Shattered (Lauren/You)

Chapter 18

(Lauren POV)

"Hey Camila, Matt asked if—OH MY GOD." I quickly shut my eyes and slam the door closed.  "Goddamnit, could you please lock the door next time!  There are children all over this house."

"Sorry.  Just give us a few minutes."  Connor replies breathlessly as I can still hear the bed slightly squeaking.

"Just hurry up and then I need Camila to meet me in the kitchen."  I yell back through the door while shaking my head.

I walk out the door to the backyard and see my girlfriend at the top of the hill watching Sammy climb up with one of her cousins and Sofia.  All around them kids and adults are sledding down, avoiding the people walking up the hill.

"Y/N!"  I shout to the girl.  She smiles and waves as we make eye contact.  I wave her down and she gives me a thumbs up.

I see her say something to Bre and then walk over to her little sister. Sammy pouts and puts her head down, so Y/N crouches down and I can read her lips saying 'stop crying' as she wipes the little girl's cheeks. I internally melt at the sight as my girlfriend says something else to her sister and gets a nod before kissing her forehead.

Y/N smiles at me as she and Sammy get onto a sled.  She signals for me to get her mom who is standing at the bottom of the hill talking with one of her brothers next to me.  I nod and watch with a smile as the two of them laugh while sliding down the snow.

"Hey Liz, sorry for interrupting but Y/N wants you."  I say to the older woman.

She acknowledges and thanks me, then walks over to her daughter as Sammy runs to me.  I bend down and take her in my arms when she leaps and nuzzles her head in my shoulder.

"What's wrong nugget?"  I ask while rubbing her back.

"I want to play with you and French fry."  The little girl says through sobs.

"I promise that I'll play with you later.  I just have to talk to French fry for a little while and then we're all yours, okay?  Please don't cry." I say while looking into her slightly red eyes.

"Will you build a snowman with me later?" Sammy asks then sniffles.

"That sounds like a great idea. We can build a while family of snowmen, but no more crying."  I say softly to the 5-year-old.

"Okay. Thanks ketchup. I love you."  She responds and squeezes me.

I feel insides grow warm at the simple declaration from Sammy.  Her opinion of me matters so much to me, and I don't even think she realizes how much weight her words just carried.  She's only 5 so she probably doesn't even know the entire meaning of love, but for her to say to me the same words that she tells her family means so much.

"I love you too nugget."  I say with an enormous smile and hug her back.

I look up to see my favorite pair of eyes watching us with her own smile, obviously having caught our interaction.

"Come on Sammy, want to go down the hill again?  I think you have a few people waiting for you at the top."  Liz says and Sammy kisses my cheek before wiggling out of my grasp and running toward her Grammy Lizzie.