The Women Next Door (Camren)

Chapter 4

It has been ten days since Lauren met Camila and she had spent every day with her and Isabella, either sitting in just watching TV or at the park.
"And Jessica said that Jake makes fun of her shoes. She said that boys are stupid and me and her are going to get married one day, for real this time." Isabella explained as they walked back from the park.
Lauren nodded interestedly at the young girls story, lightly swinging their hands. "Boys are idiots."
"And we are going to both wear pretty white dresses because we are both girls and don't need to wear those things boys wear."
"Suits." Lauren offered and Isabella nodded.
"Yeah, those. Me and Jessica both like dresses so why can't we both wear them?"
"There's no reason why you both can't."
"And are we going to be invited to this wedding?" Camila asked, looking down at her daughter.
"Only if I can come to your guys wedding." Isabella said making Lauren laugh.
"Of course you can. And you can bring Jessica as your date."
"Yeah."
"Is that alright with you?" Lauren grinned, looking up at Camila.
"Of course. Where will the honeymoon be?"
"Uh, where should we go, Bella?"
"Disney land!" Isabella cheers.
"Yes, I like that idea!" Lauren agreed, pointing down at the young girl. "I always wanted to meet Peter Pan."
"I wanna meet Belle."
"Princess Belle, you're a lot like Belle." Lauren said, smiling at the way the young girls eyes lit up. "You're really pretty, you like dresses and love to read. Not to mention that your name is close to Belle."
"So I'm like a princess?"
Lauren nodded, scooping the young girl up into her arms. "Princess Bella, the prettiest princess of them all."
"Fairest. Fairest of them all." Isabella corrected making Camila laugh and roll her eyes.
"Sorry m'lady, fairest of them all."
"What about mommy? Who would she be?"
"Uh," Lauren muttered, looking over Camila ad she wracked her brain to think of any other disney princess. "She could be Cinderella or Rapunzel."
"Yeah, Cinderella. Who will you be?"
"I would be the mad hatter." Lauren said making the girl in her arms giggle.
"And Curls?"
"He would be Flynn or Eric. I think probably Flynn."
"Yeah, Flynn." Isabella agreed, yawning sleepily as she hand moved to the back of Lauren's neck to play with the hair there.
"You tired, Bella?" Camila asked, running her hand down her daughters arm.
"No," Isabella lied, trying her best to stop another yawn from leaving her lips.
"Princesses don't lie." Lauren whispered against the top of Isabella's head as the girl leant her cheek against her shoulder.
"Yeah, I'm sleepy." Isabella agreed, pointing at Harry who was just leaving the car. "Flynn."
Harry frowned, looking behind him as if to see if there was someone behind him before smiling at Isabella.
"Prince Flynn."
"Did you get this young girl drunk?" Harry gasped, lightly poking Isabella's cheek.
"No," Isabella giggled, "You're prince Flynn, I'm princess Bella, mommy is Cinderella and Lauren is the mad hatter."
"Huh, ok. That sounds good to me."
Isabella nodded, "And they're going to get married and go to disney land on their honeymoon."
"Wow, it's only been, what? Ten days and you're talking marriage."
"Ten days is longer than most marriages last." Lauren said, setting Isabella on her feet.
"What time will you be home, tonight?"
"After we finish watching Dexter, I don't really know."
Harry nodded, "I guess I probably won't see you 'til morning. Both of you behave yourselves."
"Shut it, Styles."
"Bye, Curls." Isabella waved at Harry as she disappeared into the house with Lauren and Camila.
"What do you want for dinner, Bella?" Camila asked as the young girl sat down on the sofa.
"Nuggets." The girl answered without hesitation, putting her cartoons on.
Lauren followed Camila into the kitchen, the younger girl yawning as she grabbed the bag of dinosaur nuggets and fries from the freezer.
"Hey," Lauren mumbled, stepping in front of Camila and placing her hands on the bag of nuggets. "Why don't you go watch cartoons with Isabella and I'll make dinner?"
"No, I-"
"You look exhausted, you must've gotten, like, four hours sleep by the time we got off the phone last night. Go chill out, I'll make the food."
"Are you sure?"
Lauren nodded, shrugging lightly. "It's kinda my fault for keeping you up so late."
"Yeah, it is, isn't it?"  Camila said, grinning cheekily at Lauren. "Thank you."
"Don't thank me until you know for sure you don't have food poisoning." Lauren smiled, watching as Camila left the kitchen before looking down at the packet, hoping it would tell her how to cook the nuggets and the fries.
Surprisingly, Harry was the cook in their house; Lauren didn't know how to work anything other than the microwave.
Lauren pulled out her phone and called Harry's number, balancing the phone between her ear and shoulder as she continued looking down at the packet.
"Styles residence?"
Lauren rolled her eyes. "Harry, how do you cook Dino nuggets?"
"Who's making Dino nuggets?"
"I said I would cook for Camila and Isabella because she looked exhausted but I don't bloody know how." Lauren hissed down the phone.
"Ok, get two of those flat trays, one for the fries and one for the nuggets and just follow the heating instructions on the packets."
"Ok, thanks." Lauren quickly hung up the phone and began preparing the food, setting the timer on her phone before walking into the front room and sitting on the arm of the sofa next to Camila.
"You don't mind watching cartoons for a little bit, do you?" Camila asked, looking up at Lauren who shook her head.
"Of course not."
"It's rasta mouse, he wears a cool hat." Isabella said and Lauren nodded in agreement.
"He does have a cool hat." Lauren agreed, absentmindedly playing with a strand of Camila's hair. "When did you fall asleep last night?"
"About three." Camila said, leaning her head back to look at up Lauren.
"We don't have to do this tonight. You should get some sleep, have a break from me for the first time in over a week."
"I don't have classes tomorrow so I can take Bella to playgroup then get a couple of hours sleep then."
"Well, just remember you can kick me out whenever you want, I won't be offended if you tell me to screw off."
"I wouldn't tell you to screw off. If I fall asleep you can leave whenever you're finished watching Dexter."
"Or you could stay and I could show you my playgroup." Isabella said, looking up at Lauren.
"You will definitely have to show me your playgroup one day, I wanna meet your future wife."
"She's really nice and can draw amazing bunnies."
"She's a keeper."
Isabella just nodded, turning back to the TV.
When the alarm went off Lauren got up and headed into the kitchen, serving the dinner of Camila and Isabella and handed it to the girls on the sofa.
"You aren't eating?" Camila frowned over at Lauren who sat on the opposite side of Isabella.
"Nah, all I've done all day is eat."
"If you do get hungry you can go make whatever you like." Camila said and Lauren smiled and nodded, turning back to the TV.
—
By nine o'clock Isabella was asleep in bed and Camila had fallen asleep against her shoulder after only two episodes of Dexter.
Once the second episode finished Lauren decided to go home. She stood up, slowly lowering Camila to lie down on the sofa and lifting her legs up on the other end.
Lauren shut off the TV and pulled the blanket down from the back of the sofa and over Camila before grabbing the girls keys and leaving. She locked the door and slid the keys through the letterbox before heading home.
"You're home early." Harry said as Lauren fell down onto the sofa next to him.
"Yeah, Camila crashed so I decided to come home."
"Movie? I was planing on watching pirates of the Caribbean."
"Sure, I probably won't sleep until later because I didn't wake up until two today."
"So lazy." Harry huffed, getting off his seat and looking through the DVDs.
–
Lauren groaned as she felt around her bed for her phone that was blasting out the default tune that she's been meaning to change. She should probably have been awake by ten but she didn't get to sleep until half four.
"Wha'?" She murmured when she finally found the gadget.
"L-Lauren?"
Lauren frowned, sitting up straight, "Camila. What's the matter?"
"I didn't know who else to call, you're the only person I have and..."
"Camila, breath. What's going on?"
"I'm on my way to the hospital." Camila sobbed and Lauren swung her legs out of bed, pulling on the closest pair of sweats she could find.
"Why? Are you hurt? Is Isabella?"
"The playgroup called, they said she just fainted."
"Ok, I'll be there in five minutes." Lauren said, hanging up her phone and grabbing her car keys before jogging down stairs.
"Ah, sleeping beauty awakes."
"I've gotta go." Lauren muttered, not stopping to look at the group on the sofa as she rushed out to her car and began driving to the hospital.
She was there in under five minutes, quickly jumping out of the car and into the building in time to hear Camila yell at the receptionist, "Just tell me where my fucking daughter is!"
"Camila," Lauren murmured, sliding her hand up to the girls shoulder "Calm down."
"She is in a room just down that hallway, room one-twenty. There is a doctor in there with her now."
Camila nodded, taking off down the hallway "Thank you." Lauren said, following after the girl.
"Bella, baby, thank god." Camila sighed, hugging her daughter to her chest.
"M-mommy he wants to use that on me!" Isabella cried pointing towards the needle in the doctor's hand.
"Miss Cabello, can I speak to you for a moment?"
Camila nodded, "Don't worry baby, it's fine."
Lauren watched the duo leave the room before walking over to the hospital bed and sitting on the chair, "So what's it like? Fainting."
Isabella shrugged, tears still welling in her eyes.
"Hey, you don't worry about a thing, sweetie."
"B-but he wasn't to use that thing on me."
Lauren nodded, sitting on the edge of the bed and smoothing down Isabella's hair, "You know that thing is magical, right?"
"No."
"You didn't? Wow, well it is, you wanna know why?"
Isabella nodded, staring up at Lauren with interested eyes.
"Because you know all the red stuff inside you?"
"Blood?"
"Blood. That thing brings the blood from the inside of your tiny little body to the outside and you get to see it."
"Really?"
"Yea, it's really cool, too. It's not like the blood you get from a cut, this stuff is fresh from your heart."
"Does it hurt?"
Lauren nodded lightly "A little. But only for a second and then you get a cool plaster. Then after maybe you, mommy and I could go get some ice cream."
"With sprinkles?"
"Sprinkles and sauce."
Isabella nodded, "Ok."
"Good girl." Lauren smiled, turning to look at the door when Camila and the doctor walked in.
"It's ok." Isabella said, rolling up her sleeve and holding out her arm.
Lauren smiled, moving from the bed so that Camila could sit down and take ahold of her daughter's hand as the doctor tightened the strap around Isabella's arm and prepared the needle.
The older girl turned away when the man lined up the needle with the girls skin, waiting for the inevitable cry of pain that would come from the little girl but she didn't expect it to hurt as much when the girl began wailing.
"Sh, it's ok baby."
"We'll do some tests to conform if what we suspect is true. We will get back to you in a couple of days."
"What you suspect?" Lauren asked but the man just walked past her making Lauren look at Camila "Suspect? What do they suspect?"
"Why don't you go get dressed, Isabella?" Camila said, helping Isabella down from her bed and turning to Lauren, "She's been tired lately, always drinking and she's lost some weight but she said she felt fine so I didn't think anything of it."
"Hey, calm down, Camila." Lauren placed her hands on Camila's cheeks and looking into the girls' eyes "What's wrong?"
"They think its diabetes. I should have taken her to the hospital. I knew there was something wrong with her."
"This isn't your fault. How were you, or Isabella, to know that there was something going on with her on the inside? She said it herself, she felt fine."
"What if she is sick?" Camila mumbled, staring up at Lauren with tears in her eyes.
"Then we can deal with it. They have things for diabetes, people who have it live long, healthy lives." Lauren said calmly, "I understand that she's your little girl and you're gonna worry but she's going to be ok."
"Thank you." Camila breathed, smiling as Isabella appeared next to them.
"Can we get ice cream now?"
"Ice cream?" Camila frowned, looking from her daughter to Lauren.
"I kind of promised her ice cream if she let the doctor draw blood." Lauren smiled sheepishly before picking Isabella up "And you were a really big girl, weren't you?"
"I got a Spider-Man plaster."
"You did." Lauren smiled, looking at Camila "Ice cream? My treat."
Camila nodded, grabbing Isabella's bag, following Lauren out of the room and to the car.
"Where's your car?" Lauren asked, glancing back at Camila.
"I got a cab here."
"Oh, ok." Lauren quickly strapped Isabella in before getting into the drivers side. "What kind of ice cream do you want?" Lauren asked, glanced in the mirror to look at Isabella.
"Strawberry."
Lauren nodded, looking over at Camila, "How about you?"
"I'm not really hungry." Camila answered and Lauren nodded, reaching over and squeezing Camila's hand.
"Come on, mommy, it's free ice cream." Isabella said making Camila chuckle.
"Everyone loves free ice cream, right, Bella?"
"Free ice cream is the best ice cream." Isabella agreed.
"Alright, alright. I'll just have vanilla." Camila huffed making Isabella cheer.
"Am I going back to playgroup, mommy?"
"No, sweetheart, not for a couple of days."
"And how would you like to spend those couple of days with me while mommy goes to school."
"Yeah! Mommy, can I?"
"You don't have to do that." Camila said, frowning over at Lauren who just shrugged.
"We wouldn't want you falling behind in school, besides, we could have a lot of fun, Harry and I are going to look at kittens at the shelter tomorrow and Bella could help us choose."
"Yeah!" Isabella gasped.
"Only if you're sure."
"I am." Lauren assured, pulling up outside the ice cream parlor. "I'll look after her, I swear."
"I don't doubt that."
"Come on! Lets go get ice cream!"
Lauren laughed, getting out of the car and lifting Isabella out from the back seat before heading into the ice cream parlor.
"Ok, do you wanna go get a booth with your mom and I'll come over with the ice creams."
Isabella nodded, taking ahold of her moms hand and dragging her off to get a booth.
Lauren ordered the ice creams and walked over to the booth, hand Camila and Isabella their tubs.
"Are you going to get a kitten tomorrow, Lauren?" Isabella asked and Lauren nodded.
"Hopefully."
"And can I play with it?"
"Of course you can."
Isabella grinned, yawning as she took a spoonful of her ice cream.
"You tired?"
"Yeah." Isabella muttered absentmindedly, her eyes remaining on her ice cream.
"We will go lie down and watch a DVD when we get home, ok, honey?"
Isabella nodded at her mom before turning her attention back to her ice cream.
–
"I'll be right back." Camila muttered as they entered her house, walking away from Isabella and Lauren and into the kitchen.
"Hey, how about you go upstairs and get changed and your mom and I will be up on five minutes to put on a DVD."
"Ok," Isabella agreed, walking sleepily upstairs.
Lauren waiting until the child was upstairs before heading into the kitchen where Camila was, crouched over with her elbows on the counter and her hands covering her face.
"Hey, come here." Lauren mumbled, placing her hand on Camila lower back.
Camila turned around, wrapping her arms around Lauren's waist and hiding her face in her neck.
"She's ok. She's going to be ok. Even if she does have diabetes that isn't a big disease anymore, there's medication. I mean look at that Jonas kid. He has diabetes and he tours the world."
"What if it isn't diabetes? What if it's something worse?"
"You can't think like that." Lauren said, pulling back to look at Camila, placing her hands on the girls cheeks. "She needs you to act normal, ok? She doesn't know what's going on and she probably scared, she probably thinks it's her fault. She needs you and when she goes to bed and you feel like breaking down I'll be here for that but, right now, she's upstairs and wants to watch scooby Doo in bed with her mom."
"Yeah, you're right." Camila nodded. "Come and watch it with us?"
"Sure." Lauren agreed, smiling as she leant forward and pressed a kiss against Camila's forehead. "Try not to worry to much, you'll make yourself ill."
Camila nodded timidly. "I'll try."
"Good, come on." Lauren took ahold of Camila's hand and lightly tugging her towards the stairs.
"Mommy, I put Scooby Doo on." Isabella said, now dressing in princess pajamas, pointing towards the TV screen.
"What one are we watching?" Camila asked, picking up her daughter and heading over to the bed where Lauren was already lying down against the wall.
"The one with the ghost diver."
Camila nodded, lying down in front of Lauren with Isabella in front of her.
"This is a classic." Lauren said, leaning up on her elbows so that she could see the tv over Camila's shoulder.
"It's my favorite." Isabella muttered sleepily.
Lauren hummed because this was the episode she always thought off when someone mentioned Scooby Doo.
After five minutes of only half pay attention to the TV Lauren felt Camila move making her look down to see Camila lying on her back, Isabella asleep against her chest. "You're bored, aren't you?"
"No," Lauren whispered, shaking her head. "Surprisingly not."
"If you want you can go downstairs and get Dexter and we will watch it up here. I just- I don't..." Camila nodded down to the sleeping girl in her arms and Lauren nodded understandingly.
"I get it, you don't want to leave her. I guess I wouldn't either if it was my kid." Lauren smiled, carefully climbing off the bed. "Do you want anything else? Water? A high-five?"
Camila rolls her eyes at the cheeky grin on Lauren's lips but couldn't help but smile herself. "Water, please."
"No high-five?"
"Do you want a high-five?"
"I would quite like one, yeah."
"Fine," Camila sighed playfully, holding her hand up.
Lauren grinned, lightly slapping Camila's hand before turning to walk out the door.
Lauren headed downstairs and grabbed the Dexter boxset and a bottle of water before heading back upstairs.
Lauren changed the DVDs and handed Camila her bottle of water before cautiously climbing back over to her spot.
Lauren got comfortable, her eyes remaining on the TV until she could feel someone staring at her making her look down at Camila, a smile stretching across her lips when she noticed Camila looked at her.
"What?"
"Nothing." Camila shrugged.
Lauren nodded, reaching across and lightly running her hand through Isabella's curly hair.
"She loves that stuffed toy you gave her."
"Toby." Lauren said and Camila just nodded.
"How long have you had him? He looks old."
"I got him when I was five. My grandma pretended that he was a stray dog."
"You seem fond of it, why are you giving it to Isabella?"
"She was fond of it." Lauren shrugged.
"She's fond of you." Camila said, looking up at Lauren. "And that's kind of scaring me."
"Why? Are you scare she might like me better?"
"No, I mean- I don't know how to say it without making it sound like I'm trying to guilt you into staying around..."
"What you need to realize is if I didn't want to be here I wouldn't be. I wouldn't be getting attached to Isabella or letting her get attached to me because of I was planning on leaving that would hurt the kid and I would never do that."
"You're attached to Isabella?"
"And you. Both of you just seem like something that's been in my life forever even though it's only been two weeks."
"Really?"
"Yeah. And I wouldn't have it any other way. I like hanging out in a princess room watching a TV show about a serial killer. I like watching cartoons and spending time with you and Isabella."
"She asked me if you were going to be her new mom today." Camila chuckled.
"Only if you want me to be." Lauren shrugged making Camila look back up at her. "I mean, I get you have to be a little more wary of things likes this because of Bella."
"You mean you would date me, even though I have a kid?"
"I said I would the first night you came over to mine. We never actually went out on that date you promised that night."
"I didn't think you meant it."
"I did. And I mean it now like I did then. I like you and not in spite of Bella, either. She shows me that you're strong and brave, regardless what you think."
"You should stay here tonight." Camila commented, "I mean, what's the point in going home just to come back over tomorrow for Isabella."
"Yeah, ok." Lauren agreed and Camila smiled, turning on her side to watch the TV.
Lauren leant her head on her fist, leaving her arm draped over Camila's waist.
Isabella's hand moved to Lauren's sleeve, gripping onto the fabric.
Lauren smiled, looking from the sleeping child to Camila, who's eyes were drooping sleepily, and back again. Lauren had never really been one for kids so she was surprised at just how good she was with Isabella.
Lauren glanced back up at Camila to see the girl was asleep so she reached over to two girls in front of her and grabbed the remote, switching off the TV before settling back down behind Camila, pressing a kiss onto the girls cheek as she done so.
This should terrify her, how domestic things seem to be after only ten days but it really doesn't. It felt right having her arms wrapped around Camila while Isabella clung onto her sleeve. It felt normal, like this is were she belongs. It felt normal being at the hospital today and talking Isabella down from an almost panic attack and calming Camila down before she scared Isabella.
Lauren let herself fall asleep, sure that her dreams would consist of the two girls next to her.