Between You and Me

Chapter 6

Lauren slowly blinked awake in the darkness, questioning what it was that disturbed her. Her eyes scanned the room lazily as her mind caught up, catching the sliver of moonlight shining through the curtains, casting a soft glow across the room.

She felt a soft nudge in her side and rolled her head to investigate. The sight beside her made her heart melt. Camila was asleep on her stomach, face turned towards Lauren and mouth slightly open – was that..drool? – her arms were slid underneath her pillow, and one knee was tucked up towards her side.

What really got her though, was the little body on top of Camila. Leo was half laying on Camila diagonally across the bed. His head was resting between her shoulder blades, his torso sagging off her side, and his legs were stretched out towards Lauren, his little feet pressed into her side – that explains the nudges.

The soft ray of moonlight lightly illuminated both their faces. Lauren took a moment to take in the pure innocence on both their faces, fast asleep, peaceful. She watched Leo's face twitch, he nuzzled into Camila's back before relaxing again. His feet jerked against her side again.

Lauren turned onto her side, gently adjusting his feet so they now rested flat against her stomach. She gave a soft squeeze to one of them before reaching out and placing her hand on the far side of his lower back, her pinky finger resting on Camila's raised knee where it pressed into his side.

A calm settled within Lauren, everything was okay. Her eyelids fluttered, fighting against sleep. Everything's okay. As she felt herself being dragged under, Camila's words from last night left her heart warm.

Between you and me.

The next time Lauren blinked awake she was alone in her bed. It had never felt so vast and empty until now.

She took a moment to bask in the sunlight, stretching her tired muscles. As soft voices wafted down the hall, she sat up and threw her hair into a messy bun.

She crept towards the kitchen, hoping to sneak up on the duo and watch them silently.

"Ok now you do this one, remember just tap it super lightly on the edge here," Lauren heard Camila say.

When she peeked around the corner she saw Camila and Leo side by side at the counter, Leo standing on what had been dubbed his 'cooking chair' over the last few weeks. Cooking with Camila had quickly become one of Leo's favorite things. Every movie night Leo would beg to help cook either dinner or breakfast the next morning with Camila, and who were they to deny him.

It was probably one of Lauren's favorite things too if she was honest. She loved watching her two favourite people interact, but there was something special about Camila teaching him how to cook.

"Like this?" Lauren watched Leo attempt to carefully crack an egg into the bowl in front of him.

"Little harder – Yeah, there you go! Good job bud, okay what's next?"

"Um, stir?"

"You bet! How about I hold the bowl, and you give it a big stir okay?"

Leo nodded excitedly holding his stirring fork up proudly, Camila chuckled and reached out to hold the bowl. With his tongue stuck out and brows furrowed in concentration, he started beating the eggs.

"Stir, stir, stir, stir, stir!" Camila encouraged happily.

He probably only stirred for 15 seconds but Leo was panting softly by the time he finished. Camila laughed and tousled his hair.

"Good job."

Leo beamed at the praise from Camila.

Lauren decided to make herself known when they started to move to the stove.