Apparently, Nash had more faith in her abilities than she did.
“Nash is right,” Rory said. “You ca—”
Ava’s ringtone interrupted Rory’s words, and she pulled her phone from her back pocket, her brow furrowing as she accepted the call. “Hey, baby.”
“Momma.” Ava’s hushed voice caught on the single word.
Two little syllables from her daughter and Rory’s entire body went tight with worry. “What’s wrong?”
“I dunno,” she whispered. “I’m—I think… I went to the bathroom and…”
“And what? Why are you whisperin’? Are you hurt? Where’s your father?”
“He’s downstairs, but I don’t want to tell him about this!” she hissed. “And not Kelsey or Sarah Beth either. Please, Momma. Can you come get me?”
“Get you? Ava, you wanted to stay the night so bad. Why can’t you tell—” Rory cut off then, the pieces suddenly clicking into place.
Ava was only ten, but that didn’t mean anything. Rory had barely been eleven when she’d first gotten her period. She’d been nervous and worried and scared…and she hadn’t told a single person. She’d snuck into her momma’s cabinet and gotten what she needed. Taken care of it all on her own without telling a soul.
But Ava had come straight to her.
“All right, baby. Are you in the bathroom now?”
“Yes, should I stay in here? My underwear—”
“Don’t you worry about a thing. I’m comin’ right now, okay?”
“Okay,” she whispered, her voice shaky. “But hurry, Momma.”
“I’ll be there in five minutes.” She hung up the phone, spun in a circle as if her body was ready to move before her brain had caught up, and then dashed up the front steps and into the house.
Without much thought to what she was grabbing, she gathered a set of clean clothes and a pad for Ava, plucked her car keys from the table, and flew out the door.
“Ella! C’mon, baby, I need to drop you at Mimi’s while I help your sister with something.” If Ava didn’t want to confide in her dad or her best friend, Rory was certain she wouldn’t want her younger sister to witness it either.
“But, Momma! Nash just asked me to check over his work and make sure everything was tightened. I can’t leave before I do my job!”
“I don’t have time to argue with you, Ella Jane. In the car,now.”
Nash stepped up to Rory, brushed a strand of hair away from her face, and rested his hands on her shoulders, his forehead creased in concern. “Everything okay?”
“It’s fine, Ava just—”
“Needs you.”
Rory’s throat clogged at the sudden emotion flooding her insides, and she could only nod, knowing if she spoke, her voice would crack.
“Go on, then. Ella and I can hang out and finish our project.”
“Yes.” Ella fist-pumped before dropping to her knees to rummage through Nash’s toolbox. She waved at Rory without looking up. “Bye, Momma!”
“I’m sure you’ve got other things to do,” Rory said.
“Nope.”
“Are you sure? I can—” Rory’s phone chirped, indicating a text from Ava, and Nash bent until they were eye level.
“Go on,” he said, tapping her bottom and placing a quick, chaste kiss on her lips. “We won’t set the house on fire while you’re gone. Probably.”
