Homerun” on the back wall. Georgie managed to launch the banana (that Leo gave her) right into Leo and he slipped, letting Harley grab the ball without any consequences.
They played a few more rounds, King K Rool comically bad skills leaving Team Leo in a terrible position as Baby Daisy and Funky Kong cruised to an early lead.
It took eight turns for Leo to finally be a batter, and he jumped with joy as his character readied his bat.
“Leo?”
Leo let the first ball—a curveball from his own damn teammate— go. “Yeah, Gigi?”
“Do you love me and Harley?”
Leo swung way too early, in surprise, before he paused the game and turned towards Georgie, a frown creeping its way onto his features. “What?”
“Well,” she turned towards Harley, as if begging him to continue to speak for her.
“We overheard you and Nyssa talking this morning before school,” Harley continued. “You said you didn’t love people.”
“But, we love you a lot!” Georgie seemed to find her voice again, “And we want to know what to do to make you love us.”
Georgina and Harley’s attitudes made a ton more sense to Leo. Normally, the two of them would beg Leo to let them choose what video game they wanted to play, but they had let Leo choose. His heart broke at the idea of his siblings not knowing he loved them.
“Oh, Gigi, H-meister, ‘course I love you both,” Leo threw his arms around them, “You’re my siblings and I love you two so so so much.”
“But you said to Nyssa—”
“I was talking about something else,” Leo said. In truth, he had just come out to his sister as an aromantic asexual, and was explaining how he didn’t love anyone romantically or sexually. Whether the two children hadn’t heard the whole conversation, or they didn’t understand, he wasn’t sure. “I promise that I love you both.”
Georgie nodded. “Okay, I believe you.”
“But why did you say you don’t love people?” Harley insisted. Leo should have known better than to expect Harley to drop the topic. “If you love me and Georgie?”
Leo racked his brain for an age appropriate response.
“You know how Mom and Mama love each other, but it’s a little different to how they love us?”
Georgie frowned, thinking hard. “You mean how Mommy and Mama are married?”
“Exactly, I was saying I didn’t want to get married.”
“Ever?” Harley asked.
“Ever,” Leo repeated.
“But you’re big!” Harley exclaimed, “When Casey and Morgan were having a wedding at recess, Julie said she didn’t want to get married when she’s big, but Mrs McDaniels said that she’ll understand when she’s big since everyone wants to get married when they’re big.”
Leo sighed. “Mrs McDaniels is wrong.”
“But she’s a teacher,” said Georgie, aghast. “Teachers are always right.”
Leo racked his brain for an adequate response. “I think Mrs McDaniels thinks everyone wants to get married because she’s never met someone who doesn’t,” Leo decided on. “So, she just needs to learn. Even teachers can learn no things.”
“So, we need to teach Mrs McDaniels?” Harley asked. “And then she’ll know?”
“We get to teach our teacher?” Georgie reiterated.
“If you want to.”
“I do,” Georgie decided. “I’m going to tell her my brother is big, and he still doesn’t want to be married, so maybe Julie doesn’t want to be married when she’s big either.”
“That’s a good idea,” Leo agreed. “How about we finish our game? King K Rool and I are going to make a big comeback!”
“I doubt it,” Harley laughed.
“Just for that, I’m going to beat you.”
Leo did not, in fact, beat them. But that was okay, since they knew he loved them regardless.