Page 90 of Falling Into Gravity

Apollo strolled in from the den, shirtless with sweats slung low and waves hitting like moonlight on water. At 19, he had French’s cool and Solar’s bone structure. His girl, Kiyah, trailed behind him, chewing gum and holding a glass of sweet tea with both hands like it was wine.

“What’s up, superstar?” Apollo grinned, walking up and grabbing Aku in a one-arm hug that felt like they hadn’t arguedin weeks. “Too Hollywood to answer a text, but never too bougie to come eat up our food.”

“You miss me,” she smirked.

“Yeah, whatever,” he said, swiping at her cheek. “You still got glitter on your face. You went out last night?”

Solar popped her son with the towel she’d been drying dishes with. “Don’t make me start tellin’ stories about whenyoucame home lookin’ like sin. Aku got her own grown woman business.”

“Which she refuses to use to help promote mine,” Solar said loud, hands on her hips. “Sol’s Tresses been rebranded, relaunched, and I can’t even get my own daughter to be the brand ambassador.”

“Mama…” she whined.

“Oh, I’m sorry,” Solar lifted her hand dramatically. “Are you booked and busy or just caught up and cuffed?”

Everybody in the room wentOooop!like a gossip drumline.

French walked in behind them all with a toothpick in his mouth and a slow-ass smirk spreading across his face. “She cuffed…look at her neck. I told y’all.”

Aku covered it with her hand instantly, blushing. “Y’all not about to tag-team me. Damn!”

Frenchy burst out laughing. “Aye, sis got hickeys! Big sis in love or lust?”

“I vote lust,” Apollo said. “You back with Devin?”

“Mind y’all business,” Aku fired back, walking toward the kitchen for a bottle of water. She opened the fridge, but French’s voice followed.

“Just don’t let no nigga play with your engine. You know my baby slick a mechanic.”

“Daddy, stop.”

“For real,” French nodded, pulling her into a side hug. “She been fixin’ shit since she was little. Took apart the blender just ‘cause she ain’t like how it sounded.”

“She also used to paint her Barbie doll’s wigs with my leftover dye,” Solar added.

“Young entrepreneur,” French said proudly. “That’s why we knew you was gon’ be somebody.”

Kiyah smiled from the couch. “Your family so funny.”

“We hilarious,” Frenchy said, throwing his arm around her, ducking Apollo’s punch. “That’s the love language around here.”

And it was, between French swatting Solar’s ass every time he walked past and her threatening to bleach his clothes for leaving tools on the dining table. Between Apollo roasting Frenchy about not having waves, and Frenchy clapping back that at least he didn’t look like a young version of Dave East without the hair. Between all that and Aku stealing her daddy from his wife on purpose, laying across his lap while they all watched TV like she was five again. It was loud. It was ghetto. It was love that had roots.

Aku basked in all of it, though her mind was still back in Crescent.

They ate late that night. Solar’s gumbo hitting like always, cornbread buttery and hot enough to burn fingers. The air buzzed with jokes and smacks and French threatening to cut the Wi-Fi if somebody didn’t take the trash out.

She loved it here.

When Aku finally went up to her room, it was close to midnight on the East coast which meant it was almost nine on the West.

Her room hadn’t changed. Still had her old pink LED lights which looked childish now. Her plaques were up on the wall beside a framed flyer from her dance days. A few awards rested on her dresser, catching the moonlight like it was proof that she made it. But her favorite thing—the blanket her Granny, Stephanie sewed for her out of all her old school uniforms anddance recital clothes—was still folded at the end of the bed just the way she left it.

She plugged in her phone, slid under the covers, and Face Timed him.

Malik answered on the second ring. Shirtless, laid back against his headboard, that sleepy glint in his eye like he already knew what time it was. “You made it?”

“Yea,” she smiled, propping the phone on her pillow. “Back home. Daddy picked me up.”

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