After three years and some months of marriage, and knowing her for almost nine years, he was used to his wife's mood swings. She was the sweetest, kindest, most compassionate person in the world every month... except for one singular week.
He always knew when her "torture" had come, as she always put it. She got a look on her face that said she'd rather eat glass and die, and she got very quiet. She'd snap at people, curse at the littlest inconvenience, and cry if someone said something she didn't like. She'd hide herself in their room if someone even rolled their eyes at her and muttered how she couldn't behave that way.
One of the first times he had held her while she cried during her period, she sobbed about how her whole life she was told she couldn't cry over something that literally had her bedridden. He didn't understand, he would never understand, but he thought it was cruel to tell someone under that much pain to "get over it". The only thing he could equate the pain to was the agonizing pain of broken ribs.
Usually, Linda wanted her husband during her cramping days. She'd want him to hold her, kiss her forehead, and not say a word. All she needed was his hugs and his kisses, and he was always too happy to oblige.
Even though, deep down, sometimes Danny got annoyed with his wife during that time, he was always willing to help her. And because he had been doing it for so many years, he was able to judge what kind of mood swings and the severity of them she'd have that month. But the last two months, he was as confused as the day was long.
The first month was confusing enough, since Linda's cries weren't only from pain and exhaustion and frustration. He had done all he was supposed to do: he got her chocolate ice cream, the heat pad, ice water, put on her favorite movie. The ice cream was eaten, the movie was over, and she was bawling.
"I don't know how to help you," Danny tried to tell her as she continued crying. "You have to tell me."
She couldn't. She couldn't tell him because she didn't know. She sipped her ice water and swallowed a bunch of times before she was able to get some words out. They were shaky and increased in volume, "I don't know! I don't know! It's not... it's not normal!"
"Normal? What's normal?"
"What it usually is! And it isn't! Not this month!"
He didn't understand, didn't understand what her normal was- other than pain and a heavy flow (something he still didn't quite get despite knowing about it for many years).
"It's just, it's not acting normal. It was super late this month- to the point where I almost bought a pregnancy test. Then it came, and I bled through, but only on my thigh, which makes no sense. And it hurts- I mean, it always hurts, but it hurts to pee. And that makes no sense, so that means something else is going on, and my kidneys hurt, I think, and-" she groaned loudly, plopping her head in her hands.
"What day are you on?"
"Fourth. Things are supposed to be easy now! It's just supposed to be annoying, not.... scary."
Danny didn't know what to say, so he just scooted closer and hugged her tightly. "If things don't get better, will you go to the doctor?"
"Yes," she nodded, praying things would be normal next month.
**********
They weren't. Things were not normal the next month. Things were crazier. Her period was late- again; for two weeks, she thought it was coming because she had been cramping, but nothing came. She was practically throwing away money, with all the used-but-not-blood-stained hygiene products she was using. Those things were expensive, much to her utter annoyance.
It all came to a head one night, after she had spent the last three days throwing up. She had been tossing and turning in bed- very slowly, because she was still cramping- trying to get comfortable. The turning motion only increased her pain and present nausea, to the point where she finally just gave up and sat in bed.
Linda was crying softly, trying desperately not to wake her husband. She should have known he'd wake up when she started moving like that. He was a very light sleeper.
"Linda?" Danny turned the beside lamp on, sat up with her. "Are you okay?"
"Clearly not!"
"What's wrong? Other than the fact you can't get comfortable."
"Nothing's. Happening." Her speech was always choppy while she cried, but this time it was from frustration. "I've been expecting the damn thing for two weeks, and nothing. On top of that, I'm awaiting money every time the pad isn't bloody. To add to that, I'm sick."
He rubbed her shoulder; he had no idea what to do for her other than what he had been doing. "Are you worried about something?"
She gave him the evilest stink eye, "aren't you listening to me?!"
He bit his tongue from shouting back, "I meant other than that. Is something going wrong at the hospital?"
She shook her head.
"With your relationship with any body?"
She shook her head again, closing her eyes. The nausea was terrible, and her head was aching. "Nothing's stressing me out, nothing's wrong. I just don't get it."
"You should call your doctor."
"I did.... watch my period come that day," she rolled her eyes before pushing herself off the couch and heading for the bathroom.
Danny followed her and held her hair as she puked. He hoped whatever was wrong with her was easily fixed.
********
"Of course!" Linda slapped herself on the head as she sat in her car after her doctor's appointment. "Of course! How could you be so stupid?"
She laughed at herself, at the situation, and at the realization of what was really going wrong.
The complete and utter terror of having another baby wouldn't hit her for another week. Then she would be a mess.
