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five

Ahvi’s pulse drummed in her ears, but her face stayed cool. She had done this shit plenty of times and this one was no different.

She shifted her son higher on her hip, pressing a kiss to his temple to keep him calm. Kamari was restless, seconds from letting out a cry that would draw unwanted attention so she had to move faster.

Her free hand slid a can of formula into the black tote, already heavy with everything else she needed to hold her over. A family pack of chicken, loaf of bread, a cheap bag of rice, a bag of frozen peas and carrots mixed, and two cans of green beans.

The plan was to make a big pot of chicken and rice to sell to the drunks in her mama’s neighborhood as well as feed her siblings.

Her eyes flicked across the store. Ahvi felt relief when she realized no one was watching her too closely. The cashier was busy ringing up an old man who was fumbling with his wallet, and the security guard at the front looked half-asleep, leaning against the wall with his arms crossed like they weren’t in the hood and shit couldn’t pop off any minute.

Ahvi pursed her lips at how easy it was to steal from the local food mart.

The ten thousand was coming. She knew that. But she wasn’t stupid enough to count on it. Anything could happen, and she wasn’t about to let her son go without because she banked on money that might not be in her hands at the end of the day.

Maybe she liked the thrill of it, too-- the way her heart pounded when she slipped something into her bag-- the tiny rush of knowing she was getting away with it…or maybe she was just a mother doing what she had to do to take care of her son.

Whatever the reason, Ahvi felt she was good enough at it, to not get caught again because she’d been caught once before.

Kamari let out a whimper, his little hands balling into fists. She bounced him lightly, whispering a soft, “Shhh, Mari. I’m almost done.”

Dro was still missing in action, which meant begging him for help wasn’t an option , not that it ever really was. If he cared, she wouldn’t have to press him to help with their son. She knew Ish was rolling over in his grave, pointing that crooked finger at her and shaking his head.

Ahvi exhaled slowly, and adjusted the strap of the tote on her shoulder. Just a few more things, and she’d be out. No one would even know she’d been here.

The last few days at her mama’s was cool but life still had to go on and she still had a lot of shit to handle. Ahvi couldn’t sit around with her mama gossiping all day and looking after her bad ass siblings. She still needed to get a storage unit before the new owners put everything on the side of the road for nosey neighbors to pick through while passing judgement on her and her situation.

Ahvi slipped out of the store. Her heart was pounding, but her face was unreadable in hopes of not giving anyone a clue as to what she’d just done. She walked with purpose while balancing Kamari on her hip as she strolled past the clueless security guard. The tote bag dug into her shoulder, but she didn’t adjust it until she was halfway to her car. That was the rule-- don’t touch the bag until you’re in the clear.

Once she made it to the car, she pulled off, making a stop in another parking lot to make Kamari a bottle before he really cut up on her. She didn’t want to take the chance of doing it in the store’s parking lot in fear of being caught.

Ahvi handed Kamari his bottle then checked the time on her phone. She needed to get going so she could get the money and take the food home before the summer heat spoiled it. Her five finger discount trip would be fruitless if the food didn’t make it into the refrigerator soon.

Pulling off, it didn’t take Ahvi long before she was at the post office. She swallowed hard seeing Lunar kicked back on the hood of his Benz, making her little Nissan look worse than it was. She took a quick glance at her appearance in the rearview mirror trying not to be so obvious.

Lunar’s deep – dark skin glistened under the rays of the sun. He wasn’t decked out in diamonds this time but she could tell by his clothes that he probably shitted money. He looked taller in person too, with his jeans hanging slightly off his waist, and a plain white shirt hitting the top just right . His hair looked freshly moisturized and his waves were on swim.

Ahvi put her car in park, grabbing her phone before hopping out her car and walking around to get Kamari out the car too.

Lunar couldn’t tear his eyes away, following her every move. Leaning against his car with his arms crossed, he watched her like she was something to be studied. He flicked his tongue across his lips as his eyes took in every inch of her …slow and deliberate. Those black biker shorts clung to her like a second skin, hugging every curve so tight he could admire her shape from the front.

The oversized graphic tee draped over her hips just enough to hint at what was underneath, and those dainty little sandals on her feet were cute as hell. She had that effortless, I just threw this on type of fine that made it hard to look away.

Her hair was slicked into a perfect top knot, with soft, swirly baby hairs framing her heart-shaped face. Lunar took his time drinking Ahvi in. From the way her lips pursed slightly in concentration to the subtle sway of her hips as her baby’s legs wrapped around them.

“ Ahvi ,” he said, straightening up. “You look even better in person.”

Ahvi rolled her eyes, snapping her thighs together self-consciously. Him saying her name was enough to make her fold.

But she didn’t have time for folding. The last time she let her guards down, she ended up a single mother stealing from the local store. “You got the money or what?”

Lunar walked over, resting his arms in front of him like he was all business and no bullshit. “You got the phone?” even that came out with sex dripping from every word.

She reached into her tote and pulled it out just enough for him to see before tucking it away again.

He whistled low, nodding. “Aight, aight...ten bands, just like I promised.” He pulled out a thick stack of cash out of his pocket and held it out to her.

She reached for it, but he yanked it back with a grin. “Damn, can I at least get my stepdaddy jokes off first?”

There was no reason for him to pretend he wasn’t physically attracted to her. Ahvi was the type of girl you just had to shoot your shot with, even if you could see the wall around her from a mile away.

Ahvi sighed. “Lunar?—”

“Nah, for real, picture this…son, go get my slippers.’” He looked at Kamari, who was blinking up at him from his mama’s hips like they were made just for him.

“Boy, shut up.” She snatched the money from his hand trying not to laugh, flipping through it quickly. She handed him the phone and charger, knowing he’d probably need that too.

Then, everything went to hell. Shit moved in slow motion like time slowed down so she could remember the day forever…remember where she fucked up at.

“You called the police?!” Ahvi’s round eyes bucked in disbelief that Lunar would call the police about a phone he didn’t even know about until she reached out.

Lunar shook his head. “Hell nah!”

Red and blue lights flooded the street. A police car cut in front of hers’, blocking her in, and another screeched to a stop beside where they were standing.

An officer yelled, “Ahvi Farooq! Hands where we can see them!”

Ahvi’s blood turned ice cold and her brown skin went pale.

Before she could react, doors flew open, and two cops rushed toward her with their guns drawn.

“Step away from the vehicle now!”

“The fuck?” Lunar groaned, confused as he raised his hands in the air, thinking ‘What the hell did he get himself into?’

Kamari started whimpering, squirming in her arms.

Lunar stepped up but was quickly backed down. “How she gon’ put her hands up with her baby on her hip?” His dimples were so deep in his face as he asked them passionately.

“Back the fuck up,” the officer yelled at Lunar.

“I…please, wait—” Ahvi’s hands shook as she lifted the one free hand she had because dropping her baby wasn’t an option.

Lunar’s jaw clenched as he stepped forward, hands twitching at his sides. His eyes burned with frustration as he watched them manhandle Ahvi like she was some sort of threat. His voice came sharp. “Let me get the baby, at least, damn.”

One of the officers agreed, feeling a little bad. Ahvi was being arrested for shoplifting but she wasn’t violent and didn’t deserve all this.

“We’ve been watching you, Ahvi. You’re under arrest for multiple counts of shoplifting,” he explained, grabbing the bag with her stolen items in them.

Her stomach dropped and embarrassment coated her face when she looked at Lunar.

Ahvi’s breath came fast and shallow. Her baby…they were going to take her baby.

One of the officers grabbed her arms. “CPS has been notified. Your child will be taken into custody.”

“No—please!” She fought against their grip, twisting toward Lunar, who stood frozen, eyes wide. “Get the fuck off me!” she wiggled. “Lunar, please - take him!”

Lunar blinked, still processing. “What—?” He held onto Kamari even though he didn’t know the little boy any more than he knew Ahvi, but something in his soul was telling him not to let CPS get her baby.

“Take him - Pleeease!” Ahvi pleaded.

One of the cops turned to Lunar. “You the father?”

Lunar hesitated for half a second before snapping out of it. “Yea...Yea, I’m his dad.”

Ahvi’s head snapped toward him, but before she could say anything, the officer nodded. “Alright, the child stays with him.”

Relief and panic crashed over her all at once. As one officer yanked her hands behind her back and cuffed her, she shouted over her shoulder, “Find my mama! She’s on the East Side…take him to her please!”

Lunar was still looking thrown off, his arms slightly out like he didn’t know what to do. “Wait—who? Where?”

Ahvi screamed her mother’s name. her voice raw while one of the officers yanked her arms behind her back and read her rights to her. She barely registered the cold snap of the cuffs because Kamari was screaming, his little arms reaching for her as Lunar held him with a shocked expression plastered across his face.

Kamari wailed, reaching for her, his little face red and wet like he knew what was going on.

Ahvi fought harder, her own tears blinding her. “Baby, it’s okay! I swear, it’s okay baby!” She forced a smile in an effort to calm Kamari down.

Lunar finally snapped out of it, adjusting Kamari in his arms just as the cops shoved Ahvi into the back of the squad car.

The door slammed shut, and all she could do was watch through the glass as her son cried, reaching for her. Lunar stood there, still shocked as hell, holding a screaming baby that wasn’t his.

* * *

Getting home happened in a blur. Lunar couldn’t wrap his mind around what just happened and why. Then to add onto the craziness, he was toting around a baby he didn’t know at all. Once the police pulled off, he went to Ahvi’s car to grab Kamari’s car seat and a bag he assumed was his diaper bag then locked her car. Being around babies wasn’t foreign to him but connecting a car seat was trickier than he expected. After fighting with it and a crying baby for too long, he just put the seat in the front and strapped him in as best he could.

Now, he was walking in the house, and Kamari had just settled down—after he’d head butted Lunar in the mouth while crying for his mommy.

Lunar looked around the house knowing Pimp was somewhere out running the streets. He’d made the decision when Lunar wouldn’t let him go meet Ahvi with him. Now, he wished he’d let Pimp join him.

His mind went back to the phone that held the key to what he’d been missing all along. That was his main concern until he could find out more about Ahvi’s charges and take her son to her moms like she asked him to. But first, he was dying to see what was on the phone. Shuffling through the bag, he pulled out the phone and the charger that went with it.

Lunar found a plug with Kamari in his lap as he typed away on the phone connecting it to the TV, hoping to get a better view of the videos.

The screen flickered, and Lunar’s heart pounded as the video came to life. Kamari fidgeted in his lap, his tiny fingers gripping Lunar’s shirt like he could feel the shift in the air.

Big Lunar’s voice came first, casual but full of something unshaken. “Aight, I’m recording. Say what you just said.”

The camera wobbled before settling on Tiny, sitting on the edge of the couch, her legs crossed beneath her. She looked younger, softer, but the sharpness in her eyes was the same. She sucked her teeth, shaking her head with a small laugh.

“You always recording weird shit,” Tiny muttered, running a hand over her barely there stomach like it wasn’t real yet.

Lunar snickered behind the camera. “Nah, this different. This the start of some real shit.” He flipped the camera back to himself, running a hand down his face, exhaling slow. His usual cocky smirk was missing. “I’m really ‘bout to be somebody’s daddy.”

Tiny side-eyed him. “You late. I been knew that.”

“Nah, for real. I can’t be out here on the same shit no mo’.” He leaned forward, his voice dropping like he was making a promise, not just saying words.

She hummed, not fully convinced. “So what you gon’ do, cause you know you still gon’ have to look out for everybody else… Stephanie ain’t gon’ step up.” Tiny rolled her eyes hating how much pressure was put on him.

Lunar smirked, but it didn’t quite reach his eyes. “Shit, maybe I’ll join the army or some shit.” He spoke the words like life was just that simple when he knew better than anyone that it wasn’t. At least not when you had an absent father and a mama that was so consumed with reliving some youthful years like they asked to make her a mama so young.

Tiny let out a short laugh, shoving his arm. “Boy, shut up.”

“I’m dead ass! Imagine me in one of them uniforms, real official…fine as hell too.”

“You ain’t built for that. You hate being told what to do.”

The screen shook as he laughed, his hand briefly covering the camera before the video cut out.

The room felt too quiet when it ended.

Lunar sat frozen, the weight of it pressing down on him. His chest felt hollow and full all at once

Lunar’s breath hitched. He hadn’t even realized he was gripping Kamari so tight until the little boy whimpered, his chubby fingers digging deeper into Lunar’s shirt.

Lunar tried to swallow, tried to blink past the sting in his eyes, but it was no use. The pressure in his chest cracked wide open, and before he knew it, his phone was in his hand, ringing before he could second-guess himself.

“Ma,” his voice came out raw. He sucked in a breath, trying to gather himself while gripping Kamari as his mother answered on the other end. “Ma, I need you.”