Camila's POV
I'm still attempting to process what the hell just happened.
"Oh my God Camz, did you hear that?!" Lauren squealed.
It keeps playing in my mind in slow motion but I'm still not sure if I imagined it or not.
"This is so great!"
Looks like Lauren heard him too, I couldn't have Imagined it if Lauren heard him right?
"Camila!"
My fiancé grabs me by the shoulders forcing me to jump back into reality.
"Are you here right now?" she asked with a giggle.
Truthfully, I wasn't. I was still replaying the moment over and over again in my head. The tall man in the gray suit walking up to my painting, his smile when he saw it.
I felt Lauren's hand cup my cheek in an attempt to wake me from my dream like state.
"He loved it Camz"
She was right, he said he loved my painting. I knew we were going to have gallery owners stopping by for the exhibit this time around I just never considered any of them taking any interest in my work. After all, the exhibit was supposed to be focused on the students. Professors only put in their work to fill in the bigger space that they used to the exhibit this year.
During my year in New York, I tried so hard for my art to be recognized but nothing ever happened. I thought if it wasn't going to happen in a city like New York it wasn't going to happen anywhere. This is why I went straight into teaching after college.
Yet, here we are in Miami with a painting I did almost 3 years ago and that man offered me an opportunity to display my art in his gallery in New York, of all places.
"What did I tell you Camz?" Lauren said still fighting for my attention. "Paris, New York, Rome" she added nostalgically.
These are the words that finally caught my attention, considering I was thinking about that day earlier today.
I can't believe she remembers.
I looked directly into the pair of green eyes who looked happily into mine and could only think of saying one thing. As soon as my eyes landed on her it was like the words announced themselves in my mind and refuse to exit until I verbalized them.
"I love you Laur"
She smiled and leaned in placing a soft kiss on my lips. For a split second I was going to jump backwards, because we were in public. It was then that I realized we no longer have to do that. Right here, in the middle of the art exhibit I can openly kiss my fiance with no problem or consequences. The realization makes me kiss back with more passion that anticipated.
"I love you too baby" she replied once our lips separated "From now"
"Until forever" I said with a bright smile. There is nothing more reassuring to me than that statement. I don't know when the simple words became so important to us, but now I can't even remember a time when the infamous words weren't shared between the two of us.
As soon as the exhibit was over we both headed home in a state of euphoria.
I don't want to jinx it but it really does feel like it's all coming together.
Lauren is publishing a book, my art is going to be in a gallery in the big apple, we're getting married, there is no more drama with my family. We're getting married.
