“But Ma,” Eric explained. “I got so mad … afta he said you was a stripper. I just ’membered hearin’ bad things ’bout them … And I know you not bad … So when he said that …”

“Listen, Eric,” Kat said gently, as she looked deeply into her son’s innocent eyes, “I’m not a stripper ….” Kat lied, in an effort to soften the blow. “I’ma exotic dancer ….”

Shifting gears, she said, “Eric, lemme ask you somethin’. If I wuz a bum in da street, would you love me any less?”

“No,” he quickly replied.

“If I was a WNBA basketball player, would you love me any more?” she questioned.

“No,” came the answer again. “I’ll love ’cause … ’cause you my mommy.”

“Good!” She smiled. “’Cause Mommy gotta do what she gotta do, to take good care of you. I’ll do anything and everything to make sure my baby has … Don’t you like da nice things Mommy buys you?”

“Yeah,” Eric, answered. “You always get ’em fa me first. Before any of my friends have ’em.”

“Well, Eric, those things are expensive,” she insisted. “They cost money. And Mommy makes her money dancing. It’s my job. Just like any other parent has a job …” She went on convincing her son of the legitimacy of her line of work. “… My job is no different from anybody else’s. My money spends just like theirs.”

“I know strippers take off all they clothes. Do exotic dancers do dat? …” he asked. “Can’t you get another job? Where you could work in da morning and come home in da aftanoon? Dat way I could see you more …”

“Eric, all I do is dance on stage with my bathing suit on. I don’t take off my clothes. And yes, I could get another job. But this pays a lot more. So for da time bein’, we, me and you have to sacrifice. Sacrifice not seein’ each other so much now, so dat Mommy can make more money and we can live better, and together, later … Wouldn’t you like dat?”

“Yeah,” he said excitedly, smiling. Just the thought of finally living with his mother brought a smile to his face. He threw his arms around her neck, hugging and kissing her. She held him close for a moment. He was proud to have her for his mommy. No matter what anybody said.

“I love you, Ma,” Eric whispered. “You da best mommy in da whole entire world.”

Kat fought back a tear. She flashed back to a memory of her own childhood, and all the love she never received.