Xavier

50

"Luna!!"

"Donny!!"

My younger cousin came running towards me at warp speed and nearly tackled me to the ground as soon as I stepped into my home. I was finally making it home for Christmas. I loved coming home to be with everyone but I was missing Xavier more than I'd like to admit. He's got his toy drive thingy tonight, and he hasn't stopped texting me since I left. "How's college treating you?"

I laughed at the six year old as I let him back down onto the ground. "Good, how's kindergarten?"

"Great. I can read now."

"Okay man let's see what you got. Go grab one of your books!" I told him. He nodded and went running through the house. "Dante you better stop running around this damn house." His mother yelled from the kitchen.

I shook my head and sat my bag down by the stairs. Once I got my boots and coat off I made my way into the kitchen. "How y'all doing." I greeted.

"Luna baby it's about time you got here." Aunt Janice said. I went through the motions of hugging my parents, aunt, and uncle.

"Lucas is here?"

"No he ran off with that little girlfriend."

"Girlfriend? Who Imani?" I asked. "No Lauren."

"Never heard of her." I shrugged. "I'm about to head out though. I just wanted to drop my bag off before I go to the cemetery."

"You going around there by yourself!?" Uncle Ty asked. "She prefers to go alone." My dad explained.

"Well can you catch us up before you go? I mean it's not like H-"

"Whatever you're about to say Janice, don't." Mom told her.

"Not really much to say. I finished the semester off well and I still have a work study job."

"Oh really? doing what?!"

"I assist a professor at the university."

"Oh that's so nice! What's their name?"

"Um it's Xavier Nixon. He's a professor and an attorney." I told them and lightly cleared my throat. "That's so nice. Are you helping with any legal work or shadowing him at all?"

"Yeah I help a lot with the documents and stuff."

"How old is he?" Dad asked. "31 or 32 I think."

"What's he look like?" My mom asked.

"Girl I'm already looking him up on the university website." Aunt Janice laughed. I tried to hide my embarrassment as my mom skipped across the kitchen to look at her sisters phone. "Why are y'all like this." I groaned.

"Ooh this man is fine. Is he married?"

I shook my head no as I laughed. "You're telling me this man is not married?! He got a girlfriend? Kids? A boyfriend maybe?" Mom exclaimed.

"Nope none of that."

"Something must be wrong then. Ain't no way he look this good and he doesn't at least have two kids and three baby mamas. And Maybe a wife on the side." Aunt Janice dramatized.

Wait till Xavier gets a load of this.

"Stop being dramatic, let me see." Dad said with a huff. They showed him the phone and his eyebrows raised slightly. "I mean I know you can't date your professor so does he have a brother for you or something? Damn!"

I burst out laughing and shook my head.

"No only a sister."

"Now I won't tell you what I would do, but keep up with that connection." Aunt Janice joked. "Jan don't be encouraging my daughter to do none of that!" My mom exclaimed and smacked the back of her head.

If only she knew that I didn't need any encouraging. "Exactly. My Luna isn't like one of them little white girls in the movies. She wouldn't risk her reputation like that." Dad scoffed.

the small smile on my face faded gradually as he spoke. My parents thought so highly of me and they believed that i was beyond something like that. His words made me feel like a disappointment and that wasn't even his intentions.

"I know, Luna's a good girl she wouldn't do something like that. That's actually kinda icky. It happens though and it's so weird specifically on the professors part." Aunt Janice said.

i sucked in a breath quietly and wiped my forehead. "Have you met anyone at school though, Lu?" Uncle Ty asked. "Uh no. No progress in that department." i replied and but the inside of my cheek.

"You know I could hook you up with Jamie's friend. His names Sincere."

"Uh that sounds...cool I guess. You can tell me all about him when I get back." I said as I slide off of the island stool.

"I'll be back in about an hour."

"Alright love be safe."

I nodded and made my way to the door. As I made my way to the car my phone rang in my pocket. It was Xavier. But when I saw his name and then thought about what my family said it made my stomach feel weird. I declined the call and drove to the cemetery.

I spent about twenty minutes in pure silence. I didn't know what to say today. "Sorry I know this is different than the other times. I never really know what to say but At least i usually do say something." I mumbled as I kicked at the frozen dirt in front of his head stone. "I guess I'm just not feeling all that chatty."

"I probably should've just came tomorrow. I might be a bit more up beat." I sighed. "I mean I was earlier but Uh now not so much."

Truthfully thinking about what my family said made me start to question Xavier and I and I hated it. "It's almost Christmas." I announced as I tried to get my mind off of everything else.

"I know this was your favorite holiday. I'm still holding out hope that I'll wake up to you yodeling jingle bells at the top of your lungs." I laughed.

My smile dimmed the longer I thought about the fact that I would never hear his awful singing again. It made me want to change the subject again. "I also feel like I should tell you that I met someone. He...he's a good guy but I'm not really sure where it's going. I don't even know how long it'll last. I shouldn't even be with him but it just feels right. Maybe I'll tell you more about him next time."

I jumped at the sound of someone clearing their throat and whipped around me. Behind me stood Quincy's mother with a bouquet of roses. "I see you had the same idea as me." She said awkwardly. I nodded and moved out the way so she could place the flowers down.

"I'm sorry I wasn't expecting-"

"No need for apologies. I didn't mean to interrupt." She sighed. "You're fine. Just another day of talking to myself." I snorted.

"I think I actually might be heading home now. It's freezing." I added

"I understand I just stopped by the leave those. Come on walk with me."