Never Let Me Go (Camren/Norminah)

Epilogue Part II: New York

"At the time, we didn't know we were making memories. We only knew we were having fun."

***

"Wow, this city is so big, it's like it just goes on forever." Camila looked out the front window, one hand gripping her phone so tight her knuckles were turning white, the other plastered against cool glass. "Look at all the people..."

"It's a city mija, this is typically what they look like."

"You don't need to be sassy." Camila grumbled at her mother, slouching down in her seat.

"Sorry honey, it's my coping mechanism." Sinhue smiled across the gearshift. "This is a big day, my little girl is actually leaving and I don't know what I'm going to do after the fact."

"I'm still here." Seven year old Sofia piped up from the backseat, arching forward as best she could with the strain from the seatbelt.

"Yes, I know you're still there." The woman nodded to her in the rearview mirror. "And unlike your older sister, you have to promise me that you won't grow up."

"Okay." Sofi shrugged, grinning when Camila looked over her shoulder with a quirked eyebrow.

"This is it." The girl announced as the car came to a slow stop outside of a modest looking two story home. The house wasn't anything special, covered in a chipped layer of off-white paint and fronted by a garage door painted a dusty non-matching brown. Taking a deep breath, Camila stepped outside as her mother shut off the engine and started up the driveway with a supportive nod from her sister. Walking up to the front door, the girl knocked two times before the latch on the inside clicked open and she came face to face with a petite, brown haired girl with subtle blonde highlights in her pin straight hair.

"Hi." Camila put as brave a smile on her face as she could. "I'm—"

"Camila, I know." The girl grinned. "You've got the right place. Come on in, I'm Ally."

"Oh, we spoke on the phone a while back."

"That's right." Ally pulled the door all the way open, gesturing to the empty front hall. "You're the last to arrive, I've finally got all four of my new roommates."

"Wow... you sound a lot happier about rooming with four brand new strangers than I thought you would." Camila observed, looking the small girl up and down and wondering if she was high on something.

"I'm excited, this is a new start." Ally shrugged, gesturing for Camila to follow her further into the house. "This is the living room, we've already got a TV and a couch, plus one of the other girl's brought this really cool recliner up with her." She pointed to the overstuffed piece of comfy looking furniture. "The dining room is on this side over there, and this is the kitchen. Don't worry about having to buy any utensils or anything, Dinah, another one of the girls comes from a really big family so they had a bunch of extra unused stuff."

"Nice." Camila looked around. The house wasn't too flashy on the inside either, standard sized and with a wide open, inviting floor-plan. "So is there anything we need at all, because my Mom is unpacking some stuff in the front and she wouldn't mind running to the nearest home-furnishing store."

"Honestly, we're pretty set, so just make yourself at home." Ally smiled wide. "Take whatever room you need in the cupboards, and there's a full shelf for you ready to go in the fridge. There's also a grocery store a few blocks away, so it's really convenient if you happen to get the late night munchies."

"Awesome." Camila laughed softly. The girl seemed sweet, an adorable shrunken down southern belle who knew her way around a complimenting shade of eyeshadow. "The bedrooms are upstairs?"