True Love (Camren)

Before

In the hot Miami sun, a young girl with green eyes was running along the shore of the beach with her younger brother, who was a bit slower as he still had stubbly toddler legs.

"C'mon, Chris!" She yells excitedly in a squeaky voice.

"I not fast enough," the little boy huffs, struggling to catch up.

"Be careful, you two!" Clara shouts at them from a beach chair, holding a sleeping baby in her arms. "How's Taylor doing?" her husband Mike asks after walking back from the bathroom. "She fell asleep," Clara says, smiling.

"Lauren, slow down a little," Mike shouts to her, chuckling. The parents continue to watch their two older children carefully.

"You're so slow!" Lauren says, giggling as she stops to let him catch up.

Chris grumbles before plopping down into the sand. "I want drink!" He shouts.

"Then go get one from mommy, doofus," Lauren replies playfully.

His face lights up as he jumps to his feet and runs back to their parents under a sun umbrella.

Lauren is about to turn back to follow him when she sees a young girl with brown hair and eyes playing in the sand by herself, a man and woman not too far away from her. Lauren walks over confidently and sits down in front of girl and her mound of sand.

"Hiya," Lauren says happily.

The young girl looks up at her and smiles nervously. "Hi," she says shyly.

"Whatcha makin'?" Lauren asks her interestedly.

"It's supposed to be a sand castle... I can't get it right," the girl huffs, hitting some sand in frustration.

"You want me to help you?" Lauren asks.

The girl smiles. "Yeah, thanks," she says gratefully.

"I'm Lauren, by the way," she says as she grabs a shovel and a bucket.

"I'm Camila," the brown eyed girl replies, no longer shy around her new friend.

"That's a pretty name," Lauren says, starting to shovel sand into the bucket.

"Thanks," Camila smiles. "I like your name, too."

Before Lauren can respond, their conversation is interrupted.

"Laauuurreeeennnn!" Chris calls as he runs towards her. Both of them look up just in time for Chris to jump on her.

"Get off of me!" Lauren says, laughing as she pushes him off. "Camila, this is my little brother Chris," she says, shoving the little boy's shoulder lightly.

"Hi." Camila waves shyly.

Chris smiles. "What're you doing?" He asks.

"We're making a sand castle. Wanna help?" Chris nods eagerly. "Okay, go fill this bucket up with water," Lauren says, handing him a bucket.

Once he runs to the shore, Lauren smirks and turns to Camila. "That way we don't have to get up," she says, laughing. Camila laughs, too. She could tell there was something about this girl that she liked.

After an hour of building and a little help from the dads, who introduced themselves and their wives to each other, they had made quite an impressive castle.

"Yayyy," Camila says happily, clapping her hands together. Lauren high-fives her.

"Alright, we gotta head home," Clara says to her two older children, Taylor getting fussy in Mike's arms.

"Aww," Lauren complains, standing up. "Wanna knock it down now?" she asks Camila.

She nods, and they, along with Chris, stampede the structure until it's nothing but a mound of sand once more.

They say their goodbyes, and Camila and Lauren don't talk for almost ten more years.

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