Dear Ex Wife Please take me back by The Every Woman

ALEX

Her eyes snap to me, and I swear my soul leaves my body for a second.

"I mean, I'm...just asking! For context! Pain-level identification!" I rush to explain.

She glares.

I press my lips into a thin line.

Without saying another word.

At the red light, I quickly pull up my phone and search for the nearest convenience store. Thankfully, there's one less than five minutes away.

I park the car a little too hard in my rush.

Athena doesn't move. She's hunched over in pain, with sweat still clinging to her temples like she just ran a marathon.

I glance at her, completely useless, then I turn to her and whisper, "Baby, stay here.......ahh....I'll get what you need."

She doesn't fight me on this or the pet name I just called her.

That's how I know it's bad.

I grab my wallet and rush out. But as I step out of the car and head toward the store, a terrifying thought strikes me,

What do I even get?

I freeze on the sidewalk like an idiot, then pull out my phone again and start typing:

[ What do women need when they're in pain from the thing... the monthly thing... bleeding but not dying?]

But autocorrect turns it into [What do women need when they're in pain from the thing monthly bleating not dying]

What?

I growl under my breath and try again, slower this time:

[What do you buy for period cramps?]

A whole list pops up, pads, tampons, chocolate, painkillers, heating pads, herbal tea, dark chocolate again, midol,

I'm a grown man who has done so much, and yet this this is the most stressful mission of my life.

I'm terrified of disappointing Athena or worse, making her angrier.

I push open the glass door to the store, and it chimes.

I'm fucking nervous right now. I saw that pads have different types. What if I get

the ones she hates and it makes her even more mad.

I sigh as I step inside the store.

The cashier is a girl. Maybe nineteen. Possibly fifteen.

She looks up from her phone.

"Hi! Welcome!"

Oh God!

voice

middle of the

blinks. "Do you...

can't say it. I physically

feel like I'm carrying a deep secret. Is it even allowed to

Fuck! I'm so clueless.

more attention to Sloane growing

of my neck. "Let's say... theoretically,

experiencing... intense abdominal...

She blinks again. "What?"

throat. "You know. Like... woman pain.

"and has a very angry uterus

looking at me like I'm about to propose

"Ohhh," she says slowly.

"You mean period cramps?"

I wince.

maybe not say it

She stares.

convenience store. Not the CIA Besides, it's nothing to be ashamed of. Periods are very normal.

back, a smile tugging

"Are you serious?"

clue about

I obviously

She laughs at that.

you. Because you do look like a

throw her a glare but she only

how she Is reminds me of

a cute basket? I'll pay for

want me to add a sticky note that says

glare. "Just the

"Got it!"

don't know what prompts me but

"Are you at school?"

looks up from the ribbon she's making as

to raise my college tuition

do you

"Medicine."

rarely conversate with people. Our foundation

picked by mum. So

this line. They

one day you

meet

incred net

she is an

Van teach you a

doctor and

things.

s