Page 80 of DadBod

ELIZABETH

I don’t sleep a wink.I toss and turn all night thinking about Rome, Rome’s hands, Rome’s mouth, and to top it off, I think about Rome’s words.

“What does ‘this’ mean?”

“You sleep here again?” I open my eyes to Ryann standing in my open doorway.

“Erm, your dad didn’t get home until late.”

“I hope you don’t think you’re moving in here.”

I don’t.

Instead of responding, I merely shake my head.

“Good.”

I wish I knew what to do about Ryann––to let her know I’m not here to replace her mom. What if she and I went somewhere to talk? I’m about to propose that, when I look up in time to see Ryann wince. She’s got her hand on her lower stomach. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing. Stomach ache.”

“I think there’s some stomach medicine in the downstairs bathroom.” I picked some up after the whole episode with Calvin at the baseball game.

“It’s not that.” She shakes her head. “I don’t know what it is.”

It occurs to me. “It’s probably your period.”

Her body whips around quickly. I take a step back. “What?”

“Your period.” I watch her face for clues. “Your menstrual cycle, have you––?”

Before I can finish asking the question, she’s running out of my room. I hear her feet on the steps moving up.

“Should I tell Rome?”

God. I remember like it was yesterday, the day I started my period. I wasn’t sure what to do, but one thing was certain, I did not want to talk to my father about it, and I didn’t want to burden my mom with it. She was very sick by then. Instead, I ran to my best friend’s house. She’d started hers the summer before. She knew what to do.

Does Ryann have anyone like that? There’s her grandmother, but she’s gone on that trip. Ophelia could be good. Making my way up the steps, I tap on Ryann’s door lightly. “What?” Her voice is soft.

“May I come in?”

“I guess.”

Turning the knob, I push open the door and see her lying on her bed clutching something fuzzy and pink. Moving into the room, I push the door most of the way closed. “Is this your first one?”

Her back is to me, but she answers. “Yes.”

“Would you like me to call your aunt Ophelia? She can walk you through everything.”

Ryann’s body slowly moves, rolling onto her back. Blinking, she asks, “You don’t want to tell me what to do?”

Shaking my head, I answer her honestly. “You should talk to whomever you feel most comfortable with. Aunt Phee can walk you through everything, answer your questions…” Although, Phee may not be around right now. She’s got a pretty stressful job as a lawyer for a company based in Seattle. Because of that, she travels a lot. I’m sure she’d make time for this, though. She always tries to make time when Rome needs her.

“Why can’t you talk to me?”

“I can. I just assumed you’d want someone else.”

She stares at me for a long time. It makes me fidget it’s so long.

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