Nicholas was the second nephew, after John. They were born within a year of each other to my two sisters. Shortly after they were born, I went home to visit my family. I felt awkward when I first held Nicholas—this was brand new to me—and I almost threw him across the room when I realized his mouth was going for my left breast. "Get him off!" I screamed, as if he was a spider that landed on my arm.

As time went on, I felt a little more comfortable around my nephews. They began to recognize me and smiled with such innocence that I couldn’t help but melt. My life began talking a turn for the better; I quit smoking and hardly drank, and I was being a hell of a lot more responsible. It was perfect timing, I guess, but I felt as if I was forced to becoming a role model.

Nicholas quickly got attached to me at an early age. At age two, I showed him how to make a zombie face, and we walked around my mother’s house, terrorizing my parents. My mother yelled at me to grow up, and with her statement, I think I won Nicholas’ heart forever. I really began to like him; he was a funny little guy. He developed weird habits. For instance, he became obsessed with keys and would steal them if anyone left them lying around. He would casually put them in his pocket and often leave family members stranded or locked out of their homes. He also always acted like an old man. (My suspicions are that he spent too much time with my father, as Nicholas began slumping his back and rubbing his chin at age 3.)

When I told him that I didn’t eat mushrooms because of the movie Attack Of the Mushroom People, he stopped eating mushrooms too. When my sister demanded why he suddenly stopped eating them, he told her he didn’t want to turn into a mushroom monster.

Nicholas listened to my every word and tried to emulate me as much as possible. It dawned on me that I could shape this boy's life! I would make him love monsters, teach him how to respect women and appreciate old movies! He would want to visit his worldly Aunt Dixie every chance he got. He would tell all his friends about his Aunt in New York and how wanted to be just like her. Now I understood why people wanted to become parents; it was like creating an extension of yourself.

I had a few doubts, though. I had to make sure he didn't grow up to be one of those annoying white kids who dressed in ugly hip hop clothing. And if I really did my job right, he would hate hip hop entirely. I guess a Sex Pistols record won’t have the same effect on him, but I’d think of something. I came from a neighborhood where every kid was listening to bad dance music or what was then the beginning of hip-hop, and I chose to have some taste, so why couldn't young Nicholas? He was really smart, so there was hope.

I tried to go home more often as another niece and nephew were born. When I did, John and Nicholas would fight over where I was sleeping and a few times got into fisticuffs. I liked being the cool aunt.

Nicholas always answered the phone when I called my sister. He soon had very clear conversations with me and was very logical. He always wanted to come visit me and ride the train. He became obsessed with this thought, and one day, my sister called to say that she, her husband, and Nicholas were coming to visit.

This was a big deal for me. Rarely did I get a visit from anyone in my family, and I’ve gotten none since I moved to Queens. My sister Maria never came to see me in my ten years in New York. And now, Nicholas was coming! He lives in a very remote area, with sparse houses and farms nearby. I don't think he's ever seen tall buildings or played in a city park. I started to panic. Would he be able to handle the subway and all the different people on it? I guess it was time for him to learn what the real world was like.

I spent a few days cleaning my apartment and buying food I thought they would like. I took down most of my topless photos of women. I polished my monster models, and dusted all of my books and my old movie posters.

That morning, I paced up and down until the door buzzer ran. I heard Nicholas running up the stairs, and was completely overwhelmed by how much I loved him. "Dixie!" he yelled and ran up to hug me. He didn't understand the concept of apartment and walked around. As I greeted my sister and my brother-in-law, Nicholas surveyed each room, delicately picking up the figures and toys around the apartment.

He especially liked a Lost in Space robot he found. He figured out how to make it say "Danger Danger, Will Robinson" by pressing a button, and repeated it all day long to my amusement.

When we rode the subway, he was terrified that it was so far above ground. He quickly adjusted and was on his best behavior. We spent the day sightseeing and loved watching him. He looked at me every so often, and we made zombie faces to each other. We slept together in my spare room, and he warned me that he sucks his thumb. "I hope it won't bother you," he told me. Although he kicked me all night long, I didn’t mind. When he woke up, he whispered in my ear, "Dixie, I’m going to watch tv. You can sleep."

I was sad as they packed up for their long drive home. Nicholas made his last zombie face and kissed me goodbye. Maybe I’m finally growing up, but children aren't so bad.