All or Nothing

3

The sound of quiet laughter that echoes out into the hall as Lauren presses open her front door goes a little way into easing the migraine that's been steadily building throughout the day. It had been a hellish one, her entire writing staff deciding to become incompetent fools just three days before their latest issue went to print, and Lauren should have probably stayed behind to catch up on some more work but she couldn't stand the thought of spending another hour in the glass walls of her office, needed her son's hugs to make things even just a little better.

She'd almost forgotten that Camila would be there, but she wanders further down the hall after kicking off her heels and shrugging out of her jacket to find Leo perched on the edge of one of the stools from the breakfast bar at the kitchen in the center of their living room, an easel set up in front of him.

There's a white sheet spread across the floor to protect Lauren's rug, splattered with dots of paint – as she stands and watches, a spattering of red paint drips from the end of the paintbrush Leo waves in his hand as he says something to Camila, who's sitting on a stool beside him and listening with a warm smile.

"Good evening, Miss Jauregui." Ally is the first of the three to notice her, curled up reading a book on Lauren's couch, and both Camila and Leo jump at the sound of her voice, whirling around on their stools to glance at her in surprise.

"Good evening, Ally." Lauren drops her bag onto the countertop before wandering into the living room, eyeing the floor warily so she doesn't step in any patches of wet paint. "Leo, Camilla. This is... new." She nods towards the easel, and Camila's cheeks flush slightly.

"Sorry, Miss Jauregui, but Leo wanted to get started right away and I didn't think you'd want him in my studio so I thought I'd - "

"Stop, Camilla," Lauren cuts off her nervous rambling and hoping the fact that she thinks it's adorable doesn't show on her face. "I didn't say it was a bad thing. Though perhaps," she adds as she eyes the white sheet warily, wondering if it's thick enough to stop any paint drops from seeping through to the floor beneath. "If this becomes a regular thing you should work at your place. Or we could convert one of the guest rooms into a studio for Leo."

It won't take much effort, and from the way Leo's face lights up as he looks at her hopefully, it'll be worth it to see his happiness.

"What are you painting?" She asks as she comes to a stop behind them, dipping her head down to press a kiss against the top of Leo's head.

"Just shapes until I get used to it." The canvas is brilliantly white, streaked with flashes of color. There's paint over the back of Leo's hand and under his fingernails, and he even has a smudge smeared across his cheek that Lauren itches to rub away.

"He's picking things up really quickly," Camila reports, bouncing her heels lightly on the footrest of the stool, her own hands dusted with charcoal and flecked with paint. "He'll be a pro in no time." Leo flushes at the praise as he leans forward to swipe his brush against the canvas once more, Lauren watching him with a soft smile, his eyes alight with a warm glow.

"Do you need anything else from me, Miss Jauregui?" Ally asks as she folds the page of her book down before sliding it into her bag, and Lauren shakes her head.

"No, thank you, Ally. I'll see you tomorrow."                                                              

"Dinner's in the fridge," she tells her as she rises fluidly to her feet and heads for the door. "I made enough for three, just in case." She shoots Camila a meaningful glance and Lauren rolls her eyes. "Goodnight, Leo!"

"Bye, Ally!" It had taken Lauren months and months to find a nanny that Leo got along with and was comfortable around, one that accepted that he was nervous and shy and quiet and reserved, and Ally's been a godsend over the past few years of both of their lives.