Habit

Chapter 18

They say silence says more than a thousand words and as the two girls sat in the stillness that gave them both a sense of tranquility, neither could find it in them to disturb it, mostly in fear of saying something wrong, but Camila knew better.

''Thanks Lauren, for being here.''
Lauren smiled but before she could say anything, Camila added, ''You're a good friend.''

Her smile slightly faltered, but she forced herself to recompose and nodded her head in acknowledgement. She wiggled her fingers out of Camila's grasp and exhaled, before looking at her phone.

''It's getting late, I should be home soon...''Camila let out a breath through her nose and closed her eyes, nodding in agreement. Neither girl wanted to leave each other's side but there were still too many broken pieces between them for comfort.

Lauren stood up from the floor, and Camila followed, leading her down the stairs and just before Lauren could leave, she turned around and looked at Camila and awkwardly opened her arms. Camila grinned and reciprocated the girl's embrace, and in the process gave her a small kiss on the cheek to which Lauren's face burned in response.

As Lauren started driving home, she decided that the night had been thoroughly bittersweet. Although Camila was starting to let Lauren in, her biggest fear was getting friend zoned in the process so even if Camila wanted to call Lauren her ''friend'', she had to prove that she wouldn't have it.

When Lauren got home, she expected everyone to be asleep but she was surprised to find her mother up, drinking coffee in the kitchen. She checked her watch and noticed that it was 11:00 p.m, but she knew it didn't really matter anyway considering that her mother was her own boss. She owned a flower shop which made Lauren's rose purchases- an easier reach.

Clara looked up from the book she was reading and smiled warmly at her daughter, ''Where were you?'' Lauren exhaled, ''I was over at that girl's house, the one I was telling you about the other day.''

''Ah, Camila, am I right?''
Clara knew Lauren inside and out, and sometimes that was a good thing, more usual than not, this was one of those cases. Lauren never had to ''out'' herself to her mother, Clara just knew, but Lauren still feared telling her, even if she made it obvious by talking about Camila constantly, and then the random rose purchases this week made things clearer than not, and she was surprised she wasn't getting questioned about it, but she figured it would just be awkward if she was.

Lauren nodded at her mom, and she took out her phone to find a text from Normani.

Hey Laur, same thing, same time, tomorrow?

Lauren looked at her mom who was staring back with a small smile on her face, ''Is it her?'' Lauren narrowed her eyes and shook her head,

''Hey mom, can I get another rose tomorrow morning?''

Clara looked at her daughter and seemed stuck in thought for a second, ''Why don't you do something different?''

''What?''

''Yeah I mean, how long will it go before a rose starts to lose its meaning, do something different.''

Lauren's face scrunched up in thought but for the most part, she was confused by the suggestion.

''Well, like what?''
Clara tapped her fingers on the mug of coffee that she sheltered with her fingers and a smile spread across her face and Lauren could swear she saw a light bulb pop out over the top of her mother's head.

''I have an idea, but we'd have to go to the shop now, and make Normani come, ain't no way I'm staying up all night.''

Lauren's eyebrows furrowed but she gave in anyway, anything for Camila.
Lauren called Normani who groaned at the thought of staying up tonight especially to ''work'' but agreed anyway, she was so single she felt like it was her duty to help Lauren get the girl.