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three

Lunar watched his little brother flop down on the couch, his curious eyes following Monday as he settled in like he owned the place. Monday scanned the room, his head tilting slightly as he took in the familiar space. No matter how many years passed or how many houses they lived in, Jade City would always feel like home for him.

Monday had been born there-- raised between this house and his granny’s home in LA. But the east coast was in his bones.

Lunar stretched his legs out, a blunt dangling between his fingers as he let his head rest against the back of the couch. He already knew Monday had something slick to say. It wouldn’t be right if he didn’t.

“How you grown and still getting put on punishment?” Monday finally asked, his tone light but laced with amusement.

Lunar scoffed, rolling his eyes as he lifted the blunt to his lips. “Nigga, I ain’t on punishment.”

Monday smirked. “Hmmm.” He kicked his feet up on the coffee table, leaning back like he was getting real comfortable. Monday was taller than Lunar and rightfully so, as his daddy was tall as hell. “Looks just like what they do to me when I ain’t listening.” He threw up air quotes. “But hey, what do I know, I ain’t grown.” He shrugged, biting back a grin.

“Not shit.” Lunar exhaled a slow stream of smoke, watching it curl toward the ceiling. “What you doing out here anyway?” His voice was lazy, but his eyes were sharp, cutting to his little brother as he propped one leg over the arm of the couch.

“I can’t come see my big brother?”

Lunar smirked, “Anytime… you know that, lil’ nigga.”

Monday nodded, his gaze drifting around the house again. Even after all these years, it still looked like something out of a damn magazine. Their mama had an eye for interior decorating, and it showed in every inch of the space. The rich wood floors gleamed under the soft lighting, the furniture was sleek but comfortable, and the walls were adorned with carefully chosen art pieces - shit most people probably didn’t even recognize the value of.

“Ma still got it,” Monday muttered, taking it all in.

Lunar chuckled, flicking ash into a nearby tray. “She’d slap you upside the head if she heard you say that like she ever lost it.”

Monday grinned, shaking his head. “True.”

Silence settled between them again, but this time it wasn’t awkward. It was just peaceful. Lunar leaned back deeper into the couch, eyes drifting toward the ceiling as his mind threatened to wander where he didn’t want it to go.

Monday watched him, reading him the way only a little brother could. He wasn’t about to press—not yet, at least.

Instead, he mentioned something he knew his brother loved more than breathing. “You been in the studio?”

“I been down there but ain’t really recorded nothing.” Lunar chewed on his lip before toking the blunt again.

When he showed real interest in rapping, his parents got a studio built into their home for his fourteenth birthday. You couldn’t tell him he didn’t have the best parents in the world when they presented it to him. It was all top quality giving him the opportunity to lock in and learn the boards and sounds. His best friend, Pimp learned how to make beats and stuff and it was up from there.

That’s another reason creating had been so hard over the last week he’d been there. His best friend was still on the west coast in Madison Heights helping Noodle wrap up the deluxe version of her first multi-platinum album.

“Let’s go down there,” Monday suggested, pulling his phone from his pocket. “You in here all depressed and shit.”

“Watch out, little…I ain’t depressed,” Lunar laughed, his eyes low and the munchies sneaking up on him fast.

Monday cocked his head to the side. “My big brother would’ve had all the hoes in here but I guess you sad about Apple.”

“It wasn’t even like that.”

“That’s not what the internet is saying. They saying you real heartbroken, and rightfully so, from the way you was out here recycling girls before her.” Monday swiped his phone, egging the comments on.

Lunar sat up, yanking his phone off the table. He wasn’t one that was ever too pressed over what the blogs had to say but with nothing else to do, he thought he’d engage for the fun of it. Ashing his blunt, he went live on his IG page.

With his hand on his chest, Lunar smiled bashfully as hundreds of people flooded his live. “Damn, y’all been on here talking big shit ‘bout me. I thought it was all love.”

Monday smirked when he joined the live after turning his volume all the way down. The women in his brother’s thread were beyond thirsty and clearly changing all that big shit they were talking about Lunar.

“Nah,” Lunar drawled, shaking his head side to side. “Y’all been showing out…don’t switch it up now, baby.”

He was smooth.

Lunar had a way of moving that made people stop and take notice. He was smooth without trying, effortlessly charming in a way that felt both intentional and second nature. Women fell for him easily, drawn in by that rich brown skin and those deep dimples that crept into his cheeks every time he spoke. They crumbled at the low rasp of his voice that always seemed to carry just the right amount of confidence, oozing the perfect amount of sex appeal.

But it wasn’t just his looks. It was the way he carried himself—like he knew he belonged in every room he walked into. Like the world itself bent to make space for him. He moved with a quiet assurance, head high, and shoulders relaxed…never in a rush but always in control.

That presence, that air about him, was what set him apart. It was something unspoken yet undeniable, the kind of energy that made people lean in…made them want to know more.

Hearts filled the screen of his phone from the girls loving everything about him. They were declaring their love for him and shunning anyone that had anything negative to say in the comments.

It all made Lunar smile.

Still, beneath all of that, there was a weight he carried - something that lingered in the spaces between his smirks and sharp remarks. A battle most couldn’t see, tucked neatly behind his smooth exterior. He was good at playing the part. So good, in fact, that sometimes he almost convinced himself…almost.

Monday saw through it all but never called him out on it because he loved his big brother.

“Tell me something good?” Lunar spoke on ig live to his fans. “Check my DMs? What you trying to do?” he smirked, reading through comments.

Monday chuckled, reading how thirsty girls were. He liked a more lowkey type of female so, he wouldn’t dare take any of the girls on his brother’s live video serious—even when some asked about him. He only shook his head when Lunar looked over at him and panned his phone that way to give the girls a sneak peek of Monday.

Lunar stayed on live for about forty minutes before ending it with a satisfied look on his face. “That was cool,” he said, standing to grab a snack from the kitchen. Tiny had the house stocked for him once she sent him to Jade City to chill out.

“Them hoes thirsty,” Monday laughed, rolling his hand over his braids.

“Why they gotta be all that?” Lunar called out from the kitchen. “You want something?”

“Nah but I know how to get whatever myself…this my house too.”

Lunar turned to look at him in the living room. “Nigga, I know…I’m just asking since I’m already in here.”

Nothing else was said. All that could be heard was the sound of Lunar moving throughout the kitchen. Once he had a few things to snack on, he made his way back to the couch with his phone lighting up to catch his attention. It was a DM which reminded him to be nosey and go through his requests since those came from people he didn’t know or follow.

With a sly grin on his face, Lunar clicked on a few messages—all of them saying the same thing. They wanted to be chosen. Just for the fun of it, he clicked on a few profiles and had to admit there were some fine girls vying for his attention and some that didn’t really meet his eyes physically.

Lunar clicked on another message, his head tilting slightly to the side, eyes narrowing as he read.

Ahvi: Hey, I don’t know if you’ll see this, but I found something I think might belong to you. Let me know if you wanna talk.

A smirk tugged at the corner of his lips. “These girls getting creative,” he muttered, shaking his head.

Half-watching from his spot on the couch, Monday perked up. “Let me see what she looks like.” He leaned in, waiting as Lunar pulled up her profile.

There wasn’t much. Just a few shots of food that looked good as hell, a couple of selfies, and… Lunar paused, his brows pulling together because most of her photos featured a baby boy.

Monday whistled low under his breath. “You know her?” he asked, voice laced with curiosity. With a teasing glint in his eyes, he added, “That your baby?”

Lunar exhaled sharply through his nose, his gaze scanning the images as his mind rifled through memories like a worn-out Rolodex. The girl looked familiar— brown skin, pretty face, just the type he’d go for. But he prided himself on never forgetting a face. A name – maybe but a face - never.

His fingers pinched at the screen, zooming in on the boy’s face, searching for anything— any trait that might mirror his own. The tension in his chest loosened just a bit when he didn’t see himself staring back.

“Man, I don’t know what this girl got going on.” He licked his lips, the bottom one slipping between his teeth as he sank into deep thought.

Monday clapped a firm hand on his shoulder, his expression more serious now. “I think you should see what she’s talking about. Just to be safe.” He hunched his shoulders.

Lunar swallowed.

Monday was right, but that didn’t stop the knot of unease tightening in his stomach. If this was what it looked like, if that little boy was his…then he’d already missed out on too much.

His jaw clenched, pushing the thought away before it could settle too deep. Without giving himself more time to think, he typed out a reply, dropping his number with a simple message.

Hit me up. ASAP.

* * *

Ahvi swiped her hand across her forehead as she moved around the kitchen, plating up food in to go containers. She was tired but needed the money to pay for the storage unit to store her things until she found an apartment.

When her dad died, her life got even harder because he wasn’t there for her to lean on.

Ish did construction up until his body told him to stop. He retired after he committed to one last project out in Sapphire City.

Now, Ahvi was moving on autopilot.

“You don’t hear the door?” Dro walked through the unlocked door, face twisted from the heat, shirt already off like it always was.

Ahvi had been so deep in her thoughts she hadn’t heard a damn thing – not the door nor Dro stepping inside. Her eyes widened at the sudden intrusion. “You talkin’ bout me hearing the door when the real issue is me needing to keep it locked.”

“Nah, the streets know not to fuck with my baby mama.” Dro grinned, fully aware his lie was weak as hell.

The streets didn’t fear men like Dro. He barely existed to them. Just another small-time hustler too scared to be a jack boy. So no, Ahvi wasn’t safe because of him.

She sucked her teeth, waving him off. “What you doin’ here anyway?”

“Where Kamari?” he asked instead, eyes dragging over her body like he had the right.

Ahvi could feel his gaze-- the way he still saw her as one of the baddest girls from their hood and he carried that like a trophy. Like baggin’ her was his biggest flex. Too bad for her, being with him had been one of her worst mistakes. If she could go back, the first thing she’d change was letting him sweet talk her out of her panties.

She put the plate down and turned, arms folding. “What you here for, Andrew?”

“Damn, I can’t stop by to see the love of my life?”

“Hell no.”

He laughed, shaking his head. “Why you so hard on me, baby mama?”

Ahvi sighed, exhausted by the same tired conversation. She wasn’t about to have it again. Dro was grown. He knew exactly where he fell short, knew damn well why she stayed on his ass about stepping up for their son. As far as she was concerned, there was no point in reminding a muthafucka of something they already knew.

“Kamari is with my sister, so what you need?” She stared at him, wondering what made him so special for her to give her time to in the first place.

Dro was fine, there was no question about that but that was where the good qualities stopped. He was broke, and that wasn’t the biggest issue since she was broke too. He lacked the best qualities of a man – leadership and the ability to make her feel safe.

Ish had warned her. He’d told her all the ways a man was supposed to step up to the plate to lead the house. Clearly, all of that went in one ear and out the other since she popped up with a baby by a man that didn’t see value of leading his family.

Once again, he ignored her question, peeking into one of the to go plates. “You got one for me?”

“You have some money?”

Kissing the back of his teeth, he glared at her. “Come on, Ahvi…you can feed me. This shit smells good as hell and my stomach touching my back.”

“Hmm,” she tapped her chin. “Oh, like your son’s stomach will be touching his back if I don’t sell these plates?”

“You take shit too far.”

“And you don’t take it far enough!” she yelled. “Look, no you can’t get a plate but you can go get our son from my sister to keep him while I go to the club to sell this stuff. My sister too young to be tied down with a baby anyway.”

“Man, I gotta work too,” he fired back.

Ahvi looked him upside his head. “Nigga, please! I’m the one carrying our son on my back with love and attention, so it’s best for you to sit your ass down and watch him.”

“Nah, I can’t do it.” Dro stared at the floor knowing he was dead ass wrong, but he wanted to enjoy his weekend too.

What he failed to realize was, Ahvi wasn’t asking him to keep the baby so she could go let her hair down. She was asking him to keep the baby because she needed to make enough money to handle her business. If she wasn’t so strong, the tears she’d been holding would’ve ran down her face—she’d never give Dro that side of her though. Plus, ain’t no need to cry to someone who didn’t care to make her problems go away.

“Just get the fuck out,” she grunted through gritted teeth.

They stood in a staring match for a few seconds before he conceded. There was no need to attempt to get into a sparring match with Ahvi when he knew he was dead ass wrong.

Watching his back, she rolled her eyes at the tattoos and the new pair of shoes on his feet. Ish had taught her not to hate people, but she had a strong dislike for Dro. He was a waste of good looks and decent dick. When the door closed behind him, she wasted no time locking it then searching for her phone to post her location for the night.

Ahvi found a good little hustle that involved her doing what she loved—cooking. Every weekend when she found the funds, she’d post up at the popping clubs waiting for them to let out where people would crowd her trunk to order ready-made plates of food.

She took a few pictures of her menu, posting them with her location for the night. Then she went to her messages, her heart thumping when she saw Lunar had sent her a message with his number attached.

LLNar: Hit me up. ASAP

A chill shot up her spine as she looked through his pictures after clicking on his profile before calling him. There was no doubt that Nar was fine as hell. His aura bled through the screen as if she could feel it. Then with each zoom, she could see nothing but his father in him. Tears coated her eyes thinking about Ish.

But it wasn’t just thinking about Ish that made her emotional. Ahvi had gone through more of the home videos on the phone. Big Lunar’s presence was so chaotic but so calming that every time she heard his southern drawl, her heart would ache for the loved ones he left behind.

She couldn’t stop looking at the videos even when she knew it was an invasion of their privacy. Every time Big Lunar’s face was shown or his voice was heard, it was like a pull on her heart that kept her glued to what seemed to be intimate moments. Tears even fell from her eyes as she took a deep dive into the family. Big Lunar was everything plus more to them. Ahvi could tell just from the short videos in the phone that he was the source of everything they had ever dreamed of.

Going back into her messages, she copied the number then pasted it into her cell so it auto dialed.

Ahvi gulped when the phone trilled throughout the kitchen since she had it on speaker.

“Hello?” Lunar’s deep voice came out groggy but made her pussy pulse.

Damn. Even half-asleep, his voice carried weight. It was gritty, rich, and making her thighs press together before she could stop herself.

“Um, this is—uh…Ahvi,” she stumbled right along with her heart.

“Who?”

She exhaled sharply. “Ahvi. I messaged you about having something you might want.” Her fingers curled against the counter as guilt gnawed at her. She hated this, hated what she was about to do. But the world didn’t give a damn about feelings. It was eat or be eaten, and she had a son to feed.

The line crackled with movement, like he was shifting in bed. Her eyes flicked to the microwave clock, surprised as hell that a man like him was knocked out when the night was just waking up.

“Shit,” Lunar muttered, voice rough with sleep. Then, like the thought had just clicked, he asked, “Oh yea? Is that my kid or something?”

A loud, uncontrollable laugh burst from her lips. “What?! Nigga, no!” she was hysterical. “I don’t even know you.”

“Then what you got that I might want, Advil?”

Her smile disappeared. “Ahvi,” she corrected, already annoyed.

“My bad…” His voice dropped an octave, still thick with sleep. “I’m half out of it.”

That caught her offguard. He actually apologized? From the way he carried himself online, she didn’t take him for the type to have home training.

“It’s okay,” she murmured, softer now.

A few beats passed without them saying anything.

Lunar’s voice cut through again, smooth, unbothered. “So, what you got for me, Ahvi?”

She closed her eyes, biting her lip. She liked the way her name rolled off his tongue -slow, damn near intimate, making her stomach clench in a way she wasn’t ready to admit.

“Ahvi?” Lunar called out again.

“Oh, yea.” She smiled like he could see her. “I found a phone that has images of your dad when he was a kid on them…it looks like your whole family is in em’.”

“Wait, Mav?”

“Um, no…Big Lunar.”

More noise, rattled from the other end of the phone. Ahvi swallowed hard again. She could only imagine what was going through Lunar’s mind. If he loved his dad as much as she loved Ish, she knew he was on the verge of a panic attack.

“Hello?” she breathed his name. “Lunar?”

Lunar suddenly sounded wide awake and alert. “Where you at right now? I definitely want what you have.”

“Okay, I’m in Jade City but I can’t get it to you tonight. I have to go to work. I’ll call you tomorrow to meet up.” She licked her lips, her legs bouncing with anxiety about her next words. “You have to pay for it, though.”

“The fuck?!” Lunar roared. “How you gon’ charge me for something that ain’t yours? How you get it any fuckin’ way?”

“Look, nigga…I don’t feel good about it but this is how I survive.”

“How much, Ahvi?”

Even with anger in his tone, the way he pushed her name out created a yearning in her. Shaking it off, she pushed out her number hoping it wasn’t too much. “Um, ten.”

“Thousand?”

“Ye-yea,” she stuttered.

Lunar laughed. “Cool, but Ahvi?—”

“Huh?”

“You sold yourself short. Hit my line in the morning with meet up details. I’m in Jade City too.”

* * *

“What you got, boo?” a short woman slurred, swaying on her feet.

Ahvi smiled, her hustle mode in full effect. “Tonight, I got chicken or shrimp alfredo. It comes with corn on the cob, garlic bread, and your choice of water or soda.” She motioned toward her trunk which was propped open with everything packed neatly in heated bags. It was one of the most expensive things Ish bought to help support her little business , like he used to call it.

The woman popped her lips like she could already taste it. “Oh yea, let me get the shrimp one.”

“Got you,” Ahvi said, already grabbing a plate.

A few men lingered nearby, watching as she moved, their interest shifting from the food to her. One of them, a tall, lanky dude with golds in his mouth, nudged his friend. “Man, that’s the girl I was telling you ’bout. I caught her one night after the club and her food was good as hell.”

That was all it took. The small crowd outside the club turned into a full-on rush. People stepping up, waving cash, and calling out orders like she was running a restaurant from the trunk of her car.

“Aye, let me get two of them chicken plates!”

“I need both Alfredos… one for me, one for my girl.”

“Oouuu, she got garlic bread too?”

Ahvi moved fast, her hands steady, and her heart pounding. Not from nerves, but from relief. Every plate sold was money she needed. Rent wasn’t an option anymore. She’d already gotten the notice taped to her door, staring her down like a death sentence. Two weeks, and she’d have to be out. That meant storage fees, gas, and food for Kamari. Hustling wasn’t a choice. It was survival…an instinct she was thankful to have been blessed with.

By the time the crowd thinned, her trunk was damn near empty, and her pockets were full enough to buy her another day of peace. She exhaled, shaking out her tired hands before shutting the trunk.

Now, it was time to get her son since her sister claimed she wanted to sleep in tomorrow. Ahvi wasn’t tripping because Kamari wasn’t Butta’s responsibility and anything her little sister did for her son was always appreciated.

Now that Ish was gone, Butta was all she really had. Her mama, Sheena wasn’t reliable and had too much on her own plate to assist with her oldest daughter’s issues. Ahvi didn’t have any hard feelings for the woman that birthed her. If anything, she respected that Sheena was who she was to her core—never switching up or putting on a front. Ish taught her to love her mama regardless. He drilled it into Ahvi’s head so even if she wanted to hate her, she couldn’t.

With the window’s down, the humid air did little to cool her body from standing around all night. Still, it was better than nothing.

Sheena lived in the hood, the east side of Jade City to be exact, in old houses that some foreigner who never laid eyes on the property owned. All they cared about was that the rent was paid on time. With most of the tenants being on government assistance, that was guaranteed.

People were still outside with her mama and her crew being among them. “You can get out!” Sheena called out when Ahvi pulled up.

Ahvi only waved because she was too tired to even pretend to care about whatever her mama was talking about. She sent a text to Butta letting her know she was outside and to bring her baby. Subtly, she cut her eyes to her mama’s porch, seeing the table and group of people surrounding it. One thing Sheena was going to do was put together a card game and make some money from it. That had to be where Ahvi got her hustle from. A slight smile appeared on her face, leaving just as fast as it came.

Butta stepped out with Kamari already bundled in her arms. “He been asleep since ten,” she whispered as she carefully buckled Kamari into his car seat.

“Appreciate it,” Ahvi sighed, reaching in the back to brush her fingers over Kamari’s soft curls before Butta closed the door.

“You good?” Butta leaned into the car through the passenger door, eyes scanning her sister’s face.

Ahvi forced a smile. “Yea - just tired.”

“Aight. Call me if you need anything.”

Ahvi tossed her hand up at her mama before pulling off, ready to get in bed. She hated having Kamari out so late but that was just their reality. It would’ve been nice if his daddy could’ve gotten him for the night, but that was asking God for too much of a miracle. She felt she had a better chance, asking him to bring her daddy back.

The drive home was quiet with only Kamari’s little snores filling the car. She pulled into the driveway. Ahvi cut the engine off and stepped out, moving quickly to unbuckle her son. He stirred but didn’t wake up, his head resting against her shoulder as she carried him toward the front porch.

Then she heard quick, heavy footsteps behind her, making her heartrate speed up.

Before she could turn, something cold pressed against the back of her neck. “Aye, run that.”

Her stomach dropped. Kamari shifted in her arms, completely unaware of the danger.

“I got my baby,” she stated the obvious, her voice steady even though fear clawed at her throat.

“Then don’t do nothin’ stupid.” The man’s breath was hot against her ear. His voice was impatiently rough. “Purse.”

Heart hammering, Ahvi adjusted Kamari just enough to slide her purse off her shoulder. “Please, just let me get inside?—”

“Nah, fuck that! Give that shit up now or you won’t see tomorrow.”

Her hands shook as she held out her purse. The man snatched the bag, rummaging through it before grabbing the money she made for the night. It was like he knew she’d had a good night from the way he stuffed the money in his jeans.

“Go inside,” he ordered, stepping back - gun still aimed. “And don’t turn around.”

Tears burned her eyes as she gripped Kamari tighter and stepped toward the door. The second she got inside, she locked the door behind her. Her legs shook as she pressed her forehead against the wood.

She cried hard, holding Kamari to her chest. She was relieved that she and Kamari were safe. But she was angry that everything else was gone. Yet again she took one step forward just to be knocked a hundred steps back.