Sinu had almost demanded that she accompany Camila in finding Lauren, worried about her daughter's anxious state and that she had only recently obtained her license. But Camila knew that this was something she had to do alone. Lauren needed her and only her, and with her fragile state, would probably be unhappy with any more people than necessary.
So here Camila was, nearing the end of her two-hour drive to where she hoped the emerald-eyed beauty would be. The young girl couldn't help but notice the way her heart palpitated in her chest or the way her stomach turned. Where she was going was a long shot, but it was almost the only shot she had. And she had to take it. She had to find them.
Camila thought back to a particular conversation she had with Lauren one night. Grace had experienced a rough night of teething, only falling asleep around 3:00 in the morning, and after Lauren had unnecessarily apologized a billion times, the two girls sat up in bed, chatting about nothing and everything at the same time.
Lauren took a long pause, looking over at where her sleeping daughter day, and finally spoke up with tears brimming her eyes. "My abuela would have loved her so much. If she were still here, we would be okay. I know we would." Camila didn't know exactly what to say in those moments, aware that anything she said wouldn't be enough to cure the ache that lay deep inside of Lauren. So the brown-eyed girl did the next best thing, and without words, she made the bold move to wrap Lauren tightly in her arms. She heard soft sniffles come from Lauren's perfect little nose, and she decided right then that Lauren Jauregui crying was her least favorite thing in the world. She would do anything to stop that from happening. Soon, Lauren began talking again. "She lived in this town a couple of hours away, called Dukewood. I would go there almost every summer when I was a child. When things were hard at home, I would always remind myself of how many months were left until I would see abuela again, and that always made things better. Her house was like my safehaven." Lauren wiped the tears that had now spilled over the brim of her eye and looked hesitantly at Camila, who was staring up at her with the sincerest chocolate brown eyes. She hadn't told Camila, but that was the first moment she thought it might be possible to find love in this girl.
"I remember when I was little I always loved her street name. Blue Pumpkin Lane. I would say to her, "Abuela, why is it called Blue Pumpkin when pumpkins are so obviously orange?" and each time, no matter how much I asked, she always laughed, the type that resonated from her stomach and made things feel okay again. She was great at that. She always made me feel okay. And now...I just, I'm lost without her, Camz. If she were here, we would be okay." And that was the last thing Lauren had said. That night, Camila spent the night holding Lauren Jauregui while she cried, and you couldn't have paid all the money in the world to convince her that that would be happening six months prior.
Camila wiped a tear as she drove, remembering what it felt like to hold Lauren in her arms, and wondering if she would ever be afforded that luxury again. She didn't even know what house number Lauren's abuela lived in, or if it was now owned by another family. Camila just didn't know.
The brown-eyed girl's heart raced as her GPS directed her to turn onto Blue Pumpkin Lane, hopeful that the uniqueness of the name meant that it was the only street named as such in the town of Dukewood. Camila slowed down as she drove down the street, searching every single driveway for Lauren's car. Of course, she had to have a basic black car like everyone else did, which challenged her a bit, but she was determined. She began to lose hope, but as she got to the last couple of residencies, it happened.
There she was.
Dressed in a leather jacket and heather grey beanie, there Lauren Jauregui stood in the flesh, putting the trash in the garbage can. And she had never looked more beautiful. Camila's breath caught in her throat and she barely put the car in park before jumping out and running to the girl. The younger girl barely had time to take note of the look on Lauren's face before she crashed her into a tight embrace. And then Camila noticed that Lauren wasn't really reciprocating the hug, and then she remembered why they were here and what their last interaction was like. And so, she stepped away, finally taking in the girl's presence. She looked so broken.
"Camila...why the hell are you here? How did you even find me? You should go...I. Just go." Lauren's eyes betrayed her words, and in that moment, Camila knew that the last thing Lauren wanted was for her to go. "Lauren, look at me. You have to listen to what I have to say." And Lauren looked up, and for once she didn't completely storm off or blow up. Camila grabbed her porcelain hands, resisting the urge to kiss all ten of her perfect fingers. "Lauren...my mom got some legal advice. And your parents...they can't do what they are trying to do. They can't take your baby from you. Regardless of your age, she is all yours and there is nothing they can do or say about it. You can sue them for trying to create an illegal adoption, Lo. My mom already said you can move in with us full time. I mean, if you want. You can get emancipated from them and everything...because of what they did. You can be free, Lauren."
Lauren's face took on a blank expression for a moment. And in one blink of an eye, her warm lips were pressed against Camila's. The brown-eyed girl was taken aback for a moment, unable to process what was happening, but soon she reciprocated the kiss, her lips moving in sync with Lauren's. The kiss was sweet, soft, and short. But for both of them, it was perfect. Lauren hugged Camila tightly, and the younger of the two melted into her body. "Thank you, Camila. Thank you.".
YOU ARE READING
Grace ↠ (Camren)
Fanfiction"a year ago, you did not know today. you did not know how you'd make it here. but you made it here. by grace, you made it here." ✹
