Cut From A Different Cloth

5

Leia POV
Sunday
November 3
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⚠️ TRIGGER WARNING⚠️

Flashback

Me and Momma was walking up to my Uncle Charlie's house because she was going to go to work and leave me here. I begged to stay at home by myself but Momma was so uptight she wouldn't let me. She thought I would have more fun at Uncle Charlie's because he would play with me.

He would play with me.

"Lei baby. I'm gonna be here a little after the sun sets." Momma rubbed the back of my hand with her thumb as we held hands standing at the door waiting for Uncle Charlie to open it.

"Momma can I stay at the apartment by myself please! I promise I'll be good until you get back. I won't cook anything, I'll keep the doors closed and locked. Nobody will even know I'm there!" I looked at Momma begging with my eyes.

She chuckled at me and spoke to me with her smooth southern voice, "Baby, why you so uptight on being by yourself at the apartment? You're eight years old baby, you can practice this independency thing you got going on another time but not now. I'm sure your Uncle Charlie would be sad to know you weren't coming to see him today after you said you would." She smiled down at me.

"You know, I don't think I'm supposed to tell you this but he told me he had a really fun day planned for y'all two. You'll be fine! From all of the fun you're gonna have you'll probably even forget that you didn't want to come." She spoke with glee in her voice thinking it'll cheer me up.

"But Momma-" I was cut off by the front door opening and another very familiar voice speaking.

"Heyyy! My favorite niece!" My Uncle Charlie spoke in his country voice. He was from the same south as Momma, Houston, since they were brother and sister but Momma's voice was southern and his was country.

I gave up on what I was going to say and just greeted Uncle Charlie with a smile.

"Come on get up in here! We're gonna have so much fun today. I got movies, and popcorn, kettle, just how you like. We can build a fort! Sis don't be jealous 'cause you can't join but you got to work." Uncle Charlie spoke in a really energetic tone and he grabbed on to my shoulders and he hugged me to his side. I noticed something else that was energized, something I was trained to notice.

Momma gave Uncle Charlie a side church hug on his other side that wasn't preoccupied from me being smushed into it. She gave me one last kiss on the forehead and left out the door closing it behind her. Leaving me alone with Uncle Charlie.

"LeiLei how about you put your stuff down so we can get started on our first game? I remember you liking this one last time you came to visit." I did as he said, putting my backpack down by the front door. I also took off my shoes because my family found it disrespectful to wear outside shoes in the house.

"You have on some really pretty jean shorts, are they new?"

"New to you I guess yeah." I mumbled nervously looking down at the ground leaning against the wall.

Uncle Charlie walked closer to me, so close that I'm sure he could feel me breathing, "Let's take them off then, so that we can keep them clean. This game we're about to play can get a little messy." He started to unbuckle my shorts for me.