anything (a cameron boyce love story)

six: superstar.

Cameron returned home from New York, and for the two days he had been home something felt off. It felt like there was this certain tension in the air between him and Ada. He couldn't really put his finger on it. It wasn't a bad tension per se... but also couldn't be described as good either.

They were back to tip-toeing around the pregnancy. Both of them could see and feel that they were straying away from talking about the subject, but neither of them could understand why the situation was unfolding the way it was.

They were making breakfast together the morning after he came home, singing along and dancing goofily to the radio. Cameron had playfully spun her around like he often did when they had playful fun. But when they came face to face again, she abruptly ran away leaving him alone in the kitchen confused until the realization hit him. When he found her in the bathroom, laying by the toilet and throwing up, he felt stupid for not understanding why spinning her around wouldn't be a good idea at first. He apologized as he held her hair back for her, literally kicking himself in the ass.

Any time they spoke, they chose their words wisely, because everything seemed like an innuendo to their new situation. Like when Cameron cracked open a wine cooler and unconsciously offered Ada one in the middle of a very funny conversation, and an awkward silence ensued for a brief second before she obviously turned it down.

Now, they were at the doctor's office for their first maternity check-up. The waiting room smelled like some type of chemical lemon cleaning spray, making Ada want to puke everywhere every time she breathed through her nose. It was pretty empty, aside from maybe two other patients. Ada had her eyes glued to the TV that was showing some boring infomercial on the PBS channel. She wouldn't dare to look anywhere else. The place was filled with pregnancy information pamphlets, magazines, and posters on the coffee tables, walls, and basically anywhere her pupils looked. Smiling women holding their pregnant bellies, newborn infants cradled in arms on the front covers. Those images made her anxious, her breath hitching at the glance of any of them.

"You okay?" Cameron asked Ada quietly. She looked at him, giving a nod and a small smile.

But regardless of her answer, he took a good look at her and he saw the expression that often frequented her face that he knew all too well. She must have gone mute out of nervousness.

Cameron tapped his thigh a bit before he began to get up. "I'll be back, I'm going to... check how much time we have until they call you," he said to her to which she nodded. He shoved his hands into his jeans pockets as he made his way toward the receptionist who was sitting behind a glass window.

"Hi, how can I help you?" the receptionist smiled as Cameron stood at the window.

"Hi, um... I was just trying to see if I could inform whichever doctor we're going to be seeing about my girlfriend. She's..." he began to say, but did a quick pause and looked over at Ada as she sat patiently in a waiting chair. He lowered his voice a little more before he continued. "She's a selective mute. And I know a lot of times when she gets uncomfortable or nervous, she goes mute and doesn't talk. So I just wanted to relay that to the doctor before we go in there because... sometimes I might have to speak for her... you know?" he explained a bit hesitant, unsure if the lady would understand what he was saying. Thankfully, she understood immediately.

"Of course. Don't worry, we have had mute patients before. I'll definitely inform them for you, but you guys will be just fine!" The receptionist smiled at him in a bit of adoration as he stood there a bit on edge. She found it so nice and adorable that he was taking a step to make sure his pregnant partner was comfortable. That was unusual for her to see in such a young couple that they appeared to be.

Cameron gave her a relieved smile and a nod in gratitude before he went back to where Ada was sitting. She looked at him with her eyebrows raised, and he was confused for a little bit until he realized.