Page 59 of Standing In The Sun
“Thank you.”
Another pause made the weird moment even more awkward. Ahvi didn’t know what she was supposed to do or say or even feel. She knew Tiny wasn’t a fan and prayed this wasn’t one of those nice nasty moments because she’d given as much leeway as her patience and respect. This time, Ahvi might have to cuss her out.
“What’s your plan?”
Ahvi looked up, face bunched and her words on guard ready to spit venom if she needed to. “Plan for what?”
“For all this.” Tiny gestured loosely. “You and Kamari…and Lunar. I see y’all gettin’ close.”
Ahvi’s breath caught a little, but she didn’t break. “I don’t have it all figured out,” she admitted. “But I’m not here to play with nobody’s heart or time. Truthfully, I don’t even come from a world where love is on our radar. I’m just trying to make a good life for my son.”
Tiny nodded, folding another dish into the towel. “You know…Lunar’s heart too big. He takes on more than he should…always been that way since he was a little boy. Always trying to fix and protect and cover people. It’s how I raised him, but sometimes that kind of love gets people hurt.”
“I’m not asking him to save me,” Ahvi was starting to take offense to their little pow wow. She didn’t ask for Lunar to be in her life or for Tiny to approach her with this conversation.
Tiny met her eyes.
“I’m not,” Ahvi repeated, “and I would never let Kamari be used to pull someone in that didn’t want to stay.”
That hung in the air.
Heavy, yet honest. Whatever Tiny thought of her, she had it all wrong. Ahvi wasn’t a user. And just as much as Tiny wanted to protect her son, Ahvi wanted to protect hers.
“You ever been in love before?” Tiny asked.
Ahvi hesitated, then nodded. “I think so.”
Tiny raised a brow. “With Kamari’s father?”
Ahvi shrugged. “At the time…I thought it was love. But now? I think it was survival. We both needed each other for something we didn’t know how to name. That kind of bond feels like love…until it don’t.”
Tiny didn’t say anything after that, just let it linger in the air. She folded the towel and set it on the counter, then she looked down at Kamari. He was halfway asleep now, just lying innocently on the floor. Tiny smiled because he was so precious, that much she couldn’t deny.
“I want what’s best for my son,” she said finally, “that includes who he loves. And what he attaches himself to.”
“I want what’s best formetoo,” Ahvi replied. “And if that ends up being Lunar…I’m not scared of earning my place, but I won’t fight a war that don’t need to be fought.”
Tiny didn’t respond. She just gave a small nod, like she’d heard her. She turned to walk out the kitchen but stopped suddenly, turning back around. “You make good waffles,” she said over her shoulder and walked out.
Ahvi let out a breath she didn’t even know she was holding. She walked over to pick Kamari up, holding him close to her chest. “I got us,” she whispered into his hair, “no matter what.”
Lunar came into the kitchen with his hands out. “Let me go lay him down with Butta so you can take a walk with me.”
“A walk?” Ahvi scrunched her nose because who just went for a walk? This had to be some rich people shit.
“Yea, man…”
* * *
The hill wasn’t far, maybe a fifteen-minute walk behind the house, through a narrow trail half-hidden by tall grass and wildflowers. They didn’t talk much at first, just walked in silence like it didn’t need to be filled.
Ahvi knew Jade City was more than the slums on the East and the wanna be nice parts on the West but this part of Jade City was new to her. Even the Publix she went to was different from the ones she frequented out West. Still, Jade City was home for her.
When they got to the top, Ahvi wiped the back of her hand against her forehead. “Shit,” she said out of breath.
The view was breathtaking and something out of a magazine or from some rich girls IG post that found its way on Pinterest.
The sun had started to dip, casting a pinkish hue across the trees and rooftops in the distance. It looked like the world had paused just to admire itself.
