This is Home

Hope

Hi guys. Enjoy this chapter. Hope you're still enjoying the story.

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"I want to go to New York," Normani told Lauren, the younger girl looking anywhere except Normani's face. The family of five were in Dr. Rivera's office having a session. Camila and Lauren already had their small talk with Camila promising to spend every Saturday morning with Lauren. But with Normani, it was different. Normani couldn't visit every weekend. Lauren wouldn't be able to see her big sister as much as she could, and it scared her. Lauren didn't remember a life without Normani, and she didn't to.

"I-I nee-need you," Lauren whispered, rubbing her hands on her pants.

"And I need you. But you're not alone Lo. If you were, I'd take you with me," Normani told her, but Lauren perked up.

"Take me with you," Lauren said, looking up at Normani, her eyes filled with hope.

Normani look at the therapist and her family. She saw the devastated looks on her mothers. Lauren's demand hurt them.

"Lo-"

"Mani, I, you, you p-protect me. I-I need you, p-please," Lauren told the younger girl.

"Damn it Lauren," Normani snapped, getting a surprised look from her family, "stop! You can't guilt me into changing my mind! Grow up!"

Lauren blinked a few times, before looking around. Letting out a small breath. Her eyes filled with tears, shaking her head. "Sorry," she signed, running out the room. Camila ran after her.

Normani let out a small sob. "Fuck!"

"Normani," Dinah whispered, looking at her eldest daughter.

"I'm tired Mommy," the teen whispered, her tears falling down her face.

Dinah just hugged Normani tightly. The younger girl sobbed into Dinah's shoulder.

-

"Mani is scared too," Camila whispered, sitting next to Lauren who was crying in an empty classroom. "We talked, and I'm gonna miss her but dancing makes her happy. You're gonna have to let her go Lauren. You have to let people go and trust that they will come back."

Lauren looked at her older sister.

"I know how you feel. Mani is my big sister too. And one day you'll leave us too. You're gonna want a life of your own to live with the person you want. It won't mean you'll love us any less. This is life Lo. But we are Hernandez-Hansens, no matter where we are, we will always be together."

Lauren wiped her tears, hugging her older sister. She cried into Camila's shoulder while the slightly taller girl rubbed her back.

"We're family, we'll always be family."

-

Lauren launched herself into her eldest sister's arms. Normani hugged Lauren tighter. "I-it's okay. I-I want you, I n-need you to-to be h-happy."

"I'm sorry I snapped, but I need you too. It had been my job to protect you and even though our moms took over, I still tried to protect you. It's going to hard to not be here for you. I need you as much as you need me."

Lauren's grip tightened.

"I don't even know if I got in," Normani whispered, closing her eyes.

"You are. I know you are," Lauren told her, feeling calm for the first time in a long time. She pulled away and hugged her mothers. "I love you. I'm sorry."

Dinah and Ally hugged the girl. They each reached for one of the other girls and pulled them into the hug.

"You're our little girls. We just want you to be safe and happy," Ally told them.