Camren One Shots

Love and War

        I hate this. I've hated this since she left about a year ago. I remember that awful day last year when Lauren left, and it burns in my brain whether I am at a party or having a dream. No matter what I do, all I can think about is her. There isn't one day that I don't think about the day that my baby will come home, safe and sound. Even more so, I worry for a day that people will come knocking at my door, telling me that it has happened... that my wife, Lauren, has been killed during her time helping out in Syria.

        Lauren and I have been married for about four years, but have been together for eight. We started dating in the ninth grade of high school, and we never really had any problems. Many of our peers dubbed us as 'high school sweethearts' and 'the perfect couple'. Honestly, I could agree with both of those names. We both decided to marry right after high school, since she would be going to boot camp and would be moving onto a base. Since we had to be married in order for me to move with her, we made it so. 

        It was actually an option for me to go with her to Syria, but Lauren insisted that I stay at home back in Miami. I understood where she was coming from, because I could easily be killed by just being there since it was so dangerous. Lauren always said that it's better that I didn't die because of her, and that she wouldn't be able to live with herself if I had died in Syria. There was no argument about it, and I decided against going with her. 

        The day she left was one of the worst days of my life, and I never thought that the day would come that she actually was brought overseas. I still remember the day that she left.

        "Lauren, I don't want you to go. I'll miss you so much." I cried, with tear-filled eyes.

        "I'm really sorry, my beautiful Camila, but serving my country is what I've wanted to do since I was a little girl. I will miss you too, my love, but one day I will come back and we can live our lives together in peace. I'm going to make a promise to you, that when I come back, we'll contact the adoption agency and we'll have a little boy or girl of our very own. I know that's what you've always wanted, so I'm willing to go through with it, for my beautiful wife." Lauren said with a smile.

        I broke down in tears as Lauren said these words to me. Lauren embraced me in a warm hug, which was the last hug I've gotten from her since she left, and I cried into her shoulder. We stayed that way, in each other's arms, for about five minutes until she really had to leave. The hug ended and Lauren held me in place by the shoulders.

        "I will be okay, Camila. I promise." she paused. "I have something for you, before I go."

        Lauren rummaged through her pocket, and pulled out what seemed to be a photograph. She held it up to me, so I could see what it was. It was a photo from our very first high school dance, which happened to be the 'Welcome Back!' dance. The photo was taken after the dance, which was actually our first date. It wasn't meant to be a date, however, since we came to the dance as friends and later discovered that we both had feelings for each other since the sixth grade. We had our first kiss at the dance, during Ed Sheeran's song 'Photograph', which is still our song today. It was our wedding song, too.

        "I want you to keep this photograph with you, Camila. I have another packed away, and I'll never forget that you'll be here, at home, cheering me on. You'll be my reason to fight harder, and make my way back home." Lauren smiled, as tears drizzled down her face. "Goodbye, Camila. I love you."

        "I love you too, Lauren." I told her, as I gave her one last kiss before she left out the door.

        That was the last day that I saw her. We still write to each other every day, to talk about her experiences in Syria and my life at home. My life at home was really dull without her around, so I went for occasional walks around the block to think about her and get some fresh air.

        It was an average day in April, and the weather went from warm to hot. In Florida, there never really was cold weather, which made walking an every day thing. Flowers were beginning to sprout out of the ground everywhere, which made today a day of revival after winter. The air around me was filled with the aroma of these flowers, as they pushed their way through the soil. 

        "The flowers get to come home finally," I thought to myself. "so why can't Lauren?" 

        As I made my way to the local park, I noticed tons of kids who were accompanied by their parents. They were all playing together, like every happy family should. One family tossed a frisbee around in the open field, as another sat down having a picnic together. I began to question if I would ever have that experience with Lauren. Would she ever come home?

        I remembered that I had our photograph in my pocked, and I pulled it out immediately. Whenever I missed Lauren, which was always, I would just pull the photo out, kiss it, and admire it for a while. I stopped walking for a moment and held it close to me for a moment, then placed a small kiss onto it. As I stared at it, I questioned whether or not things would always be this way. Would I always have to be alone, waiting and praying for my wife's safe return?

        "You know, I've always loved that picture." I heard a familiar voice behind me.

        I turned around to see that Lauren was looking at me, and smiling with her gorgeous, emerald eyes. This caused me to scream and jump for joy. Lauren was home!

        "I've missed you so much, Lauren!" I yelled, as we cried and embraced each other in a hug that I have longed for since she left.

        "I've missed you too, my love." she said into my shoulder.

        After about a minute of crying and recollecting ourselves, I stared into her big, beautiful eyes and asked, "How long?"

        "I've decided to come home for good, and I'm going to find another job. I couldn't help being away from you, Camz." she smiled. "Even if it means that I am giving up something that I've always wanted to do."

        "But Lauren. It has always been your dream to be in the army! I don't want to get in the way of that!" I said, as much as it pained me to say so.

        "Camila," she began, as she placed a hand on my shoulder, "I've realized that being in the army and serving my country isn't what I have always wanted. It turns out that my real dream is to be with you, and raise a family together. I want nothing more, and nothing less. Will you continue to help me go forth with this dream?"

        "Of course, I will!" I shouted with a wide smile.

        "Okay," she said, while placing her soft hand in mine, "now let's go home and get in touch with the adoption agency. I'm sure that there is a lucky baby boy or baby girl that's waiting to have two wonderful mothers."

        I nodded with a smile, as we turned around and made our way home, on what became the next best day of my life.