Page 40 of Standing In The Sun

“I’d like to see you try.”

Lunar waltzed into the kitchen with Kamari hanging onto him like his life depended on him. “Damn, I ain’t know we was having a party,” he smirked, kissing all the ladies and dapping up Griff and JJ. “Griff, you getting thick round the stomach.”

“Boy, I’m still in tip top shape. Ask your granny,” Griff jested.

“Eww,” Halo scrunched her nose.

Seeing the adults in her family being so affectionate wasn’t anything out of the norm but she would never be okay with it. At sixteen, she knew how babies were made, so she fully understood what they did in their free time but hearing them talk about it was gross.

Stephanie tried to give Kamari some sugar but he dodged her. “How he gon’ learn to walk if you always holding him?”

“If I put him down, you gon’ be begging me to pick his bad ass back up. This boy gets into everything.”

Apple padded back through the kitchen, now dressed in sweats and a crop top with no bra. “I’m gone,” she said holding her overnight bag in her hand. “Call me if you need me.”

“I appreciate you,” Lunar smirked, talking about that superb head he got that left him feeling good. “Let me know when you make it back to Emerald City.”

“Oh, I’m ‘bout to stop by to see Bently,” Apple licked her lips.

Lunar laughed. “You a trip, Apple.”

“And you used to catch me,” she flirted. It was hard not to when Lunar was so damn fine.

Stephanie rolled her eyes. “Drive safely,” she added.

Apple didn’t say anything as she walked towards the front door. When she pulled it open to leave, she was met by a tall, cute girl. “Oh, hey.”

Butta looked Apple up and down knowing who she was. When Ahvi left Kamari with Lunar, Butta did a deep dive search on him and the most recent thing that popped up was his club fight about Apple. “Hey,” she replied drily.

Apple shrugged her shoulders unbothered by the women in Lunar’s life finding an issue with her. She didn’t give a damn and only shrugged, sashaying around her.

Butta walked in, glaring at Lunar. “Ahvi know you got girls ‘round her son?”

“Good morning to you too,” Lunar hummed. “I ain’t know you was coming today.”

Butta had been in contact with him since Ahvi gave her his number. She was one call away if something happened with her nephew. She wasn’t able to get him full time and after the first week, she understood Kamari was in good hands and she could breathe better.

Lunar got Ahvi’s car from the store after she was arrested and handed it over to Butta which helped her out a whole lot.

“I told Ahvi to send her this way since we have a little party to plan for my girl. She gets out in three days. You hear that Kamari, your mama coming home.”

Kamari mushed Stephanie out his face again making everyone fall out in laughter. He truly didn’t fuck with anyone but Lunar, Pimp, his mama, and auntie.

Lunar’s heart pounded thinking about Ahvi being released and what that meant for him and his little homie. Now that he had an ounce of peace with Kamari in his life, he knew he couldn’t go back to living it without him in it. It was a deep conversation he was going to have to have with Ahvi and he was willing to put up a fight about it.

* * *

Maverick felt he had allowed enough time to pass for Little Lunar to finally be able to grieve his daddy. Now, it was the perfect time for him to step in and step up the way he’d done from the beginning. Without knocking on the front door, he walked in. A smile graced his face when he saw Lunar sitting on the floor with Kamari playing with cars.

Watching Kamari trying to mimic every little thing Lunar did, brought back memories that felt like they had been pulled from another lifetime. It was like looking at a reflection of the past, of a little boy who once clung to his every move, searching for love, guidance, and someone to show him the way.

“Vroom,” Lunar mimicked the sound of cars making Kamari do the same. “Yea…this muthafucka go fast, Mari.”

Mari looked up at him like whatever he said had been dipped in gold and was all facts. After the fiasco with Apple, Lunar watched videos to learn how to braid which left Kamari with straight backs all different sizes and crooked parts. The admiration in his wide eyes was unmistakable. He didn’t just like Lunar. He worshipped him.

And damn if that didn’t take Maverick back to the first time he met Tiny.

Back then, Lunar was only two, barely talking, but already full of personality. The first time he saw Mav, he ran straight to him like he knew he was supposed to be his father. There had been no hesitation or no warm-up period. Just a little boy with big, curious eyes and the deepest dimples, who latched onto him and never let go. Tiny had warned him that Lunar was clingy,but Mav never saw it that way. He was a kid who needed love and Maverick was more than willing to give it.

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