The Women Next Door (Camren)

Chapter 5

"Oh, can we get that!"

"That's a bird, Bella." Lauren said, jumping back when the owl slammed against the cage. "An angry bird."

"Where's Curls?"

"He had to go into work. So it's just you and me to pick a kitty."

Isabella grinned, strolling along the row of cages until they reached the kittens.

Isabella looked at some cages, falling on to her knees at one of the cages near the back. "Lauren, look at him."

Lauren crouched down next to the girl and looked at the kitten, it was small, clearly the runt of the litter, it had white fur with black feet that made it look like it was wearing socks but the more distinguishing feature was the fact that it's eye had recently been stitched closed leaving it with only one eye.

"He's beautiful." Isabella said, looking up at Lauren with begging eyes. "Can we get him, please?"

"Sure. I think he likes you." Lauren smiled, nodding to the cat that was pressing its nose through the bars. "Uh, excuse me? Can we have that one?"

"Are you sure? There are prettier cats around here." The man said, taking the kitten out of the cage and handing him to Isabella.

"No, he's beautiful."

The man just nodded. "I'll just go get the adoption forms."

"'Ren, look," Isabella gasped. "He's licking my hand."

"He likes you." Lauren smiled, scratching the kittens head. "What do you want to name him?"

"Captain Jack Sparrow. Sparrow for short." Isabella said, looking up at Lauren with bright, excited eyes and Lauren just couldn't find it in herself to say no to the name.

"Sure."

"Here you go, ma'am. Just fill these out and you're free to leave."

"Mommy's gonna love him." Isabella cooed, scratching the kitten behind the ear making him purr. "What happened to his eyes, mister?"

"We found him in an abandoned home, every other cat in the litter unfortunately didn't make it but he's a fighter. He made it but his eyes was infected because one of the rats scratched him so it had to be removed."

Isabella gasped, hugging the kitten closer to her and kissing his head. "Don't worry, sparrow. I will look after you. Lauren, mommy and Curls will too. We will love you a whole lot. It doesn't matter if you only have one eye, I have two but I can't give you one, because they're mine, but we will love you with just one eye."

Lauren grinned down at Isabella as she continued to mumbled stuff to the cat. "Cute kid, she yours?"

"No, Lauren is mommies not-girlfriend."

"Not-girlfriend?"

"Yeah, Lauren isn't mommies girlfriend yet but she might so soon." Isabella explained making the man look up at Lauren. 

"It's complicated."

"Mm, sounds it. Ok, you're all set to leave." The man smiled and Lauren nodded, taking the kitchen from Isabella and holding the girls hand as they headed to the car.

"Can I have him in the back with me?"

"Ok, but you have to hold onto him real tight, alright?"

Isabella nodded enthusiastically, smiling down at the kitten when it was placed into her arms.

"You know, your mom would probably bop you on the nose if she found out you'd told me what she said."

"Which part?"

"That she said I might be her girlfriend soon."

"Oh, she didn't. That's what I think." Isabella said, her tiny fingers running through the sleeping cats fur.

"Oh, and what makes you think that?"

"Because momma's smiling. She doesn't normally smile much until she met you." Isabella explained distractedly before looking up at Lauren. "Do you smile because mommy?"

"Yeah. Your mom makes me smile a lot."

Isabella nodded, turning her attention back to the cat as she mumbled a 'good'.

Isabella had fallen asleep straight after she'd finished her nuggets, half of which she fed to Sparrow, and was currently lying on the sofa, her head on Lauren's lap and Sparrow cuddled to her chest. 

The door opened at about half past three and Lauren looked over to see Camila peeking her head in. "Hey, she's asleep."

Camila nodded, walking over to sit on the arm of the sofa, smiling down at her daughter.

"What's its name?"

Lauren frowned, looking up at Camila. "Isabella..."

"Not the kid, genius. The cat."

"Oh, right. His name is captain Jack Sparrow. Sparrow for short."

"You let Bella pick the name, didn't you?"

"Mm. I just couldn't say not to those eyes."

Camila chuckled, "What'd you guys do today?"

"Went to the park, went and got some breakfast then came back here and Isabella beat Harry and I at Mario kart. It's shameful to say we actually tried then we went to the shelter and got sparrow."

"And she was good?"

"Yes, the perfect angel." Lauren said making Camila scoff.

"She's only like that with you." Camila said making Lauren smile up at her.

"How was class?"

"Fine. I couldn't really concentrate, the test results will be in tonight."

Lauren nodded, patting the space next to her.

Camila sat down, leaning into Lauren when the older woman wrapped her arm around her shoulder.

"Thank you for looking after her. For looking after me."

"That's okay." Lauren muttered, smiling when Camila looked up at her. Lauren brought her hand up to Camila's cheek, lightly running her thumb along her cheekbone. "You look exhausted, sleep a little."

"I don't..." Camila muttered, trailing off as she just looked over at Lauren.

Lauren smiled, her eyes dropping to Camila's lips when the woman ran her tongue along her bottom lip.

Lauren lightly ran her fingers through Camila's hair as she leant forward.

Camila eyes fluttered closed when Lauren brushed her nose against Camila's but pulled back when she heard Isabella groan.

Lauren smiling at Camila before turning her eyes to the waking girl lying on her.

Isabella's eyes flickered open as she turned onto her back, waking up the sleeping kitten next to her.

"Hey, mini Cabello."

Isabella's eyes closed for a seconds before opening again and settling on her mom.

"Hey, sweetie."

"Momma. Look at the kitty." Isabella smiled, pointing down at the cat that had climbed it's way onto Lauren's lap.

"What happened to its eyes?" Camila asked as she ran her fingers through the kittens fur.

"It got scratched by a rat. No body loved him and all his brothers and sisters died."

"Poor little guys." Camila pouted. "Come on, Bella, we'd better get home."

"But mommy, I wanna play with sparrow."

"Tomorrow."

Isabella pouted but got off the sofa and followed her mom to the door.

Lauren picked up the kitten and followed them, smiling when Camila turned to her.

"Listen, about what almost happened before I can't- I mean I have to think about Bella and what happens if you leave not only me but her, too..."

"What makes you think I will leave?" Lauren asked, setting the kitten on the floor and watched him toddle off into the kitchen.

"Everybody does eventually."

"That's not true. My gran and grandpa met when they were fifteen, got married when they were nineteen and they're still together, and happy, now. I wouldn't let a little girl get attached to me if I was planning on leaving, I'm not that cold hearted."

"I can't. Not right now."

"Ok, I understand." Lauren smiled, "I'm still here if you need me."

"Thank you." Camila stepped forward and pressing a kiss to Lauren's cheek. "And thank you for being so understanding and not pushing."

Lauren smiled and shook her head. "I'll pick up Isabella same time tomorrow?"

"Yeah, see you then."

"Bye." Lauren smiled, closing the door when Camila walked away.

–

Lauren strolled out her back door, her hands stuffed into her pockets. She liked the cold weather. Maybe it was because she grew up in Miami and that was just constant warmth but she liked the cozy feeling of sweaters and the little cloud of smoke that left your mouth when you breathed.

Lauren glanced over at Camila's house, surprised to see the woman sitting on the steps outside in nothing but sweats and a t-shirt.

"Hey," Lauren mumbled making Camila jump and look over at her. Even in the dark Lauren could tell she'd been crying. "What're you doing out here? It's freezing."

"I'm fine." Camila answered, a little to robotically for Lauren's liking, and turned to look at the grass again.

"You aren't." Lauren insisted, vaulting over the fence and unzipping her sweater, wrapping it around Camila's shoulders before sitting down and wrapping on arm around the girl.

Camila didn't put up a fight, falling against Lauren and hiding her face in the other woman's neck.

"What's going on, honey?"

"She's sick. I guess I should've expected this but I convinced myself she wasn't."

"Was it diabetes?"

"Yeah."

"Which type?"

"Insulin dependent. Type one." Camila answered, "I'm so scared. What if I can't look after her?"

"You will. I might be difficult at first but motherly instincts will kick in and you'll know what to do. That's how these things work."

"What if it isn't, though? What if I'm not really cut out to my a mother."

"Camila, honestly, you are the most component mother I've ever met. You've raised that little girl on your own since you were sixteen. She is the sweetest, most wonderful little girl that I've had the pleasure of meeting, you are an incredible mother."

"I just- I don't know."

"Maybe you should call your mom? Go stay at her place for a while?"

"No."

"But may..."

"I said no, Lauren." Camila snapped.

"Ok." Lauren agreed, "Where is she?"

"In bed."

"Maybe that's where you should go, too." Lauren whispered, running her hand through Camila's hair as she pulled the girl closer.

"Would it be out of line for me to ask you to come with me?"

"Of course not. I'll have to bring the captain, though. Harry's out for the night."

"That's ok, he can sleep in with Bella."

Lauren nodded, standing up and pulling Camila up with her, wrapping her sweater tighter around Camila's shoulders.

"It's going to be ok and now that I know it's diabetes I can promise you that."

Camila just nodded, surprised at the fact that she actually believed Lauren, she believed that it would be alright, that Lauren would make it alright.

"Ok," Lauren smiled, lightly tapping under Camila's chin with her knuckle. "Go inside, get changed and I'll be over in a second."

"Ok." Camila agreed disappearing back inside.

Lauren quickly hopped back over the fence, grabbing Sparrow who was curled up on one of her jumper and headed over to Camila's.

Camila was waiting at the door for her, letting her in before locking it.

"What's that?"

"My jumper, he likes to sleep on it." Lauren shrugged, following Camila up stairs and into Isabella's room.

Lauren set the kitten on the bed, watching as he stumbled across her jumper and curled up against the warmth of a sleeping Isabella.

"She seems to have color back in her cheeks."

"You noticed it, too?" Camila asked and Lauren nodded.

"I mean she's been pale since we met but she was a lot paler recently. What changed?"

"When we left the hospital the other day they gave me a diet plan incase it was diabetes. It isn't a permanent fix, I have to go to the hospital tomorrow at six and find out about the insulin."

Lauren nodded, following Camila out of the room and into Camila's room.

Lauren sat down on the bed, watching Camila who was still standing by the door with a thoughtful look on her face.

"Hey," Lauren muttered, effectively catching Camila's attention, making her look up. "You want me to come with you tomorrow?"

"You really don't have to."

"I want to if you want me to."

"I do. I just don't want you to feel like you have to do all this."

Lauren sighed, holding out her arms to Camila. "Come here."

Camila did as she was told, walking over to Lauren and allowing the older girl to pull her down to sit on her lap. "Listen," Lauren muttered, lightly running her fingers through Camila's hair as the woman leant we head against her collarbone. "If I didn't want to be here I wouldn't be, alright?"

"I just don't see what you're getting out of staying here. I just seemed like a hassle."

"I get to spend time with the coolest kid over ever met," Lauren shrugged, smiling when Camila looked up at her. "And I get to spend time with the prettiest woman I've ever met." Lauren lightly tapped Camila's nose making her grin bashfully and duck her head to rest against Lauren's collarbone again. "That's you, by the way."

"Yeah, no. I got that."

"Just making sure." Lauren said making Camila chuckle. "Come on, let's get some sleep. I'm planning on taking Isabella Halloween shopping tomorrow, get her a costume."

"Did she ask you to do that?"

"No, it's just getting really close to Halloween and she said she didn't have anything to wear."

"Oh, well as long as she isn't asking you to do stuff like that." Camila replied, reluctantly getting off Lauren's lap and moving up the bed.

"Should I sleep on the sofa?"

"No, come up here." Camila patted the bed next to her and Lauren climbed up the bed to lie down next to her.

Camila turned on her side to face Lauren, smiling as she tucked her hands under the pillow. "I don't wanna let my fears dictate my life anymore."

Lauren frowned at that confession, "What're you scared of?" she asked but Camila just shook her head making Lauren reach under her pillow and take ahold of Camila's hand. "I'm scared that I won't make anything of my life. I'm scared that I'll end up stuck in a dead end job that pays minimum wage. I'm scared no one will fall in love with me and I'll end up alone."

Camila stared over at Lauren, amazed at how laid out, how vulnerable she looked but she also felt honored that Lauren turned her enough to tell her not only what she was scared of but what her deepest fears were.  

"I have a fear of abandonment. My dad left when I was twelve and then my mom kicked me out when I got pregnant, I mean she's trying to redeem herself now, by paying for college and this house but she still left me to fed for myself! I lived with the dad for a while until it was common knowledge that I was pregnant then his mom kicked me out because I wasn't going to ruin her son's life with a kid that probably wasn't his. He just let her kick me out."

"What did you do?"

"I tried my gran and grandpa, they didn't want anything to do with me. I want to stay with a friend of mine but when she found out I was gay she kicked me out and then I ended up at Normani's until I got back on my feet." Camila explained, gripping tighter onto Lauren's hand. "I'm scared of getting close to someone because I feel like they will just leave me or disown me like everyone else has."

"Jesus, I'm sorry." Lauren whispered, using her free hand to brush hair out of Camila's face. "You've got a shit understanding of relationships, it's not your fault, it's everyone else's for leaving you but not everyone is like that. I'm not like that. I'm not gonna leave you because you're gay, and I'm certainly not gonna leave you because you have a kid."

"People say that. People say they're you're best friend and then disown you for something you can't help!"

"Hey," Lauren muttered softly, placing her hand on Camila's cheek. "I'm not your friend. I'm not you mom or dad or any of those people you just mentioned. I'm me. I'm the girl who turned into a stuttering mess when she first saw you. I'm the girl who can't stop thinking about you because you're unbelievably perfect. I'm the girl who's growing attached to that little girl next door, I'm attached to you and I don't think I could leave even if I wanted too."

"People can't stay forever. Forever is to long." Camila insisted.

"For some people forever just isn't long enough." Lauren shrugged and Camila smiled, leaning over and pressing a quick kiss to Lauren's lips before settling back down and closing her eyes.

"Good night."

Lauren smiled stupidly to herself, bringing her arm up so that it was half covering her face. "Yeah, night."