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"Momma?” A teenage Olivia called out to Toni, searching through the house till she found her mom. She heard Toni finishing in the shower and knew it would be time to head to school soon.
“Can I stay home from school today?” she walked closer to her mom. “please”?
“You okay, baby?” Toni asked, coming out of the bathroom with a towel wrapped around her body. “Is something wrong?”
"Everything is fine. I just..I don't think I can go to school today mom. I'm sick..."
Olivia knew that having two parents as wise as hers meant that saying you were sick always came with scrutiny.
She knew Toni might suss her out pretty quickly; there was no fooling her parents, but if her mom was busy doing other things she was sure she could avoid it somehow.
"Maybe if I go lie down I'll feel better..."
“Uh uh, missy" Toni said. “Come here, let me feel your head.” She gently pulled Olivia close. “No fever, baby. Tell me what’s really going on okay?”
"Mom..I'm sick!!" She said indignantly. "You don't have to have a fever to be unwell." She eased herself out of Toni's grasp and went quickly back to her room, almost closing the door but Toni followed her.
“Hmm... well what’s wrong then?” Toni asked, following behind her. “What hurts?”
"I don't know..just..stuff. You can go to work..I'll be fine here on my own mom."
“I’m not going to work... what happens if something’s seriously wrong?”
"I can call you" Olivia shrugged. "I think I can manage a few hours on my own. Nothing will be seriously wrong."
"Liv..." Toni said carefully, knowing something was up. "What is it? I'm worried now..."
"It's just one of those 24 hour virus things. I'm sure I'll be fine by tomorrow."
"Promise?" Toni asked quietly. She was tempted to take the day off anyway.
"Uhuh, yep. Totally" she nodded, moving further into her room. "So uh.. imma go back to bed. Maybe you should get dressed, people might stare if you turn up to work in a towel".
Toni snorted. “Cheeky.” She turned back down the hall and into the bedroom, pulling out some clothes off their hangers.
Olivia breathed a sigh of relief when Toni seemed to drop things and get ready for work. Instead, she got back into bed and pulled the covers up tight, her mind buzzing.
Toni bit her lip, turning to her phone. Cheryl had left for work and hour or so ago, and she wasn’t one hundred percent comfortable leaving Liv home alone in such... suspicious circumstances.
"Are you coming back later mom?" Liv called out to Toni. "It's fine if you can't...I just...wondered."
The question only made Toni want to stay all the more. “I can come home for lunch if you want" She decided to go to work a little bit later just to make sure Olivia was all set.
Toni busied herself downstairs, her mind whirring - Liv has been fine last night, she didn’t seem unwell this morning, just a little on edge.
Cheryl picked up Toni's concerned text as soon as she was done with her meeting, immediately coming home to see what was going on.
“Hey" Toni said to her, pecking her lips quickly. “She’s upstairs... I don’t know what’s wrong.”
"Hi" Cheryl returned Toni's kiss, her arm pulling Toni close. "Is something definetly wrong? Could she just be unwell?"
“Maybe...” Toni said with a frown. “You didn’t see her, though... something was up.”
"Want me to go talk to her?"
“Probably a good idea... she didn’t want to talk to me.”
"I'm sure I'll get the exact same response" Cheryl reassured her wife. "I'll be back.." she kissed Toni again before heading up the stairs, knocking lightly on Liv's door.
Liv came up behind her from her parents bathroom. “Hey, mom. Why are you home?”
"Hi sweetie.. my meeting finished earlier than planned and momma mentioned you were home. Is everything okay? What were you doing in our bathroom?" It wouldn't have seemed odd had Olivia not had one of her own.
“Uh... I felt sick...” Liv said uncertainly. “Nauseous.” It was the first lie that came to her head.
Cheryl's hand was immediately on her forehead, checking her temperature. "Have you been sick?"
“No,” she said quickly, swatting her mom’s hand away carefully. “Just... felt like it?” She knew her lying wasn’t up to scratch - she’d never really had to lie to her mom’s before... which posed the question, why start now?
Cheryl furrowed her brow, knowing the Liv wasn't being honest about things but not sure why.
"Come lay down for bit.." she took her hand and led her over to the big bed in the master bedroom. "I know you love to lay in mine and momma's bed."
Liv bit her lip. “Uh... I kinda just wanna sleep.." she wanted nothing more than to come and cuddle with her mom, but she was worried that she’d break down and spill.
"That's okay..mine and momma's bed is perfect for sleeping, you can sleep there... come on.." she laid down herself and held her arms out to her daughter.
Liv’s eyes widened. “Mm... okay" she whispered, coming over to rest in her mom’s arms.
Cheryl kissed the top of her head, pulling her close as she laid with her. They lay in silence for a while, Cheryl running a hand through Liv's hair, an action that always soothed her. "Do you want to tell me what's really bothering you?" she asked softly.
“What do you mean?” Liv asked, her eyes trained on the floor.
A quick look from Cheryl was all she needed to sigh and whisper the next words into her mom’s chest. “I’m... bleeding...”
"You're bleeding? You're hurt? What happened?" Cheryl was worried she was being bullied again.
“No - no..." Liv whispered, a heavy blush spreading up her neck. “From... down there.” She looked away, not meeting Cheryl’s eyes, her cheeks almost as red as her hair.
"Oh...ohhh, you're bleeding" she understood, tucking a strand of Liv's hair behind her ear before cupping her cheek gently with her hand.
“Mm...” Olivia still wouldn’t look up.
"Livy? Look at me.." she tilted her chin gently, waiting for their eyes to meet.
Liv let her eyes trail up to meet Cheryl’s, exercising all her self control to keep them there. “I... I don’t know what to do...”
"Oh baby..it's okay. You remember when me and momma talked to you about all of this?" It hadn't been that long ago but she guessed with the anxiety Olivia was feeling she had forgotten.
“Yeah" Liv said. “But... I didn’t expect... this.”
"What is the this that you didn't expect? Can you tell me?"
“It... hurts" Liv said with a soft laugh. “My stomach is just... ow. And... it’s so red... and... lots...” she trailed off, embarrassed. “I’m being stupid,” she grinned up at her mom.
"You're not being stupid at all" Cheryl reassured her. "It does seem like a lot..certainly at first..and the cramps do take some getting used to. Momma usually rubs my belly to help ease mine."
“Yeah, well" Liv said with a smirk. “I don’t have a wife.”
"You don't need a wife for that" Cheryl laughed. "Want me to try?"
“Please" Liv whispered, smiling. “I’m dying.”
"Not overly dramatic at all I see" Cheryl chuckled. "Turn over.." Cheryl promoted gently.
“Wait... first.." Liv said, almost shy again. “What do I do... about the blood? Like... which one do I use? There are so many products.”
"At your age I would go with pads for now. Much easier and don't have the same infection risk that tampons do."
“Okay... thanks.." Liv mumbled.
"Anything else you want to ask?" Cheryl asked gently as Liv rolled over and she rested a warm hand against her stomach.
"When does it stop?" Liv asked with a dramatic sigh. "I'm so done already and I only got it this morning."
"Not for many years I'm afraid" she laughed. "But it means you're growing up!"
"I don't wanna grow up" Liv pouted. "Growing up sucks."
"Being a kid is a lot easier right?" She chuckled as Toni appeared at the door. "Not eveything about being a grown up sucks though, right momma?" She chuckled.
“Not everything,” Toni winked, and Liv scrunched her face up. “Why do you ask?”
"Liv? Want to tell momma?" She nudged her shoulder gently where she was laid beside her.
Liv frowned, her face tight. “Got my period" she whispered. “It sucks.”
"Baby!" Toni hummed in response, moving to sit on the other side of the bed. "You know you could have told me that this morning right?"
“It’s awkward...” Liv moaned. “Sorry...”
"No need to say sorry.." Cheryl reassured her. "These things can be difficult to talk about."
"Damn right," Toni grinned. "But we're cool with it, we understand... you can talk to us. We're the cool moms right Cher?"
"Indeed we are my love. The coolest!"
Liv grinned. Sometimes - sometimes - having two moms had its perks.
"I'll make sure I remember that, thank you" she nodded with a smile before groaning in pain. "Are the cramps always this bad?"
Toni smiled sheepishly. "Sorry, babe... your mom and I both get really bad cramps, you probably got it from us..."
"Ugh, great" Liv said, laughing. "Thanks so much for sharing that with me."
"You're welcome. Don't let it be said that we don't like to share right TT?"
Toni snorted, jumping on the bed and tackling both her girls into a hug. "Of course."
"Love you both so much" Liv hugged them both close.
"And we love you too, young lady," Toni said with a smile. "Emphasis on lady."
"Momma..stop.." she blushed, burying her face.
"Why would I?" Toni quipped. "I'm funny."
"Only to mom" Liv gave back.
"Now you sound like me" Cheryl chuckled.
"I am funny," Toni pouted. "Right, Cher?"
"You are to me my love" she reached across Liv to hold her hand out to Toni.
"Gross," Liv said, but she didn't mean it. She loved her moms, loved how openly they loved each other. It made her feel safe and protected and secure, and she wouldn't change either of them for the world.