Shelby is quietly playing on the floor with her toys, while the television is playing Sponge Bob SquarePants. Whoever comes up with this stuff deserves a medal, it keeps her entertained for hours. I prefer the learning shows, but first thing in the mornings I’ll let her watch whatever grabs her attention while I get things done that need to have my undivided attention...ie putting together my files, etc. I’m not the type of parent who allows the television to be a babysitter, but sometimes I need her otherwise occupied and will take advantage of that fact. Once everything is set up, I get Shelby off the floor and go get her a morning snack that consists of mixed fruit...which she loves.
“Want some juice, Shelby?”
“Juice,” she repeats back to me. She’s started talking more in the last day or so.
“Juice it is, apple or white grape?”
“Grape,” she squeals in delight. I’ve noticed it’s her favorite, but I try to mix it up. Too many acids aren’t good on her tummy, so we not only mix juice throughout the day, but we add water and milk to her choices.
She was in daycare, and I am still considering that, but for now, I want her home. The girls come over frequently, and when I asked how they could do that, DJ said that Braxton had hired an assistant, who stays in the office all the time, so she only has to go in and do payroll and stuff once a week, sometimes twice. Cara, on the other hand, is able to come and go at will, she said, as long as all the work is caught up. I’m not sure who, or where I’d trust Shelby’s well-being at, since she now has seizures, but I know she needs the interaction of others. Thankfully, she’s only had one so far since I’ve had her home. It was scary as hell, but we got through it, with just a few tears from Claree, and me. I have to chart them for the doctor, to see if we have to change any of her medicines. Both girls are otherwise, settling in, and I’m happy to see that they’ve gained weight. They also laugh a lot, and are more carefree, than they were in the beginning. They’ve brought love and laughter into my life, that I hadn’t been aware was missing, until they paved their way into my heart. These girls have taught me patience, understanding and companionship. And Chief, I don’t even have the right words to express what it is that he’s given me. I feel more self-assured, and complacent with myself, than I have in all of my years. Nowadays, when I look in the mirror I don’t see that girl who has been broken down by those in my past, I see a woman who is strong and belongs. I belong, for the first time in my life, and I owe so much to him, and the women and men, of RGMC.
I mean, it wasn’t like I had a bad life before. I ended up in foster care, when I was eight, after my parents died. They were both only children, and my grandparents were too old, and infirm to take on a rambunctious eight-year-old. Unfortunately, I was over that ‘special age’ that most folks look at when adopting kids, so I moved from house to house until I wound up in a group home. Group homes need improvement with their care...that was the place that made me decide to go into the field I’m working in now. I think my feelings of ‘less than’ started there, then they were compounded when I dated my ex, who used every chance he could to make himself feel superior to me. Thank goodness Deanna entered my life. And Cara and DJ. Those women have shown me I’m every bit as good as anyone else. Of course, Chief seems to like me just fine. At thoughts of him, my face heats up.
“Up!” Shelby says bringing me out of my musings.
“Are you done, pretty girl? That was good, huh?”
“Yes,” she says. I know she’s only using one-word syllables when communicating, but you understand what she says, and I’ll take it for now. I hope to have her on track soon and caught up with her age bracket. The doctor seemed to think it had more to do with her living conditions than her injury. I know Claree did what she could, but she’s just a child herself and from what I gather, she was more intent on keeping them both quiet so as not to upset that man. I won’t dignify my thoughts with his name. He’s reprehensible for what he’s done to both my girls. My heart breaks seeing the scars on Claree’s back from his belt and the cigarettes. There aren’t many, but it’s enough that I’ve already mentally decided to contact a plastic surgeon so if she wants them fixed, we can get it done. She’s a beautiful little girl and I can see that I’m going to be kept on my toes when she gets old enough to date. Because, despite Chief’s protestations, she’s gonna date.
My phone rings as I’m cleaning Shelby up.
“Hello,” I answer.
“Miss Trinity?” Hearing Claree’s voice causes me to mentally freak out.
“I... umm...I just started my period, I think. It’s my first one ever, and I don’t know what to do.”
“Sweetie, where are you?”
“In the bathroom,” she whispers.
“Stay there, honey, I’m coming. I’ll pick you up and bring you home.” Looks like it's’ time for a girl to girl chat.
I call Chief and when he answers, I ask, “Are you busy?”
“No, why?”
“Can you come and watch Shelby for a little bit?”
“Why? Is everything okay?”
“Because I need to go get Claree from school.”
“I can go get Claree.”
“No! She...she needs me. She needs a woman right now. Not an overly inflated male ego.”
“What’s wrong with her?”
“Not doing this on the phone with you, can you come watch Shelby or not?”
“I’ll be there in ten,” he says, and I text Claree to let her know to sit tight and I’ll be there shortly.
I call the school and inform them of the situation, they’re sending the school nurse down to sit with her until I can get there.
Making sure that Shelby is safe in the playpen, I go into Claree’s room and grab her a clean pair of panties and some dark jeans, then go into my room. Guess for the time being, one of my pads will have to do. We’ll stop on the way home and get the stuff she needs. Thank goodness I have some, I have wicked periods and go through supplies like water. I hope she doesn’t suffer the same pains I go through, mine are enough to drop me to my knees. I need to go see the gynecologist, but I just have never had the time. My job is very demanding, and time is of the essence, when it comes to getting kids out of dangerous situations.
I hear Chief say, “Hey, pretty girl,” so I grab what I need and hurry back into the living room.
“So, what’s wrong with Claree?” he asks.
I sigh because I know he’s not going to let this one go. “She got her period at school.”
“Is she okay? Is she old enough?” He starts shooting questions at me left and right.
“Yes, she’s old enough. Some girls start sooner and some start later. I don’t know if she’s okay, but apparently, she needs to change her clothes. I’m bringing her home, so I can talk to her about all of it.”
“She’s too young for that talk,” he states, folding his hands across his chest. Nope, no time for the caveman today.
“No, she’s not, Turk. Do you know how many girls younger than her are already having sex? How many pre-teen and teen pregnancies there are every year?”
Grabbing my purse and keys, I say, “Shelby just had a snack and was changed so she should be good. I’ll be back as quick as I can.”
Before I can leave, he reaches out for me and pulls me into a hug. “Just worried about her, Trin. She’s gotta be scared out of her mind.”
“I know, Turk. I’ll get my girl straight.”
“Our girl,” he growls out at me.
I look up at him and I know he can see the confusion on my face because he continues, “All of you are mine, Trinity. I thought you knew that by now.”
“You act like you’re in love with me, Turk.” I say thinking it couldn’t possibly be true...right?
“Because I am, sweetness. Never thought it would happen to me again, but there ya go. I love you and these two girls more than I can say.”
Well, damn. I’m getting those three little words and can’t even take the time to bask in th
em, because my sweet girl, is in a bathroom at school dealing with her first period. Leaning up, I cup his jaw and say, “I love you, too, Turk Dennison, but I’ve got to go get our girl.”
“First, say it again,” he says grabbing me back into his arms.
“I love you, Turk.” He smiles at me, swats my ass, and sends me on my way...men! I roll my eyes and walk out the door. I’m on a mission, saving my...our girl from embarrassment, and future harassment.
I arrive at the school, check in, and haul myself to where she is. “Okay, sweetie, I’m here,” I say as I walk into the girl’s bathroom. The nurse nods, before she leaves, as I quickly figure out what stall she’s in. Handing the bag over the door, I say, “Got you clean panties and jeans, and a pad to put in the panties. I know it’ll be big, but it’ll work for right now until we can stop at the drugstore on our way home. We need to get things more teen friendly, something more comfortable for you to wear. Just put your panties and pants, in that bag, and we’ll soak them when we get home.” I know I’m chattering, but I can tell from the sniffles, that she’s scared, and maybe even embarrassed. When the door finally unlocks, and she steps through, I can see from how swollen her eyes are, that she’s been crying for awhile now. “Oh, honey, it’s okay,” I say, and pull her into a hug. “Let’s get you home, okay? I got the rest of your work from your other teachers.”
“Thank you, Miss Trinity,” she whispers. “I...my mom told me about it, and we had the girls talk in health, but I didn’t think it would be like this.”
“Well, everyone’s is different. Are you hurting?” I ask, as we walk out of the school, and toward my car.
“A little bit. It feels like a bad stomach ache,” she says, placing a hand over her tummy.
“Okay, we’re going to stop at the drugstore and get stuff just for you, including your own heating pad and some medicine you can take. Then, I think we need to go through McDonald’s and get us all some lunch.”
“Wait, where’s Shelby?” she asks, her voice panicking.
“Chief is watching her.”
“Does...does he know?”
“He does, yes, but only because he wanted to come pick you up himself.”
“I’m so embarrassed,” she mutters, holding her head down.
“It’s a part of life, and if he’s going to be involved with our little family, he’s got to get used to it, because there are three ladies in the house,” I tell her as we buckle up. “Plus, mine are really bad.”
“Did you mean it?”
“Mean what?”
“That Shelby and I are your family?”
My heart soars at the hopefulness I hear in her voice. “Yeah, sweetie, y’all are, and as soon as all the paperwork gets done, I want to adopt you both. Is that okay?”
“I think we’d like that,” she says with a tear trickling down her cheek. I place my hand on her knee and give it a squeeze. She smiles at me, and I can’t wait to give her that security she’s been missing since her mother’s passing.
We make it to the drugstore and go in, grabbing a cart because knowing me, I’ll see other things we have to have. Heading down to the feminine hygiene aisle, I grab the correct size pads she’s going to need, then when I don’t see an age-appropriate pain reliever, I go to the pharmacy. “Excuse me, don’t you have teen Midol or something like it?” I ask the clerk.
“We had to start keeping it behind the counter,” she replies before turning around and grabbing a box.
I thank her, and we head down the heating pad aisle, where I grab two. Mine is about shot, so I figure may as well get it now, since mine is due to hit any day now. Just thinking about it has my stomach clenching. It’ll be the first one I’ve had since taking in the girls, and I’m worried I won’t be able to handle their needs. “Okay, the last thing you need is a small calendar,” I tell her.
“Why do I need that?” she asks.
“You can keep track of when it starts and when it finishes, and that will let you know roughly when the next one will come. Since it’s your first, it may take a few months to get any kind of schedule, but this way, we can make sure you always have your supplies. And I’ll get you a small bag to carry in your backpack with some pads, just in case. You won’t be able to take your meds to school, it’s against policy, but I can take a bottle to the nurse. You’ll be able to go see her if your cramps become intolerable.”
“Thank you, Miss Trinity.”
“There’s nothing to thank me for, sweetie. We’re family, and family takes care of each other’s welfare and needs.”
Chief
Shelby is rubbing her eyes, so I take her to her room and lay her in bed.
“Story,” she says to me. When she looks at me with those big eyes of hers, I can resist her nothing.
“Sure, sweetie, what do you want to read?”
“Kitties!” she exclaims. I walk over to the shelf and see a book about some Mischief Kitties and their adventures. There are two, so I grab one and walk over to her bed. By the time I’m done reading it, I’m fascinated by the adventures these animals go on. It had me cracking up as I read it to her. I can’t wait until the next time I get to read to her, we’re definitely getting that second book in there. I’d read it myself, but I don’t want Trinity to walk in with Shelby fast asleep, and catch me reading a children's book. I hear the door open and realize that Claree and Trinity are back. My poor girl is hurting, and I’m sure she’s embarrassed on top of it. I head out of Shelby’s room, and back into the living room, where I see Trinity handing Claree a bag. She ducks her head as she passes me, and without thinking, I pull her close into a hug. “Don’t be ashamed, Claree, it’s one hundred percent normal,” I whisper, before kissing her head, and letting her go. She nods without looking at me, and heads toward the bathroom.
“Do you want me to stay or go?” I ask Trinity.
“What do you want to do?” she asks me, and there’s a multitude of things I’d like to be doing with her right now. None of them are appropriate with a teenager in the house, however, so I just tell her, “I’d like to stay and hang out if that’s alright with you.”
“We’re going to need ice cream,” she states.
“I’m on that,” I reply. “Any particular flavors?”
“We need to make sure we have chocolate for Claree, I’m pretty easy though.”
I grit my teeth at the easy statement, damn boy, down...ain’t nothing happening right now. Tonight, that’s it, I’ll stay the night and have my wicked way with my woman. Hearing those words earlier cements my desire to have her under or over me while she repeats them. Repeatedly. Needing to place my thoughts elsewhere I ask, “Do I need to do a store run?”
“That might not be a bad idea. I know when it’s that time for me, I want comfort foods, so I’ll probably make a meatloaf and mashed potatoes for dinner, only I don’t have anything to make them with.”
I grin at her and say, “Write a list, woman. I’ll go grab what you need. Plan on me being here tonight.” When her eyes widen, I step close and pull her in for a kiss. “No way I’m not gonna be with you when our girl is going through this.”
“You really mean that, don’t you?”
“Every. Single. Word. Of. It.” I make sure to enunciate each word said so she gets it.
“Thank you, Turk. You’ve become a very important staple in each one of our lives.”
“Haven’t you realized it yet?”
“Realize what?”
“That there is no getting rid of me, I’m here for the long haul, baby. Get your mind wrapped around that fact, settle in with it, and then let’s move forward. No more doubts.”
“Okay.” Her voice is so small I barely hear her.
Raising her chin, I look at her and say, “I love you, Trinity Adams. You and those two girls. You three are everything to me.”
“Wow,” she says, as if my statement has stunned her.
“Now, about that list?”
Trinity
With Chief
off to the store, I go to check on the girls. Shelby is still napping, her Poppy clutched in her arms. Covering her back up, I go and knock on the bathroom door. “Claree?”
She opens the door and I can see she has taken a shower. “Did you figure everything out?”
“Yes, ma’am,” she replies.
“Chief ran to the store for stuff for dinner, how about you go and eat some lunch, and I’ll get you some meds?” I ask her, taking the dirty clothes from her arms. “I’ll get these in to soak.”
“I’m sorry. They’re probably ruined now,” she cries out.
“Honey, let me tell you something, there’s not a woman alive on this planet who hasn’t ‘ruined’ many a pair of panties when they were caught off-guard by their period. If they’re ruined, we’ll throw them out and buy more, okay?”
“Okay.”
I get her settled in the kitchen, with her lunch, while I grab the bottle of pills I got at the pharmacy. Reading the directions, I take two out and put them by her plate. “These may make you sleepy, but I figured we could watch movies and take it easy. Understand, though, that we can’t do this every month, but the first one? Yeah, we can so take the day off, and lounge around.” I need her to understand that the world doesn’t stop turning, but today’s not the day. A girl’s first period is traumatic, and overwhelming, and I want to be here to help her through this day. I didn’t have that, and I’m determined to give my girls the comfort they need, with whatever it is they face and comes about.
Chief: Rebel Guardians MC Page 8