Life and Death

"I promise"

Dinah stepped off the plane and out of the gate with a sigh. She had landed in Downtown Miami. She turned airplane mode off her phone and instantly received a couple of text messages.

1 new iMessage: WALLZZZZZ😈💀💁
3 new iMessages: RALPH LAURENZA💜💘🐢😍😏

She opens the messages from Lauren first.

-Hey, let me know when you land.
- I know your flight doesn't land until 3 and that it's 1:30 now but I can't wait to see you.
-I love you💜😘

Dinah smiles slightly and walks to the baggage claim to get her black suitcase. She grabs it and begins walking toward the gate when she begins to call Lauren. "Hey babe." Lauren giggles into the phone. "Hi Lo." Dinah says. "I take it as you landed?" Lauren asks. "Yeah, I'm on my way out of the gate right now." Dinah says. "Okay, just meet me in front of Starbucks." Lauren says. "Alright, I'm almost out." Dinah says and pulls the phone away from her ear to end the call before Lauren says, "I love you."

When Lauren sees her girlfriend, she's a few feet in front of her. Lauren reaches out, wrapping her arms around her neck. Dinah drops her backpack and wraps her arms around Lauren's waist and pulls her into her. Dinah lifts Lauren into the air about a foot and hugs her tightly. "I fucking missed you." Lauren whispers. "How are you feeling?" She asks. "I'm fine. It still hurts a lot, but I'll be fine." Dinah whispers. "Let's get you home." Lauren says and takes her girlfriend's hand before walking out.

Three days later when Camila, Lauren, Ally, and Normani are getting ready to go to dinner, Dinah is still lying in bed. "Come on babe." Lauren mumbles. "No, I'm just tired." Dinah mumbles and curls up under the blanket. "Want me to bring you something back?" Lauren asks. "Please?" Dinah asks softly. "I will, baby." Lauren smiles and pecks Dinah's lips. "Thank you." Dinah whispers and curls up.

"Have you talked to Dinah about what happened?" Ally asks. "About what?" Lauren asks and takes a sip from her glass of water. "Her grandmother." She says. "No," Lauren sighs. "She hasn't said anything. I tried to bring it up once the day she landed but she just changed the subject." Lauren says. "She's closing off." Camila says and picks up her sandwich. "She doesn't hardly talk to any of us but you." Camila says. "She's shutting down, Laur." Normani says. "She needs you." Camila says.

"Was I like that after my grandmother passed away?" Lauren asks. She doesn't remember much after her own grandmother passed away. "You weren't quiet all the time." Ally says. "You made it seem like you were fine and put together but we all knew how you felt." She continues. "You cried a lot too." Camila adds and Normani and Ally glare at her. "What? She did." Camila reasons. "But it was good," Normani starts. "You didn't really shut down, you let it all out." She says.

Later, when the girls get back and Dinah is eating the meal Lauren brought back, they're planning what to do before they go home. "Let's go see a movie, I know the new Avengers just came out." Camila suggests excitedly. "Let's do it. I'll order our tickets." Ally says. "Dinah, did you wanna go?" Camila asks. She shakes her head and keeps scrolling through her phone. Lauren looks at Dinah before the other girls. "Count me out too, guys." Lauren says. "I'm pretty tired." She yawns and sits on the edge of her bed. "Alright, well, we'll see you tomorrow, we might get back pretty late." Ally says and she and Camila stand up to leave before glancing at Normani. "Look, Mani's still on the phone, so I guess it's just us." Ally says. "What?" Normani says suddenly, looking up from her phone. "No I was not on the phone." She says and puts her phone in her pocket as she stands up. "Let's go, you liar." Camila says and they walk out of the room.

"You should've gone with them." Dinah says and leans back onto the bed. "I didn't want to." Lauren says simply, putting her phone on the nightstand. "I'm tired and I want to cuddle with my girlfriend." Lauren says and opens their balcony door and lets the breeze blow in. She lies down in front of Dinah, her back to her. Dinah wraps an arm around Lauren's waist and snuggles into black hair. Dinah smiles and breathes in her scent, glad that after Lauren's shower earlier, her girlfriend had decided to spray on her can of Dark Temptation Axe. She and Dinah had agreed it was almost the best thing in the world. "Look around, There's no one but you and me," Dinah sings softly.

"Right here and now, The way it was meant to be," Dinah whispers. "Hold on and take a breath, I'll be here every step, Walking between the raindrops with you." Lauren sings softly, skipping a couple of lines. Lauren turns over to see Dinah with her eyes closed. "I want you to talk to me, babe." Lauren whispers. Dinah's eyes squeeze tighter. "About what?" She asks. "Your grandmother." Lauren whispers softly. "You haven't said anything since you got back and I want you to talk to me, babe." Lauren says, brushing a strand of hair from the younger girl's face.

Dinah sighs. "What do you want me to tell you?" Dinah whispers. "I just don't want you shutting me out, babe. You've hardly talked to me and the girls and we're starting to get worried." Lauren says softly."I know it hurts, baby," Lauren whispers. "Believe me, but we just don't want to see you shut down. We want to help." Lauren whispers. "We're here for you." She says softly. A tear slides down Dinah's cheek and Lauren wipes it away with her thumb. She pressed her lips to the younger girl's forehead and hugs her tighter. "I got you baby. I got you." She mumbles.

"It hurts. A lot." Dinah sobs into Lauren's chest, gripping the girl's shirt. "I mean, we knew it was coming but we didn't know it'd be so soon." She cries softly. As Dinah keeps sobbing, Lauren just holds her i kisses her hair and rubs her back. "It'll be alright, babe." Lauren whispers. "I promise."