"No no no! No no no!" Camila sobs, little hands hitting at her mother's stomach to get her to move.
"Camila, stop. You can't go outside, baby."
"No no no! No no no!" The toddler continues to cry, changing tactic and tugging harshly on the woman's clothes.
"Honey, there's a storm. You can't go out." Lauren sighs, gently prying the little one's hands off her and crouching down in front of her.
"Ou'!" Camila cries, reaching for the door again, starting to hit at her mother when she stops her.
"Camila, stop." Lauren says, keeping her voice calm but firm. "Stop. We don't hit. It makes Mama sad. Stop, Camila." She continues this for about a minute before the little one lets out a sob and falls against her.
"I know, baby. I know it's hard. I've got you, mi vida." She soothes, holding the girl close as she stands up. "You wanna watch your movie?"
The toddler lets out a cry, tapping her mother's lips.
"You want Mama to sing?"
"No no no!" She cries, tapping Lauren's lips again.
"Stars shining bright abo-" the green eyed girl is stopped by a hand hitting her face. "No hitting. Mama will stop."
The child lets out another cry, this time tapping her own lips.
"Mila wants to sing?"
"No no no!" Camila throws herself backwards, the woman tightening her grip just in time to stop the child from falling.
"Mama doesn't know what you want, nena. Tell Mama, Angel." She attempts to soothe, walking them to the couch and sitting them down as Camila throws herself back again.
The toddler cries out yet again, rolling off the couch and picking up a photo frame off the coffee table. She takes it back to her mother, climbing into her lap and pushing the photo right in front of her face.
"Mani? You want the song Mani sang to you." Lauren asks curiously, starting to sing when hopeful eyes look up at her. "Look how she lights u-"
"No no no! No no no!" Camila sobs, throwing herself backwards again before sitting up and taking hold of her mother's finger, moving it to tap on the woman's lips on the photo.
"You want Mani to sing your song?" Lauren asks, causing the child to bounce on her knee. "Mama can call her, okay?" She murmurs, reaching for her phone and calling her girlfriend on speaker.
"Laur? Hey, are you okay?" Normani asks as soon as she answers the phone.
"Is it a bad time?"
"Never. What's going on?"
"Camz wants you to sing the song again."
"What?"
"I think she wants 'Ma Belle Evangeline' but I'm not allowed to sing it and she brought me the photo of the two of you when you were singing to her and pointed at you."
"I was actually on my way over, I'm five minutes away if you can distract her until then?" Camila lets out an impatient cry, reaching for the phone. "Or I can sing it now. Look how she lights up the sky, Ma Belle Evangeline. So far above me yet I know her heart belongs to only me." Normani sings, the toddler settling instantly, leaning heavily against her Mama with a content sigh. The mother and daughter sit in silence listening to the older woman sing through the phone, the dark skinned woman repeating the song twice before Lauren whispers that the little one has fallen asleep.
"I'm just coming through the gates now, babe. I'll be two minutes."
-------
"She almost woke up when I put her down but I managed to keep her asleep." Lauren sighs, sitting down on the couch and cuddling into her girlfriend.
"How long did she sleep last night?"
"3 hours." The Cuban yawns, practically purring when the older woman begins to play with her hair.
"You should get some sleep while she is, baby. You're exhausted."
"Don't wanna move."
"You don't have to, I'm more than happy right here." She smiles, grabbing the blanket off the back of the couch and using it to cover the younger woman.
"Mani?"
"Yeah?"
"You were already on your way when I called." Lauren mumbles, half asleep.
"I know."
"Why?"
"You don't like storms." Normani shrugs, continuing to run her fingers through raven hair.
"I love you, Mani." She breathes out just before her eyes close and she begins to lightly snore.
"I-" the older woman stutters, taking a deep breath before leaning down and pressing a kiss to her girlfriend's forehead. "I love you too, Lauren."
