Page 58 of Standing In The Sun
Mav leaned back in his chair, stretching. “You gotta chill, princess,” he coddled her with the pet name he’d given when they first met. His promise of princess treatment was still holding true. “You focusing on her when you need to keep your foot on Monday’s neck. He sneaking round with her sister.”
“Monday, is still a virgin,” Tiny waved him off, talking under her breath.
“Lunar was still a virgin once, too…but okay.”
Tiny’s gaze swept over the room, her eyes landing on Monday and Butta, their laughter intertwining like the carefree melodies of youth. They were just kids, wrapped up in a world where consequences seemed distant. Her attention then shifted to Lunar, whose eyes softened, brimming with unspoken affection as he watched Ahvi cradle Kamari. It wasn’t that Tiny disliked Ahvi—she did like her. But an unshakable unease settled in her chest, a feeling she couldn’t quite articulate.
“You don’t think he’s getting too caught up so fast?” Tiny couldn’t take her eyes of her first born.
Mav sighed. “You ever thought maybe age or circumstances don’t have nothing to do with falling in love? I know for a fact time they don’t because the first time I saw you, I was ready to marry you.” He leaned back, focusing on Lunar and Kamari. It was like he’d taken a trip back to the past. “I remember when I met a young single mother trying to figure life out.”
Her chest rose and fell with a tattered breath. “Maybe that’s what I’m scared of,” she mumbled under her breathe.
But Mav heard her loud and clear. “I think that’s why you shouldn’t be scared. It all worked out for you, princess. You gotta let Little Lunar figure his own shit out. That boy ain’t been sad or reckless since he got that little boy in his arms. Maybe this is his breakthrough.”
Tiny had always been cautious not to embody the stereotype of the overbearing mother or jealous mother. But her instinct to shield Lunar was overpowering and a mother’s instincts were hardly ever wrong.
He was his father’s son—a hopeless romantic that wore his heart on his sleeve. His emotions had the power to elevate him to euphoria or plunge him into despair. The serene glow that enveloped him whenever he was near Kamari ignited a deep-seated fear within her. If Ahvi chose to move on, Tiny foresaw Lunar’s heart shattering, a devastation she was desperate to prevent.
Maybe Tiny’s apprehension wasn’t solely about safeguarding Lunar. Ahvi remained unaware of the depths of Lunar’s impulsive nature, the lengths he might go to when it came to love and loss. Tiny’s protective instincts flared, not just for her son, but for the delicate balance of hearts entwined in a way that could leave both of them bruised.
For now, she’d chill like her husband suggested but Tiny had her eyes on Lunar and Ahvi. Because again, Mav was right. Lunar looked happier and more at peace when it wasn’t that long ago when her son seemed to be depressed.
Depression wasn’t something that had a face but Tiny was no fool—Lunar was on the verge of doing something he wouldn’t be able to come back from. So, maybe she needed to chill and let the chips fall where they may. She probably needed to give Ahvi some grace too.
“I know you worry about him, but Lunar was raised right, Tiny. Let him see this through and if it don’t work, I’m sure he’ll learn from it and not spiral.” Mav kissed the side of her face.
* * *
Everyone was scattered now in their own little worlds. Butta was fake asleep on the couch with her phone still in her hand, and Mav was dozing off like Sundays were built just for naps.
Ahvi stood in the kitchen rinsing the last of the serving pans she found while looking for things to cook with. The water ran warm over her fingers, and steam curled up around her face as she zoned out for a second.
“You don’t have to do all that,” Tiny’s voice came from behind her.
Ahvi didn’t flinch, just glanced over her shoulder. “I don’t mind. I ain’t got nothin’ else to do.”
Unhurriedly, Tiny walked over. She wore soft house slippers and that same silk wrap from earlier. Reaching for a dish towel she started drying the utensils without being asked.
It was silent for a moment with just the sound of the running water and Kamari babbling in the background from the floor. He’d been crawling and pulling up on everything.
“You grew up with your mama?” Tiny asked.
Ahvi blinked, caught offguard. “Not really. My daddy raised me.” She didn’t go into detail.
Tiny nodded like she already figured that out. “That explains some things.”
Ahvi tilted her head slightly. “Like what?”
Tiny gave her a look. “You carry yourself like someone who always had to figure it out without being told. Ain’t nothin’ wrong with it. But it’ll make you tired if you never let nobody help.”
Ahvi turned off the water, drying her hands on a towel. “I’m workin’ on that. Still learning, you know?”
Tiny folded a fork into the towel, drying it with slow care. “You seem like a good mama.”
“I try to be,” Ahvi sighed.
“Kamari’s a sweet boy.”
