Grace ↠ (Camren)

things were good

Lauren and Camila weren't sure where they stood after their kiss. They were both aware that something existed between them, something more than a blossoming friendship, but they were also afraid of exploring romantic territory. So, after their kiss, the two girls went on with their afternoon as normal. Lauren performed different tasks for her daughter, and once she was settled and dinner was consumed, the pair settled down to study for individual tests they had that week. "I don't get why they schedule tests for right after Thanksgiving break, Laur. Do they really think our minds are focused on fucking calculus while we're eating our weight in turkey and pumpkin pie?" Lauren chuckled at the girl, amused at her frustrations over the American school system. Camila was simply endearing, and Lauren couldn't help the guilt that crept into her chest at the memories of tormenting the girl previously. She had hurt someone so sweet and special. Sure, they were working on it, but she already knew she would spend the rest of forever making it up to Camila. Forever. She looked at Camila, who lay on her stomach on her bed, feet crossed in the air behind her. Her curly hair halfway shielded her face from view, but she was beautiful. Yeah, Lauren could see a forever with Camila. She didn't even care how she had the girl, as a friend or something more. She just knew she wanted her in her life. "I don't get it either, Camz."

When the two girls were fed up with studying, Lauren grabbed her daughter out of her playpen and tickled her stomach softly. She often hated the fact that school prevented her from having a ton of one-on-one time with the baby. Grace was nearly one and time had gone by so incredibly fast. Tonight, she decided, she would put school aside and play with her daughter. This time was precious, and she knew she would never be able to get it back. She didn't want the first year of her daughter's life and of her being a new mother to be full of regret. She leaned down to the floor, placing her daughter down gently before sitting down herself. She saw the way Camila smiled at her before joining her. It warmed her heart. Camila and Lauren sat facing each other with Gracie between them, creating a barrier for the explorative little girl. Although she wasn't too keen on learning to walk, she loved to crawl around everywhere. Lauren could barely keep up with her sometimes. But she loved it. She loved being a mom. Camila shook a toy at Grace, which caught the attention of the baby who crawled towards her. It didn't go unnoticed by Lauren, the sparkle in Camila's eyes while looking at her daughter. She still couldn't believe how accepting Camila was of her and Grace. She wished the rest of the world would be like that, thinking of her parents and the reality of the situation she would soon have to face. She pushed it away. Tonight was about spending time with her daughter. A feeling she couldn't push away, though, was that she was glad Camila was with them.

Soon, Grace had crawled back to her mother's arms. Lauren was holding her arms, assisting her in standing up. Camila had turned on her portable speaker, which was playing Baby Shark, and of course the little girl loved it. Lauren and Camila were both annoyed at the song, but they sucked it up for Grace. Her little baby dance warmed both of their hearts. Lauren truly loved her being a mother. No matter what had led to her having Grace, she was glad she was here. Things settled down and the tiniest Jauregui eventually succumbed to exhaustion in her mother's arms, putting up quite the fight which involved lots of tears. In Camila's own mind, she was staring at Lauren, taking in the way she looked down at her daughter's sleeping face. Camila could tell Lauren loved her deeply. "Hey Lauren? Can you tell me about your pregnancy with Gracie? You don't have to if it's too personal...but I...I was just curious." Pain shot through Camila when she saw the look on Lauren's face. She didn't look upset that Camila had asked, but something in the brown-eyed girl told her that Lauren wasn't asked this question much, if ever. She saw longing in her eyes. And seeing that vulnerable side of Lauren, the part of her that was human, Camila could feel herself beginning to forgive her of what she had done. The hell that Lauren put Camila through didn't compare to what she had been through herself. It had created a monster in Lauren and that wasn't something the younger girl could think of holding over her head. She simply wanted to be the one to quiet the monster raging inside the girl, and for once she thought she might be succeeding. Lauren's voice snapped her out of her thoughts quickly. "I...yeah. I can tell you about it. What do you wanna hear?" Camila smiled gently. "Whatever you want to share."

And so Lauren began, slightly fearful but at the same time completely comfortable. "Well, the first couple months were okay physically but pretty rough emotionally. I was dealing with...what had happened to me. And with my parents' reaction to the entire ordeal. They were so mean. They didn't even ask me what I wanted. They just pulled me out of school and decided how they would control my life and my baby to protect their image." Camila smiled sadly at Lauren who looked down at her daughter once again. "But not all of it sucked. As my pregnancy progressed so did my excitement. When I could feel her and see myself physically change, it made things more real. It honestly gave me a will to keep living, to know that an entire person's future relied on the beat of my own heart." Camila saw a genuine smile appear on Lauren's face, one she wasn't sure she had ever seen before. It reached her eyes, making the corners of them crinkle slightly. "I gained a lot of weight and near the end my ankles were swollen as hell. I also couldn't stop eating Wendy's fries." Camila was endeared by Lauren's words, imagining the pregnant girl shoving countless fries down her throat. "And when she was finally born...Camila, it was the best day of my entire life." Camila looked into Lauren's green orbs, urging her to continue, silently letting her know it was okay to let her guard down. "I was alone in that hospital. It hurt like hell, but the nurses were so nice to me. They comforted me the best they could. And when it was finally time, it took three pushes and she was here. One moment I was alone in that cold, white room, and then my daughter was screaming on my chest. From that moment on it was just me and her. And it's been that way ever since." Lauren had tears streaming down her face, and Camila reached forward to wipe them away. Camila didn't have to say anything. Lauren knew there was no malice or judgement in Camila's actions. In her chocolate orbs, there was only one thing; acceptance. "We should lay her down, Lo. We should be getting to bed too." Lauren only nodded softly, watching as Camila stood up and reached forward for Grace. Lauren transferred the sleepy baby as gently as she could, who only stirred slightly when she was placed in Camila's arms, who went through a similar process when putting the little girl in her bed.

When Camila turned around, Lauren was already under the covers. "Come cuddle," was all Lauren had to say to make Camila crawl into bed with her. She obliged quickly, joining the girl under the covers. As she felt Lauren wrap her up in a warm embrace, she wondered just what her and the girl were, if anything. Before Camila could think more, she saw Lauren look up at her and place a gentle kiss on her lips. "Night, Camz." Camila smiled. "Goodnight, Lauren."

The next few days came with ease, both Lauren and Camila having fallen into a comfortable morning routine. Camila was well aware that she would always wake up with the bed to herself, Lauren having to take her daughter to daycare in the morning. She always knew she was on the green-eyed girl's mind, though. It started with notes she left on her nightstand each morning, the girl always wishing Camila a good morning as if they wouldn't see each other at school a few hours later. They shared kisses within the confines of Camila's bedroom, although they didn't deepen them beyond a small peck here and there. At night, once Grace was asleep and the rest of the house was silent, they would melt into each other's embrace and cuddle until the sun awoke the next morning. Neither girl was too sure what was happening or what their newfound connection to each other would bring, but for those moments, it didn't matter. Things were good. They were good when they hadn't been for so long and that was enough. 

A/N

Just a really short filler chapter full of fluff before non-fluff enters the chat. Don't kill me. It's important for the story lol. 

Also, I just wanted to thank you guys for the love. My story had almost 2000 reads and that's more than I ever expected. So thank you for taking a chance on me.