“Cycle?” His brows pinch together.
Abigail clears her throat. “Ahem—her first cycle of womanhood, sir.” She averts her eyes quickly back to the floor.
My whole body tenses as I watch Samuel taking in the information.
Here I am, going from thinking I am dying to Abigail telling me this is just a part of being a woman. And now my big brother is there standing in my bathroom as I bleed out in front of them. Could this be any more horrifying?
“Eden? Is this true?”
“Apparently,” I whisper.
“Well, looks like little sister isn’t so little anymore now, is she?” Joshua steps into view from the open doorway.
And it just got even more horrifying. Great.
“Joshua! Out!” Samuel growls. “Abigail. Assist Eden with whatever she needs. Right now.”
Abigail nods.
I sink into myself as Samuel walks to Joshua and grabs him by the arm to haul him away.
“What? Tense about the little sis being a woman now?” Joshua giggles as he is yanked out of view.
“Shut it. And stop calling her my little sister. She is not mysister. She is just Eden.”
Samuel’s faint voice sounds like he’s disgusted.
My heart sinks to my stomach as his words crash into me.
She is not my sister.
I am not his sister? My world tilts, and I take a deep breath.
Abigail comes up beside me. “Let’s clean you up, miss, then we can talk about all of this.” She guides me to the bathtub and turns it on.
The roaring of the faucet makes my mind race even faster.
Stop calling her my little sister. She is not mysister.
Did I do something wrong? Is it because of this whole woman thing?
I am not sure if it is the bleeding or the embarrassment or Samuel’s words or the mixture of it all that made everything in my mind fall into a dark hole of emotions.
My heart is shattering at the thought of losing Samuel as my brother.
Everything happens in a blur as the words play on repeat in my head.
I am cleaned up in a hot bath, where Abigail explains this woman cycle is an every-month thing for the rest of my life basically. I would have been annoyed or shocked, but Samuel’s words are making me feel numb.
Once I am dressed and in bed, Abigail gives me a heating pad, has me lie on my stomach, and tells me to relax as she tucks me in.
The room is too quiet after she leaves, and the words echo and bounce off the walls of my bedroom.
She is not mysister. She is just Eden.
7
Eden
