Beautiful When You Don't Try (Camren)

Chapter 21

A/N: This chapter...emotional build up and Lauren's decision about Michelle. Next chapter...the Jauregui's.

Thank you for the reviews. They are always a joy to read and I am so glad you are still enjoying this fic.

Enjoy!

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The best thing about the fall was the cooler weather. Lauren loved the light chill in the air and opted out of taking a taxi back to the Cabello house. Instead, she walked. In the half hour it took her to make it back she thought about one thing, Camila. More specifically, how Camila was going to be impacted with Lauren's next personal milestones. The diva had never met her parents, not even at school. And now she was going to be present when she told them the only other thing worse than that she was pregnant at sixteen. She was going to be there when her mother started crying and her father started screaming, if they weren't just thrown out of the house right away. She almost hoped they would be. That would be easier for Camila to handle. But in the back of her mind, Lauren knew she, herself, would not be satisfied unless she tried to make them see that there was nothing wrong with her life style. That, however, would most certainly induce the screaming and hurtful comments.

Then there was Michelle...and Ariana. So many emotions played into that one. Camila wanted Lauren to meet Michelle and give her what the diva could never have. Lauren was terrified of meeting her daughter in fear of rejection, but wanted to none the less. But complicating that was Ariana. Lauren was angry with the woman for what she had done to Camila and was more so after the diva's break down last night. Yet she was thankful to the woman for raising her daughter and allowing her the opportunity to see her. Such mixed feelings. She needed Camila to be there with her, but then she would be causing the brunette further pain by not only being in Ariana's presence, but watching Lauren give Michelle everything Camila had wanted.

Lauren stood in front of the Cabello house and looked up to Camila's room and just thought. She knew what she wanted and knew she wasn't going to get it. She was either going to keep Camila safe, or see her daughter. Having both was not an option. But there was something she needed to do first. The dark haired turned on the side walk and kept walking, leaving the Cabello house behind her.

She pulled out her cell phone, called 411, and waited for the operator. "Ariana Corcran of Miami." She was going to make sure Ariana knew exactly how she felt and what she was wanting before Camila was put in the position to get hurt. It was only when the phone began to ring, that Lauren thought of the possibility of Michelle answering the phone and her heart thudded in her chest.

"Hello?" It was Ariana.

"Ariana, it's Lauren."

There was a pause on the other line and then a nervous laugh. "I take it Sinu has talked to you then? D-did you...are you wanting to-"

"Yes." She answered confidently. "But first, I was hoping to meet you alone. I thought we should talk before we jump into anything just yet."

"Yeah. Of course. That sounds like a great idea." She actually sounded relieved with the offer.

"Great. There's a park on 7th street. Can you meet me there?"

"Yeah. Let me just get a few things squared away and I'll be there in about twenty minutes."

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Ariana looked older. Not really older, but stressed...worn. Lauren knew people said raising kids could do that to you, but by the looks of Ariana, Michelle must act just like her father. Her hair was graying and her face had thinned, but her smile was still the same. It reminded her of Camila's smile just a little. The diva definitely looked like her mother. "Look at you. It's something else..." The older woman greeted as Lauren stood from the picnic table.