He smiles. “You just have to keep them entertained. All they want is to have some fun.”

We lapse into silence as the movie starts. Then I turn my head and say, “Why’d you start by introducing your pronouns? Kids don’t even know what that means.”

“Maybe not, but they’re going to hear about that stuff somewhere, so why not start now? I can open them up to it here, or I can wait for someone else to teach them wrong.”

I raise an eyebrow. “You don’t strike me as a trans rights activist.”

Devin chuckles. “I’m nonbinary.”

“Wait, really?”

He shrugs. “Don’t tell me you actually thought I was cis.”

A kid at the back of the group turns around, puts a finger to his lips, and makes a loud shushing sound at Devin. Devin puts his hands up in surrender and makes a motion of zipping his lips.

I roll my eyes, but it is kind of sweet how well Devin seems to get along with these kids. I’d never have the patience for it, but I wonder if there’s one little trans kid in the group who’ll find that much more confidence in coming out for having known Devin. Hell, if some trans girl I never knew personally could inspire me to embrace myself in high school, I imagine Devin opening these kids up to pronouns now will make all the difference. Imagine knowing that being trans isn’t just a thing, but a thing you’re actually allowed to do. I wonder if I would’ve found myself sooner.

And maybe this is part of finding myself now. Maybe this is Fate’s way of helping me find a kid just like myself and give them something I never had.

And maybe it doesn’t mean anything at all, but I still can’t help but smile.

We only keep the kids until one. Then two more counselors take them out to spend a few hours outdoors until their parents pick them up. Devin looks almost wistful watching them go, and then he tells me to start cleaning up.

On top of just picking up all the scattered crayons and DVDs, we also have to mop the floors to clean up any bodily fluids the kids left behind. Really, the day’s firmly convinced me that kids are disgusting, and I’d rather cut my own uterus out by hand than ever birth one, but at least it’s basically over and I’m getting paid.

Devin puts on this playlist, and I don’t know if it’s intentionally gay—Halsey, Hayley Kiyoko, Troye Sivan—or if that just happens when you’re queer and really dig your indie pop.

“Did you have fun today?” he asks. He’s pulled out some spray cleaner to wipe down all the windows and mirrors.