The light of the overwhelming winter sun beamed through the huge window shadowing the staircase of the Ross' apartment. It was blinding and I found myself squinting just so I could make out the steps in front of me. I followed the winding stairs and was almost at the top when I felt something stab in my big foot. I looked down, holding my hand over my head to block the sun, and saw a big diamond earring face down on the stairs. I felt anger flood my lungs and I yelled "EMMAAAAA!" No reply came so I yelled again, but still nothing. It was one thing to leave her earring lying around just waiting to stab me, but to ignore me as well?
I reached the hallway and stomped to Emma's bedroom door. I lifted my fist and hit it against the hard wood, "Emma, we need to have a talk! You can't keep leaving your junk around!"
"Jessie, go away!" I heard Emma shout from inside her room. I would not usually have gotten so worked up over a little earring but my date with Toni the night before hadn't gone so well, so I was mad at him as well as everything else in life.
"Emma, I am your Nanny! Don't talk to me that way." I protested, and with that I stormed into Emma's room.
"Jessie! Get the hell out of here!" Emma screamed as she pulled a blanket over her bare legs. I realised she wasn't wearing any pants. I was about to leave when I saw the tears staining the blonde's pale cheeks. I suddenly felt a wave of guilt swallow me, was she crying because I yelled at her?
"Emma? Emma what's the matter?"
"Jessie, please get out of here..." I looked at her big blue eyes that were filled with tears and went and sat on her bed next to her. It felt pretty awkward because she had no pants on and only a blanket covering herself but I tried to ignore it.
"Sweetie, why are you crying?" I asked, taking her cheek in my hand. "You can tell me honey, I promise its okay." I rescued a strand of fine blonde hair hanging free in her eyes and tucked it behind her ear. She stayed silent for a minute or two. "Emma, really. Tell me what's upsetting you. I can help."
She looked up at me "Jessie... there's blood."
My heart sank, how badly was she hurt? "Emma where's the blood!?" I started to look up her arms and round her neck. She pulled away.
"Jessie... the blood... it's in my girl place..." I felt my eyes widen. "Jessie, am I going to die?" I let out a big breath and wrapped my arms around her.
"Emma... don't you know what a period is?"
"Yes of course, it comes at the end of a sentence." She looked at me innocently. I let out a small chuckle but Emma did not look amused. I couldn't believe that a 12-year-old girl had no idea what a period was. I remembered my first period: I was ten-years-old and when I went and told my mom she threw a tampon at me and told me to not speak of such disgusting things ever again. I remembered feeling so lost all the way through puberty... I decided I would not let Emma know that struggle. "Emma haven't you ever had sex education at school?" She looked at me like I was speaking another language.
"No, what's that?" I knew I was in for a ride. I had no idea where to begin.
"First of all sweetie, I want you to know that what is happening to your body is totally normal, it happens to me too. Actually most girls your age have it happen." I looked at her to see if she was taking any of what I was saying in but she was staring back at me with complete focus. "Okay so... let's just imagine this: in your body there's a special system that has been asleep since you were made, but now you're going through this new stage of life, it's woken up and started working." I smiled, quite proud of myself for getting through that without stumbling.
"A system? What kind of system?" she asked, seeming quite eager to know.
"Well" I started "Inside your body, just above your private area..." I swallowed deep, trying to find the courage to use the proper words "Just above your... vagina... there are eggs and a nest type thing. Once a month an egg goes into the nest and your body releases stuff, this is the blood, into the nest to keep the egg...safe. I think. But if the egg doesn't turn into a baby, it is released through the vagina... along with the blood. Do you understand?"
"Yeah, I think so." The young woman whispered, looking down at her hands. I guess she was just as embarrassed as I was.
" It's called a period, Emma. That's what is happening to you. It just means your body is ready to have a baby."
"Jessie..."
"Yeah sweetie?"
"The blood... it went onto my pants. That's why I'm not wearing any." I laughed a little and hugged her, she started to laugh too. I knew I was doing a good job.
"Now, to catch the blood you have to wear a little pad in your underwear. It's kind of like a sponge. Grab some panties and come to my room, I have some." Emma looked nervous so I hugged her once more. She got up slowly and I noticed a patch of blood staining the back of the blanket that was wrapped around her waist. I quickly ran and grabbed her shoulders so I was standing behind her, covering the stain.
"Jessie what are you doing?"
"Trust me Emma... you'll thank me if we run into anyone in the hall." She just nodded her head at me and grabbed a pair of underpants. Together we shuffled down the hall and into my bedroom. I shut the door behind us. She went to sit on my bed but I quickly pulled her up "Emma don't sit down yet, wait until you have the pad on. Sorry baby, just you might bleed through to my white bed sheets... I don't want to have to explain to Burttrum why I have blood on my sheets... again." I went into my bathroom and brought out a pad. "Okay Emma..." I brought her close and took her panties from her hands. "you take the wrapper off like this and place it on like this." She smiled at me, I was enjoying the bonding time we were having. "You'll probably need to change this 3-4 times a day. Oh, and a period usually lasts for about 5 days."
"This is all so overwhelming, Jessie." Emma started to cry.
I took her in my arms "I know honey, but I'm here to help you every step of the way. You can ask me anything about this sort of thing, you don't need to be shy. We're both women now. So, put on your pants." I turned whilst she put on her underwear.
"It feels weird. Like a diaper." She giggled. We both went and sat on my bed and I took her little hand in mine.
"I'm proud of you sweetie. You're a woman." I was also proud of myself, I thought I'd done a great job at helping her.
"Jessie?"
"Yeah?"
"How does the egg get turned into a baby?"
My heart dropped... God help me.
