The Donor

Chapter 24

Camila’s POV

Lauren had been nervous the entire time to my parents’ house, driving in almost silence and tapping her fingers continuously at the steering wheel. Emelia was content sitting in her car seat, again singing along to another concoction of Disney songs that Lauren had burned onto another CD to listen to during drives like this. The drive to my parents’ house wasn’t long, a little over half an hour which seemed to make Lauren more nervous once she input their address onto her car’s navigation system. Instead of tapping on the steering wheel, her thumb stroked almost nervously across the back of my hand when I took hers in mine and cuddled up to her bicep.

It’s my little sister’s 16th birthday and my parents were holding a party at their house; inviting the entire family and lots of Sofi’s friends from school. It was clear most of the invites were met with willingness to come after Lauren found difficulty parking along our street, my family’s cars dotted everywhere. It was also clear that my parents’ house was very busy when we finally walked up to the door and I rang the doorbell, now close enough to hear laughter, music and chatter from behind the door and beyond that, into the garden.

It’s the first time meeting my family for Lauren and her nerves only intensified when I rang that doorbell, the green-eyed woman biting her lip, her legs shaking slightly as she looked around the front lawn. “They’re going to love you, babe,” I whisper to my girlfriend, my parents opening the door at the particular moment to hear my term of endearment toward the woman. Lauren and I both look up at the front door to see my parents standing in the doorway, my mother grinning from ear to ear and my father holding a more conservative smile toward the two of us. “Mom!” I greet enthusiastically, reaching for her and kissing her cheek. I do the same with my father once I see that he has finally let go of my daughter, the little girl running to her grandparents as soon as the door had opened.

“Come in, come in!” My mother ushers the three of us inside, stepping back into the house to allow us to enter my childhood home. Once the door has been closed behind us, a similar large smile to my mother’s is now etched onto my father’s face as he looks at looks at Lauren encouragingly.

“Guys, this is my girlfriend Lauren,” I say to my parents, moving to hold the nervous woman’s hand, my other hand moving to its place on her bicep. “And these are my parents, Sinu and Alejandro.”

“It’s lovely to meet you both,” Lauren greets shyly, shaking hands with both of my parents. “Camila’s told me lots of great things about her family.”

“The pleasure is ours,” my father comments back, speaking through his accent and wearing a more tame grin than previously. “We’ve also heard some great things about you,” he goes on to tease and I bury my face in Lauren’s neck to hide my blush at being outed that I speak so much about her.

My father pulls me away from Lauren, wrapping an arm around my shoulders and walking me further into the house, greeting some guests along the way. I sneak a glance over my shoulder to see Lauren laughing freely with my mother who’s clutching her arm as she walks – probably commenting on the fact she is terrible at walking in heels and using Lauren for balance like she would my father.

“You seem very happy, mija,” my father comments quietly while we walk, my eyes now trained on my sister with her friends.

“I am, papi,” I say with a smile, watching how my daughter runs toward her Aunt and is immediately cradled into a cuddle. “We’re going to see Sofi but we’ll catch up soon,” I lean up to kiss my father’s cheek and turn in search for Lauren who is already standing idle at my side.