A Knock in the Heart

T W O

It was still early in the morning around eight when Lauren woke up to an empty bed. She extended her hand with her eyes still closed to Camila's side and it was a bit warm. She moves a little trying to get comfortable again to sleep for a little more time when she opens her eyes remembering last night's events, a little girl under their care.

    She quickly sits up and stretches before going to the bathroom to take care of her needs. Once she's done she makes her way downstairs looking for her wife and the little girl. She makes it to the kitchen's doorway and looks at her wife Camila making breakfast, something she hasn't done in some time.

    She looks at the little girl sitting on the floor who is playing with her stuffed toy. Lauren smiles at the little girl as she moves Timon on the floor but stops playing when she sees her standing by the door frame. She smiles again but the little girl gets up and stumbles her way to Camila hugging her legs as she's cutting strawberries. "Hey little money, are you hungry?" she asks, picking up the little girl who hides her face on her neck.

    "I think she's scared of me" Lauren says startling Camila as she didn't hear her coming downstairs. "I think it's because we are strangers to her" The little girl sneaks a peak at Lauren but when she sees she's already looking at her she hides her face again.

    "Oh don't be shy monkey, she won't do anything to you. I promise."

    The little girl peaks again and Lauren smiles at her again. The toddler looks at her and rubs her eyes resting her head on Camila's shoulder bringing her thumb to her mouth. "No honey, here take a strawberry" Camila tells her, removing her thumb from her mouth giving her the fruit.

    "Lauren, what are we going to do?" She's about to respond to her when her phone begins ringing. "Give me a second, I'll be right back." says Lauren running upstairs to answer her phone.

    Camila looks at the little girl and notices she was done with the strawberry. "You hungry mama?" Camila speaks to her in a motherly way as she goes to the sink to wash the girl's hand.

    "Let's get your hand cleaned up" she says, putting it under the water.

     This time she hears Lauren coming down the stairs and turns around in time to see her walk in all change up. "Are you going to work?" "Yeah, my boss called me saying he wants me in his office" Lauren says looking at her email on her phone.

    "Breakfast is ready, aren't you going to eat?"

    Lauren looks at the food then at Camila. "If I live now I'll be able to come back sooner and we'll call social services" Camila just looks at her wife and nods not saying anything but a little hurt.

    "Don't you have to go to the studio?" Lauren asks her knowing she hasn't missed a day since she started working there. "Nope, I called telling them I have an emergency." Camila tells her as she grabs two plates to serve their food.

    Lauren looks at her wife moving around the kitchen with the girl in her arms seeing her as a completely different person. "Umm... I'll be back as soon as I can" "Okay" Camila is not really paying too much attention to her wife while moving the plates to the dining room and Lauren takes this as her cue to leave.

    Camila begins cutting into little pieces the pancake for the little girl, soon the toddler grabs a piece and begins eating while sitting on Camila's lap. "Here honey there's your fruit" Camila says as she gives her a slide of banana which she quickly accepts. "You like banana money? I like them too" says Camila smiling, feeling the happiest she's been in a while.