Grace ↠ (Camren)

then have me

Things were kind of getting serious, Lauren was sure of it. Or was she? Her anxieties threatened to knock down any resemblance of confidence that the teenager had built up. She felt it, though. The nighttime kisses and cuddles shared between her and the brown-eyed girl were becoming more frequent. The moment they had shared on Valentine's Day had been a big step in their relationship, Lauren finally proving to Camila that she could be a source of comfort for her. Camila trusted Lauren, but it still takes time to view your high school bully as someone you can turn to. It was becoming easier, though, and both girls felt it.

And because of that, Lauren felt another thing.

Maybe it was time to take the next step.

She just wasn't sure how, and she was scared of Camila's rejection.

"What do you think, Gracie? Should we ask Camz if she wants to be in our lives for a really long time? I bet she won't be able to deny your cute face!" The tiny one-year-old looked into her mother's similar emerald eyes and babbled away in response, making out sounds that almost sounded like words, but Lauren still couldn't understand what she was trying to say. Her little girl was adorable, though. She loved her more than anything.

Surprisingly, Lauren wasn't afraid of letting Camila into her and Grace's life. Their story wasn't the typical "high schoolers falling in love" plot. They were practically living together and the love Camila shared for Lauren's daughter was evidence. She was confident that the brown-eyed girl would never hurt her little girl. It was just that simple.

As Lauren heard Camila finishing up in the shower, she put her now-sleeping daughter on the bed as she googled cute ways to ask someone to be your girlfriend. She couldn't believe how cheesy she was being. Her mind was drawing a blank. She wanted this to be perfect. And all of a sudden, it hit her. She had the perfect idea.

A couple days has passed since Lauren's perfect plan entered her mind. She had to wait until the weekend, not wanting any interruptions, and both girls had school. Sometimes Lauren forgot how young they both were. They were living together and alongside the older Cabellos, were practically raising Grace together. Lauren was constantly playing a game of fighting off the feeling that she was a burden or was making Camila grow up too fast. It scared her. It was the weekend, though, and Lauren was a mix of excited and scared. She knew that Camila had been catching onto her nerves, and being the angel that she was, constantly ensured that the young mother was okay. Fearing that she wasn't sleeping enough, she even offered to take the baby off of her hands for a little while. She was a saint, and that was exactly why Lauren needed this to be perfect.

Lauren didn't voice it often, but she felt constant regret for spending so much time taking her anger out on such an innocent girl when she could have spent it doing just what she had been doing for the past few months - falling in love with her. Whoa. That thought had never crossed Lauren's mind before. She was not sure that she loved Camila yet, but in her heart she truly felt like it could be a possibility. She had spent so much time ganging up on the girl. Now all she wanted to do was make her days as happy and free as possible. She often felt like she didn't even deserve the young girl. Her ability to just forget and forgive was frustrating sometimes. Lauren had a hard time forgiving herself. She felt like she deserved to be hated and punished. But Camila was good, and she was not capable of having such feelings. She knew that Lauren had changed, that she had never really been that horrible before and was instead taking her justified rage out on the girl. She knew Lauren was sorry. And she accepted that. In time, Lauren hoped she could accept that too.

Lauren needed to make this perfect though, to make sure Camila felt special and cared for.

As the two girls lay side-by-side in their bed while Grace slept between them, Lauren turned to look at Camila. Going unnoticed for a second, she took advantage of being able to look at Camila's beautiful, relaxed features. She really was something special. "Hey Camz?" Lauren spoke. Her heart nearly stopped when Camila's head turned ever so slightly, her eyes soft pools of chocolate and a small smile gracing her lips. "Yes, Lolo?" she let out in a slight rasp. Lauren was losing her cool. "Do you mind going to the store with me tonight? I need to get some things...for Grace. And I don't want to go alone." Almost instantly, Camila agreed, always willing to help the girl out. She didn't often ask for it, so Camila was more than happy to say yes. The brown eyed girl had no idea what was up Lauren's sleeve.