I'm sure my teddy was nude, neuter and unashamed. Some gender assumptions, of course, aren't modern at all. Lots of people ask that, too. As usual, I denied any preference. I went home and asked him.
Girls are easier to talk to.
I wasn't sure he meant it. The cat is a gifted dribbler, but he is never going to grasp offside. I wonder if I meant my denials, either. And I think I might worry less about a boy, assume he was better able to take care of himself. It might be easier to have a little distance and not presume I understood everything he was going through - after all, I've always found men emotionally inscrutable.