The Women Next Door (Camren)

Chapter 3

"And remember, teenage pregnancy is a really big thing!" Harry teased as Lauren pulled on her boots.
"One, I'm not a teenagers and two, fuck you."
"Let's leave that for miss Cabello shall we."
Lauren rolled her eyes as she left the house and headed over to Camila's, lightly knocking on the door.
The door opened and Lauren frowned when she didn't see anyone at first but smiled when her eyes dropped to Isabella who was grinning up at her.
"Your mommy home?"
Isabella nodded "Come on, I have something."
Isabella grabbed onto Lauren's hand and dragged into the front room.
"Wait here."
"Tell your mommy I'm here." Lauren called as Isabella disappeared out the room
"Isabella, did you answer the front door again?" Camila yelled and within a few seconds she appeared in the doorway.
Lauren instantly smiled at the sight of the girl. "She probably knew it was me."
Camila smiled despite being cross with her daughter, "I'm gonna put her to bed soon and then I have the box set of Dexter there to watch."
Lauren nodded, grinning when Isabella ran into the room and bounced into the sofa, holding out a piece of paper with macaroni shells glued in the shape of a heart "It's for you. I made mommy one to."
"Thank you, sweetie. I'll put this up on my fridge when I get home."
Isabella's eyes lit up as she looked from Lauren to her mom and back again, "Really? You promise?"
"Pinky swear." Lauren smiled, holding out her pinky and Isabella wrapped her full hand around it and shook her finger like she would shake someone's hand.
Lauren laugh "No, you put you pinky around mine. Like this." Lauren positions Isabella's pinky around hers and the little girl nodded.
"Bella did you brush your teeth."
"Yes mommy, look." Beth bared her teeth at her mom and Camila nodded.
"Do you wanna go pick a book and I'll read it to you?"
"Can Lauren read to me mommy?"
"If she doesn't mind?" Camila looked from Isabella to Lauren and the girl nodded without even having to think about if.
"Of course I'll read to you, Bella."
Isabella grabbed a hold if Lauren's hand and began dragging her to her room, "Read this one." Isabella said, handing Lauren the book.
"Isabella." Camila said sternly and the little girl nodded.
"Please."
Lauren smiled, looking down at the cover of the book, "Where the wild things are? I read this as a kid."
"Really?" Isabella asked excitedly as she settled into her bed, her tiny arms wrapping around the stuffed dog Lauren had given her.
"Yeah. It was actually my favorite."
Isabella gasped dramatically, "Mine too!" The little girl whispered as Lauren sat on the edge of the bed.
Lauren smile, "Ready?" Isabella nodded, closing her eyes as Lauren began reading the book.
The brunette could tell the little girl was out like a light before she was even half way done with the book but she read the rest of the book anyway before quietly standing up and flicking off the light, walking to the door and quietly closing it behind her.
"Thanks for that." Camila whispered, making Lauren jump and spin around, ending up standing toe to toe with Camila.
"No worries." Lauren mumbled, looking down at Camila. She'd never been this close to the woman before, where her lips always that appealing?
"So, Dexter?"
"Who?" Lauren murmured before her mind had even fully grasped what Camila had said. "Oh, right, yeah. Dexter."
Camila grinned slightly, "You're cute." She said before turning and heading back downstairs.
Lauren grinned to herself, feeling like a giddy teenager as she followed Camila downstairs.
"You ever watched this?"
"Nah, I've heard about it though."
Camila nodded, pulling out the first DVD "We'll start with season one then."
"So it's about a dude who kills serial killers. Isn't that a bit ironic?"
"Yeah but he's kind of a lovable serial killer."
"That's a sentence I never thought I'd hear."
"You'll see for yourself." Camila said, falling back into the sofa and pressing play on the DVD player.
-
"I have classes tomorrow and you made me stay up 'til one. You terrible person." Camila yawned, walking Lauren to the door.
"You're the one who kept says 'just one more episode'. This is entirely your fault."
"You didn't have to say yes." Camila arched an eyebrow at Lauren as she leant against the door frame.
"But who could say no to a pretty face like yours?"
"Charming." Camila grinned, "Same again tomorrow? I finish classes at around four."
"Sounds good." Lauren agreed, stepping forward and tentatively pressed her lips against Camila's cheek, "I had fun tonight, thank you."
Camila just nodded, her eyes following Lauren as she stepped back and began walking towards her house, "Around five tomorrow?" Camila called when the foggieness inside her head disappeared.
"It's a date." Lauren smiled, unlocking her door and stepping into her house.
--
Lauren was lying on the sofa watching TV, waiting for it to hit five so she could go over to Camila's.
She frowned when there was a loud knock on her door but ended up laughing when she hear Camila's voice outside. "Isabella, that isn't our door!"
Lauren got off the sofa and opened the door to see Isabella grinning up at her, both arms wrapped around Toby the dog. "Hi," the young girl chirped, bouncing lightly on her toes.
"Hey, cutie." Lauren smiled, crouching down in front of Isabella.
"Me and mommy are going to the park and she said I could ask you to come."
"I said once you got changed, Bella." Camila said, smiling apologetically at Lauren as she placed her hand on top of Isabella's head.
"Do you want to come?" Isabella asked hopefully.
"Of course I do. You should go get changed and I will go get changed and I'll meet you outside, alright?"
Isabella nodded happily, rushing over to her own door.
"You really don't have to come." Camila said as Lauren stood up straight, leaning against her door frame.
"I want too. Why? Do you not want me too?"
"No, no. Yeah, I do I just don't any you to feel obliged to go because Isabella asked you."
"I don't feel obliged. It isn't a chore hanging out with you and Isabella, I enjoy myself."
"I just thought, maybe, you'd sometimes have better things to do."
"I can't think of a better way to spend my time." Lauren shrugged, smiling over at Camila.
"Mom, come on, I want to go to the park!" Isabella huffed, stomping her feet against the floor.
"We'll meet you here in ten minutes?"
Lauren nodded, closing the front door before heading upstairs to get changed.
Once Lauren was changed she headed down stairs, grabbing her black beanie before heading outside where Camila and Isabella were waiting for her.
Isabella grinned excitedly at the sight of Lauren, bouncing on her toes. "Come on! Hurry, I want to go on the swings."
"I bet I can swing higher than you." Lauren said, a fond smile spreading across her lips when Isabella took ahold of her hand.
"No way. I've been practicing swinging on my own and I go super high now."
"We will see, kido."
"Mommy, tell her. Tell her how high I can go." Isabella said, tugging on her moms hand.
"She can go really high." Camila agreed, smiling over at Lauren.
"We'll just have to wait and see." Lauren smiled, looking at Camila.
"Yup." Isabella grinned.
"How was class?"
"Yeah, good. Boring." Camila shrugged. "What did you do all day?"
"I ate chips and watched TV."
"Productive."
"It was a show about penguins and I leant that they sometimes indulge in prostitution, selling themselves for rocks and food."
"They didn't show that in happy feet."
"Yeah, it's like that movie wasn't a reliable documentary." Lauren huffed, rolling her eyes playfully. "Next thing you know they will be saying penguins don't dance."
"But they do." Isabella assured, nodding as she looked up at Lauren.
"Good, I was getting worried."
Isabella grinned, pulling both of the girls hands as she rushed over to the swing set.
Isabella jumped on the swing at the far end and both Lauren and Camila took a seat on the left over swings, slowly moving themselves back and forth.
"How long have you known Harry?" Camila asked making Lauren lean her head against the chains and look over at her. "You both just seem more like siblings than friends."
"Since the first day of preschool, I shoved him into the sand box and it was bro-love at first sight."
Camila just nodded against the chains, staring over at Lauren with a light smile on her face.
"Look Lauren! Look how high I'm going." Isabella called and Lauren turned around to the girl.
"Wow, looks like I seriously underestimated your swinging ability, mini Cabello."
"How did you know she took my last name?"
"She told me." Lauren said, turning back to Camila, "The first day I met her."
"I'm going to play on the slide." Isabella announced, rushing off to the metal slide.
"Did you always want kids?" Lauren asked.
"Yeah, just not as young as I was. What about you? Do you want kids?"
"Yeah, I just don't wanna give birth to them. It just looks like it bloody hurts so I always said if I was to ever have kids the other woman would have to carry it or we would adopt."
"It hurts. The worst pain I've ever gone through but it's worth it. They say that adopting isn't really the same, you don't have the same connection."
"I just think that it doesn't matter if you carried it and gave birth to it, you know? What makes you a mom is looking after it and loving it unconditionally."
Camila hummed in agreement, her eyes following her daughter as she ran around the climbing frame.
"You're doing an amazing job." Lauren muttered, catching Camila's attention. "I mean, balancing school with raising a kid, it couldn't have been easy, it still can't be easy now, but you're doing it and she's a real credit to you."
"Thank you." Camila said and Lauren just smiled at her, turning her eyes back to Isabella. Lauren could feel Camila's eyes lingering on her for another couple of seconds before she too turned back to watching her daughter.