I Built This Home For Me, For You

Chapter 20

Lauren's first week back at work was long, and she was glad that Camila had encouraged her to ease in with the first three days because with all of the trouble at home, she found herself distracted and worried at work. Was her mom okay? Was Camila okay? Should Lauren have been so quick to suggest that they all go back to work? She trusted that she knew herself well enough to know that she had to get back in her office, to sit behind her desk as she did paperwork in the large, cold room. Camila had cut two days off her usually full week though, which was some small relief, because at least they would both home more, and have time to sort things through, while still escaping the house to get some work done. It was a good compromise.

It was hard not to miss Camila though. They'd spent more time together over the holidays because of their time off work, and Lauren missed being home to kiss Camila when she walked in, as she'd gotten so used to doing. Now it was a string of texts and calls about who would be home first and what they'd get started on for dinner. Still, Lauren couldn't deny that on Wednesday, when Camila made it home first, it was nice to be greeted with a kiss as soon as she walked in. No matter what, one of them would be home waiting for the other. As it neared lunchtime though, Lauren couldn't stop herself from picking up her phone and calling Camila.

"Hello," Camila's cheerful voice greeted her.

"Hi," Lauren quietly replied, her whole face lighting up at her wife's bubbly voice coming from the other end. It was almost an unconscious thing, how Lauren's muscles unwound and the tension bled out of her at just one word off Camila. All she ever needed was one word to let her know that she was okay, and it took the edge off Lauren's worry. "I miss you."

A quiet laugh came from the other end, "It's funny that you should mention that. I was missing you too."

Smiling as she typed away at her keyboard, Lauren kept the phone clamped between her ear and shoulder. "Maybe we should start planning lunch dates like when we were younger."

"We had a lunch date in our breaks on Monday," Camila reminded her and Lauren pouted slightly, even though Camila couldn't see her.

"I know, but I miss you. Besides, we used to have lunch dates almost every day when we were younger. Now we only have them once or twice a week because we're so busy."

"Mm, compromise for getting all our work done at work," Camila sighed, and Lauren looked up as her door opened, "Never mind, I'm here now though."

Laughing, Lauren hung up the phone, watching as her wife shouldered the door wide open, a bouquet of flowers in hand, a phone pressed to her ear, and her arms full with her coat and keys. Climbing to her feet, Lauren quickly crossed the room, heels clicking on the floor, and took the flowers out of Camila's hands, reaching out to cup her chin and steal a kiss. Face lighting up, Camila's eyes crinkled and she tucked her hair behind her ear, shoving the phone into her bag and kissing Lauren again.

"Well this is an unexpected surprise," Lauren said, unable to keep the happy look off her face.

"I've never been able to stay away from you," Camila mumbled, as she went in for another kiss, "You'd have to kill me for that to happen."

"Don't I know it," Lauren snorted, "Even a fake death wasn't enough."

She gave Camila a small, grim smile, reaching out to briefly stroke her cheek before she walked over to the empty vase on the cabinet - a longstanding addition to Lauren's office because of the frequent bouquets of flowers brought to her office by her wife - and she filled it with water from a jug, before sticking the red flowers into the vase. Camila had seated herself at the desk, and Lauren smiled slightly as she returned to her own seat, swiveling the chair as she appraised her wife. Camila's shirts and cardigans had never failed to make Lauren think she was just the sweetest thing she'd ever seen, and even after all this time, there was something endearing about Camila's dorkiness, which had never gone away.