Trials and Tribulations

Chapter 52

A/N: Chapter has been split by popular request....

"Morning sweetheart," Clara greeted Lauren as she walked in to the kitchen the following morning. "Morning," Lauren returned brightly, making her way over to the fridge and opening the door to look inside it, searching for some orange juice. "Do we have any OJ?" she asked, glancing over at her mom who was sat at the kitchen counter having just eaten her breakfast. Clara had the paper open in front of her and was reading the morning's headlines lazily, a cup of coffee in one hand, her now empty bowl on the counter in front of her. "It's on the top shelf behind the yoghurts," Clara informed Lauren, her eyes never leaving the article that she was currently in the middle or reading. "Thanks," Lauren said, returning her attention to the fridge and pushing the yoghurts aside. She pulled out the bottle of orange juice and closed the fridge door, unscrewing the cap on the top as she leant against the kitchen counter behind her, opposite her mom. "Lauren," her mom scolded, finally lifting her gaze from the paper to look at her daughter. "What have Itold you about drinking straight from the bottle?" "You told me to do it," Lauren joked, dropping the bottle from her mouth momentarily to answer. "Can you please use a glass?" her mom asked and Lauren made an apologetic face before turning around to take a tumbler out of the cabinet just behind her. Lauren poured the cool orange liquid in to the glass and returned the cap to the top of the bottle before placing it

back in the fridge where she'd found it. "Thank you," her mom said appreciatively as Lauren came over to take a seat beside her. "Anything interesting in the news today?" Lauren asked trying to make conversation as she placed the glass down on to the granite surface in front of her. "Nothing too exciting," Clara replied, closing the paper and taking a sip of her coffee, her eyes locking with her daughters. "How was dinner with the girls last night?" she asked. "Did you have a good time?" "Yeah," Lauren answered, lifting her own glass to her mouth and taking a long swig of the sweet liquid appreciatively. "Dinah got Camz this serenity plaque as a present. It was kind of a welcome home gift, you know, to celebrate her getting out of rehab..." "That was thoughtful of her," Clara acknowledged. "Did Camila like it?" "Yeah she's going to put it up on the wall in her bedroom," Lauren told her mom. "She's says it'll be a good reminder to help with her recovery." Lauren paused for a moment to take another sip of her drink. http://5hfanfiction.tumblr.com/post/67310766850/trialsand- tribulationschapter52 2/11 "I keep thinking that because she's been discharged now that means she's completely better, but, she told us that her recovery is still ongoing." Lauren said thoughtfully. "Recovery is a longterm process," Clara agreed, putting her coffee mug down on to the counter. "She'll probably be dealing with it for the rest of her life. She's right it doesn't stop just because you get out of rehab." "Apparently her therapist said that it's probably going to be really hard for her initially," Lauren

shared with her mom. "She told her that the first few weeks back are always the most difficult." "Camila will be fine," Clara reassured her confidently. "She looks like a completely different girl to the one that left here a couple of months ago." "You don't think she'll relapse or anything?" Lauren asked her mom concerned. "I don't think so," Clara replied, shifting her position slightly in her chair, "but you never know Lauren. She might do." "I don't think she will," Lauren commented without much conviction. "I mean, I'd like to think that she won't..." "Have a little faith in her," Clara suggested interrupting her daughter's musings. "Ithink you'll be surprised. Camila isn't as fragile as you seem to think she is. Sometimes I think that you worry about her unnecessarily." "I can't help it," Lauren responded, draining the last of her orange juice and settling the glass back on to the counter. "Camila is a big girl Lauren," Clara said meaningfully. "She's more than capable of looking after herself and you need to let her do that every once in a while. It must be a little disparaging for her to always have people trying to do everything for her. That's only going to make her feel like no one believes in her ability to do things for herself. She isn't completely inept." "I don't do everything for her," Lauren complained defensively. "I think that you do it so reflexively now that you don't even realise that you do it," her mom disclosed. "You're her girlfriend Lauren," she continued. "You're not her carer." "Has she said something to you?" Lauren asked, knowing that Camila had seen her mom