Juliet didn’t know what to say, so she just put her hand on her daughter’s hair. “Hello, baby,” she said.

“It was horrible! It was in math class, and I felt this stickiness, and then George Tanner said, ‘Don’t mess with Brianna, she’s on her period,’ and everyone laughed. The blood was on my jeans, Mom! You knew I had cramps last night! Why didn’t you tell me to wear a pad?”

Yes. Why hadn’t Juliet been more psychic? The fact that Brianna had been claiming to have cramps every time she wanted to get out of a chore for two solid years was probably not what she wanted to hear.

“I’m sorry, honey. If it’s any consolation, I’ve gotten blood on my pants, too. So has Sadie, and just about every female I know.” Except Arwen. It probably hadn’t happened to her.

Brianna gave her a sullen look. “I thought it would be different,” she said, tears still dripping down her face. “I thought it would be cool and I’d feel sophisticated and in some kind of older girls club, but it’s just gross and my stomach hurts and my legs do, too.”

“I’ll get you some Motrin,” Juliet said. “And a hot-water bottle. It’ll feel good against your tummy.”

She went into her own bathroom and got the necessary items. A pad, just in case, and a tampon, too. She’d bought Brianna her own supplies last year, as well as a book about periods, but nothing ever did prepare you, did it?

She went back into Brianna’s room and gave her the Motrin and a glass of water. Put the hot-water bottle against her daughter’s abdomen and nodded at the tampons and pads. “In case you need it.”

“I have my own,” Brianna muttered. She rolled away from Juliet. “You can go now, Mom. Thanks.”

Once again, dismissed. What would Barb, the perfect mother, do? “You’ll always be my little girl. No matter how old you get.”

“Thanks. Could you go? I just want to sleep.”

“Right. Sleep tight.”

By the time Juliet had made dinner and cleaned up, even though it was Oliver’s turn (but he was suffering greatly), and checked on Brianna and helped Sloane with her reading and took a shower and got into bed, Oliver was asleep. He rolled over and put his arm around her, then started gently snoring in her ear.

So much for being the spontaneous, sexy, positive lover.

CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN

Barb