Camila was never able to have children of her own. So she adopts Lauren, a three year old little girl in need of a loving home.
She falls for her best friend Dinah Jane Hansen along the way, but how hard could having a relationship and a child be?
...
Lauren's tiny frame trembles as she sobs, her hands clinging to any part of the woman she could attach herself too. Sure she was relieved mama was finally holding her, but there was something nagging in her stomach and she didn't know what it was. Fear of abandonment maybe? Fear that now she had played up, she wouldn't be wanted anymore?
"Calm down for me mija, you're okay" Camila soothes in a gentle coo, her hand slipping beneath the toddlers unbuttoned onesie so she could gently scrape her nails up and down the bare skin of her back.
The toddler seems to take comfort at the maternal touch, but Camila knew it wasn't the type of soothing she wanted. Still though, she wasn't going to give in. She wanted this nursing thing to work and she knew the moment she brought them off if routine, everything would get messy resulting in her having to put a stop to it completely.
"Wan' ami" Lauren whimpers pitifully.
Camila pouts, "I know my love, and you can just as soon as it's nap time. Now, lets go find something to do until then. Something fun mhhh?" she attempts to distract as she begins to make her way up the stairs towards the direction of her bedroom, closing the door once they were there before heading straight for the closet and picking out an outfit she knew would be both cute yet comfortable.
She hadn't really attempted putting the ikea furniture together again in Lauren's room since the day she had brought her home, both the tot and her belongings seemingly having had moved in with her. But neither minded. It was nice. Just mama and her baby.
Lauren continues to remain quiet the entire morning. She wasn't vocal, she doesn't speak, she doesn't even hold any interest into things that had once held her attention for hours on end. She just stares absently at her legs. Her tiny hands playing with a the pair of tights her mother had put on her this morning.
It concerns Camila how something so simple could change her mood so severely, but she continues on with being patient and pushing forward until finally, it was time to put her stubborn baby girl down for a nap.
She hopes once a proper routine was established this days would pass a whole lot easier as right now it was all just trial and error, but she knew only time would tell.
"C'mon stubborn butt, time for a nap and your long awaited ami" she sighs as she tosses a toy she had 'played' with for the past hour to the floor and rises to her feet, scooping a shy looking Lauren into her arms, pressing a kiss to her head and making her way up to her bedroom.
Once there she climbs up onto the unmade bed, and after pulling up her shirt and shoving the cup of her bra up out the way, she was pulling the still quiet three year old onto her arms and easing her back into a cradled position.
"You gonna talk to mama now? Mhh? Can I hear your voice?" She questions with a small smile, bringing her hand up so she could trail the pad of her thumb over the toddlers baby soft cheek.
Lauren's face turns a shy shade of red, but nonetheless, she speaks, "ami mama?" She all but begs, her eyes wide and hopeful.
Camila chuckles, "of course baby, go ahead" she guides her breast to the toddlers mouth, watching as the small girl latches on with ease and begins to contently suckle.
*
"You wanna go swimming bug?" Camila questions as she places her phone down onto the counter.
Lauren looks up from her toys, tilting her head to the side.
"Swimming, in the water like we did at the pool last week?" The older Cuban rephrases in what she hopes was a simpler explanation, walking over to the tot before scooping her up into her arms.
Eyes widening in realisation, the three year old was quick to nod her head.
Camila smiles as she heads towards the bedroom to get could get their swim suites ready, "my friend is gonna be there, Dinah. Do you remember her from when she came to see us a few days ago?" She wonders as she riffles through her dresser drawers, pulling out a white bikini for herself and a once piece and a swimming pull-up for Lauren.
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Nodding in acknowledgment, Lauren does remember Dinah. She was nice. And pretty too. Just like mama was.
Both were soon both clad in their swimming gear, and after Camila had packed a bag full of things she knew they would need; a clean set of clothes for them both, a few spare diapers along with some snacks and drinks, she finds herself making her way out of her front door with Lauren on her hip.
