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Rella grabs her napkin from her lap and wipes her mouth, her eyes sparking with interest. “I’d love to do something like that. I’ve always wanted to work with children.”
“Great!” Remi exclaims, looking up from cleaning Elijah’s hands with a cloth. “We’ll be working with children aged three to fourteen. Some of the older kids can come in and read to the little ones. It’s really cute to watch.”
“Maisy volunteered to be one of them,” Ellie proudly tells the group.
A gentle smile crosses Rella’s face, making her even more beautiful than she already is. “I’m looking forward to it. Just let me know when to be there.”
“Will do.”
“Hey, Uncle Emo. Will you come when it’s my day to read?” Maisy asks.
I look over at Judge and Ellie’s daughter. Her expression is filled with hope. “Let Rella know what day you’ll be reading, and I’ll be there.”
She smiles so big it stretches all the way across her face. Her happiness chips away a fraction of the darkness living inside me.
A few minutes later, we’re all finished with dinner. Rella tries to take my plate to the kitchen, but I grab hers instead and take them myself. After I rinse the plates and put them in the dishwasher, I go out to the living room. Elijah’s getting fussy in Trouble’s arms.
“I think we’re going to head back home. Elijah missed his nap today and it’s starting to show.” He presses his face into the boy’s neck and mimics eating him, noise and all. Elijah’s face morphs from being scrunched up to giggling.
I look around the room and spot Rella off to the side, a weird expression on her face. Her brows are pulled down, and she looks pale. Her arms are hugging her stomach, and she’s hunched over a little. I stalk over to her, aware that she’s in some form of pain.
“What’s wrong?” I ask, bending my knees so I can see her face better.
“Cramps,” she moans.
Trouble appears at her other side.
“Menstrual cramps?”
She nods, her eyes darting to him. “Yes. I’ve always had them bad.”
Trouble frowns, not liking the answer any more than I do.
“Are you on birth control to regulate your periods?”
“Yeah, but I’ve missed my last two, since Deanna and Mick died.” She lets out another moan and hunches over more.
“Shit, Rella. You’re bleeding,” he rasps.
I look down to where his eyes are pointed, and my fucking stomach drops. Her pants are black, which is why I didn’t notice before, but there’s no mistaking the darkening of the fabric between her legs. The jean material is so soaked it’s shining, and goes passed her knees.
“That’s not fucking normal,” he rumbles, worry lacing his tone. “We need to get her to my office.”
“That’s not necessary, Trouble. I just need a heating pad and some ibuprofen, and I’ll be okay.” Her face scrunches more as another cramp hits.
Ignoring her protests, I scoop her up into my arms. Even I know this isn’t your average menstrual cycle. I know some women have heavy periods—some even become anemic because of it—and hellacious cramps, but I get the feeling more is going on here. I’ll be damned if I’ll allow her to play it off like it’s nothing.
“Honey, I think you need to go,” Ellie says, looking at Rella with concern.
She looks like she wants to protest, but thankfully she nods and settles in my arms.
“Eden, would you mind watching Elijah for a while?” Remi asks. “I’d like to go with Trouble in case he needs any help. He should go to sleep pretty easily.”
“Sure. No problem at all. Call us if you need anything.”
I walk out the door as Remi hands Elijah over to Eden, eager to get Rella to the office so Trouble can figure out what’s going on. Trouble runs ahead of me to open his car door, and I slide into the back with Rella in my arms. Trouble and Remi get into the front, and I’m glad when he takes off faster than normal.
Worry clenches my gut when I look down and notice my own pants are now covered in blood. I dart my eyes to Rella’s face. My blood runs cold at her pasty, pale complexion.
