Elle let out a shuddering breath. "Promise?"
"Cross my heart," I said solemnly.
She giggled then, the sound bright and unexpected in the heaviness of the moment. I grinned back, feeling like I'd just won some sort of victory.
I rustled through the bag I’d brought, pulling out a few different tampons and pads. "Okay, so these are the essentials." I laid them out on the counter. "Tampons can be tricky at first, but they're more discreet once you get the hang of it. Pads are easier, but some people don't like how they feel."
Elle examined them, her nose wrinkling. "They both seem terrible."
I laughed. "You're not wrong. But you'll find what works best for you. There’s some new stuff on the market I haven’t tried yet, like menstrual cups. If you want to try them, just give it a quick internet search and see what you think. I’ll get us both one if you want, and we can test them out together. But for now…" I picked up a pad, peeling back the wrapper. "See the sticky part? That goes in your underwear to hold it in place. Then you just change it every few hours or whenever it feels full. Or sometimes I change it just because it feels icky."
Elle took the pad from me gingerly, as if it might bite. "And the other one?"
"Tampons go inside, like this." I mimed the motion for using the applicator. "But there are detailedinstructions in the box with pictures. And you can always ask me if you have questions, okay? No shame."
She nodded, looking overwhelmed but determined. "Thanks. For everything."
I squeezed her shoulder. "Anytime. And here." I dug in my purse again, pulling out a bottle of Midol. "For the cramps. Take two every 6 hours or so. I find that alternating this and ibuprofen helps if the cramps get bad.”
"Okay," Elle said, squaring her slim shoulders. "Give me a minute here, and I think I'll be ready to face the world again. And my dad." She picked up a pad and tampon and clutched it with the Midol.
What a trooper she was. That poor girl having to do this without her mother. I wanted to wrap her in my arms and never let go.
I walked downstairs to find Nathan pacing nervously in the living room. He spun to face me as I entered, his brow furrowed with concern.
"How is she?" he asked tightly.
I gave him a reassuring smile. "She's doing great, all things considered. We had a good talk."
Nathan let out a relieved breath, his shoulders relaxing slightly. "Thank goodness. I was afraid she'd never come out of there."
"She just needs some time and understanding," I said gently. "This is a big change for her."
He nodded, running a hand through his hair. "I know. I just feel so...helpless. Like I should be able to make it easier for her somehow."
I stepped closer and touched his arm. "You're doing everything you can, Nathan. She knows that. Just keep being there for her."
He met my gaze, gratitude shining in his brown eyes. "Thank you, Rissa. For everything."
I squeezed his arm before letting go and walking toward the door. "Anytime."
He hesitated, then said, “Could I ask one more favor?”
I hesitated. I wanted to help him with anything he needed, but that meant getting way too vulnerable. “Of course.”
“I think she’ll be able to shift now, right?”
I smiled and nodded. “Yeah, that’s how it works.”
He scrubbed his hand over his face. “Yeah, she’s been trying. I’ve been trying to coach her through it, but I kind of figured it wouldn't work.”
“For me, it happened the next day. That seems to be the norm. Around twenty-four hours later.”
“Okay, so, um, do you think you could come back tomorrow and just kind of be around? She might have questions, or things could be weird. I could use the backup.”
He looked so lost and more than a little scared.
“I’d love to,” I said quietly, with my hand on the doorknob. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”
