Page 126 of The Recovery Coach
While Cassie washed her hands, Olivia explained how to get the blood out of her clothes and that she should keep some panties as period panties because some are bound to get ruined.And then she explained that a lot of pain and heavy bleeding weren’t normal.Because she would be damned if a girl even adjacently under her care had to suffer the way she did.She stripped out of Connor’s sweatshirt and handed it to Cassie, who put it on.It hung past Cassie’s knees, more than enough to cover the stain on her pants.
They sat on the bench in the empty locker room while Olivia told Cassie everything a young woman might need to know.Olivia rooted around in her purse again and handed Cassie some ibuprofen.She found a pen and wrote her phone number on Cassie’s arm since it would need to be approved before Cassie could put it in her phone.
She delivered her last piece of advice.“If I’m not around, or your friends aren’t around, you can ask Hazy for help.He willalwayshelp.He keeps products in his gym bag and in his car.He won’t laugh at you.Not about this.”
Cassie grimaced.“Why?”
Olivia smiled as she remembered the most traumatic experience of her life.She wouldn’t have been able to get through that first endo-related hospital visit without him.Being fifteen and certain you were about to die while an old man did a pelvic exam was not for the weak of heart.Connor and Christina made sure she stayed safe throughout the whole ordeal.“Because he has loved me for a long time, and there was a time I needed his help.”
When they rejoined the boys, Connor asked, “All good?”
“Yep.All good.I need to stop at the store on the way home, though.”She raised her eyebrows at him.
Connor took in Cassie wearing his hoodie, her face puffy and red.His eyes widened in understanding, and he nodded.
They got to the store, and Olivia held her hand out to Connor.
“Give me your credit card.”
He handed it over without asking questions, and when Dylan moved to get out of the car, he said, “Dylan, buddy.How about we let the girls go in?I want to talk to you about something.”
Olivia smiled.Connor was about to bestow a critical life lesson on Dylan.And she knew he’d do it without giving Cassie away.
Olivia and Cassie bought every period product the store sold, and Olivia reminded her to call if she needed help again.They also did some serious damage in the candy and chip aisles.
They tied the bags closed and tossed them in the car next to Cassie’s hockey gear.
Connor stopped at a drive-thru on the way to drop the kids off.She didn’t even have to ask, and she wondered if he was thinking about that terrifying night in the emergency room too.They’d gotten DQ that night as well.
As they all ate Blizzards in the Dairy Queen parking lot and talked about Cassie’s game and their plans for the week, Olivia realized she was living in a moment she’d always dreamed about.This beautiful, funny, supportive man caring for her and two kids could be her future.Itwouldbe her future.
“I love you,” she said.
Connor’s smile set her aflame.He swiped his thumb over her lip, wiping away something sticky.He stuck his thumb in his mouth, then leaned in and kissed her.
“I love you, too, Livy,” he whispered against her mouth.
“Ew.Get a room,” Dylan said.
His comment was met with a loud slap, and Cassie said, “Let them be happy.”
Olivia was coming out of her skin by the time they got home.They took off their shoes, and Connor dropped his keys and wallet in their designated place.
“Sooo,” he said.
“Sooo, what?”
“You said that counted as a date, right?”
Olivia’s mouth went dry.She swallowed and licked her lips.“Yeah.”
“Even though it kind of took a turn there at the end?”
Just when she thought she couldn’t love him any more, he proved her wrong.She didn’t know how she hadn’t realized he loved her sooner, even if he didn’t see it himself.Without any explanation from her, he recognized a situation might be triggering for her, did his best to help her (and Cassie) without calling attention to it, paid (over a hundred dollars) to make the situation the tiniest bit more manageable, and then, when he’d been promised sex, triple-checked she felt okay about the whole thing instead of jumping right in to collect his prize.
Emotion overwhelmed her, and tears formed in her eyes.He hugged her.
“Hey, it’s okay.We don’t have to do anything.”
