Into You

Chapter 54

After a quick trip to the bathroom for a much needed natural break and a cleanup, she walked into the living room to see Sofi sleeping on the couch.

She looked around her tiny sitting room and saw Dinah talking quietly with Sinu in the corner. She hadn't talked with Sinu that much, not since a very brief chat at the hospital. She was holding up pretty well, considering the circumstances; the older Cabello showing her inner strength.

"How's Camila?" Sinu asked spotting her finally, causing all the rest of the eyes in the room to look at her.

"She's fast asleep.. finally," she said leaning tiredly against the door, all of the living room seats more than taken.

"Why aren't you with her?" Sofi asked, glaring across at her and stirring stretching out her legs and shuffling around on the sofa.

"Needed the bathroom and I wanted to check up on a few things so I can actually relax," she told her gently, not wanting to provoke another fight. "She'll be ok, Sofi. I'm not going to leave her for very long."

"Right, see that you don't," Sofi replied, this time without even a hint of aggression. Her message delivered, she buried her head back into the couch and closed her eyes once more.

Smiling, Lauren walked over to the corner where the others were sat and squatted down next to them.

"How are you holding up, Sinu?" she asked staring into her tired looking eyes.

"I'm fine, Lauren, just tired. There seems to be so much to iron out, even with all the help we're getting,"

"I know. It seems endless, right?" she said shaking her head, "I felt the same way when my mother died, it seemed like there were a million hoops to jump through; is there anything I can do?" she added, getting a soft, almost affectionate look from Sinu, before she shook her head and smiled.

"No, Lauren, nothing more than you already are; protecting my family and looking after my daughter. That's the most important thing to me right now, as long as you can do that, then you'll more than help me. It's one less thing for me to worry about if you know what I mean,"

She nodded her understanding, patting her on the knee awkwardly; there was nothing else that needed saying about that. She turned to Dinah and inclined her head, gesturing at the kitchen.

"Excuse me a second please, Sinu," she said standing. "I need to talk with Dinah about the security for the flat,"

"Don't worry too much, Lauren," Sinu said shaking her head. "We've all agreed that we'll be going home tomorrow morning. Alejandro left a notice with his solicitor asking to be buried in our local church, and I intend to honor that wish. Plus, there are people who will want to pay their respects and that's better done at home, not in some cold building,"

She looked across at Sofi, who was looking at them from where she lay in Dinah's arms and smiled sadly, "we may have had our differences, Alejandro and I, but he's still my husband and he deserves better than that,"

Her voice settled with some force, as if she was waiting for someone in the room to challenge her, to call her out on her thoughts about what her husband deserved. If anyone there thought it, no one was voicing those thoughts.

"Sinu has arranged for the family to fly back to the house, Lauren," Dinah said, "I know that won't exactly make you happy but..."

"I'll be fine boss, don't worry," Lauren said quickly, trying to make little of her little phobia.

"Lauren, if it wasn't for Camila, I'd not ask you to do this," Sinu replied, placing a hand on her shoulder, "she told me about your little phobia when I suggested it; but I know you won't leave her and she wants to come home with us"