Touched By You

"She threw a stiletto at me."

Every artist's dream is for their work to be seen. To be appreciated by an eye that isn't solely their own. To find meaning that could reinforce or contradict their own.

Lauren sat at her kitchen counter with the letter in her hand, her body on the verge of shaking as she read and then reread the words on the white page.

Leo whimpered at her feet for attention but Lauren barely take notice to her surroundings, hell, she could barely focus on keeping her heart rate down as excitement coursed through her body.

It, the letter, was from a gallery in Rome that had sent a curator to Lauren's university. Apparently her pieces had stuck out like a sore thumb and they were offering Lauren a chance to have her work displayed in Galleria Lorcan O'Neill Roma, a gallery the green-eyed girl wasn't exactly well versed in, however she knew enough about it to know that it attracted major attention from other buyers.

It opened doors.

Doors Lauren hadn't expected to open so early in her career.

The letter offered her accommodation for the duration of her stay there as it was recommended the artist oversee the first few showings of her art, allowing her to gain contacts in the art industry.

Her eyes for just a brief moment strayed away from the writing on the page and to the palm of the hand holding the letter. She spotted the small crescent scars and frowned for a moment, taking in the length of time between when she used to fist her hands that tightly and now.

They were scars because it had been years since she had needed to feel unsafe enough to warrant a clenched fist.

Her scars were fading along with the memories that accompanied them, being replaced by ones such as right that moment. Memories of her dreams coming true.

And it was as if the letter was forgotten as she got up and made her way over to the fridge, a photograph drawing her attention. A printed copy of a photo Normani had taken at her wedding.

Camila had smeared cake on Lauren's cheek and had then proceeded to lick it off. Normani caught that moment and Camila was overjoyed for it when she found it.

She stuck it on the fridge and when asked why, the brown-eyed girl had shrugged and told Lauren she always wanted to be reminded that their life together was one of happiness. The picture displayed that.

Despite Lauren's sneer in the photo, Camila was laughing and the raven-haired girl remembered how overcome she was by the younger's smile that she couldn't help but stretch one across her own face.

Camila did it, Camila was erasing all the bad that had been in Lauren's life and replacing it with pure goodness.

Theo was now but a fleeting speck in Lauren's life. She had so much more to live for.

"What are you thinking so hard about, mi amor?" Camila's raspy voice met Lauren's ears and she instantly spun around.

She'd been so lost in her own reminiscing that she hadn't even heard her wife come in.

She found Camila giving Leo the pats he'd been pleading for but those brown eyes were locked on her.

"What's this?" The brunette eyed the letter on the counter and raised from patting Leo to retrieve it.

Lauren wandered over to her wife as she read it and awaited her reaction, those brown orbs lighting up with every line she read right up until she got to the end and slammed the letter down on the counter before spinning around and looping her arms around the raven-haired girl's neck.

"I'm," Camila planted a kiss to Lauren's cheek. "So," And another. "Proud," Followed by a third. "Of," Lauren's lopsided smile stretched on her lips as she felt another kiss pressed to her cheek. "You." The brunette finished with a hard kiss to her wife's lips before pulling away. "Rome? That's insane!"