Chapter 109

Confirming that she still had their full attention, she explained, "Athena's endocrine system was extremely hyperactive from the age of around seven. You were two years younger than your sister, but do you remember her starting her period right after she turned ten?"

"Vaguely," Aphrodite admitted. "I do remember my mom discussing the possibility that my period could start early also, but it didn't. I was actually later than most of the girls I knew, almost thirteen when my first period came. How did getting her period early cause Athena problems?"

"It didn't. It was just one of the first visible signs that her body's endocrine system might be abnormal. It wasn't until she came back to see me at the age of eighteen that we started looking into other, less obvious signs of a systemic issue."

"Like what?" Devon asked, finally joining the conversation.

"Athena met you during the summer between her freshman and sophomore years at Clemson. With a carefully maintained diet, exercise, and ple