"She's likely going to have a pacifier with her or in her mouth, I suggest not saying anything about that, uh, she's going to a new daycare and I think she'd rather talk about that than school," Lauren said into her phone, pacing up and down her room.
"She's still my daughter Lauren," Lauren could practically hear Serena rolling her eyes at the other end of the phone.
"Sorry, I just don't know how she's going to react, she's been quite emotional about this," Lauren sighed.
She was taking Camila to see Serena and Richard for dinner and she was already starting to worry it wouldn't go down well.
Once she had hung up, Lauren walked into Camila's room to wake her up from her nap.
"What're you doing already up?" Lauren laughed as she walked into Camila's room to see her curled up on the floor. It was evident from her calmness that she had only just woken up.
Camila looked up, batting her eyelashes sleepily.
"Hi, angel," Lauren whispered, sitting down next to her.
Camila crawled into her lap, and while Lauren usually tried to discourage Camila acting that much younger than her age, she couldn't deny that it was adorable.
"Don't suck your thumb, doll," Lauren said, tugging at her hand. "Where's paci?"
"I don't know," Camila whispered.
"Are you a bit nervous?" Lauren asked, stroking Camila's hair. Talking to Camila right after she had woken up always seemed like the best time for it.
Camila shook her head.
"I wanna see Mummy," Camila said surely.
"What're we going to wear to see Mummy?" Lauren asked.
"Elsa dress!" Camila exclaimed excitedly.
"What if I let you wear your Elsa dress tomorrow?" Lauren suggested, knowing it wasn't quite the best idea, partially because Serena would disapprove and partially because it was uncomfortable and she didn't want to risk a tantrum.
"Kay," Camila mumbled, reaching to play with Lauren's hair.
"Now, do you think we should change your diaper?" Lauren asked.
"No," Camila whined, embarrassed by the topic.
"Shh," Lauren soothed. "Okay, why don't you go find your paci first and then I'll get you changed?"
"M'kay," Camila agreed, standing up and running out of the room.
She ran straight into Dinah in the kitchen, falling to her bottom.
"Kid, you gotta be careful," Dinah said, lifting Camila to her feet.
Camila immediately burst into tears. Partially because Dinah had told her off and partially because of the impact of the fall.
"LAUREN!" Dinah shouted. "Okay, come here," Dinah sighed, reaching down and picking Camila up. "Brush it off kid," she said, bouncing Camila in her arms.
"Hey, what happened?" Lauren asked, appearing in the kitchen.
"She's fine, she just fell," Dinah explained, handing Camila over to Lauren.
"Where's her pacifier?"
"Here," Dinah said, handing the object to Lauren who slid it into Camila's mouth.
"Right, I've picked out an outfit so let's go get dressed and then you can watch some Sofia while I do your hair," Lauren said, turning to walk back upstairs.
"Kay," Camila said quietly, resting her head on Lauren and letting her legs hang limply by her side.
"You are being such a good girl for me," Lauren praised as Camila lay quietly on her mat while Lauren changed her diaper.
Lauren took advantage of Camila's calm state, changing her into the pair of knitted white tights and a light pink dungaree dress with a long-sleeve cotton top underneath.
"Almost done," Lauren promised, buckling a pair of mary janes onto Camila's little feet. "Aren't you just a little angel," Lauren said, helping Camila to her feet.
"Sofia?" Camila asked hopefully.
"Do you want to take paci to see Mummy and Daddy or do you think we should leave it at home?" Lauren asked as she led Camila downstairs.
"Will Mummy be angry if I have it?" Camila asked hesitantly.
"No, love, of course not," Lauren said quickly, although she wasn't really sure how truthful she was being. "If you need it we can bring it."
"Kay," Camila murmured, sitting down on the living room floor while Lauren turned the TV on for her.
"Angel, what do you want for your snack?" Lauren asked as she brushed out Camila's long hair.
"Shh," Camila said around her pacifier, keeping her eyes glued on the screen.
Lauren dismissed her slightly rude behaviour and set to work twisting Camila's hair into two dutch braids and tying them off at the end.
"Lo, she looks...," Dinah trailed off from the doorway.
"Adorable," Lauren finished.
"Like a doll," Dinah raised an eyebrow.
"An adorable doll," Lauren replied. "Baby, I'm going to go get you a snack," Lauren told Camila before going to the kitchen with Dinah.
"Are you okay?" Dinah asked as Lauren chopped up some carrot sticks.
"Yeah, I'm just worried for Camz," Lauren sighed.
"Are you?" Dinah asked, crossing her arms. "Or are you worried about they taking her back?"
"I don't know, D," Lauren groaned, wanting to change the topic.
"Do you want me to come?" Dinah asked hesitantly.
"I thought you said no," Lauren said, turning around to get some peanut butter to spoon onto the plate.
"I'll go get ready," Dinah said, giving her girlfriend a reassuring kiss on the lips.
Lauren walked out with the food to find Camila sat right where she had left her.
"Hi, baby," Lauren sat down next to Camila. "Eat up and then we'll go," Lauren said.
It was only an hour later when they were awkwardly waiting at a restaurant.
"Why can't we just put her in a highchair?" Dinah groaned the second time Camila managed to crawl under the table.
"Angel, c'mere," Lauren sighed, trying to get Camila out. "Her parents won't like it."
"LoLo, paci?" Camila whined around her thumb.
"Here, love," Lauren sighed, pulling Camila up into her lap before pushing the digit into her mouth. "Do the colouring, yeah?"
"Hello," an animated voice came from behind them.
"MUMMY!" Camila shouted excitedly, scrambling out of Lauren's lap and jumping into Serena's arms.
"Ah, I've missed you," Serena smiled, kissing Camila's cheek before handing her back to Lauren.
"It's nice to see you again," Lauren smiled. "This is my girlfriend, Dinah," she said, watching as Dinah politely shook both Serena and Richard's hands as they sat down.
"It's so good to see you, darling," Richard smiled at Camila.
The next 20 minutes Camila babbled away non-stop, desperate to tell her parents about everything they had missed, all while possessively gripping Lauren's fingers in her hand just to make sure the older girl wasn't going anywhere.
"Oh look, the food's here," Serena interrupted Camila politely.
"Sweetheart, do you need me to cut up your food?" Lauren asked as Camila climbed back into her lap.
"Where's paci gone?"
"I put it back in my bag, it's num-num time, isn't it?" Lauren said, rubbing Camila's back.
"LoLo?" Camila asked quietly, twisting around to face her so she could whisper in her ear. "Butterfly."
"Do you want me or Mummy to take you to the bathroom?" Lauren asked quietly.
"Mummy," Camila said hesitantly.
"What is it?" Serena asked.
"Uh, she wants you to take her to the bathroom," Lauren said, helping Camila out of her seat.
"Camila, darling, go with Lauren," Serena said dismissively.
"I want you," Camila whined.
"Uh, doll, Mummy and Daddy will be right here when we get back," Lauren stepped in, knowing a tantrum was coming on.
"Can't you just take her?" Dinah asked Serena, furrowing her eyebrows.
"You know, it's getting quite late," Serena said, clearly uncomfortable. "We really should be going."
"It's 6.30," Dinah raised an eyebrow, becoming rather angry with the couple.
"Don't go," tears started clouding Camila's eyes as she realised what was happening. "Take me with you," she begged, reaching up for Serena as she stood up.
"I can't," the lady said with a sad smile.
"We'll see you again soon," Richard tried to reassure Camila as he put some money down on the table to pay for the food.
"Nooo," Camila sobbed. "Mummy take me with you," she sobbed, following Serena and Richard to the door.
"Mila," Lauren called, following her.
"P-p-please," Camila choked out, bursting through the door and into the brisk evening air which was throwing down heavy rain, trying to cling onto Serena who was now ignoring her completely.
"Camila, stop misbehaving," Serena finally acknowledged her, pushing Camila off of her before sliding into the passenger seat and shutting the door.
"Take me with you, Mummy, I'll be good," Camila sobbed, slamming her little hand on the window.
It was no use.
"Camila, come here," Lauren said softly, moving towards the car to pick her up so that she wouldn't get hurt.
They were both soaked at this point, but it was the least of Lauren's worries as she tightly held Camila in her arms, watching the car driving away. Once her parents were out of sight, Camila finally stopped struggling and buried her head in Lauren's chest, sobbing heavily.
"I got you," the older girl whispered, rubbing Camila's back. She looked over her shoulder to see Dinah walking out.
"Let's get her home," Dinah said gently.
Lauren nodded, wiping a tear from her own eye before walking over to their car.
"I'm gonna sit with her," Lauren told Dinah quietly, slipping into the backseat with Camila in her lap and fastening the seatbelt over the both of them. Once she had given Camila her pacifier, Lauren decided to sing her one of her favourite songs, knowing they had a long drive to go.
"Little blue dreamer go to sleep
Let's close our eyes and call the deep
Slumbering land that just begins
When day is done the little dreamer spinsFirst take my hand now let it go
Little blue boy you're on your own
Little blue wings as those feet fly
Little blue shoes that walk across the skyMay your path be your own
But I'm with you
And each day that you grow
He'll be there too
And someday when you've grown
We'll follow you
As you grow
As you grow...."
***
A/N: Sorry about this lol
And the song Lauren sang is my favourite song that my best friend used to (and still does) sing to me when I was in the hospital so yeah check it out if you want and let me know what you think of it if you do!
Link here: