Her Light

XXV

When Camila wakes, she yawns and goes to stretch out her arms and body, but she's confined. Cracking her eyes open narrowly, hair obscures her view. She lifts her head slightly to see Lauren sleeping in her arms, her head resting below Camila's chin. Their legs are still tangled and Lauren's hands are ghosts over her skin.

A smile so wide it nearly breaks into a toothy grin on Camila's face forms. Strengthening her arms around her, Camila embraces her as she sleeps. Lauren exhales softly in her slumber, sinking into Camila's hold.

Camila has no idea what time it is. It could be five in the evening for all she knows. There's peace within not knowing—a kind of protection from what happens next.

What does happen next? Camila has made the decision to fight for her relationship with Lauren, instead of simply falling into the clutches of this lonely life. But what does she do to successfully complete that?

An ocean of dread crashes over her, and Camila has to forcefully push it from her brain. She relinquishes in Lauren, closing her eyes (though they aren't tired) while her cheek squishes on top Lauren's head. She needs to focus more on the present than any kind of future right now. Because she still has Lauren here, below her fingertips and serene with trust and love.

Camila nearly forgot they were back at the lighthouse at all.

But of course, they are. The ground doesn't rock beneath them, and there's no commotion occurring outside. Lauren isn't rushing to leave bed because she has duties to do early in the morning. It's quite and picturesque.

Almost wanting to wake her, Camila has to force herself to lay still. She wants her to be awake so they can kiss and talk and laugh. But at the same time, she wishes for her to sleep until nightfall. Just to maximize her time here.

...there's no real point in postponing. Everything comes to its own trickle of sand in the end. Lauren will leave and Camila will stay, and it will be that way for a while.

But not forever. And that's what fuels Camila.

She should make the most of their last hours. Racking her brain, she thinks back to their earlier moments together. Oh, how many different ways it could've gone, yet it led them to this. Love burns Camila's heart like melting wax.

Since they're off the ship, Camila should do something nice this morning. It's been a while since they've been back and so Camila is forgetting her regular morning routine. She would wake up, get out of bed, wander upstairs to make herself... tea.

Careful not to wake Lauren, Camila untwines herself from her. Pushing herself off the bed and onto her feet, she's pleased to see Lauren still snoozing peacefully. Camila leans forward, one hand on the bed, and kisses Lauren's forehead softly. She smiles faintly in her sleep.

She'd rather lay in bed all morning, but she wants to make Lauren's morning the best one she could have. And of course, she remembers how dearly Lauren loved drinking tea together in the mornings! It was kind of their thing.

So that's why Camila has an extra spring to her step, sneaking out the bedroom door and shutting it soundlessly. She doesn't even notice she's humming a little tune as she walks upstairs, dancing a little jig as she does so.

Never has Camila ever felt so much joy while also being inside this house. Out of all things Camila has felt in her life, safety and love have been the smallest. Yet, she feels like she's just come home—somewhere she can kick her shoes off and let her messy bangs cover her eyes as she cooks breakfast and changes into comfortable clothes.

Lauren gives her all those feelings. Camila is finally coming home, for real this time. Once she gets rid of this lighthouse.

Approaching the sixth floor, Camila enters the kitchen, spinning lightly on her heels and swaying with whatever way her body takes her. Then all of that crumbles when she sees her mom looking over at her.