She must have sensed my discomfort because she took my hand and led me into the bathroom, rummaged under the sink, then handed me two unopened boxes; Kotex and Tampons. I had the feeling she’d been saving them for me. Maybe it was my new woman hormones, but the thought made me weepy.

“Okay,” she said. “There are instructions here.” She opened each and gave me the inserts pointing out the directions and diagrams. “Give Lupe your soiled clothes to soak. Make sure you tell her to use extra Spray ‘n Wash.”

“Okay. Thanks, Anna.”

Anna leaned over and kissed me on the forehead. It had been a long time since she’d been tender with me that way.

“You want some chicken soup?” she asked.

“Wow, really?” I sniffled. “That would be nice.”

Anna walked to the door and pressed a button on the intercom.

“Trini! Campbell’s, por favor, calienta la sopa de pollo para Miss Jackie!” Then she walked back to the ironing board and turned on the iron. Steam blew out the top. “I need to finish pants for your daddy. We have dinner with the Sandersons at Mr. Chow’s.”

She bent over the dark slacks and resumed ironing. I gathered my new supplies and crossed to the door feeling as though I had stayed too long at a party.

“Oh, and Jackie!”

I turned.

“Stay away from dee boys or I’ll keel you!”

She was still chuckling to herself as I shut the door.

That very night, my mother called.

Daddy and Anna were still out with the Sugarmens when the phone rang. I figured it was Nicole, so I picked it up right away, anxious to share my big news.

“Guess what?”

“Hello? Jacqueline? Baby, can you hear me?” My mother’s words were slurry. “Do I have the goddamn number right? Hello? Jacqueline?”

We had a rule in our house, or I should say Daddy had a rule: No one talks to Merilee without his permission. But hearing from her out of the blue confused and worried me. She usually only called on my birthday and Christmas.

“Mom?” I ventured.

“Jacqueline, oh my God! Oh, baby girl, is that you?”

“It’s me. Did something happen?”

She started crying and talking crazy. I kept interrupting, trying to talk to her, but I couldn’t understand most of what she was saying. Then she began screaming stuff about Daddy and Anna. I remembered why Daddy screened her calls.

“That little bitch, I told that cocksucker, I told him if he was going to marry that spic, I’d—”

I slammed the phone down. I was shaking. It was all too much. Becoming a woman and hearing from my mother on the same day. I burst into tears and ran up to my room.

Later that night, when Daddy and Anna came home, I didn’t tell my father about my period, and I didn’t say anything about the phone call.