Do I Wanna Know

Chapter 50 (Epilogue)

I'M CRYING AND PUKING RAINBOWS

Turning the key of the frontdoor, I peered into the darkness before I switched on the light carefully. It was quiet; which was to be expected at four in the morning. Everyone was probably sleeping and I didn’t want to wake them up. So I made my way up the stairs, making the least possible amount of noise as I reached the familiar bedroom. I shut the door slowly and put down my bag. The suitcase was still downstairs but I didn’t need it anyway.

I took off my clothes and was in the middle of changing into something more comfortable when I heard a voice.

“Lauren?”

Instantly turning towards the bed, I noticed Camila shifting subtly before I pulled the oversized t-shirt over my head.

“Hey”, I whispered but couldn’t suppress a smile at the husky voice. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to wake you.”

“Come here”, was my wife’s response without acknowledging my worry that I had disturbed her sleep. My smile widened when I walked over and slipped beneath the covers she was holding out for me. The way my body relaxed instantly was unlike anything else. Camila scooted closer and cuddled up to my side before I felt her heavenly lips pressing against mine – affectionately and gently but with just the right amount of passion. My hand cupped her cheek instinctively. Her warmth seemed to pass over to me within a second.

“I missed you”, the younger one breathed against my lips after she had released them.

“I missed you too”, I reciprocated softly but truthfully while stroking her cheek with my thumb.

“Not that I am complaining but I thought you weren’t coming home until this afternoon”, the quiet voice expressed surprise about my early arrival.

“I didn’t want to spend another night in a hotel when I could just as well take a flight and sleep on the plane. Besides, I missed you so much that I couldn’t wait and took a private plane”, I admitted and felt her head resting on my chest.

“You know who’s going to be ecstatic”, Camila responded and I smiled immediately.

“Yeah, that’s a big reason why I wanted to come in early”, I confessed. “I always make her breakfast on her birthday and I don’t want to break that tradition just yet.”

“I was going to try and do it but it wouldn’t have been the same”, the woman with lighter brown hair expressed. “But how was the rest of recording?”

“Good. Dinah seemed really happy with what we came up this far and I think she’s in good hands”, I answered about our mutual friend.

I had spent the past four weeks in Los Angeles with Dinah, who was in the midst of recording her second album. Her first solo album a few years ago had been a great success in the urban music scene. She had been very nervous working on the new one and had asked for my help or input. I was not active as a performer myself but I had found a way to still do what I loved. Working as a songwriter and producer for the past years was just as fulfilling and but as time-consuming. My latest project was Dinah’s second album and we had made some great progress in the last month. Still, I hated being away from home for such a long time. In fact, I hadn’t been gone this long ever and I wasn’t planning on doing it any time soon again. Dinah had been an exception.

“It seems that she is really happy with what you have done so far”, Camila said sleepily and yawned mildly.

“Yeah, me too. But let’s get some sleep, babe. We can talk tomorrow”, I kissed her silky hair and felt her nodding against my chest. The slender body wrapped itself even closer around mine with her arm draped around my waist and one of her legs in between mine. I didn’t mind at all though. There was nothing more soothing than being back home and falling back into that comfortable place we had created for ourselves. In a matter of a few minutes we were both sleeping peacefully next to each other.