My Love Has Come Along

07

“My mom’s coming up here for Thanksgiving,” Camila tells her three nights before that very day.

Lauren chokes on the cracker she was chewing, spraying crumbs all over the coffee table. Ami sits up from where he’s draped across the arm of the sofa on Camila’s side to give Lauren an unimpressed look before laying his head back down.

“What?” Lauren coughs, scrabbling for the water bottle in front of her. She finally catches her breath and Camila looks entirely too amused by it all.

“My mom’s coming up. My dad’s working, so he can’t make it, but my mom’s bringing Sofi up,” Camila says, wiggling excitedly on the couch.

“That’s great,” Lauren smiles genuinely, even if half her brain is still in panic mode. “I know you’ve been missing her.”

“She’s really excited to meet you,” Camila says. “My mom, too.”

“You told your family about me?” Lauren asks, an odd emotion tugging at her chest.

“Should I have asked you first?” Camila suddenly looks scared. “I should have, shouldn’t I? I’m sorry, I’m just really happy and I wanted to tell my family.”

“Yeah, no,” Lauren clears her throat, fighting back the tears that burned at the back of her eyes. “It’s okay, I’m glad they know.”

“Lauren,” Camila’s voice is hesitant and Lauren’s not looking at her. “Are you crying?”

“No.” Lauren’s voice cracks on the one word and Camila pulls her into an embrace.

“Babe,” Camila draws the word out soothingly. “What’s wrong?”

“I’m just…” Lauren struggles to arrange her emotions and her thoughts. “I’m just really happy that you wanted to tell your parents about me.”

“But you wish you could tell your parents about me,” Camila guesses and Lauren’s not sure how Camila read her mind like that but she looks away. “Oh, Laur.”

“Sorry,” Lauren laughs tearfully. “I’m being dumb.”

“It’s not dumb,” Camila says firmly. They stay curled up together on the couch quietly for a few minutes. When Camila speaks again, her voice is tiny and insecure.

“Would your parents have liked me?”

“Yes,” Lauren answers without hesitation. “My dad would have laughed at all of your corny jokes and my mom would be thrilled I’m dating another Cuban.”

Camila giggles lightly at that. “Glad to meet her expectations.”

“They mostly would’ve liked you because you make me happy,” Lauren goes on, her voice getting softer. “All my mom ever told me was to find someone who makes me happy. Someone who makes me feel like I’m on top of the world. She really would’ve liked you.” The tears build up in Lauren’s eyes again and she blinks them back.

“I think I’d have liked them, too,” Camila says. “Because they raised you to be as wonderful as you are.”

Lauren sniffles and presses a kiss to the underside of Camila’s jaw. “You’re the best girlfriend ever.”

She closes her eyes and feels Camila’s lips brush her temple. “I think you’re the best girlfriend ever.”

When Camila’s mother and little sister fly in two days later, Lauren, being helpful and desperate to please the family of her girlfriend, offers to pick them up at the airport.