"ARE you sure you're really going to do this?" Chris asked when he contacted Lauren after knowing the flight schedule to Miami.
"Yes, Chris, I'm sure."
Her and Camila are on the way to the Jauregui household in Miami when Lauren receive a call from Chris after they landed in the hangar since Camila uses the company's private jet.
"I admire Mila, she's really good for you," and he sighed, "okay, if you two are sure, good luck, but I'll still be the one who will escort you the aisle."
"Of course, Chris, thank you."
"Good luck to the both of you, report to me after, I will surely talk to them."
"There's no really need, Chris, but I appreciate it."
"Okay, hear to you later."
"Okay." And the call ended.
"You really had a good brother," Camila said with a smile to Lauren.
"I know."
"And I am glad of that."
"Are you not nervous?"
"I am, if you don't know that but I'm doing the right thing so there's no need for me to be afraid of."
Lauren smiled and gave Camila a peck on the cheek and rested her head on the shoulder of her fiancée, holding the arm while caressing it, "thank you for doing this."
And Camila peck Lauren's temple, "there's no need."
After a few minutes of conversing they passed through the Miami U.
"I remember when I first entered here," and Camila pointed the spot, "right there, everyone looked at me like I'm sort of plague then I remember the clothes I wear, ripped jeans, black leather jacket, a white t-shirt from the inside, a lose pony tail, a Nike shoes, I almost forgot I'm in the city of where religious beliefs would be extremely implemented."
"Hmm really, well, when I first saw you, I really thought you will handed me back the ball, or even recruit you to join our team because you seemed amused while looking at the ball but when you throw back the ball to the field all of my thinking about you went downhill."
Camila chuckled, "blame that to our schoolmates, I really thought you were like them, judging me without knowing me."
"Well, I did, I judged you."
"And you change that, we became friends, not to mention, you even fell in love with me."
"I am," and she smile.
"Unlike them, even in my last year at school their looks are still the same."
"They didn't give you a chance, I felt sorry for them because I got a chance to know you and be with you, they didn't know how great of a person you are," and she closed her eyes, feeling the warmth of her fiancée, "DJ and Ally too, I really thank Ally for bringing you to me."
"As what she said, she's a bridge."
"Yes, because of her and DJ we're here together, spending our lives for eternity."
"You're right."
Camila brought her designated driver Ashton to Miami and let Lauren guide him to where her former residence located until they arrived at the Jauregui household.
"Is that your house?"
"My parents' house." Lauren corrected, "I'm nervous, it's been a long time since I last talk to them."
"Whatever happens I'll stick with you."
"I know you do," Lauren said with a smile.
"Let's stepped out and finish this already."
"You're right."
Then Camila said to her driver, "Ashton, we will not take long."
"Yes, Ms Karla."
And they hopped out of the black Chrysler 300C.
Lauren took a deep breath and Camila held her hand squeezing it gently, reminding her that she's at her side, she nodded at her, an indication that she's ready, so hand in hand they walked to the front porch.
It was Lauren who pressed the doorbell and they heard a voice from inside telling them to wait and Lauren knew that voice, it was Taylor. And she was right when the door opened and revealed her younger sister with a scowl look on the face after seeing her.
"What are you doing here?"
"I'm here to—"
Lauren unable to finish her sentence because Taylor slammed the door shut but it went halfway because a hand which belongs to Camila prevent it from closing.
"It's rude to have your way back here," Taylor said.
And Camila replied, "and it's way too rude to shut the door in front of your elder sister's face, young lady, give some respect, will you?"
Taylor was about to replied back when they heard another voice and Lauren saw her mother.
"Lauren..."
And then another, "honey, who's on the door, I heard shouting."
Lauren gulped when she saw her father and met his eyes.
"Lauren... what are you doing here?" and he notice another woman, a brunette beside her and he frowned, "what is this? Who is that?"
"Dad..." and Camila stopped her.
"Sir, Ma'am, if it's okay, Lauren and I wanted to talk to you."
"Is there a reason for us to talk, Lauren?" Mike said with venom in his words and anger in his eyes while looking at Lauren, "I already made it clear from the beginning, remember?"
Clara, Lauren's mother held her husband's arm, "honey, let them, please," and she looked up to the two, "you're only here to talk, right?"
"Yes, Ma'am, we're not planning to stay longer, if it's really okay," Camila replied.
Clara nodded, she took off her apron and approached the door, "please, get inside."
"Mom!"
"Upstairs, Taylor," Clara said.
And Taylor huffed and gave her elder sister a scowl look and ran upstairs.
"Honey..." Mike said but Clara cut him quick.
"Honey, it's impolite if we will let them go away without letting us know their intentions, whether you like it or not, Lauren is still our daughter, my daughter, my first born," and she move to the living room couch.
Michael, Lauren's father followed, sitting beside his wife, with his angry look.
Opposite to them are the unknown brunette and Lauren.
"Ma'am, Sir, I'm Karla Estrabao, we're only here to inform you that," and she looked at to Lauren and held her hand, showing their engagement ring, "we're here to inform you that Lauren and I are getting married."
"What?!"
And Clara stopped her husband from advancing, holding his arm tight.
"I love your daughter," Camila continued, didn't budge of Mike's impending advances, "and I always will 'til we're both old and wrinkled," and she smiled at Lauren then back to the Jauregui's, "we will not expect you Ma'am and Sir will give us blessings to our upcoming wedding but you're invited, will come or not, we're here to only inform you that because I know Lauren is still your daughter, and I know too about the be—"
"I love Karla," Lauren butted in, "I love her, you see, she shows me what love is, I'm only human, no matter what I do, I will always make mistake because I'm not perfect, I'm sorry if I disobey you, I'm sorry for breaking the religious beliefs that you taught me since I'm born but I love her, aside from you, my family, showed me love, real love that is rare to find."
"And you will find that on Brad!" Michael exclaimed.
"Honey, Brad—"
"Brad, only wants one thing to me and that is sex," Lauren cut in, "just that, nothing more, I didn't tell you this before but my other best friend Ally, was bullied by Brad and his teammates and Karla was the only one who helped Ally, even though they're strangers at first, Brad didn't respect me and I'm no slave to do what he wanted me to do and that is not love, Mom, Dad, only Karla shows me what love is and I found it with her, I only made a mistake once because I tried everything to follow what my beliefs are but I'm not happy," then her focus is on her dad, "I remember you said before Dad, that I only found real love if I'm happy and if I share it with my partner, like you found it with Mom and I found it with Karla too, I'm happy with her and I will not repeat that mistake, I'm sorry for everything, I know you don't want to see me anymore and I understand that because no children disobey their parents and I am like that but Karla insisted out of respect to you both, we will not stay longer, we're only here to inform you that we're getting married, while I'm with her, I know now what family meant and it's not only contain a blood relation but as long as I shared everything with my fiancée that is real love and family."
Camila continued, "don't worry, Ma'am, Sir, I will take care of Lauren, we will not expect you to come but you're still invited," and she took the wedding invitation card and places it on the table, "we're sorry for everything," and she looked at to Lauren, "let's go?" and she saw her nod then wipe her tears away.
Then they stood and gave respect to the two and head out to leave.
Clara then followed and on the way out, she embraced Lauren and subtly slipped something in her back pocket and kissed her temple and nodded at Karla then walked away.
The driver is waiting for them and opened the back seat for them and then let them enter, he jogged towards the driver seat and hopped inside, "ready to go, Ms Karla, Ms Lauren?"
"Go, Ashton, we're going home."
"Copy, Ms Karla."
And Ashton stepped the gas pedal and leave the area up to the hangar where the private jet awaited for them.
Camila then looked at to Lauren, still wiping her tears so she took her hanky and handed it to Lauren, "I hate to see you cry."
Lauren accepted it and dried her tears away with Camila's hanky, "I'm sorry, it's foolish of me that they will accept us."
"There's nothing we can do about that and—we already expect that they will not do it."
"You're right."
"But you know what I saw, your mom slipped something at your back pocket."
"What?" and she saw Camila nodded so she reached her back pocket and felt something in there so she pulled it off, "how did you know?"
"She's not subtle to me it was like she was begging me to cover her, for her husband not to see her doing it, so I did pretended to move closer to you and she slipped it in, she was trying to hide it to your father."
Lauren opened the folded paper and found out that it was a letter from her mom, "a letter from my mom."
"Go, read it."
"Maybe later, on our flight back to LA."
"It's up to you."
"You know, it was really my father who kicked me out, mom was crying unable to do anything, Chris was stopping father from advancing towards me and Taylor—did nothing, just watch us."
"She's a delinquent one."
"She's a daddy's girl."
"I see."
"You didn't even flinch when father advance to you."
"As if I let him."
Lauren widened her eyes, "you really can take him?"
"If I want to, actually when I was 16, I throw a large man on the ground."
"No way."
"Even if you ask Mani, she even flinch, while Mami is so proud."
"Too bad, I didn't meet your mom personally, Ally is so fascinated towards her."
"I know that, when we're together in the classroom and saw a magazine in the club, it gives me goosebumps every time I saw her watching my Mami's picture and I just let her."
"She really meant to work in ETG, I remember when we receive the news from Justin that you got the highest percentage in your whole department and then we talk about you, being an owner, running a company, we all said that we love to work under you."
"Really...?"
"Yes and I always smile when that finally happened, we're working under you now."
"Isn't it amazing?"
"It really is."
On their flight back to LA, Lauren finally read the letter that her mom slipped in her back pocket while Camila is resting on her side while reading a magazine. The letter contains this:
Lauren,
I'm sorry for not protecting you when your father kicked you out of the house, I'm just thankful that Chris handled your father better than I do. Every night I cried myself to sleep worried about you and I'm glad that Chris noticed my sadness and promised me to keep an update of you and he did. When I heard from him that you pass the CPA exam I prepared a wonderful dinner unknown to your father and Taylor that I did it for you, congratulations on passing the CPA, I'm so proud of you. Then last night when Chris called me again, he said that you're coming with your fiancée and said that it was a woman, a wonderful woman he add that can surely take care of you, my heart felt joy because you found the one who will love you until the end because truthfully, I hated Brad and from his looks I know he only wants one thing so I prayed to the Gods that I hope he will give you a lovable human being, that you shared your happiness with and I'm glad, very happy that he answered my prayers. I'm sorry if I can't attend your wedding I just can't leave your father and Taylor because she still need my guidance and you know how she is, even Chris is giving up on her stubbornness that she surely got from his father. I wish you happiness and good luck, my baby girl, if Chris trusted your fiancée then I am too, he said that your fiancée is a good woman so there's no need for me to say anything about marriage life because I know you can handle it and your future wife together and there's your two great friends too, guiding you both, so there's no really need. You have my blessings. Congratulations on your upcoming wedding. I always love you, Lauren.
MOM,
Lauren cried after reading it and Camila pulled her from embrace letting her cry.
Camila let her fiancée cried until it subsides, she was just there caressing her back, listening to her cries.
"Love..."
"Mm?"
"Mom, she gives us her blessings."
Camila smiled and kissed her fiancée's temple, "that's really good to hear, if you have a time, talk to her, even just on the cellular, that'll be enough."
And Lauren nodded.
"I'm glad, so glad."
-----
Dinah and Normani got married after a long preparation and Dinah's parents are there too alongside with Normani's parents. Camila as Normani's best woman and Lauren as Dinah's best woman. This time though, Lauren finally caught the bouquet of Normani, blushing furiously when Camila looked at to her with wide smile.
"I guess, the tradition bouquet is really meant for you," Camila said when she and Lauren danced during the reception and they're embracing while they danced.
"Hm, guess so."
"Nope," and she pulled away and tap Lauren's nose, "that is meant for you."
"Okay."
And they both chuckled and returned from embracing each other, now both of them are closing their eyes savouring the moment.
"Let us remind you Camren that this is not your wedding day."
Camila knew that it was Dinah who said that, "see Cheechee, this is the reason why I don't want a double wedding with you," she replied still closing her eyes.
"Rude."
"DJ, don't ruin a Camren moment," Lauren added, like Camila her eyes are closed with a wide smile on her lips.
"Right," Taylor and Ariana agreed.
"Biggy, why don't you just copy Camren and savour this moment with your wife," Ally suggested.
"Yeah, Dinah, do it, don't mind Camren here, they're really having a moment," Justin agreed.
"As if they will leave each other," Ariana commented.
"Sshh..." Camila and Lauren said at the same time.
"See?" Ally said.
"They're right, babe, don't ruin it," Normani said pulling Dinah's face so she can rest her forehead to her wife, "focus on me, not on them."
"Gladly."
And after that day, it was time for Camren's wedding preparation and of course before that, Camila and Lauren make sure that they will not left a mountain of paper works of their co-worker. Camila to Ally temporarily which Normani will join after 1week of honeymoon and then Lauren to Vero.