“Aunt Francene son?” he asked for clarification.
“Boy, how many Carios you know?”
“What he doing here?”
“He moved up here to chase his dreams!” she boasted.
“And what’s that?” Jio asked dryly. He hoped it wasn’t hustling.
“Fashion.”
Jio stared blankly ahead. “What the fuck made him come here?” It was a stupid idea if you asked him.
Nina scoffed. No dream was dumb in her eyes.
His mother continued, “He says New York is where he needs to be. His mama is worried sick and I told her you could help. He serious about it too. Got sketchbooks, fabric samples, all kind of stuff.”
“How am I supposed to do that?”
“Uh boy, as much money as you spend in them malls. I know you done made a few connections. He needs an internship or something.”
“Ma, he should’ve called before he came or at least visited. Where he staying?”
“With me. We going to help him figure it out.”
“Who is WE?” Jio wasn’t a part of this.
“He’s family and family stick together!” she argued.
“That don’t make me a babysitter.”
“You better not embarrass me, Jiorgio.”
Nina’s eyes widened at the full name and she gasped loudly.
Jio looked at her sharply and she turned her eyes back to the pages in her book.
“You know clothes better than anyone I know.”
“I know clothes because I buy them, Ma but that don’t make me no fashion guru.”
Jio was being modest because he definitely bragged on how stylish he presented himself to be. He didn’t just know clothes. He LOVED them.
“You know enough.”
Jio sighed.
Nina watched him ponder on a decision, although he kept trying to sound like he wasn’t about to get involved. She knew that he would though. It was one of those love-hate things that came with him. Jio swore his family exhausted the crap out of him, yet he wore the responsibility of carrying the weight of being the man of the house like an armor. For him to be the baby of the boys, he acted like the oldest. Nina listened carefully whenever his family called and they all looked to him for the answer.
He would curse them out, ignore their calls, complain for twenty minutes, and still move heaven and hell if one of them needed him to.
“What you want me to do?” he asked finally.
His mother’s tone changed instantly.
Nina could practically hear the smile through the phone.
“Come get the nigga shit! Take him around. Let him see New York in its prime.”
