Where Were You

Blanket of Security

Lauren's PoV

It was supposed to be a gorgeous morning the day we were to leave for the airport. "Coffee please." I smiled at Chase who nodded with a grin.

"Where's the other three?" The blonde slid into the booth across from me, pouring me a cup of coffee.

"Camila's picking up a few last things before we catch our flight." I inhaled the sweet aroma of the caffeine and moaned at the bitter taste. That'd definitely wake me up. "How do you do it?" I said as the clock above the large counter blinked 5:30am.

"You keep forgetting that I have a very energetic teenager who looks forward to early hockey practices." Chase laughed and blew some hair out of her eyes. "I hope she's showing up to class on time with you now." She stared at me with a sympathetic look. "I'm sorry for the way she's been behaving."

"Oh no," I breathed and frowned, "Jaiden is one of the best students I have. She's really great Chase and yes, she's been early actually. She's working on my name still but I can't blame her. She's a close friend of the family and I see her almost every night here or at the arena. I'd get confused too."

"She respects you, Lauren." Chase smiled. "She really looks up to your relationship with Camila and I think she always had."

//

"Camila, Lauren," Chase was the first to greet us with a smile across her face, "didn't think we'd see you again."

"Camwila, Laurwen!" Jaiden came running up to us and smiled goofily. "Mommy says you skate!" Her eyes widened at Camila.

I looked up at Chase, "she's got quite the memory."

"She gets that from Eph, they never seem to forget anything or anyone they meet," she smirked and leaned in, "it's a little creepy."

I shared a laugh with her before I found Camila and Jaiden in a deep conversation about hockey. They were talking about their favourite teams and when Camila mentioned she was hoping to play in the Olympics, Jaiden was that much more into her, crawling on her lap.

"Is Ephiny the hockey fan as well?" I raised an eyebrow.

Chase smirked, "no, she gets that from me. Jai wants to play hockey but she's a little too small yet. But she will, eventually."

"Have you evewr been slammed up against the bowrds?" The small brunette asked with excitement.

"Plenty of times," Camila smiled and looked over at me, a blush crawling upon her skin.

I could tell she was enjoying her conversation with the four year old. But it made her more of a softy and I knew that killed her inside.

It was more than adorable.

"So open mic night?" I turned back to Chase, who was checking off some sort of list on her clipboard.

"Yeah," she smiled, "it's been a while since the town threw things for teenagers to enjoy without having to be nineteen to party in the bars. Ephiny and I thought it'd be a good idea to make Saturday nights open mic night. So far it's working."

I glanced around the huge place and really got a glimpse of how many people were waiting for a turn to share their music or comedic skills.

The evening was special to me and camila. I mean, I had just proposed to her and I wanted to seal that with something else I had been working on. Making sure she wasn't paying attention to me, I whispered something in Chase's ear and was happy that she nodded and told me to follow her.

"Camz," I caught her attention and cupped her cheek softly, "I'll be right back. Did you want anything to drink?"

"Dr. Pepper." She grinned.

Like I had to ask.

"Me too!" Jaiden giggled and slid off Camila's lap once I stood, taking my seat beside her.

I smirked and leaned forward to kiss Camila's forehead. "Be right back," I whispered and she nodded.

//

I glanced back from the piano sitting in the corner where it was over twelve years ago and felt a sense of warmth run through me. "Mind if I..." I pointed towards it and Chase just smiled and shook her head. I got up and slowly made my way across the empty café, sitting at the polished black bench. My fingers ran over the keys and I closed my eyes.

I saw her.

Those beautiful long brunette locks whipping around her face in the winter wind; her cheeks that were always so rosy while she was on the ice coaching her team; that smile that was only reserved for me.

"You've been the blanket of security

Wrapped around dreams that haunt me

You're the heaven that I believe in

A world I want to live in

I can see that nothing's changed

We remain the same

A heart can no longer suffer

This absence that seemed to last forever..."

I was so wrapped up in the music that I never even noticed Camila and the girls walk in.

I was so wrapped up in the music that it shocked me when I felt the bench shift and smaller fingers took over on the lower side of the piano. I shouldn't have been shocked to find Lucas watching my fingers while making her own music.

I smiled and she grinned before I glanced up at Camila, who was leaning against the piano with Dylan sitting on top. "Wow," she breathed.

I wanted to stop playing but my fingers wouldn't stop and my eyes wouldn't leave hers.

"Did you just make that up?" Lucas stopped and scratched her nose.

"I did." I smiled and put the cover back over the key before standing up. "I didn't know you'd be back so quickly," I made my way over to Camila, lacing my fingers with hers.

"I didn't know you still played." Camila bit her bottom lip and then eyed up her daughter with a raised eyebrow and impressive grin, "I didn't know you played at all."

"What?" Lucas shrugged, brushing brunette hair out of her eyes, "I'm a Cabello."

Chase and Ephiny laughed as they came back out from the back. "You really are Lucas."

Lucas and Dylan took off towards the booth when their free hot chocolate was set down on the table.

"You taught her?" Camila whispered, her fingers grazing the side of my cheek.

"She's a quick study," I nodded and kissed her softly just once, "hope you're not mad."

"What? No!" Camila pulled back and laughed softly. "It's really sweet of you, baby."

Aw! I loved it when she called me baby.

I was teaching Lil C to play piano while she taught me, a full grown woman, how to skate.

I had a devious plan in the works.

I wanted it to be perfect and I knew Lucas would be the perfect person to help me get it all sorted out.

When the time was right of course.

"I feel old." Ephiny sighed tiredly and looked between me and Camila. "It's like being in a flashback only I'm a thousand years older."

"Oh honey," Chase frowned and lightly slapped her wife in the stomach, "you're not that old."

"How old do I look?" Ephiny raised a perfectly sculpted eyebrow and posed for Chase, causing the girls to giggle.

"Eph..." Chase shook her head and started to walk away from the older brunette.

"No seriously Chase!" Ephiny took off after her. "How old do I look?"

Camila laughed and wrapped an arm around my waist, squeezing me close to her. "So how about we have breakfast and hit the road?"