Page 14 of Falling Into Gravity

Aku spotted them a few rows ahead. Siasia waved with one hand, camera hanging around her neck, Belinay was deep in her phone while Qamar Jr held a snack tray way too big for him. Esmeray stood off to the side in a cropped hoodie and biker shorts, arms crossed and judging like she ran the stadium. Her deep brown skin was beyond beautiful and Aku always admired it.

“Oh, okay outfit,” Esmeray said the second Aku got close. “You ain’t look dusty today.”

Aku sucked her teeth and leaned in to kiss her cheek. “I never look dusty. That’s you projecting.”

“I’m just saying, your ‘outside’ outfits been giving…errands lately,” she replied, flipping her braids.

Esmeray was tall like both her parents. Siasia loved Qamar’s kids like her own, but only QJ had come from her. Esmeray’s real mother, Malaysia had long legs and deep skin—very model-like just like Esmeray.

Belinay was already hugging Aku’s waist. “I missed you!”

Belinay’s wasn’t tall like her siblings, but she wasn’t as short as Siasia either. Belinay was up to Aku’s chest which seemed taller than she last remembered.

“I missed you too, baby.” Aku kissed Belinay’s forehead before giving QJ her attention. “Who you taller than now?”

“Everybody,” QJ said, his voice deep as he struggled with the tray. “Yo, help me before I drop this.”

Aku took the tray. “You look like a lil lunch lady tryna balance this.”

QJ snorted. “Whatever. You just mad ‘cause you short.”

Aku was nowhere near short, but he stood taller than her at only sixteen. “I’m grown. Y’all don’t get to roast me no more till you start paying taxes.”

Siasia laughed, pulling Aku into a real hug. “I’m glad you came. Qamar gon’ be hyped seeing you.”

“I wasn’t about to miss this,” Aku said, adjusting her purse strap.

They climbed into their section, halfway up from the field. Everything shook with excitement. Horns and chants filled the air, as people held signs that said,Q THE BEASTandBORN FROM THE MOON. A little boy even had Qamar’s number shaved into the side of his head.

Aku knew her uncle was the real deal, but seeing people show out for him the way they did always left her in amazement.

The teams started jogging out, and the stadium erupted.

“There he go,” Belinay pointed, bouncing in her seat.

Aku smiled as Qamar hit the field, rocking his signature blue headband and a grin like he already knew the final score. “You can’t tell him shit,” she muttered.

Siasia clicked her camera. “He been locked in all week. My man barely slept.”

“Legacy don’t rest,” Esmeray said, eyes still on the field, sounding like her Uncle Javen.

Aku looked at her niece, surprised. “Okay, poet…tell me you been ‘round Javen without telling me you been round Javen.”

“I be listening to y’all grown folks sometimes.” Esmeray pursed her lips, locking her eyes back onto the field, blowing her daddy a kiss because she’d always be his baby girl even though she was eighteen now.

The game kicked off fast. Elbows thrown, cleats clashing, players jawing at each other like it was a fight, not a match. Qamar took a hit early, but bounced back, controlling the midfield like he had magnets in his cleats. Every time the ball touched his feet, the stadium leaned forward.

“C’mon Daddy!” Belinay shouted.

“Do ’em dirty!” QJ added, eyes locked on the field.

Aku leaned over to Siasia, who was still snapping pictures. “You ever get tired of shooting him?”

“Nope. Every game looks different through the lens,” she said. “And this new setup I’m testing? Fire! I’m tryna send these to Nike and get them to rebrand his visuals.”

“You gon’ direct the whole rollout?”

“That’s the goal,” Siasia said. “Get these campaigns tighter, expand my studio, maybe do a short doc.”

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