Trouble in Paradise

Chapter 5

The room fills with sounds of the tv and Uncle J is reclining in a chair almost asleep.
"Hey girls! How was the pool?" He asks once he hears the door close.
"Wonderful" Kai answers sarcastically.
I say nothing, trying my best not to go off again. I leave the room before getting a reaction from him.
"Kai, what's the deal?"
"There was some guys at the pool messing with her. She told him off though, I thought she was okay on the way here."
"I want you to tell her to come here after she's dressed."
"Okay" she responds.

My shower was abnormally short for the way I was feeling at the moment. I'm in the room looking for a hair tie to match my outfit and I find one in Kai's hair care bag.
The little pink thing seems too small for my large amount of hair.
"A, Uncle J says to come here after you're dressed." Kai interrupts.
"Okay" I say quietly while still trying to get my hair up.
"I thought you were okay when we were coming here A. Are you?"
"I'm fine. I promise, I was probably just overthinking it." I say. Overthinking it, please.
Without warning, the hair tie breaks and falls to the floor. I let out a long frustrated sigh as I bend down to pick it up.
"Your hair is wet, don't think about that too right now."
"I gotta put it up, or it'll drip everywhere."
I finally get a hair tie around it before going to the living room.
"Sit" he says while motioning me to a leather chair.

I sit and put a small towel around my shoulders. My body feels relaxed.
"Sir?"
"What happened down there?" He sits up, showing concern.
I let out a sigh and shrug. "Some guys, messing with me at the pool. They didn't say anything-you know- like that. It's just, they made me mad and I'm fine now."
"What did they say?" Uncle J suddenly sounds frustrated.
As I go over all of the things they said, he sighs and leans back in the chair again.
"Dumb boys. Am I right?"
"Yeah." I laugh a little.
"Don't listen to them and let them Make you mad." He swats his hand "You're a beautiful kid whether I'm wealthy or not. When your mother and Kai asked me to take you in, I was skeptical. I didn't know if I could handle someone else like that. Now, I'm glad I did. You remind me so much of my daughter Lana. She was my world, I'll tell ya'. You and Kai remind me of her everyday."
"That's really sweet Uncle J." I smile a little.
"You'll always be family to us. You and your mother."
"Thank you." I say as I hug him gently and rise to get ready to go face the world again.
He smiles and turns the tv back on.
I feel really good after this moment, and very confident. As I walk, there just seems to be that lingering question In the back of my mind.
"Hey Uncle J."
"Yeah." He was so wrapped up in the show.
"I know you're retired, but where did you work? I mean what was your career?"
"I used to own a business. I owned it with a business partner. It was alright. It's not that exciting, don't about it."
"Just alright? All of this?"
"I mean, yeah, don't worry yourself about it."
Something in my mind told me this may have been a bad idea to ask. I don't the he wants me to ask anymore.