Chapter 9 #2
“Call it what you will,” Mila added. “It’s still a lot.” In addition to the “roaring” shelves, there was also an overabundance of pain and cold medication, hot and cold compresses, heating pads, vitamins, bandages, and God only knew what else.
Nora put her hands on her hips. “I think you’re both forgetting that I only have this closet because Mila’s decorations collection was so big it didn’t fit anymore, and Uncle Rex had to build a shed to hold it all.”
Mila attempted to correct the story. “He built the shed for me and Aunt Claire. She has four artificial trees she puts up in the B&B every year. Uncle Rex said they were slowly being buried alive by Christmas crap.”
“He didn’t say crap,” Remi chipped in, winking at Sadie.
“I know the word shit, Mila,” Sadie said with a giggle.
She sighed. “Boone’s gonna lose it if he finds out you two are cussing up a storm in that stable.”
“Hey,” Remi said, putting her hands on Sadie’s shoulders. “She’s riding the beast now. She’s gonna need a safe space and an outlet for all that…roaring.”
Sadie mimicked Remi’s paws. “Rahrr!”
Nora laughed, then launched into an explanation of how each pad was different, claiming a woman needed options to fit different outfits and daily plans.
Remi rolled her eyes as Nora rambled on and on, but Sadie listened intently, then pointed to one of the pads. “That one sounds okay.”
Mila leaned toward Sadie. “I need to call your dad and tell him you’re here. If he wakes up and finds your bed empty, he’ll be worried.”
“He’s gonna be mad at me.”
Mila shook her head. “No. I’ll explain, and he’ll understand.
It’ll be okay. Promise.” Mila wasn’t looking forward to placing the call.
She’d avoided the man for three weeks, only catching peeks of him from a distance.
Since that last kiss, she’d convinced Sadie to start coming here after school for crocheting and baking lessons.
Regardless, Sadie had asked every single Tuesday if Mila would have dinner with them again.
Mila hated constantly coming up with excuses for why she couldn’t.
Nora led Sadie to the bathroom, telling the young girl to come to her bedroom when she was done. Mila walked down the hallway to her own room, quietly closing the door behind her as she dialed Boone’s number.
“Mila?” His voice was gruff, and it was obvious she’d woken him.
“Boone, I’m sorry to call so late.”
“Is everything okay?”
“It’s fine. It’s just…Sadie’s here.”
“What?”
She heard movement, and she could picture Boone getting out of bed and crossing the great room to look into Sadie’s bedroom.
“How the hell? What’s she doing there?” he asked, once he’d confirmed Sadie was gone.
“She got her period,” Mila whispered.
“Fucking hell,” Boone muttered. “Why didn’t she tell me?”
Mila grinned. “She’s twelve, Boone, and she was embarrassed.”
“Yeah, but I would have…” He paused.
“You would have handled it just fine,” Mila reassured him, hating that he sounded upset Sadie hadn’t confided in him. “But there are just some things it’s easier to tell another woman.”
“I should have realized this was coming. Should have…prepared somehow. Did she walk there?” he asked. “In the freezing cold?”
“Yeah, but she’s fine. Nora, Remi, and I have set her up with what she needs. She’s taking care of it right now. I’ll bring her home in a few minutes.”
“No, I can come get her.”
“Boone, I know I got you out of bed. I’m still awake and dressed. We’ll make sure she’s okay, answer all her questions, and then I’ll drive her.”
Boone sighed. “Okay. I appreciate you taking care of her, Mila.”
“Of course. See you in a few.”
She disconnected the call, then followed the sound of voices to Nora’s room.
Sadie looked at her apprehensively when Mila walked in, joining the three of them on the bed. “Was he mad?”
“Nope. Just worried about you. Feel better?” Mila asked, stroking Sadie’s hair.
She nodded.
“I got my first period on the last day of school, sixth grade, and of course, I’d been wearing white shorts that day,” Mila said.
“I felt something as I stood up to get off the bus. Mercifully, we were the last stop, so all the other kids had already been dropped off. Lucy knew what it was because she’d already gotten hers, so she took me to Grandma, who showed me what to do and answered all my questions. ”
“And then she called Aunt Claire,” Nora piped in.
“Yep,” Mila confirmed. “Who showed up armed with chocolate and a celebratory soda, loudly proclaiming I was a woman now and hugging me half to death. Talk about mortifying.”
Mila and her sisters laughed, because Aunt Claire had done and said the same thing for all of them.
Sadie giggled when Remi leaned across the bed, wrapping her in her arms and dramatically saying, “You’re a woman now!”
“Next week, when you get back from your trip to Williamsburg, the four of us can get together for chocolate and sodas,” Nora said.
They talked for a few more minutes about the joys—all listed sarcastically—of periods.
“Come on,” Mila said, rising from the bed. “It’s a school night, and I promised your dad we wouldn’t be long.”
Nora grabbed a tote bag, loading it with enough pads to carry Sadie through a year’s worth of periods.
Sadie took it gratefully, hugging Nora and Remi, and thanking them for their help.
Once she and Sadie had put their coats back on, they made the short drive to the cabin, Sadie gripping the handle of the tote bag nervously.
“He’s not mad,” Mila tried to reassure her.
Boone was waiting at the open front door when they parked and got out of the car.
Mila issued her girlie bits the old “down, girl” when she saw him in his lounge pants and long-sleeved tee, his feet bare.
She’d never seen him in such casual clothing, certain there was nothing hotter than Boone in his faded jeans, flannel shirts, and work boots. She stood corrected.
Even on their cooking nights, he always put jeans, long-sleeved tees, and sneakers on after his shower.
God help her when summer arrived, and she saw him shirtless. She’d probably spontaneously combust on the spot.
“You okay?” he asked Sadie, as she climbed the front steps.
“Yeah.”
The three of them walked inside, and Boone gave Sadie a big hug. “Good. I changed your sheets.”
Sadie flushed, lowering her eyes.
Boone tapped under his daughter’s chin, forcing her to look at him. “Donut. You can talk to me about anything.”
Sadie gave him a guilty smile. “I know, but…”
“I get it,” Boone said. “I’m glad you reached out to Mila.” He looked her direction, gratitude giving way to a frown when he saw the overstuffed tote bag she handed to Sadie.
“Did you all run to Walmart? How long were you gone?” he asked Sadie.
“Nora has a bit of a shopping addiction, remember?” Mila said, responding for Sadie. “She claims women need options during that time of the month.”
Mila and Sadie laughed, the sound growing louder when Sadie said, “Because I’m a woman now.”
Boone shook his head, clearly amused. “Okay, woman. It’s a school night and it’s late. And while I know you think you had a good reason, the two of us are going to have a long talk about how you will never sneak out of the house in the middle of the night again.”
Sadie grimaced until Boone bopped her nose playfully.
“Night, Donut.”
“Night, Dad. Thanks, Mila.”
Sadie walked to her room and closed the door.
Mila hovered by the front door as Boone crossed over to the couch, dropping down heavily. “I’m not ready for this part.”
“You’ll do just fine.”
“She used to tell me everything when she was little. I thought we had a relationship where she could confide in me. I mean, I took her to get her first bra last year. I thought I handled that okay, even if there were a few awkward moments.”
Mila hated seeing Boone so down on himself. “She trusts you and loves you, Boone. It’s just…as she gets older…you have to be prepared for some bumps in the road.” She remained where she was by the door, until Boone noticed she hadn’t moved and patted the couch next to him.
She considered refusing. Because it really was late, and being close to him again was only proving what a shitty job she’d done the last few weeks trying to get him out of her system.
“Please, Mila,” he pressed, when he noticed her hesitance. “Just for a minute. I know it’s late.”
She walked over, joining him on the couch but keeping her distance.
“What bumps in the road?” he asked.
“The hormones coursing through her right now are going to introduce you to a new Sadie you’ve never met before. There are times you’re going to think she was possessed by the devil, but trust me when I say possession would be the lesser of two evils.”
Boone’s lips kicked up at the corners. “You trying to give me nightmares?”
She shook her head. “Just trying to prepare you for what’s to come. Because between this and her teen years when she discovers boys…”
“I’m nailing her windows shut and sealing that door in her room.”
Mila laughed. “Yeah. That never worked for Granddaddy where Remi was concerned.”
“What about you? He never nailed your windows closed?”
Mila shook her head. “Nope. Eternal good girl, remember? Remi was challenging enough for Grandma and Granddaddy. I didn’t want to add to their plates, especially with Nora—” Mila abruptly stopped talking.
“Nora?”
Mila sighed. “I told you. After the accident, Nora developed a stutter. She hated it so much, she went silent. Grandma and Granddaddy were worried sick. That therapist they took her to see helped a lot, but it took time. Between that, and Remi running wild all over the mountain, I tried to behave, not wanting to add to their stress. So…I did my chores, got good grades, tried to give them one less thing to worry about.”
Boone reached over and placed his hand atop hers. “You have empathy in spades, darlin’, and while that’s a good trait to have, you might want to try sparing some for yourself.”