Drowning

You're a Fucking Lifesaver Erin

THREE MONTHS LATER

Things had returned to normal..well as close to normal as the Ruzek family could get, things would never truly be normal. A new normal had settled over the family, the last three months had seen many changes, some Adam was prepared for some not so much.

He could still see it play out in his mind's eye.

"Dad!" Claire screamed from the back of the house, the kind of scream that made Adam's blood turn cold.

He raced to the back of the house, he'd quickly found her locked in the small bathroom, he pounded on the door, "Claire...what's wrong? Let me in!" He slammed his hand against the door once more.

"No! I need Aunt Erin...or April" Claire really wished she had her mother with her, they had briefly talked about this rite of passage just a few weeks before the shooting, never did she think her mother wouldn't be around to help her when it finally happened for her.

"Why? I can help..just let me in. What's wrong?" Adam jiggled the doorknob again, "come on...tell me what's wrong"

"I cant't!" Embarrassment wasn't a strong enough word for what she was feeling right now, she wasn't even twelve yet...well just two weeks shy of her twelfth birthday, "will you please just call Aunt Erin..please dad!"

He was certain he could tears in her voice, "are you sick baby? Cause I can handle puke now" he explained puffing his chest out a bit, he was proud, before when one of his kids were sick he'd always run for the hills allowing Kim to handle it. That had all changed, just a few short weeks ago Marcus had caught a nasty stomach bug and Adam was treated to a crash course in dealing with vomit and he had finally overcome his fear of puke.

He was left with no other choice.

Claire sighed in exasperation, "I've got my period Dad...now will you call Aunt Erin?"

There it was, what he'd been dreading for months now.

"Umm....yea...okay" Adam stuttered, "do you need anything...I can go to the store.." He used to hate when Kim would ask him to pick up tampons, he'd give anything to have Kim here with him.

Claire needed her mother, shit they all needed her.

Twenty minutes later Erin came charging in, "You're a fucking lifesaver Erin" Adam hugged her.

Erin could see it all over Adam's face, "Hey...it's gonna be alright. I've got it under control" she held up the bag she had obviously prepared for this, "Kim had told me she thought Claire would be getting her period soon" her voice held a hint of sadness, "when we lost Kim..I don't know...I guess I just wanted to help, that I needed to be prepared"

Adam nodded, "thanks, I don't know how to handle this one"

"Good thing you've got me" she smiled patting his arm, "I've got it covered"

About an hour later Claire and Erin emerged from Claire's bedroom and it was obvious both had shed some tears but he was confident that Erin had handled it almost as well as Kim would have.

"Thanks for the new purse" Claire was all smiles as she held the brand new Michael Kors purse, "this is so cute!"

Adam knew how much those bags cost, "Erin..you shouldn't have that shit is expensive" he admonished her purchase.

"Stop! Adam, I wanted to do it. Claire is a woman now, and she needs a great purse" she hugged Claire once more, "just call me, whenever you need to...doesn't matter what time"