I am the baby in the family, and I always will be. I am actually

Host: The living room was cozy — the kind of space that holds both memories and laughter. Outside, the sunset painted the sky in deep shades of orange and pink, a reminder of how fleeting moments could be. Inside, Jack sat on the couch, his feet propped up on the coffee table, staring at his phone absently. Jeeny was by the window, her back to him, watching the light fade from the horizon as the city grew quiet.

Jeeny: (turning from the window, a thoughtful look on her face) “You know, Janet Jackson once said, ‘I am the baby in the family, and I always will be. I am actually very happy to have that position. But I still get teased. I don’t mind that.’”

(She smiled, her voice soft but curious.) “You think that position matters? The baby of the family?”

Jack: (without looking up from his phone, a small smirk tugging at his lips) “The baby of the family, huh? I bet they get all the attention and none of the responsibility.”

Jeeny: (laughing lightly) “Maybe. But there’s something about being the youngest that gives you a different kind of perspective on family. You’re often the one who gets to see everything unfold — without the pressure of being the first to try things.”

Jack: (looking up at her, his grin widening) “I’m the oldest in my family. Trust me, I was the one who had to set the bar for everyone else. And it felt like a lot of pressure. No one ever told me it was okay to fail.”

Jeeny: (sitting down beside him, a touch of sympathy in her voice) “Exactly. The oldest gets the expectations, the responsibility. The youngest gets the freedom to just... be. And maybe that's why Janet doesn't mind being teased. It’s almost like her position gives her permission to be more herself.”

Jack: (pausing, thoughtful) “You think being the youngest gives you permission? I always thought it meant you were just the one everyone else got to joke around with.”

Jeeny: “It’s more than that. It’s about perspective. The youngest doesn’t have to try as hard to be seen or heard. They’re given a little more grace, and maybe that grace lets them figure out who they really are.”

Jack: (leaning back, his smile softening) “I guess I never thought about it that way. Being the oldest, you get so caught up in trying to prove something that you forget the freedom of just... being.”

Host: The light outside dimmed, leaving only the streetlights to flicker softly in the distance. The air in the room felt lighter now, the weight of Jack’s thoughts easing as the conversation unfolded between them. Jeeny smiled as she watched him — not in a way that felt like pity, but in a way that acknowledged something unspoken between them.

Jeeny: “I think the youngest gets teased because they’re often the most comfortable with who they are. No one expects them to be perfect, and maybe that's the freedom we all need.”

Jack: (grinning, teasing her) “So you think I need to be more like the baby in the family?”

Jeeny: (playfully rolling her eyes) “Maybe not in the family sense. But in the sense that you don’t have to carry all the weight of being ‘the best’ all the time. You’re allowed to just be.”

Host: Jack chuckled, the sound rich with understanding. He looked at Jeeny, a new kind of clarity in his eyes — the realization that he had spent so much time trying to be everything to everyone that he had forgotten to just be himself. The light from the window shifted, casting shadows across the floor, making the room feel both small and infinite, like the space between them had grown larger and yet, somehow, more intimate.

Jack: (smiling) “You’re right. I’ve been so busy trying to live up to something that I forgot to just enjoy who I am.”

Jeeny: (nodding, her voice gentle but firm) “And that’s the power of being the youngest, Jack. You don’t need to prove yourself. You’re given the freedom to just exist.”

Jack: (with a laugh, finally leaning back into the couch) “I’m starting to see the appeal.”

Host: The sunset had long since faded, but the room still felt warm. In that small moment, Jack allowed himself to relax, to step out of the role he had worn for so long. The weight he carried in trying to be the best, the most responsible, the most important — it began to lift, just a little, as the conversation danced between them.

Jeeny: (smiling) “You see? Maybe you should try being the youngest for a day.”

Jack: (laughing softly) “I think I’ll just take the night off and try being the me who doesn’t have to hold the weight of the world for once.”

Jeeny: “Exactly. Sometimes, being free from the pressure of being perfect is the best thing you can do for yourself.”

Host: The quiet filled the room again — the sound of their laughter fading into the evening, leaving a soft, warm silence between them. Jack closed his eyes for a moment, allowing the feeling of lightness to settle in his chest. He wasn’t the youngest, but he could still learn to let go of the burden of perfection, if only for tonight.

And in that soft stillness, the simple truth was clear: The freedom to just be might be the greatest gift any of us can give ourselves.