Absolutely ridiculous, I told myself. Was my mother serious or what?

One of my other phone calls was from a Chicago-based modeling agency. I had another job opportunity. Life was indeed good. That was the good news. I went back and forth on whether I should call the agency back before I talked to my sister. Finally, I decided to do the bad news first. I figured Juanita was not going to change her mind about her pregnancy, and after I would fail again to convince her, I would call Chicago for the good news and move on.

I dialed my sister’s cell phone number from my same position in the La-Z-Boy chair. She lived in Indianapolis now, just a few hours from Gary.

“Hello,” she answered.

“You know who it is,” I told her.

“Mmm hmm,” she acknowledged me.

I asked her, “So, what’s the final verdict?” We both knew what I was referring to. The pregnancy seemed to be all that Juanita and I talked about for the past month. She was still early, in the first trimester.

“Did Mom tell you to call me?”

There was no sense in me lying about it.

“It’s not fair to her no matter how you slice the cake,” I answered.

“Well, who says I’m going to ask her for help?”

I shook my head against the phone again. “Juanita, come on now. You know good and well you can’t raise a child on your own. And you’re gonna have all of us feeling guilty by association.”

“None of you have to be involved in it,” she responded. “I mean, you’re not perfect either, Terrance. Mom always thinks you can do no wrong just because you make a good living.”

My sister sounded defensive and childish if you asked me, and she was turning twenty-nine soon. How in the hell did she get involved with a young basketball player in the first place? I could see if she was still in her early twenties, but not late. Juanita had a grown woman’s curves and age, I just wasn’t sure how grown her mind was anymore. So I decided to try some reverse psychology on her.

I said, “Juanita, can we be honest with each other for a minute?”

“Oh, I’m always honest.”

“Okay, good. Now, in your honesty, would you call me a selfish man?”

“Definitely. We already know that. You are one of the most selfish guys I’ve ever been around in my life, Terrance. And that’s the truth.”

“Now, would you have a baby with a guy like me?”

Juanita stopped in her tracks.

“Okay, now I see where you’re trying to go with this. But he is nothing like you.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes I’m sure.”

“Has he ever met your mother? Because I try not to meet any parents. I don’t even want that much attachment.”

“Because you’re an asshole.”

“Okay, but this isn’t about me. What about this guy? Would he be willing to admit to his stance? He probably already has.”