Page 21 of Falling Into Gravity

“You really wanna know or you just being nice?” Aku’s body leaned in, without her mind telling it to.

His tongue swiped across his lips, before he tucked them in then released them. “I ain’t big on talking so if I’m asking, it’s cause I really want to know.”

Aku blushed. “So, Little Lunar kinda made me style Jacory and the rest was history. Like, I’ve always loved fashion but I think I felt I would just be the heir to my parents’ empire…But like their Lunar gave them a dream, my Lunar gave me purpose…keep shit in the family.”

“You ever think about doing something else?”

She leaned her head against the couch. “I mean…yea, sometimes.”

“Like what?”

She hesitated, then spoke it casually. “Being somebody’s mama…running a household…having a full fridge.”

He raised a brow, “That sound like a dream.”

Girls from Crescent didn’t talk like that. They didn’t grow up dreaming about love or wanting to be somebody’s mama. Survival came first. Everything else felt optional.

“Kinda.” She glanced at him, looking for judgement. “Not just that, though. I still wanna run a business, build a brand. But I want a life too. I don’t wanna be successful and lonely.”

He let that sit before asking, “So…you want the home part to come with the hustle?”

“Exactly.”

He leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees and looking over at her. “You really wanna be somebody’s wife?”

She narrowed her eyes, smiling. “You asking like you about to propose.”

“I’m asking ‘cause you said you wanna be a mama. I’m tryna see if the wife part come with it.”

She laughed and nodded. “Yea, definitely - I wanna do it all…trips, babies, matching pajamas, movie nights…I wanna decorate for fall…that kinda shit.”

“That’s fire.”

She looked at him…serious now. “What about you? You ever think about having a house? Not a mansion, just…something steady?”

He ran his hand over his beard. “Yea, sometimes.”

She waited, but he didn’t say more. He wasn’t hiding—just didn’t have a lot of words for it yet.

Yawning, Malik looked over at her, basking in how inquisitive her eyes felt—like she was looking for all the shit his mouth hadn’t said yet. “Aye, it’s getting late and I ain’t tryna be ridin’ dirty in this neighborhood.”

“Okay,” she said, standing. “Let me walk you to the door.” Aku reached for his hand and he casually placed his in hers. Like she’d lifted him, she smiled when he stood over her, just staring into her almond eyes.

Hand in hand, Aku walked him to the front door like he would get lost if she didn’t. Malik just let her, loving the gentleness of her skin against his.

As they stepped onto the porch, Malik looked up and down the street. It was so quiet - Sky deep blue…wind low.

She leaned against the rail, looking out while he hit the bottom step. “You gon’ message me when you get home?” she asked, voice low but sure.

“You want me to?”

“I wouldn’t say it if I didn’t.”

He smirked and gazed at her. “You always this straightforward?”

“Only when I like somebody.”

“I ain’t nobody to be liking, Dorothy.”

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