All For Us (Book 2)

Reassurance- Chapter 10

"Mommy, I'm bleeding!" she started crying. I looked at her bed and saw a big blood stain on her blanket and I stood in shock. I never got a chance to tell her about her period because I didn't think it would come so soon. She knew what a period was and she knew that every woman had one, but she was still shooken because she wasn't aware that it would happen to her so soon, neither was I.

"Whats the problem?" Carter came down to her room in full daddy mode with a wife beater and basketball shorts.

"She got her period." I whispered. His eyes widened and it seemed as though he stopped breathing.

"Baby snap out of it, take the covers and sheets off her bed and get some peroxide. Pour some peroxide on the blood stain, then put it in the washer. I'll get her cleaned up while I talk to her." he nodded and clumsily got her covers off her bed and did exactly what I told him to do.

I sat down on the bed next to her and closed her door. She looked up at me with glossy eyes. "Is this my period?" she asked.

"Yes baby, it is. You're turning into a woman now." she held the bottom of her stomach and whimpered.

"Those are your menstrual cramps, remember I told you about those baby?" I rubbed her back and talked to her softly. She nodded as I went over everything that I've told her already and she calmed down. She got undressed and went to take a shower while I gave Carter her pjs to pour peroxide on after I set out some casual clothes for her today with a pad already inside of her underwear.

He was in the laundry room with his head down and a cup of Oj next to him.

"You okay baby?" I asked him as I rubbed his back. He nodded 'yes' and I kissed him on the back of his neck.

"She's becoming a woman, Lanay. How didn't I see it coming?" he looked up at me with a tear rolling down his face. "I feel like I missed out on so much. Like, these past five years I haven't been close to my first child. She already turned 11 last week and I almost missed her birthday. I've been missing cheerleading competition, dance recitals, all that. I feel like a fucking deadbeat. My oldest daughter is becoming a woman, man." I opened my arms for him and he laid his head on my chest as I held him.

"The only thing you can do right now is be there for her from now on. And if you want me to, I can step out of the way and let you two bond like y'all did before I stepped in-"

"What? You're her mother, you're my wife. You don't have to step down for any reason at all. You aren't stopping me from being a father, baby. This is all my fault, so allow me to make shit right. You keep being an amazing woman. She needs you and so do I." he interrupted me. I nodded and kissed his forehead.

"When she gets dressed, go have a talk with her. Im gonna go get the boys going. Did they eat breakfast?" I inquired.

"They're eating now. But, give me a sec. My stomach hurts." he complained.

"I guess your period finna come on too baby." I laughed as he glared at me, about to laugh too. I kissed him again & went upstairs to get the boys out to school.

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Carter's POV

I rubbed my sweaty palms on the towel next to my head and threw it in the dirty clothes hamper. I had no idea what to say to Camille, but I was gonna put my pride aside to reassure my princess that her daddy has her back. Though Lanay and the kids look at me as the greatest father, husband, and man in the world, I see room for improvement. No matter what, I'll always feel like I'm not doing enough. But, Lanay was right- the only thing I could do is be there for them right now.