A Little Love

Chapter 20

"You look precious," Lauren smiled as she tied Camila's braids off with ribbon. "Did you finish packing your bag last night?"

"Yup," Camila smiled. "Look," she said, running over to her Winnie the Pooh themed bag. "Mummy helped me."

"Well now I'm worried," Lauren joked. "What have you packed?"

"A packet of chocolate milk, extra shoes, 3 packets of cookies, a slice of bread, a yoyo, shampoo, one sock...,"

"Uh, Mila we aren't feeding a third world nation," Lauren chuckled, picking up the food items. "An don't you think there's better stuff that we might be missing out on?" she asked as Camila followed her into the kitchen to put away the food. "You know, diapers, wipes, diaper cream, your paci, Mr Bunny, your bottle and sippy, some babyfood....,"

"You're boring," Camila wrinkled her nose.

"Maybe, but you'll thank me later when you need that stuff," Lauren smiled, throwing away the bread before opening the cupboard of baby food that had proved game-changing in improving Camila's eating habits.

"Do you want to choose?" Lauren asked, lifting Camila up so she could see.

"This one, please," Camila pointed at the packet of cheesy sweet potato.

"Okay, go tell Mummy to help you with your coat and shoes," Lauren said, putting Camila down. "I'm just going to finish packing your bag."

Camila ran off to find Dinah while Lauren quickly put away the children's shampoo Camila had packed, swapping it for diapers and other practical things they were bound to need.

By the time she got to the door, Camila was all zipped up and ready to go. Dinah, on the other hand, was sprawled across the floor dramatically.

"D, what are you doing?" Lauren laughed.

"Your mum hates

 me," Dinah whined.

"Don't be such a baby," Lauren rolled her eyes. "We're going to be late, come on."

"Fine," Dinah muttered, pulling on her shoes and standing up. "Kid, c'mere I'll strap you in," she said, picking Camila up and carrying her out to the car.

"I wan' sit in the front like a big giwl," Camila protested as Dinah put her in her baby seat.

"No you don't," Dinah feigned disgust as she helped Camila put her arms through the straps. "I'm gonna be stuck listening to Mama talking away the whole time while you get to have a nice nap!"

Camila giggled.

"I'm not going to sleep, silly," Camila said as Dinah snapped the buckle at Camila's crotch.

It was only ten minutes into the drive when Camila was sound asleep, causing Dinah to smirk triumphantly. Lauren remained quiet as she drove; to say the least, she was nervous about her mum meeting Camila. This definitely wasn't what they had pictured for her future and they already weren't the biggest fans of her and Dinah.

"I don't want to wake her up," Lauren sighed as they pulled into her mum's driveway. 

"Lo, they'll love her, it's fine," Dinah reassured her, glancing back at the little girl who was peacefully asleep.

"She can't take anymore rejection," Lauren sighed. "I just want to wrap her up and protect her from everything."

"I know," Dinah smiled sympathetically. "Do you want to get her or should I?" 

"I'll do it," Lauren said, getting out and walking around to the passenger side. "Hi, baby," she cooed, unbuckling the carseat straps and lifting Camila into her arms. "Shhh, don't cry," she said as Camila squirmed. Her body was warm from being tucked under her blankie and snuggled into Mr Bunny which Lauren found oddly soothing.