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“Ugh! Y’all are so irritating.” Siasia fussed, pulling out her phone to snap a picture.

The whole family was out celebrating Javen’s retirement— again . In typical Luna and Javen fashion, they did everything big, but their favorite celebrations were always the ones spent with their family.

“Mama, don’t be doing all that,” Qamar teased, landing a sloppy, drunk kiss on the side of her lips.

Siasia blushed, pushing at his chest. “Boy, move.”

“Bu, come get in this,” Little Lunar hollered over the music, motioning for him to join the photo with him, Maverick, Javen, French, and Qamar.

Bu barely lifted his head from the crook of Noodle’s neck. “Nah, you know I like my shit timeless .” He held up his vintage Rolex, the face pristine, untouched. No diamonds, no unnecessary flash…quiet luxury, always.

“This man,” Javen chuckled, adjusting the diamond bracelet on his wrist, the exact opposite of subtle.

Rightfully so.

Javen was humble but didn’t hesitate to take any opportunity to show the world what he’d accomplished, and it wasn’t just about the money. He stuck his chest out proudly when it came to his family— the seeds of their wildest dreams being planted, watered, and now blooming into a legacy that would outlive them all.

“Buy me one like yours then, big money!” Bu jested, calling Javen out.

“You know I’m good for it.”

“That’s right, baby!” Luna hyped from her seat, waving her glass in the air. She was feeling good, and nothing made her feel better than her man talking his big money shit.

“Oh lord,” Tiny rolled her head, noticing Luna was at her limit. “Javen, get your wife some water.”

“She good… Luna Girl gets freaky when that liquor in her system.”

The whole table hollered, because Luna slapped a hand over her face like they didn’t already know she was a freak for Javen.

“And let Noodle breathe a little, nigga,” French called over to Bu.

Bu and Noodle had been engaged for a little over a year now, but the way they still loved on each other was how everyone knew what they had was real. When time permitted it, the two of them were attached at the hip, always loving up on each other. Maybe Bu’s stint in jail made Noodle love on him more, just in case it was her last time.

Solar snorted, taking a sip of her drink. “You worried about Noodle, but you need to have your eyes on Aku over there all on Devin’s cute ass.”

French’s head snapped to the side. “Aku know not to play with me,” he said loud enough for Aku to hear, his voice laced with warning.

Aku smacked her teeth, rolling her eyes as she immediately put some space between her and Devin.

Everybody fell out again.

Aku turned to Devin, sighing dramatically. “C’mon, before my daddy starts acting up.”

Siasia giggled, snapping a few more shots—this time, zooming in on the timepieces shining in the dim club lights.

“How much money y’all think in this picture?” Little Lunar asked, tilting his head.

“The picture only represents a fraction of what’s going on in this room,” Maverick drawled, not even looking up as he grabbed Tiny, stopping her from slipping past him. “Where your fine ass going?”

Tiny’s bright skin flushed as she glanced up at him. “I’m making me another drink before me and the girls hit the dance floor to turn up like old times.”

Maverick arched a brow, hands sliding lower, gripping her ass like he was palming a basketball. “Don’t get nobody fucked up in here.”

Tiny just smirked, standing on her toes to whisper something in his ear that made him exhale through his teeth.

Lunar scrunched his face. “Y’all too old for all that,” he fussed, trekking over to the couch with Bu and Noodle.

“How you think you got here?” Tiny fussed at his back as he passed her, making his steps falter.

“Forties are the new twenties!” Maverick hollered at his stepson.

Maverick had been in Lunar’s life since he was almost two. He was the only father Lunar knew since his had been killed before he was even born. Lunar loved Mav—called him dad but still yearned for the man whose face he walked around with. Lunar was dark-skin with deep dimples— it looked like Big Lunar had spit him out. But that couldn’t be because Lunar wasn’t earthside when his baby boy was birthed into this world.

Lunar’s body flopped onto the velvet couch with a thud, splashing the remaining liquid around in his cup.

“You on one?” Bu asked, giving Lunar his full attention while Noodle held her breath waiting for his reply.

Lunar shook his head. “Nah…I’m just chilling.”

The lie wasn’t as subtle and smooth as he thought. He wasn’t just chilling - hadn’t chilled in a long time because something in his throat and heart bothered him more lately. Back when he was just a jit, the aching feel would come and go so quickly, he’d forget about his heart hurting. But now as the world turned, the pain seemed to rumble around his body like it belonged. It was too familiar as it swam in his blood.

“You need to get back in the studio.” Noodle pursed her lips with equally low eyes from the shotguns Bu had been blowing her all night.

Lunar, Noodle, and Aku had grown up together. They were close and loved each other so much that when one hurt, the other hurt too. Over the last year, he and Noodle became closer since she was fully immersed in her music and had signed to Lunar’s label.

“Man,” Lunar murmured, not trying to hear that. His fans had been on his head enough asking when his next project was coming out. He didn’t know when it was coming because all the studio time turned up fruitless.

Bu adjusted Noodle in his lap, twisting towards Lunar. “You ain’t recorded nothing good?”

“Hell nah! Shit hard when I’m trying to put out the best album of my career.”

“You was born for this shit. How it’s so hard all of a sudden?” Bu asked, his voice loud enough for Lunar to hear over the thumping of the music.

Noodle’s chest hurt because she knew what was holding Little Lunar back…

Big Lunar - the man everyone ranted and raved about. The man everyone seemed to have a piece of, except for him. Because she knew better than anyone, she threw him a lifeline. “Apple ain’t come out with you?” Her question switched the mood.

“She over there with her fake ass nigga,” Lunar scoffed, swallowing the last of his drink. “Lame ass nigga,” he added making Noodle snicker which pulled a smile from him too.

“That’s what’s wrong with you?” Bu asked with a knowing look on his face. He loved to tease his friend about being a lover boy. Lunar wanted to give and receive love so bad that it made him make hasty decisions, like wanting to wife Apple up.

Lunar gave him the middle finger. “You think this shit funny… Apple acting like I want too much too soon and you over here with the supposed love of my life.”

Noodle spit out her drink, cracking the hell up. “Lunar!”

“Nah, don’t stop him now,” Bu added fuel to the fire. “Man, you gotta let that go. She was always supposed to be mine.”

“Okay, but damn, you ain’t even let me get a chance,” Lunar laughed at his own pain. He loved messing with Bu and Noodle about the childhood crush he had on her that never went anywhere. He loved her with his boy and would never do anything but support them and cheer for them from the sideline.

Still, his feelings of everyone else settling into love had his chest tight. Meeting your forever person at a young age seemed to be the reoccurring theme of his family. He was created by some forever puppy love type shit that didn’t get to reach its full potential because of death. But even with his mom and stepdad, they were young when they met and after twenty-two years, they were still holding on…madly in love. His eyes went to them on the dance floor. Just like he thought, Tiny was all over Maverick like she’d just fallen in love with him for the first time.

Then his eyes shifted to the other section with Apple and her lame ass basketball playing friend, Bently. The fuck kinda name was Bently anyway? Some lame ass shit that made Lunar scoff.

Bu’s hand landed heavy on Lunar’s shoulder, grounding him for just a second. “You gotta let that hurt go, my boy… Noodle mine and Apple…” His gaze trailed after Lunar’s, locking onto the girl in question. He exhaled through his nose. “Apple just out here living her life. You probably gotta let that go too.”

Noodle squirmed knowing the true reason behind Lunar’s somber mood. He’d been that way for a while now. Well, he’d always yearned for pieces of his daddy but lately since he planned to put out one of the greatest albums the world had ever heard, he was really feeling a lack of connection.

Lunar sat up, running his hands down his face. He was high and feeling great off that liquor. Standing to his feet, he went to the table to grab a bottle. Just as he twisted the top off, the beat to Clouded by Brent Fiyaz shook the club. Bottle in his right hand, he lifted his arms over his head.

Aku came out of nowhere, yanking him to the dance floor knowing this was their shit. Noodle knew he needed the reminder that he wasn’t alone, so she hopped to her feet and made her way behind them.

“I gave it all up for a fantasy,” Aku hollered with a cheeky grin on her face from the weed she’d been smoking.

Noodle bumped Lunar’s shoulder.

All eyes were on them. They were in Emerald City surrounded by rich and well-off people so they didn’t have to worry about someone trying anything stupid. They had the freedom to just have a good time amongst family.

Lunar couldn’t help but sing along. The perfect singing voice gene skipped him but his tone still sounded pretty good. He tilted his chin up, throwing his hands in the air singing “If I go tonight, I doubt the world’ll change,” as the bass shook the floor.

“I just pray they don’t forget my name.” Noodle sang after him, cheesing as she knew her legacy was solid, and the world would never forget her name.

“How much?” Aku hyped him, feeding into the moment.

Lunar flicked his diamond watch into view, waving his wrist in front of his face. “Ten thousand… twenty thousand…” He smirked as Javen and Maverick joined in, with Bu following close behind.

“Thirty thousand,” Noodle flicked her wrist too.

Javen - never one to be outdone even by his people, tossed his platinum, diamond encrusted watch that dazzled even in the dark with his matching bracelet in the air too. “Forty thousand.”

Luna smiled hard, loving when her husband was able to be himself. She got teary eyed looking at Little Lunar, the spitting image of her brother, stirred up memories. There was never a time when she didn’t miss her twin. Many a night, her and Javen still dreamed of a world where Lunar was there to see all he’d poured into them come into fruition. Swiping the tears from her face, she smiled when Javen wrapped his arms around her.

He always seemed to know what she needed without her having to say it.

Tiny fixated on Lunar, her heart twisting because she could tell something was bothering her son. She saw it—the struggle behind Lunar’s bravado. She wanted to wrap her arms around him and shield him from the world, pulling him close protectively but she resisted ‘cause she knew with the men of their family was where he needed to be. Their bond subtly letting him know they were in his corner and the world was in the palm of his hands.

Everyone crowded around him, just vibing.

Always impulsive, Lunar’s eyes locked back onto Apple and her new man of the week, his grin turning downright sinful. Pivoting, he rolled his body towards them, mouthing the lyrics like a taunt. “Fuck her on the floor, like I don’t give a fuck ‘bout it.” He smiled when Apple’s mouth dropped while her eyes held a glint of knowing what was up with him. “…my family wish I stop wildin’.”

Aku rested her arm on Lunar’s shoulders as they yelled the next line out loud. It seemed to hold so much truth. “I’ve been fuckin’ superstars since I was nineteen!”

“Now, wait a minute!” French cocked his head to the side at Aku.

Noodle laughed, swaying in Bu’s arms.

The men two stepped, and shoulder leaned around the floor like they owned it. It was surreal for the onlookers because it wasn’t something that was witnessed often.

Then, just as quick as the high hit, it plummeted. Lunar turned his face toward the ceiling, something raw and ugly clawing at his chest. His voice cracked, his grin slipping. “Now I’m at the turn up lookin’ lonely…”

Bu pulled him into him, but Lunar was too emotional and lit to even take himself seriously. He gave Apple and her nigga one last look with a Cheshire grin on his face as he leaned closer in their section. “Her nigga wanna be me. But they don’t know I’m fighting demons.”

That must’ve been the last straw because Bently took long strides towards him.

Lunar’s grin never wavered, still taunting Bently—daring Bently to be just as impulsive as he was.

Lunar didn’t even give Bently a chance to say a word before his fist went crashing into Bently’s nose and the world skidded to a halt.

The music seemed to disappear as Lunar waited for Bently to get up and do something. Apple started swinging on him. “The fuck?!”

It didn’t take long before Aku was on Apple’s head and Noodle jumped in ‘cause she was never one to let her best friend fight alone. All hell broke loose with the men pulling everyone apart. French fought the urge to put everyone in the ground ‘bout his daughter but knew Apple was a girl too and he was never one to put his hands on women, let alone a child.

“Lunar!” Tiny’s scream cut through the haze, pulling Lunar back to reality. She was trying her best to get through to him. Once Lunar was set off, it was hard to get him to stop.

Security was on him before he could blink, dragging him out toward the police waiting outside. Emerald City had a no-bullshit policy, and tonight, Lunar was fresh out of grace.

* * *

A full twenty four hours in a holding cell.

It was the longest Lunar had ever spent in jail. His head throbbed from anger pains and he felt out of place since he hadn’t showered. Once all his belongings had been handed back to him, he trekked outside to see the sun sitting high, taunting him.

Instinctively, he shielded his face with his forearm. When his eyes no longer burned, he looked ahead to see who was picking him up. He knew his mama was waiting to tear into him because Tiny was fed up. But she was also a mother.

Tiny loved on her boys just as hard as she gave them gems coated in life’s lessons. For reasons deeper than she knew, her oldest son—the one who’d made her a mommy, was spiraling. Maybe she should’ve made him go off to college because life as a rapper gave him too much freedom. It fed his sometimes impulsive and reckless behaviors, but she loved him regardless.

So much so, that she sat in the truck behind heavy tinted windows while she let Mav handle him.

Mav’s tall frame created a shadow over Lunar since he had quite a few inches on him. “Son,” his deep voice sounded ragged and tired like he hadn’t been to sleep since their supposed fun night in the club.

“I know.” Lunar closed his eyes tightly, feeling the disappointment in his pop’s voice. He always felt bad after getting in some shit but never bad enough to give him pause before he did something dumb again.

“What’s up? Talk to me.” Mav’s voice was steady, but there was an edge to it.

It made Lunar’s stomach tighten. He kept his eyes low, staring at the cracked pavement, tracing the worn-out lines with his thoughts. The heat pressed against his back, the sun sitting high like it was watching…waiting…grinning down at him with a cruel smirk.

“Right now?” Lunar’s voice was hoarse, the exhaustion seeping into every syllable as he finally looked up.

Mav cut his eyes back toward the truck like Tiny could hear every word. “Yea, right now. ‘Cause your mama is ready to get on your head.”

Lunar kissed his teeth and turned toward the passenger-side window, watching his own faint reflection staring back at him from a distance. “I just got a lot going on… a lot of shit on my mind.”

Mav let out a sharp breath through his nose, crossing his arms as he shifted his stance. “Like what?! Boy, you got the world in your hands. If you ain’t ready to do right, then give that shit back.” He wasn’t just frustrated, his voice was pleading, demanding, and full of something that hurt more than anger. “We worked hard to give you every opportunity. Don’t let all our hard work be in vain…Don’t let YOUR hard work be in vain.”

Once Lunar showed his family he could rhyme, they put all their resources behind him. As he got older and with the guidance of his Aunt Luna, he perfected his craft with the world dubbing him as one of the best out. His first mixtape did numbers, so now the pressure to create something full and black as hell gave him hives. He didn’t know if he could deliver.

Clenching his jaw, Lunar nodded his head like he understood…like he had the strength to carry the weight of it all. But how was he supposed to do right by a world that stole his father before he even got to know him? How was he supposed to wake up every day knowing the only reason their family stood so strong was because of a great man he never got the chance to learn from?

No doubt, he was grateful for the father figure God did give him. Mav was everything plus the anchor and reason Lunar ain’t drift too far. But there was still a hole in his chest that no words, no lessons, no amount of love…could fill. It sat there, hollow and aching, whispering reminders of what was missing every time he tried to step forward.

“That’s enough talking! Bring your ass on, Lunar!” Tiny’s voice snapped from the truck, her window rolled down, her face flushed red from the heat of the words she was about to unleash. Her fingers tapped impatiently on the door, her anger sharp, but underneath it buried deep…was fear.

Fear that her boy was slipping into something he wouldn’t come back from. Fear that no matter how much love they poured into him, he’d still feel like something was missing.

Lunar let out a slow breath and nodded again, this time more to himself than to Mav. He didn’t have the answers, but he knew one thing for sure. No matter how lost he felt, no matter how deep the hole in his chest got, he couldn’t break the people who were still standing here… fighting for him.

Somberly, he slid into the backseat of the truck with Mav hopping into the driver’s seat.

“Your impulses gon’ get you into some shit we can’t get you out of, Lunar.” Tiny twisted her body to face him. “What be going through your mind?”

“So I was supposed to just let that nigga hit me?”

“You weren’t supposed to taunt him! Then you out here acting like you was deep in love with Apple. Don’t get me wrong, I like her, but you ain’t in love with that girl enough to be doing all that. You just hate that she’s better at being you than you are.” Tiny tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear. Her eyes were sharp with judgment.

“Okay, mama,” Lunar mumbled, tired of the conversation. It wasn’t like she was wrong, but he wasn’t about to admit it.

Apple moving on stung more than he wanted to acknowledge. He didn’t love her… not really, but he could see himself loving her or at least that’s what his mind kept trying to convince him.

Apple was beautiful and ambitious – a go-getter like him. Born into a struggle but raised with a silver spoon—just like him too.

The first time he met her at one of her new clubs in Madison Heights, he was drawn in immediately. She was tall, statuesque, and carried herself like she already owned the world. It wasn’t even surprising when he found out she was from Emerald City. There was a whole pipeline of Black nepo babies making their way from there to Madison Heights.

Their friendship had been easy, natural, and before long, it shifted into something more.

When Lunar finally brought up making things official, Apple hesitated. She pulled back with sweet promises, telling him she just wasn’t ready yet, promising that she’d come find him when she was.

…because Lunar was just that special.

At least, that’s what she said.

Now, he wasn’t feeling so special and Apple wasn’t there to reassure him. Instead, she was somewhere with the next nigga nursing his wounds. Bently was a ball player like her daddy so Lunar knew she saw forever in him.

“Do you hear me?” Tiny asked, pulling him from his hungover state of being.

Lunar swiped his tongue across his dry lips. “Nah…my bad, ma.”

Kissing her teeth, Tiny looked over at her husband giving him the signal to lay it on Lunar. They had made a plan and now it was time to execute it. Lunar’s name was always buzzing in the blogs with negative gossip and she didn’t want that for him. As far as she was concerned, it was time for her son to get away from all this drama and lock in with his music.

Lunar caught the look between his parents and sat up. “What y’all got going on?”

Mav gripped his wife’s hand. “Son, I think you should go out to Jade City, away from the bullshit and focus on your next steps. Somewhere that don’t care how many streams you got or who your mama is. Somewhere that gon’ force you to just be . ”

He laughed. Lunar’s head fell back as the loudest chuckle filled the truck. “Y’all know I’m grown, right?”

“And you know I will still beat your ass, right?” Tiny snapped back. “If you so grown, then be grown and stop doing little boy ass shit!”

“Ma, I’m not trying to disrespect you but you gotta give me a little leeway.”

Mav slammed on the breaks, not giving a damn about anyone behind him. “Lunar, you gotta walk light when it comes to your mama. I know I let you get away with a lot but that rah rah shit with your mama not gon’ fly, bro.”

Lunar knew better than to puff his chest up with his Pops, ’cause one thing Mav didn’t do was play about his wife. Instead, he only kissed his teeth while sitting back.

Mav pulled back into traffic before he continued talking. “We think it’s best for you to spend some time at the Jade City house. Ain’t too much for you to get into out that way and you really need to put your head down and work.”

“Don’t sound like I really have a choice,” Lunar mumbled under his breath.

“And don’t.” Tiny pursed her lips and crossed her arms, signaling the conversation was over.

Even if Lunar couldn’t figure out how to save himself, he had to at least try—for them.