Chapter 28
The following Lunar New Year, for the first time ever, the Sun Clan did not host their annual party. There were no invitations, no official announcements, and, most importantly to Roses, no floods.
Instead, they gathered at Westwood Village Memorial Park Cemetery at Big Boss Sun’s grand mausoleum, where they finally laid
their patriarch’s remains to rest.
Holding his sleeping baby in his arms, Wayward Sun leaned his head against Jamaal Golightly as they sat in white folding chairs.
Next to Wayward was his goddaughter, Meadow, who had come on behalf of April Sun in her absence. Behind them were Sunbern
and Fenix Sun, with Lola Sun in between.
As the youngers watched, Hyacinth Sun-Bernard passed the urn to George Sun, who passed it to Iris Sun-Kwok. In front of the
open plot, Iris held the urn out to Roses Sun, but the Sun matriarch beckoned Iris to join her. Together, Roses and Iris carefully
interred their father’s ashes into ground.
This burial was silent, but not because of any superstitious stipulations. It was silent because there was a shared sentiment
among those present that everything that needed to be said about Big Boss Sun had long been said already.
Instead, the Suns looked at and to each other, fully taking each other in, seeing each other in different lights, allowing themselves to be seen. And in their eyes, there was a promise—and if not a promise, a hope.
It was a hope that they could learn to love their living as much as they mourned their dead.
After everyone else had left, Wayward pulled Iris to him, placing his arm around her. They stood in front of Big Boss Sun’s
fulfilled mausoleum as the sun shone overhead. Iris dabbed at her eyes.
“How are you doing?” Wayward asked.
Iris smiled and nodded. “He’s at peace now, as am I.”
With that, the son and his mother turned away from the old man’s grave, the past now buried for a better future abloom.