Page 23 of Standing In The Sun
Now, he was walking in the house, and Kamari had just settled down—after he’d head butted Lunar in the mouth while crying for his mommy.
Lunar looked around the house knowing Pimp was somewhere out running the streets. He’d made the decision when Lunar wouldn’t let him go meet Ahvi with him. Now, he wished he’d let Pimp join him.
His mind went back to the phone that held the key to what he’d been missing all along. That was his main concern until he could find out more about Ahvi’s charges and take her son to her moms like she asked him to. But first, he was dying to see what was on the phone. Shuffling through the bag, he pulled out the phone and the charger that went with it.
Lunar found a plug with Kamari in his lap as he typed away on the phone connecting it to the TV, hoping to get a better view of the videos.
The screen flickered, and Lunar’s heart pounded as the video came to life. Kamari fidgeted in his lap, his tiny fingers gripping Lunar’s shirt like he could feel the shift in the air.
Big Lunar’s voice came first, casual but full of something unshaken.“Aight, I’m recording. Say what you just said.”
The camera wobbled before settling on Tiny, sitting on the edge of the couch, her legs crossed beneath her. She looked younger, softer, but the sharpness in her eyes was the same. She sucked her teeth, shaking her head with a small laugh.
“You always recording weird shit,” Tiny muttered, running a hand over her barely there stomach like it wasn’t real yet.
Lunar snickered behind the camera. “Nah, this different. This the start of some real shit.” He flipped the camera back to himself, running a hand down his face, exhaling slow. His usual cocky smirk was missing. “I’m really ‘bout to be somebody’s daddy.”
Tiny side-eyed him. “You late. I been knew that.”
“Nah, for real. I can’t be out here on the same shit no mo’.” He leaned forward, his voice dropping like he was making a promise, not just saying words.
She hummed, not fully convinced. “So what you gon’ do, cause you know you still gon’ have to look out for everybody else… Stephanie ain’t gon’ step up.” Tiny rolled her eyes hating how much pressure was put on him.
Lunar smirked, but it didn’t quite reach his eyes. “Shit, maybe I’ll join the army or some shit.” He spoke the words like life was just that simple when he knew better than anyone that it wasn’t. At least not when you had an absent father and a mama that was so consumed with reliving some youthful years like they asked to make her a mama so young.
Tiny let out a short laugh, shoving his arm. “Boy, shut up.”
“I’m dead ass! Imagine me in one of them uniforms, real official…fine as hell too.”
“You ain’t built for that. You hate being told what to do.”
The screen shook as he laughed, his hand briefly covering the camera before the video cut out.
The room felt too quiet when it ended.
Lunar sat frozen, the weight of it pressing down on him. His chest felt hollow and full all at once
Lunar’s breath hitched. He hadn’t even realized he was gripping Kamari so tight until the little boy whimpered, his chubby fingers digging deeper into Lunar’s shirt.
Lunar tried to swallow, tried to blink past the sting in his eyes, but it was no use. The pressure in his chest cracked wide open, and before he knew it, his phone was in his hand, ringing before he could second-guess himself.
“Ma,” his voice came out raw. He sucked in a breath, trying to gather himself while gripping Kamari as his mother answered on the other end. “Ma, I need you.”
six
Tiny didn’t rememberthe flight…didn’t remember getting in the helicopter…didn’t remember landing. All she knew was that Lunar needed her, and nothing else mattered.
She came alone. Mav was still in LA with Monday, visiting the school one last time before making it official.
As she pushed open the French-style doors, her chest tightened at the sound ofhisvoice. Her feet felt heavier with each step, like she was walking through water. Everything felt wrong and unreal-- like she’d stepped into some twisted nightmare. But if nightmares were the only way she could hearhisvoice, she’d take them all while smiling through the pain.
Then she heard soft coos, the unmistakable sound of a baby. Her brows bunched because since when was there a baby in the house? There was so much happening in her body that Tiny could barely walk.
Still, she pushed through, dragging her reluctant body through the house, searching for Lunar. As soon as she answered and heard Lunar sobbing on the phone, she knew he wasn’t calling for no reason and that he needed her. But as she stepped into the living room, the weight of the moment crushed her.
Quickly, she closed her eyes afraid to look again.
Hisvoice wrapped around her, dragging her under before ripping the air from her lungs. She hadn’t heard it in years, but there was no forgetting it. The deep steady rhythm… the way his words always seemed heavier than they should be. The cadence and sing song melody it carried when he talked and lord forbid, don’t let him be smiling while he talked… Tiny would never forget the butterflies that swarmed around her whenever she was close to him. And Tiny and Lunar had always been attached at the hip.
