Page 56 of Standing In The Sun

Lunar was their legacy, so of course they would pass it to him.

Everyone gathered around the big wooden table with their plates full. This was all a piece of life that Ahvi never got to experience. Even with the tension between her and Tiny, this was all a dream to her. Kamari fit right in too. It was like this was where they were meant to be.

Butta walked in, her skin fresh like sleep had treated her kindly. She tried to slide past the kitchen unnoticed, to sneak out without anyone noticing. She was so thankful her sister hadn’t asked for her car back yet because catching rides and Ubers was expensive when she was a broke high schooler.

“Girl, you spent the night?” Jaci grinned, poking her fork at Butta’s hoodie. “Thought you went home.”

Ahvi paused, then looked over her shoulder like she misheard ‘cause there was no way her seventeen-year-old sister spent the night and she didn’t know.

Butta smirked, really wanting to cuss Jaci out since Jaci knew damn well she stayed over. Hell, the two of them had snuck some of the liquor when the adults started retreating to their rooms. “I fell asleep.”

“Where?” Ahvi asked, one hand on her hip, the other still holding the orange juice.

Butta’s eyes darted to Monday for a moment, but quickly bounced back to her sister just as quick hoping Ahvi wouldn’t put two and two together.

“Whereyou sleep at, Porsha?” Ahvi pressed, side-eying her hard.

Butta shrugged way too casually, “Somewhere.”

JJ and Halo both hollered at the same time, “Somewhere?”

Luna popped JJ, warning him to mind his damn business and hush so she could get the tea.

Butta rolled her eyes, snatching a biscuit off someone’s plate. “Don’t y’all got TikTok dances to go practice or something?”

Halo rolled her eyes, “Girl, we ‘bout the same age.”

Javen laughed at his daughter. She was a handful.

“I swear them was supposed to be my girls. They don’t care what they say…out here making auntie proud,” Solar gushed.

It was true. Luna joked a lot about how her girls were so smart mouthed like her little sister. Luna wasn’t a bitch by any means but she liked to steer clear of confrontation. It served her no purpose.

Ahvi stepped closer, narrowing her eyes. “Who’s room, Butta?”

Butta dipped her biscuit in syrup, real slow. “I don’t remember.”

“Lie again,” Jaci sang out.

Monday coughed into his cup, then looked straight at the ceiling like it owed him money. Lunar watched the whole thing unfold, trying not to smile.

Ahvi crossed her arms. “Iknowyou not sneaking around with nobody under my nose.”

“I didn’t sneak,” Butta said, deadpan. “I walked... “

“And ended up in someone’sbed?” Ahvi stepped up to her little sister ready to put her head through the wall.

Butta thought because she was taller than Ahvi, she could test her limits. Too bad, Ahvi never got that memo. On a bad day, she would put Butta on her back.

Butta just winked and turned to Kamari. “Mari, tell your mama mind her business.”

Kamari babbled something and everyone at the table burst out laughing.

Monday still hadn’t looked anywhere but up.

Mav cut his steak like nothing was happening. “Y’all better be lucky this food hittin’,” he muttered to his son knowing he was going to have a long talk with him about last night to get to the bottom of it.

Tiny shook her head. “Monday why the hell you keep looking up like you praying to God?”

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