Into You

Epilogue

Christmas Eve - 2016

The dark blue BMW pulled up outside the small white house on the hill, its wheels crunching through the thick white layers of snow. Camila Cabello looked down on it sadly from her bedroom window as it pulled to a halt in front and two familiar people got out.

As she looked on, she saw Ally Brooke looked up at the light and waved cheerfully, her face alight with Christmas spirit; behind her was Dinah with her bag and some brightly colored presents. With a sigh, Camila drew the curtain and headed downstairs.

"Mila, how are you?" Ally said as Camila opened the door, dragging her into a bear hug. "Merry Christmas!"

"Merry Christmas, Ally," she said with an obviously forced enthusiasm, "come on in."

Ally shared a concerned look with Dinah before following Camila into the living room; taking the presents from Dinah and placing them under the brightly decorated Christmas tree.

"Looks nice in here, Mila," Dinah said, dumping her bags and hugging their host, "very festive."

"It really does," Ally added as Camila shrugged. "It looks fantastic."

"Bit of a waste, though, isn't it," Camila said as Dinah let her go. "Not as if I've got anyone to celebrate it with,"

Dinah and Ally both looked at Camila with matching looks of concern on their faces at her words. "Look, I'm sorry, ignore me. I'm being a poor hostess, can I get you guys a drink?"

"I'd love a cup of tea," Ally said easing herself down onto the sofa, making herself at home as she did every time they came to stay.

"Is there any chance of a cold beer, Mila? It was a horrible drive down here; it's pretty grim out there, the snow's getting thick and that cobbled lane you call a road has got more potholes than every street in Florida put together and I think we hit every single one of them. My back is killing me," she added dramatically, getting a snort from Ally, "and I need some medication."

"Of course, there is, DJ," Camila said, very nearly cracking a smile at her antics; "I've got a crate or two in the fridge especially for you. Make yourselves at home, I won't be a second."

Dinah sat down beside Ally as Camila walked out and closed the door behind her. "She looks bad, Ally, really upset." Dinah said.

"It's Christmas, DJ. I think she was looking forward to spending it with Lauren. She told me once how much she was looking forward to their first Christmas together."

"Lauren told me the same thing," Dinah said. "When we went to get Camila, we were sat in the back of the jeep and she was telling me all the things she was going to do when they got home. Sounded like Christmas was a special time for her once, she wanted it to be that way again. Most of all, though, she wanted it to be special for Camila, she was really passionate about that."

"Well, we can make it special for her, can't we?" Ally said thoughtfully. "She's just bit down tonight, you know. She's just missing, Lauren. I hope she'll be fine when Christmas is over."

There was a silence between them as they thought about their friend in their own little ways. Dinah's eyes were drawn to the picture of Lauren that she'd first seen in a folder that had been handed to her by Normani, handed over with a smile and a wink and a personal recommendation that she was someone she really wanted to meet.

o+o+o

"Dinah, I've found her," Normani said as she tossed a file onto Dinah's desk. Dinah stopped it from sliding off and looked up as her friend's smiling face.