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!

my voice cracking

stand awkwardly in the middle of the entrance,

blinks. "Do you... need

say it. I physically cannot make my mouth say

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

Fuck! I'm so clueless.

paid more

so..." I scratch the back of

experiencing... intense abdominal...

She blinks again. "What?"

clear my throat. "You know. Like... woman

"and has a very

like I'm

"Ohhh," she says slowly.

"You mean period cramps?"

I wince.

not say it

She stares.

Not the CIA Besides, it's nothing to be ashamed of. Periods are very normal. It's actually sweet seeing a

back, a smile

"Are you serious?"

clue about women

"You're twelve. I obviously know more than you

She laughs at that.

you. Because

glare but she only laughs harder making me

me of Sloane.

a cute basket? I'll pay for whatever. Just make sure it says, "I'm here for

"You want me to add a sticky

"Just the

"Got it!"

prompts me but

"Are you at school?"

looks up from the ribbon she's making as fast as

still trying to raise my college tuition

you want

"Medicine."

foundation has

So it

line. They will get

one day you

meet

incred net

she is an

Van teach you a

doctor and

things.

s