Camren Oneshots & Imagines

Baby Cries and Lullabies

Six months. Six months since Lauren began looking after the baby by herself. For six months, she's had almost sleepless nights, exhausting days, and barely enough income to afford a babysitter for the times she has to go to work. Six months ago, Camila left. Well, she didn't just up and leave. Camila was admitted to rehab, as directed by her psychologist. She'd struggled with depression since a few weeks before the birth, really, though it took a week or so before they realised how severe it was. Her Postnatal Depression snowballed into psychosis, and they knew she needed to get help before she ended up doing something she regretted. Her intense mood swings, hallucinations, and delusions had been hard to deal with, but Lauren was finding it even harder without anybody around to support her and her gorgeous baby boy.

Lauren groans as said gorgeous baby boy begins to cry, the sound reaching her through the crackling baby monitor, it's small blinking light alerting her in case she couldn't hear the wails. She gives herself a mere second to gather enough strength before pulling her heavy body off of the mattress and trudging over to the door where her dressing gown hangs. She doesn't bother tying it around herself as she's wearing pyjama bottoms and a tank top. Stumbling down the dark hallway in search of his door, she lets out a long yawn, eyes squeezing shut for a portion of it. While she loves her baby with all of her heart, she theorises that he knows exactly when not to wake her up, and only ever does it at those times.

A few steps later, she freezes in the doorway. The room is dark with the orange glow of the streetlight barely sleeping through the window's curtains, but it's enough to turn the figure standing beside the baby's crib into a dark silhouette.

"What the fuck!?" Lauren almost yells before she recognises the soft voice singing a lullaby to their baby.

Listening a little longer to confirm her crazy idea as to who is tempting her child out of his crying fit, Lauren's heart melts. Camila has refused communication ever since she went into rehab, but could she have returned?

Deciding to answer her racing mind's question, she steps silently into the room and flicks a small lamp on, instantly recognising the sight of her girlfriend from behind.

"Camila...?" She asks anyway, more out of denial than anything else.

Nevertheless, the girl turns with a shy smile on her face, their child holding himself up with his hands against her chest, tear tracks down his cheeks glistening in the light of the lamp.

"Hi, Lauren." Camila greets sheepishly, automatically rocking the child in her arms, "I, uh..."

The anger that Lauren thought she'd experience at this moment doesn't make an appearance. Instead, she lurches forward and pours her heart out into a kiss pressed against Camila's soft lips. God, it's been too long.

When the pair pulls apart, or rather are pushed apart by two tiny hands, they remain staring into one another's eyes, both in shock.

It's Lauren who breaks the moment first, looking down to see their son frowning deeply at her. She chuckles, kissing his forehead and causing Camila to look down at him too. If Lauren could bottle this moment up and keep it forever, she would.

"Hey, monkey," Camila says softly. The nickname shocks Lauren. Camila and the baby had never been particularly close. In fact, she didn't want to go anywhere near him. Now, though, it seems her point of view has completely shifted.

"I'm so sorry for leaving for so long." The girl continues when the boy looks up at her with that frown still intact, "Mami's here now. Mami's gonna stay."

"Is she?" Lauren questions, "For how long?"

"Forever, is you'll let me," Camila responds, her smile tiny and hopeful. As if understanding her words, the six-and-a-half-month-old boy finally lays his head on her chest, taking a deep breath. Camila's heart practically explodes. She no longer feels the way she did about him, her new medication makes sure of that. He feels like a piece of her, like her and Lauren's incredible future combined into one amazing little boy. She loves him, and she loves Lauren, and she despises herself forever leaving the lake even though she knows it was the right decision.

"I don't think I have much of a choice." Lauren jokes upon seeing small, chubby arms wrap themselves around Camila's neck in a rather strong hold, the boy looking up at his Mami to his best ability.

"Of course I'll let you stay." She adds seriously, "I'd never be able to say no. I love you, Camz."

"You didn't find anyone else?" The younger girl asks, almost ashamed of herself.

"Are you crazy? Of course, I didn't! Camz, you're my everything! Rehab wasn't really your choice. You had to do it, even though it meant time away from us. Obviously, you're doing better and I... I will always love you, Camz. Always."

"I love you too, Lolo." Camila finally relaxes, leaning forward to rest her forehead against her girlfriend's.

"Always."