Page 57 of Standing In The Sun

Sucking his teeth, Monday looked everywhere but at Butta. It was hard when she was so fine to him but if he looked, he’d give himself away.

“Exactly,” Stephanie added with a sip of her mimosa. “Next thing you know, they got a baby named Tuesday.”

“Don’t play with me,” Butta said, pointing her fork. “Ain’t nobody naming no baby Tuesday.”

Ahvi swung, smacking her upside the head. “You ain’t having no fuckin’ baby period!”

“Girl!” Butta’s eyes swelled with tears from being embarrassed. Sometimes her sister did too much.

Lunar went to grab Ahvi. “Chill,” he hummed in her ear calming her instantly.

Solar squealed. “Okay, grown man!” she clapped. “Get your girl in check.”

“Calm down, Solar.” Tiny sipped her drink. “It ain’t that deep.”

Listening to Tiny, Ahvi wanted to say something to her too. She was already pissed that Butta was acting like a hoe blinded by money when she knew better. Monday was out of her league like Little Lunar was out of hers. She needed to get her shit together, before she found herself lost and broken from her own imagination.

JJ grinned before adding onto the joke that no one was laughing at anymore. “Wednesdaywouldslap though.”

The table cracked up again.

Ahvi just shook her head, yanking Lunar to the side. “You knew she still was here?” she asked, keeping her words low, but the bite was still there. She wasn’t mad, just… big sister irritated.

Lunar smirked. “I don’t be in people’s business.”

“That’s a yes.”

“I’m sayin’…” he chuckled, “She wanted to be where her big sister was and got caught up… I’m sure it ain’t nothing that’ll make a baby. Monday still a virgin…well he was before last night.”

“Lunar!” Ahvi fussed, “keep playin’ with me…she got a lot of shit ahead of her and I don’t want Butta to get caught up in some puppy love or lust or whatever that shit is.” She sighed, remembering when she fell in love for the first time. Ish shut that shit down quick.

“I think you putting too much stock in some shit that probably don’t even matter. Talk to her about it later and I’ll check in with my little brother. I can’t have him getting in the family before me.” Lunar gave her his signature smile, full of swag.

She looked at him for a second longer than she meant to, before looking away. “You annoying,” she muttered.

“You like it.”

She smiled instead of flat out lying before joining everyone else again.

Solar and French’s kids, Frenchy and Apollo were trying to convince Qamar’s son, QJ to play Uno for money, while Griff was in the fridge claiming somebody stole his recovery juice. It was clear Stephanie turned him upside down last night.

Solar tapped her glass for silence. “Can we do a quick toast though?”

Stephanie grinned. “Here she go.”

“For real,” Solar said. “I just wanna say, shout out to Ahvi for this bomb ass food. You didn’t have to do it, but you did—and it tastes like love, so we feel it. And if you teaching classes, let me know so I can make this for my man every morning.”

Solar was becoming her favorite out of the adults in Lunar’s family. She was so down to earth and even took up for her when it came to Tiny’s standoffish ways.

Grabbing Solar’s face, French tongued her down. “All I need is you in the morning,” he growled in her ear. “Welcome to the family, baby girl.” He smiled at Ahvi.

Ahvi dabbed at her eyes. French and Bu had to be fighting for her heart with the loving way their presence and words seem to cut into her.

Aku swooned, loving to see her daddy dote on her mama that way. It was all she ever wanted for herself.

Everyone lifted their cups and mumbled little praises, clinking glasses, even the kids lifted their juice in the air.

Tiny sipped her drink but didn’t say anything. She just watched Ahvi across the table like she was trying to solve a math problem that didn’t quite add up.

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