It's Been Killing Me ➢ Camren

XIX: Tears and Forgiveness

Each step felt heavy. It felt like gravity was going against me, making it hard for me to walk. Camila and my friends noticed. They gave me encouraging smiles while Camila's squeezed my arm to silently tell me that she's here to support me. We finally stood on the porch and I took in the small details of the house. Pots of plants and flowers are placed on the ground, only enhancing the feeling of comfort.

Ally squeezed my shoulder before she reached out and knocked on the door. My heart pounded against my chest as we waited for somebody to open the door. It felt like an eternity and when the sound of footsteps coming from upstairs became audible, my ears immediately perked up, readying myself for what is to come. The sound of hurried footsteps stopped, most probably halting at the door. My suspicions were right when the doorknob jiggled and was yanked open.

The familiar figure of my Abuela came into view when the door was wide open. She looked lost for a moment but when she saw who stood outside of her door, her face immediately lit up. The woman gasped, covering her mouth with her hand in astonishment. Quietly, the four of them stood awkwardly, watching the scene unfold when Abuela engulfed me in a long overdue hug.

I stayed still in her arms, not sure how I was supposed to act in this type of situation. I tried making up my mind on what to do. Reluctantly, I hugged her back and my Abuela relaxed when my reaction was positive. The hug basically lasted long and broke apart soon. When we separated from each other, she had a huge grin on her face but in her eyes showed shock.

"I didn't expect you to actually come." Abuela admitted, moving aside to let us in. Normani muttered a small 'thank you' and then we headed in, moving to sit on the couch. "I'm going to get you girls some drinks and snacks." Abuela offered, already heading inside the kitchen but stopped when we said that we already ate. Her smile faltered but she quickly covered it up and instead sat on the opposite side of the couch in front of us.

I sat with Camila by my right side while Normani sat at my left. I felt an arm snake it's way back around my arms, linking them together. Abuela caught sight of this and unexpectedly sent the two of us a heartwarming smile, only making me surprised even more. I wasn't used to her reacting like this. I'm pretty sure the only side I'm used to is when she lashes out on me when I get too touchy with girls but her eyes held uncertainty and I didn't know what to think of that.

"It's finally nice to see you again Lauren. And it's nice to meet you too girls." Abuela nodded towards us in acknowledgement. "You look great Ma'am. It's nice to finally met my best friend's abuela." Normani replied, sending the woman a kind smile. "Don't be too formal, you can all call me Abuela too." She laughed. "And you look beautiful too, young lady."

"You have a very nice house." Ally joined in as she admired the house. Abuela nodded, "I know right. I knew I that I did the right decision when I bought this beautiful house. Fortunate enough, the house is conveniently close to a beach. You only have to cross across the road to get there." Camila and I stayed quiet as we listened to Ally, Dinah and Normani talk to the woman in front of them.

"So Lauren, what have you been doing in your life that makes you happy?" Abuela asked, the attention quickly being diverted to me. I was caught off guard, being too absorbed by my own thoughts. I quickly composed myself before responding, "Well, I love art. I love taking pictures and painting. It's one of my favorite things to do and I major in art. I actually chose a photography course."

"Interesting. You have loved art since the beginning so it's not something unexpected that you chose to major in art." Abuela laughed. I let myself smile a little bit as I nodded my head once. "So what about you Camila? What do you aspire to be?" Camila tapped her chin softly as bit her lip. "Well, I love singing and playing instruments. I really want to become a singer someday when I get the chance."