Second chances Book 3/6

Chapter 15

Life went on, Cameron becoming more and more a Texas girl, naturally adopting the accent. She had made up her mind, her life was definitely here. She would live with Tara as long as she wanted her, then, when she was of age, she would take an apartment in the property to stay close to Tara while leaving her some privacy. Needing to know her close anyway, not really being ready to live alone and deal with bills. She wasn't necessarily looking for her independence, but dreamed that Tara would meet someone, already imagining herself playing cupid for her dear mother-at-heart.

Cameron was finishing up the catering service orders, clowning around with Ashley as usual, she became her friend, doing shitty moves at work to set the mood and especially wild dancing in the kitchen and even on the parking lot, when, getting ready to store the gallon of mayonnaise in the refrigerator, a special bulletin on the radio paralyzes her, making her drop the bucket, before she collapses to the ground, shaking. Ashley rushes in screaming, imagining she is having a seizure and that she is convulsing. Cameron hears her scream, calling Tara who comes running. She just wants them all to shut up.

SILENCE! screams her voice in her head.

Behind her colleagues, the journalist announces that Kate Valentine is alive, that she is back in Los Angeles, according to the spokesperson for her record company.

My sister is alive!

Oscar takes her in his arms as she breaks down in tears, unable to hold back the waves that have been contained for too long and carries her into Tara's office before leaving them. She sees their worried look. She keeps crying and shaking. Tara asks them to go on delivery and take care of the Food Truck today. Cameron watches them slip away, then sees Tara's worried gaze holding her against her before picking up her phone to call 911.

"No," Cameron manages to stammer, her lips quivering.

"What is it, Cameron?" She hears the panic in her voice, the panic of a mother for her daughter.

"My sister is alive," she manages to say, without her understanding. Cameron's eyes point to the radio. She listens to the bulletin, looking at Cameron blankly.

"Kate Valentine is your sister?" "she asks suddenly.

Tara gives her a blanket under which she snuggles and there, Cameron tells her everything. Everything she knows, why she ran away, why she didn't go farther than Dallas. Kate Valentine, her sister. Tara listens to her, looks at photographs of the singer, cannot deny the physical resemblance, Cameron is her identical twin at the start of her career.

"Are you going to get back on the road and go join her?" she asks, looking at her.

"I want her to know that I exist, that she has a sister. But there's you too. I don't want to leave you, Tara. I love you.

— I love you too Cameron, you know that.

— Like a mom," she cries into her arms.

"Oh...Cameron."

They stay in each other's arms for a long time. Cameron wants to know all about her sister's return. She sat at the office, surfing the internet, having several tabs open. She listens to everything, she reads everything. In her head, her plan is taking shape. But she won't do to Tara what she did to her aunt and uncle. She won't leave without saying goodbye. Moreover, she knows that she will come back to see Tara. She loves her life with her here. It suits her.

She doesn't look at her, but she knows that Tara is watching her, that she guesses her thoughts.

"When will you leave?"

Cameron doesn"t respond immediately, refraining from saying "immediately". She reflects, telling herself that she must be more composed, more organized than last year. She's already thinking of borrowing one of Tara's backpacks that are in the closet in the entrance, they're twice as big as hers. She makes a mental note to stock up on pads, as well as take a change of clothes.