Page 106 of Standing In The Sun

She kissed his lips. “I love everything about your cocky ass… But get your kid before he get us put out.”

They both laughed, chasing after Kamari, who was now being greeted by one of the servers holding a tiny to-go box of fries just for him.

As they left the restaurant, Ahvi turned back one last time, her eyes lingering on the door with the sign above it glowing gold and silverSunsets and Moonlights.

She squeezed Lunar’s hand. “Thank you for believing in me even when I didn’t know how to ask for it.”

Lunar kissed her fingers. “You don’t ever have to ask. I’m yours. Wherever the sun sets, and wherever the moon rises—I’m there.”

“Oh God,” Ahvi rolled her eyes, smiling. “You always been dramatic.”

“And consistent,” he winked.

They laughed again, heading toward the black car idling outside, their baby between them and their dreams stacked high.

* * *

Backstage smelled like shea butter, smoke, nerves, and greatness. At least that’s what Ahvi smelled. She’d been moving around the country with Lunar, so she was kind of used to the hustle and bustle of the music industry but she’d never really not turn into a fan when she ran into some of her favorite artists.

She stood near the edge of the curtain, her hand clutched around her phone even though she hadn’t looked at it in twenty minutes. Kamari was asleep on Luna’s lap, strapped to her chest so he wouldn’t run. He was knocked out cold with noise-canceling headphones and his curls in neat braids thanks to Solar. He’d played hard all day. He ate funnel cake and danced with Noodle during soundcheck. But now, he was saving his energy for his daddy.

This wasthenight.

The biggest show of Lunar’s career so far.

He and Noodle were headlining a three-night festival that honored Black art and independence, with a sold-out crowd of nearly 50,000 people screaming for them.There were other acts - big ones, but everyone knew who they came to see.

The 8thWonders—black kids with big dreams, owning the universe because Javen told them they could.

“8thwonder!” someone in the crowd chanted.

It caught like a match.

“8thwonder! 8thwonder! 8thwonder!”

And still, Lunar hadn’t stepped out yet.

Noodle was on now but she would stick around since she and Lunar had a few songs together.

Ahvi peeked through the curtain. Noodle was on stage solo, her voice floating, velvety smooth and gritty at the edges. She was singing an interlude. The calm before the storm. The stage was drenched in reds and golds, the smoke hung low around her feet, and the big LED screens looping videos of the Sapphire City and LA. It was Lunar’s signature and tied in with his album, EastWest Sun—an enriching story of life with Mav while searching for Big Lunar.

Ahvi’s heart twisted because it all felt so full circle, and she knew how much love and tears Lunar poured into making it. She’d been there for most of it so she saw how hard he worked.

His album, EastWest Sun, had taken the music world by storm. Critics predicted it would sweep the Grammys, dissecting his lyrics like hidden scriptures. Each song was an intimate bridge into who Lunar truly was. The East represented his roots with Big Lunar, and West embodied the steady presence of Maverick Long.

The album blended raw lyricism with heartfelt tributes. “Forever 17” and “An LA Love Song” had become anthems for a diverse fanbase, but it was his sped-up, soulful twist on Alexander O’Neal’s classic “Sunshine,” renamed “Standing in the Sun in Jade City,” that had fans, especially the ladies, losing their minds.

But tonight was all about Forever 17—he wanted to sing it for his daddy who was standing on the moon.

Behind Ahvi, Solar, Aku, Luna, French, Javen, Mav, and even Tiny were shoulder to shoulder, dressed in shades of silver and black like the night itself showed up to support. It wasn’t just family. It was legacy, living and breathing.

“You good?” Luna whispered, gently adjusting Kamari’s headphones.

Ahvi nodded. “Just a little jet lagged but ready to see my man,” she wagged her tongue playfully.

As if on cue, Noodle’s voice lowered.

“Y’all know this next part means everything to us,” she said, wiping her face. “If you know loss, if you know love, if you know what it means to find your peace after the storm… scream for my brother. Scream for Nar!”

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