"I know that, silly!"

She squirms out of her blanket burrito and flops on top of her sister.

"You're the mouse, and I'm the kitty!"

Then it's time for the only defense a mouse has: its agility and quickness. This translates to a tickle fight.

"Nooooooooo!" shrieks Mary (who is exceptionally ticklish), trying to tickle El back.

This is a fight she has won in the past, and it's a fight she'll win again.

Mary loses in a pile of shrieks and helpless giggles, eventually shouting, "I give, I give!"

"And let it be a lesson to you."

"Clearly I need to ambush you next time."

"If you think that will help."

"I'll beat you one of these days."

Pat pat. "Sure you will."

Cuddles!

"Gonna be taller than you, too."

"Maybe stick to achievable dreams."

She sticks her tongue out. "Gonna get all my dreams."

"Yeah, I know."

Hug. "We'll get our dreams together, El-El."

Hug.

-"Don't call me that."

" - You don't like it?"

"It makes me sound silly."

"I'll stop using it. Sorry if I made you unhappy."

"Once in a while is okay. I have to get mad at you when you do it, though."

"That sounds okay. Maybe I can call you something else in front of other people, so they think you're all dignified."

"If people don't take me seriously then I have to make them take me seriously and that gets to be a lot of work."

She nods. "I take you seriously, sis, even though I know you're secretly a dork. But since we're being all serious, what do you want me to call you? Is just El okay? Elizabeth?"