Key To Your Heart

14

Roseanne

"Okay, and it's just going to stick to your panties like this."

I pass the pre-applied pad back under the stall door in the school bathroom as Lucy shoves her less fortunate pair of jeans into a plastic bag. I've handed her everything under the stall door after checking multiple bathrooms for her throughout the school like a total creep.

"I'm so embarrassed," she says tearfully.

"Why? We all get our periods. It's very normal. Welcome to the next, like, forty years of your life."

"In class?"

I wobble my head as I consider that. "No, not everyone. But statistically, based on the age of people who get their cycles and the number of hours they spend per day in class, it definitely wouldn't be unusual."

"I don't think anyone noticed."

"Probably not. Plus, if someone was looking at your butt, Lisa might kill them."

That draws a sad little chuckle as the sounds of her righting herself in a fresh set of clothes fill the otherwise empty bathroom.

"Rosie?"

"Yeah?"

"There's just... there's a lot of blood. Are you sure I'm okay?"

I lean against a sink and glance over my nails, trying not to laugh. Because it's not funny. But it is a walk down memory lane. "Oh yeah. The first couple of days are often quite heavy."

"How can you just... talk about this so casually?"

I try not to think about Lisa. Showers. Dark towels There's a woman who talks about it casually. "Well, when it happens for one week out of every month, it eventually loses its shock value."

"Oh my god. How am I going to handle having this every month? It's so awful."

"Don't fret, little storm cloud. It's not so bad. I'll show you more when we get home."

"Okay," she says quietly before the sound of the toilet flushing fills the space.

When she comes out, she looks embarrassed as hell.

She reminds me so much of Lisa that it's hard not to smile.

"Come here." I open my arms, and she shuffles forward. Her face drops against my chest and her arms go around my waist as I envelop her in a hug.

"Thank you, Rosie."

I realize she probably thought her mom would be here for this occasion, and that just makes me squeeze her harder.

"Of course. Told you I'd always be here."

"Can I skip the rest of the day?"

"Hell yeah. I'll sign you out. Everyone at the office thinks I'm Mrs. Manoban anyway."

She laughs as she pulls away. "Would you ever want to be?"

My brows furrow. "Be what?"

"Mrs. Manoban?"

Oh god. The way kids put you on the spot is so brutal.

I deflect with a wink and say, "Who wouldn't?"

Luckily, that satisfies her because she nods, slips her hand into mine, and doesn't let go as we walk out into the hallway.

"I'll take you home. But first, we'll make the stop that my mom made with me the day I got my period. I always told myself I'd do it with my daughter when her big day came."