A Little Love

Chapter 24

"Hi there, sweetheart," Lauren cooed, stroking Camila's arm gently to wake her up. "Dinah tucked you in real good, hmm?"

Camila had slept through the entire time the girls had been at the mall and not even flinched when Dinah had lifted her out of the push-chair and into the carseat, and so Lauren had decided to put her back into the push-chair when Dinah had dropped them off slightly early at the doctor's surgery. 

"You've had a nice long nap, haven't you, baby?" Lauren said, subtly taking Camila's pacifier when it fell out of her mouth and slipping it into her bag, knowing it was the only way Camila would actually wake up.

Camila yawned, stretching her legs out as much as she could before bringing a fist up to rub the sleep out of her eye.

"Out?" Camila asked the moment she realised she was strapped into her push-chair, moving her hand to the buckle although she couldn't undo it herself.

"Can you stay in there just until we get called in?" Lauren asked, glancing at her watch which showed it would be any minute.

"I don't like it," Camila complained, throwing her blanket onto the floor.

"We don't throw things, Camila," Lauren warned. 

"Sorry," Camila whispered, sounding genuinely apologetic and reaching down as far as she could from where she was strapped in to try and pick the blanket up herself.

"That's okay," Lauren said, softening her expression and grabbing blanket that was just out of Camila's reach. "Who else do we know who uses a pram, baby?" Lauren asked, bundling the blanket up in her lap.

"Umm....," Camila trailed off thoughtfully, trying to rack her brains.

"Someone really special, Camzi," Lauren prompted, leaning forwards over her crossed legs so she could be closer to Camila and keep her more engaged. "Who do you put in a pram when we go to the park?"

"Dolly!" Camila exclaimed excitedly, bouncing up and down. "I put my dolly in her pram," she said, referring to the baby doll she had which had come with a pacifier, bottle and pram.

"That's right!" Lauren smiled as Camila reached over and started playing mindlessly with the older girl's fingers. "And she's really good at sitting in her pram, isn't she?"

Camila nodded slowly.

"So can you be good at sitting in your pram for me?" Lauren asked.

"But I want milk."

"I know, angel, but my first priority when we get home is going to be getting you your bottle, okay?" Lauren promised, knowing that Camila would have usually had at least a bottle by this time. 

Camila whined but settled back in the stroller with a firm, still holding Lauren's hand which she hand now started to pull towards her mouth.

"Angel, don't do that," Lauren said, gently tugging her hand away when Camila started trying to suck on her fingers and wiping it against her jeans. "Let's see if we can get you a snack instead."

She rummaged through her bag, pulling out a packet of animal crackers and opening it before handing it to Camila.

"Here you go, doll, and don't just eat the animals you like, I expect the camels and seals to be eaten too," Lauren warned.

"Camila Cabello?" A familiar voice called out before Camila could reply to Lauren.

"Hi, we're here!" Lauren called, smiling politely at Dr. Robbins before starting to push the push-chair towards her office.

"Hi, Lauren," Dr. Robbins said warmly, closing the door behind them. "Hi there, Camila," she said in a more animated tone, bending down in front of the stroller to be at eye-level with her.