Debbie often babysat for Justin and Brian, even if their daughter was thirteen and she was old enough to take care of herself. They just didn't want anything to happen to her. They felt safer knowing that she was with someone, someone they trusted, which happened to be Debbie.
It wasn't something Debbie was used to, having a teenaged, hormonal girl in her house. She had, in her mind, successfully raised two boys, even if Brian wasn't biologically hers. But girls were a whole different ball game and Debbie quickly learned that when she noticed that Madeline had bled through her pants while she walked to the kitchen to get a glass of water. Carl had also noticed as well and they both looked at each other. Debbie, being the one with experience with periods, stood up and walked into the kitchen. They had both silently agreed that she would be the one to talk to her because of the fact that she had experience with periods.
"Maddie, honey," she said, catching the thirteen-year-old brunette's attention. "I think you might have started your period." Madeline looked up at the woman, confusion written on her face.
"I already had it, though," she said. "I thought you only had it once and you don't have to worry about it again." Now it was Debbie's turn to be confused. She then thought about it and realized that Brian and Justin hadn't quite given her the proper talk about what it meant to have your period yet.
"You get your period every month, sweetie," Debbie said to the young girl. Hearing that, Madeline's eyes widened with horror, her cheeks turning bright red. Not only was she horrified, but she was embarrassed.
"But I thought my daddies said you only get it once and then you can have babies whenever you want." Madeline was on the verge of tears as she said this, her embarrassment taking over. It was clear Brian and Justin hadn't properly told Madeline what it meant to get your period. Debbie's maternal instinct kicked in as she stepped closer to the young brunette.
"Your daddies are dumbasses when it comes to anything female," Debbie replied, laughing, as she wrapped her arms around her granddaughter and pulled her in for a hug. Madeline allowed Debbie to pull her into a hug and nuzzled her nose into her grandmother's chest, relishing in the maternal hug. Madeline was still short enough so that Debbie could rest her chin against the top of the thirteen-year-old's head. Madeline had the most loving parents and she wouldn't trade them for the world. They obviously cared about her and they did everything in their power to give her everything she needed, but times like this, she needed a maternal figure in her life and that's where Debbie came in. Plus, she spent so much time with her, due to her always being over at the house both Brian and Justin practically grew up in, that she felt comfortable with the woman.
"Is that why I haven't been feeling good all day, Grams?" Madeline asked Debbie. That's when Madeline pulled away from the hug. "Right here has been hurting all day," she said as she pointed to her abdomen.
"Your period'll do that," Debbie said. If there was one thing she didn't miss about having her period, it was the cramps. But she found that after she had Michael, those went away almost all together, but every once in a while, she would still get them.
"Will that ever go away?" Madeline asked as she looked up at her grandmother, curious as to if cramps always happen when you're on your period. Her dad's never really told her much about this, so she was glad that her grandmother was.
"I found it went away once I had your Uncle Michael, but you're a little young to be having kids. Ibuprofen always helped when I was on my period," Debbie replied as she cupped Madeline's chin and softly rubbed her cheek with her thumb affectionately. "Why don't you get cleaned up and I'll go get you some pads from the store," she added with a smile. She only had tampons in the house and she knew that Madeline, having only just found out that she got her period every month, didn't know anything about tampons.
"Okay," the brunette replied with a smile. She went upstairs and into the guest bathroom. Debbie walked back into the living room, where Carl was still watching the football game on TV. Hearing Debbie's footsteps, he looked up at her and smiled.
"Everything okay?" he asked as Debbie grabbed a coat and her purse.
"Yeah, I just need to get some pads from the store," Debbie replied. Carl stood up and stopped her.
"I'll do it, sweetie," he said as he too grabbed his coat and put it on. That's when Debbie gave him a quizzical look. "I don't know anything about periods. It's probably best you stay here with her because I wouldn't know what to say if she has questions." Debbie couldn't help but to laugh.
"I doubt she'll have a question in the short time I'll be gone." Debbie put her coat and purse back on the coat rack, stood on her tippy toes and kissed her husband on the lips. "Thank you, though, honey." Carl kissed her back happily and with that, went to the store. Debbie then went to the kitchen, made a bowl of popcorn and sat down on the couch before changing the channel to something she would like. When she found a show tune movie, she happily relaxed into the couch. A few minutes passed as Debbie happily munched on her popcorn when Madeline walked back down the stairs in one of Debbie's oversized pajama shirts. She would often wear one of Debbie or Carl's shirts to bed when she slept over because she forgot to bring pajamas and now, even when she did bring pajamas, she found they were more comfortable. Hearing the familiar footsteps, Debbie looked up and chuckled when she noticed what the thirteen-year-old was wearing, receiving a smile from Madeline in response. She walked over to the couch and sat down next to her grandmother.
"Your pajama shirts are more comfortable," Madeline said as she nuzzled her body into Debbie's comfortably. She often didn't have to wear pants with the shirts she would pick out because they went down to her knees and that was exactly what she had done. She found it was more comfortable not wearing pants when she wore a shirt that was so big.
"Most of them are Guppy's old shirts," Debbie replied as she kissed her granddaughter's head affectionately. It felt good to Madeline to be cuddling with Debbie. She knew how crazy the older woman could be, but she also had a soft, maternal side to her and times like this, when she didn't feel good, she needed it.
"Where is Guppy?" Madeline asked when she realized that he wasn't in the living room anymore.
"He went to the store," Debbie replied. It was almost as if Carl knew they were taking about him because he walked through the front door, grocery store bag in hand. He figured he would make an outing out of it and grabbed some chocolate as well, knowing Madeline wouldn't be the only one enjoying it too. When he noticed his granddaughter and wife cuddling on the couch, popcorn bowl on Debbie's lap, watching a show tune movie, he couldn't help but to smile.
"Looks like I shouldn't have gotten that chocolate," he teased. Debbie looked up at Carl as he walked towards the couch.
"You know that'll be gone by tonight," Debbie said as she laughed and grabbed the bag. She took the candy out of the bag and then the pack of pads and passed it to Madeline, who got up and went to the bathroom. Carl laughed and sat next to Debbie as Madeline went to the bathroom. She then came out a few minutes later and sat back down where she had been sitting, again nuzzling her body into Debbie's. Silence fell over the happy grandparents and granddaughter for a few minutes while they watched the movie Debbie had put on when Madeline broke the silence.
"Is it normal for my chest to hurt?" she asked. Having grown up with two fathers, she wasn't embarrassed that Carl heard the question. The only reason why she was embarrassed earlier was because she had bled through her pants and she didn't know that periods happened monthly. She had started getting breasts about a year before she had started her period and she was a lower B cup, but she found that her breasts seemed to be a little more swollen and a little tender the past few days.
"Yeah, that's normal, sweetie," Debbie said as she looked down at her granddaughter, who was still happily nuzzled into her body. "That's how I always knew I was about to start my period."
"Okay," Madeline whispered as she nuzzled the size of her grandmother's chest with her nose and let out a sigh of happiness. Carl smiled as he watched the interaction and then planted an affectionate kiss against the temple of Debbie's head. Debbie smiled and looked up at her husband before kissing him lovingly.
"That's gross," Madeline said teasingly. Everyone laughed and then continued watching the movie, spending the rest of the day cuddling with each other.