Erinna was sound asleep even with the sun rays coming through the window. Erinna only groaned when she heard Rex repeatedly barking. For some reason, her room had become his room. She didn’t mind until it came to morning.

Erinna suddenly awoke with a cramp in her stomach, and she knew how it felt to have an upset stomach. This time it was different. Sitting up fast, Erinna lifted the covers to find what she feared. Blood covered her nightie. She should have known better since it was that time of the month.

Reacting fast, Erinna ran to the bathroom, stripping off her nightie and underwear; Erinna threw them in the hamper. She then got in the shower as quickly as she could. She started the shower and waited for the hot water to soothe her mind.

Heather walked up to her daughter’s room to wake her up. She opened the door only to see Rex whining and walking in circles. She couldn’t help but smile since this was Rex’s behavior when Erinna was not giving him enough attention. Heather then looked at the unmade bed and frowned. The messy bed was unusual for her daughter, who won’t leave her bedroom without making her bed.

She was about to look for Erinna when she heard the water running. The way Erinna’s bed was left messy made her feel uneasy. Feeling relief, Heather walked to the bathroom and knocked on the door. “Princess? Are you in there?” Heather called out.

“Yes, mommy,” Erinna cried, tears running down her eyes. She didn’t even know why she was crying. She remembered Heather explaining that the menstrual blood would wash off and that she needed to be careful. Heather did explain that accidents happen, and it’s more natural since Erinna is not used to it yet.

Sensing something weird in her daughter’s tone, Heather had to press on. “Are you ok, sweetie? Do I need to come in?” While she knew it would be embarrassing for Erinna to be in the bathroom with her daughter, she would do it if it would ensure her daughter’s safety.

Taking a second to calm herself down and not cause her mom a panic attack, Erinna replied. “I am ok, mommy,” Erinna answered. The last thing she wanted was for her mom to start panicking.

Heather could tell that Erinna was unharmed, but she was unconvinced that she was ok. Heather spotted a small red stain under the covers on Erinna’s bed. Removing the covers, Heather was shocked to see that the small stain was a much larger bloodstain. Trying to calm herself down and not freak out, Heather took a deep breath before realizing what day it was. “Oh, Princess,” Heather exclaimed softly, “I should have remembered.”

She immediately removed Erinna’s bedsheets, replacing them with a new set. She then moved to Erinna’s closet, taking out a bra and panties before piling up a dark blue long-sleeved velvet dress and white tights. Heather then picked one of Erinna’s kitten heels. She knows how dramatic Erinna can get while choosing her clothes, especially during this month’s time.

She would probably scare kids her age with how tall she is with the two-inch kitten heels, but if Erinna loved them, then nothing else mattered. Picking up the underwear, Heather walked to the bathroom. “Princess, I am coming in with your underwear,” Heather announced before stepping into the bathroom.

Hearing this, Erinna cursed herself for forgetting to lock the door. She just hid in the bathtub, embarrassed. She watched as Heather left her underwear beside the sink. “Do you have your pads in here, or should I bring them?” Heather asked worriedly.

“I have them here….” Erinna started before pausing, realizing what her mom was saying. How did her mom know? She really couldn’t tell. “Wait! How did you know?” Erinna asked, looking at her with confusion.

Heather chuckled a bit before shaking her head. “You’re my daughter, and it’s been a month. Of course, I would know,” Heather exclaimed confidently.

She walked out of the bathroom, closing the door behind her. She brought clean bedsheets before placing them on Erinna’s bed. Heather then set the clothes she chose for Erinna on the bed before taking a seat on Erinna’s vanity table. She clapped her hands, and the attention-seeking puppy immediately rushed to her.

Erinna walked out of the bathroom in her panties and bra and had her bathrobe on, just in case. Walking into her room, she saw her mom sitting on the vanity table while playing with Rex.

“Oh, you’re finally out. Someone complained about not receiving enough attention,” Heather commented, letting Rex down and watching as he immediately ran to Erinna.

Scooping Rex up, Erinna grinned and giggled as the dog started licking her face. “I will play with you later, ok?” Erinna said, putting Rex down. “Sit,” Erinna instructed to which the dog listened immediately. “Good boy,” She cooed, patting his head.

Having Rex came with conditions placed by Heather and Jeff. They were clear that Rex was to be the kids’ responsibility, and they should take care of it. Heather and Jeff would only help them if they needed help, but otherwise, Rex was their responsibility. That included training Rex as well. Heather saw that the kids had been doing a great job taking care of Rex.

“Come here, sweetie,” Heather patted the seat beside her on the chair. Erinna looked down a bit before taking a seat beside her mom. “How’s your stomach feeling now?” Heather asked before planting a kiss on Erinna’s forehead.

Erinna could feel the cramps in her stomach, and her stomach was always sensitive. This time, however, was different; it felt much worse. Yet, Erinna just shrugged. If all girls and women can handle it, why can’t she do the same? “It’s not that bad, mommy. But um... My nightie is blood-stained.”

Erinna’s eyes started to tear up again, and she didn’t even know why she was crying. She hated this time of the month, even if it was only her second time. “I guess this is the downside of being a girl,” Erinna sighed.

Heather smiled with sympathy, and she knew that Erinna still had a lot to learn. However, she could tell that her daughter must be one of the toughest girls she had ever seen. Heather hadn’t seen many girls who didn’t freak out after the first time it happened to them. Especially for one who used to be a boy.

“Sweetheart, remember that accidents will happen; we will easily wash your nightie. Just bring it down to the laundry sink, and we will soak it,” Heather comforted her with a kiss on her cheek. “Now, get dressed. Breakfast is almost ready,” Heather announced as she left the room. “And don’t forget to make your bed.”

A few minutes later, Erinna walked downstairs. Rex was following just behind her. She walked to the kitchen with Rex on her tail, and surprisingly the kitchen was empty, so she filled Rex’s bowl with food and water.

The excited dog rushed to his favorite food before Erinna stopped him. “Wait!” Erinna commanded. The puppy stayed in his place, staring at Erinna with his tongue hanging out of his mouth. “Good boy, now go eat.” Rex immediately ran to his bowl and began to eat his food.

With Rex busy with his food, Erinna left the kitchen wondering where everyone was. George and Alex should be going to school soon, so they should be up. She missed school, but the school insisted that she take a week off; even Alex was allowed to get back to school today.

Her parents had been discussing if they should transfer Alex to be with Erinna and George in the same school. It sounded like a good idea, but they wanted to hear what Alex had to say. Erinna did listen to them talk about it; honestly, she would be happy to have her two older brothers at school.

After a quick search, Erinna found everyone in the dining room, an unusual place for breakfast. Her grandma Margaret and grandpa Howard Houston were there, and her grandpa Tyler and grandma Anne Gavin were there. Aside from her grandparents, her uncle Charles and her aunt Maddison were also there. Looking around and seeing the rest of her family, Erinna understood why everyone was in the dining room, not the kitchen.

“Aunt Maddie,” Erinna squealed before she ran to hug her aunt. It had been almost a year since she last saw her aunt in person and not on a screen. Aunt Maddie was an Archaeologist who loved her job. She was part of a team that discovered a new tomb in Egypt and had been working on uncovering it.

“Well, if it’s not my beautiful niece,” aunt Maddison said, returning the hug and watching as Erinna blushed. She was delighted to have a niece, especially if it was a pretty girl like Erinna. She knew that she could enjoy some time with her niece.

Hearing her aunt’s compliment, Erinna blushed a bit but smiled. She turned to her uncle Charlie, giving him a hug and a kiss on the cheek, and then to her grandma Margaret and grandpa, Howard Houston. Erinna then turned to her grandma Anne and grandpa, Tyler Gavin. Erinna could sense some tension between her mom and her grandma Anne.

Erinna didn’t know that her mom and grandma had a heated argument before coming down. They didn’t want to hurt Erinna’s feelings, and Heather was unhappy that Erinna heard about it from her mom. Heather and Jeff had asked the family that no one would tell Erinna that they expected a girl when Erinna was born a boy.

“Princess, would you like to help me set the table?” Heather asked. She knew her daughter and knew that Erinna liked helping in the kitchen. Heather loved that all her friends were jealous that she had a daughter who wanted to help and cook in the kitchen.

“Boy, what are you doing?” Tyler Gavin spoke, looking at George.

George was wearing his protective glasses, using the multiple-screen laptop he received for Christmas. His typing was far too fast for him to be playing. Tyler was a computer engineer specializing in cyber security and was curious about what George was doing. He was not alone, however, as George had also caught Howard Houston’s attention.

“Nothing much, grandpa, just some idiot tried to hack into our WIFI. I am just teaching him a lesson,” George said, earning a grin from both of his grandfathers. Hearing George’s explanation, Jeff’s eyes narrowed before standing up and hurrying to his office, needing to check on something.

Alex and George stood at the front door, putting on their shoes. Alex wore a long-sleeve white Polo shirt and black slacks as his uniform. George dressed in his new school uniform with a loose tie; even though it was mandatory, he wouldn’t wear a tight necktie.

“Alright, Alex, I will drop George off first, then drive you to school, and after school, your mom will come and pick you up,” Jeff explained, referring to Heather as Alex’s mom. She was the only mom he knew since he never got to know his mom.

Heather walked over to Alex hugging him. She was not comfortable with sending Alex to school today. Alex wanted to get back to school early even though the school allowed him to stay home for two weeks to get over his loss. “If you need anything, just call me, ok?” Heather explained worriedly.

“Thanks, mom, I will be ok,” Alex said, breaking the hug. He grabbed his coat and followed George and Jeff out to the car.

“Erinna, please follow us up to your bedroom, dear,” said Heather.

Erinna followed her grandma Houston, grandma Gavin, mom, and aunt Maddie up to her bedroom. Each carried bags full of new clothes for Erinna, and she knew what would happen. Erinna tried on dresses, skirts, tops, and pants, more than she could count for the next two hours. Erinna couldn’t get away without modeling every single outfit that she received. It would have gone longer if it wasn’t for Heather getting a phone call.

Erinna only heard her mom’s side of the call and didn’t know who was on the other side of the phone. “Yes, we are his guardians, is he ok? ... He did what? … Why? … Alright, I will be coming immediately,” Heather said, ending the phone call. She then watched as everyone looked at her with curiosity.

“Alex just punched a boy in the face and didn’t stop hitting him until he was on the ground,” Heather announced. There was a reason behind this, and Heather was sure it wasn’t just Alex’s fault. She knew that Alex must have done this for a reason since he was not the kind of boy that would bully other kids or get into fights.

“Why would he do that?” Margaret Houston inquired. She knew her grandchildren well, and they were good kids. Alex had always been a gentle and caring kid, always interested in animals. Of course, like his cousins, he was taller and stronger than most kids his age.

“There’s something behind it, I am sure of it. Anyway, I will have to go and see what’s the matter,” Heather said and turned to leave the room. Whatever happened, she would find the reason behind it. The school didn’t seem to care about the cause, but she would make them care, like it or not.

“Mommy, can I come too?” Erinna inquired, pouting her lips and adjusting her eyes, giving Heather her best puppy eyes.

Erinna’s look caused Heather to chuckle and shake her head as her daughter had become a real manipulator. “That might work with your daddy, but not with me, young lady,” Heather joked, causing Erinna to make a longer face. “But you can come with me,” Heather added, making Erinna smile as she walked to her mom.

Soon, Heather and Erinna put on their coats, followed by Margaret and Maddison. They were going to find out what had caused Alex to act like this.