As soon as Lauren stepped out of the cab, she found herself not recognizing her surroundings.
But, that was normal.
She had just gotten to Cuba to find more about her birthplace, with her family.
Her parents and siblings were already at the hotel, the woman arriving late because she had work.
But, she saw a bunch of children that were covered in filth, sitting on the streets.
She was ambushed by a group of them, feeling a little hand grasp her wallet from her back pocket.
"Hey!" She grabbed the tiny wrist, finding a little girl who couldn't be older than 4.
Her eyes were filled with fear when the Cuban yelled at her.
"Corre!" One of the little boys shouted at her and she tried to pull away, making the Cuban hold onto her a bit tighter.
Lauren squatted down to be her height, taking her wallet from that little hand.
The tiny girl had pale skin and bright green eyes, reminding the woman of herself.
"Por que?" She asked the toddler, making her sniffle and rub her eyes to rid them from tears.
"A-Ambwienta..." she mispronounced, but tried her best to say.
Luckily the Cuban understood the girl.
She was hungry.
Lauren released her little arm, opening up her wallet.
"tómalo y no lo compartas con nadie. tampoco le digas a nadie que lo tienes." She told the toddler, giving her 50 dollars worth of Cuban money.
She told the girl not to tell anyone she had the money and to not share with anyone.
The tiny girl nodded her head, being sent on her merry way.
But as soon as she was a safe distance away, the group of kids all ambushed her.
They pushed, shoved, hit, scratched, all to get the money in her tiny hands.
She was left on the street empty handed and with a few nasty bruises and cuts.
Lauren sighed, going over to her when the crowd had dispersed.
"vamos, no te quedas aquí." She told her, gesturing for her to take her hand.
She told her that she wouldn't let her stay here, deciding to take her with her.
The little girl sniffled, wiping the blood off of her cheek.
"W-Wo siento..." she apologized, whimpering and looking up at the woman with tears streaming down her face.
Lauren looked down at the tiny girl, wiping her tears away.
"No es tu culpa." It's not your fault, she told her.
She decided to lift the child up, holding her on her hip as she walked her way to the hotel.
When she got there, her family went silent when they saw the child.
Clara mumbled a soft, "Que Chula..."
Lauren took the child to the bathroom of the hotel, sitting her on the counter.
"Habla usted ingles?" She asked her, starting a bath for her.
She nodded her head, letting the woman undress her.
"What's your name, baby?" The older woman asked her, using English.
"No."
"You don't have a name?" She shook her head no.
Lauren sighed, washing her free from dirt, blood, and grime.
"Can I give you a name?" She nodded her head, looking up at the woman and waiting patiently.
Clara entered the bathroom, seeing the tiny girl in the tub.
"She speaks English and Spanish, mom." Lauren smiled, washing her long hair.
"Hmm, how about Y/N? It's something to get used to, but I think it'll suit you." She told the toddler, making her nod her head.
"Me Y/N." She stood on her legs when she was pulled up by her armpits, the woman helping her out of the tub.
She wrapped her in a towel, drying her as best as she could.
"You don't have any parent's sweetie? No mommy or daddy?" Clara asked her, making her shake her head no.
Her thumb was tucked firmly between her lips, the women not having the heart to disturb her.
She was now dressed in one of Lauren's shirts, Clara throwing away the little torn dress she had on before.
Y/N was now sat on one of the two beds in the room, eyes on her.
"Hi, little one." Taylor smiled at her, making her squirm and whine.
She didn't like the attention, getting up and going to the window to look outside.
"What's wrong with her, Lo?" Chris asked, looking to the tiny child in the corner.
"Nothings wrong with her Chris, she's just been alone for a long while. She has no one." Lauren squatted down beside her, catching her attention.
Her long dark hair fell to her calves in little waves, beautifully.
"Hi, Y/N. Are you okay, sweetheart?" She asked her, gently brushing through her long hair.
"Mhmm. Me hung'y." She told the Cuban, pointing to her stomach.
"Hungry, okay. Well, we can get you something to eat." Lauren braided that long, silky hair, putting it in two little French braids.
Clara was already calling room service, looking at the menu for anything the child could eat.
She settled with the kids order of chicken tenders and fries, along with a chocolate milk.
Y/N was so very tiny, unable to climb onto the bed on her own.
She tried her very hardest, panting and growing tired almost immediately.
Since she didn't have a sufficient amount of nutrients in her body, she didn't have much energy.
"Here, baby. I've got you." Taylor lifted her up with ease, feeling her little ribs.
Y/N ran to hide the second a knock came to the door, hiding in the closet.
"Y/N, baby. It's okay, it's just your food." Lauren sighed, going over and seeing those tiny feet peaking out from the clothes.
Clara got the food, setting it out on the table for the little girl.
The tiny girl whimpered, sniffling and rubbing at her eyes when Lauren pushed the clothes away from her.
"What's wrong, sweet girl? Come here." She hesitated, making Lauren reach out for her.
Y/N finally leant into her arms, letting her lift her up.
"Y/N/N, baby there's nothing to be afraid of." The woman tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear.
"Chawks." She sniffled.
"Sharks? What do you mean, baby?" Lauren chuckled, setting her on the chair at the table.
"Chawks." She repeated herself.
"Baby, I don't understand. Can you explain to me what that means?"
Y/N thought for a moment, thumb between her lips as she tried to find the words to say.
"Chawk take Y/N 'way. Eat Y/N."
"Y/N/N, no one's going to eat you." Chris chuckled, taking one of her French fries.
"Uh huh." She whined, making him shake his head.
"Nuh Uh. You wouldn't taste very good." He cringed, making her giggle at his funny face.
"No chawk?"
"No sharks." Lauren nodded her head, making the little girl nod as well.
She was a little too preoccupied with tearing up the chicken tenders enough for the girl to eat.
Little hands grasped a piece, bringing it to her lips. Her eyes lit up, hands grasping more almost immediately.
"No, baby. Slow, eat slow. Your tummy will hurt." Lauren told the little one, making her whine and fuss.
Clearly, Y/N hadn't ever seen so much food before, growing excited and possessive over it. She was so used to fighting for food out on the streets.
"I found it! Y/N must be a stray!" Taylor exclaimed after researching on her laptop.
"What?" Lauren looked over.
"A stray. A stray is a child that was once abducted or taken away from a family by the cartel, rich, etc, to be used for their assets. A stray escaped or was released from where they were taken and went on to blend in with the people on the streets. In Y/N's case, the children of Miss Kelly's home for children." The girl explained, showing Lauren the many articles on it.
Lauren's heart broke when she saw words like Sex Slave, Torture, and even Abuse centered around it.
"Y/N, baby... the sharks, did they take you before?" The little girl looked up, nodding her head.
"Chawk take, Chawk bite." She showed her wrist, showing the woman the barcode there.
"Told you." Taylor spoke.
Y/N didn't really mind Chris taking some of her French fries, used to hands taking from the food she had.
"We have to call the police." Mike grabbed his phone.
"Dad, it's late. We should let her rest, we can call them in the morning." Lauren sighed, noticing how the girl was falling asleep just sitting there.
She had a handful of food in her hand, pressed against her lips.
"Shh, Y/N/N. Come on, baby. It's time for bed." The woman cleaned her little hands, wiping her face clean.
She put that unopened chocolate milk in the fridge before taking the girl to the bed.
She tucked her in, getting in beside her.
"Okay, fine." Mike sighed, seeing the beautiful child.
Lauren woke up to a little hand on her face, opening her eyes to find that little girl fast asleep against her.
Y/N's little face was pressed against her cheek, her hand against the woman's other cheek.
The woman smiled, hearing the soft and steady breaths that left her little sleeping form.
She shut her eyes and went back to sleep.
This time, Lauren woke up to silky, dark hair in her face.
Clearly, those little braids didn't hold within the night, those beautiful waves free from their confines.
She gently pushed the hair away, finding the beautiful child awake and tracing shapes on the pillow.
Her thumb of her free hand was tucked between her lips, eyes focused on the silky pillow.
"Hi, sweet girl." Lauren rasped out, making those beautiful eyes find her face.
"How did you sleep, hmm?" She tucked her hair behind her ear.
Y/N just turned and laid against the woman's chest, thumb still not moving from where it was between her lips.
Lauren heard her soft suckles, sighing softly and rubbing her back.
"Morning, I made some coffee." Clara patted the mattress, making Y/N look up.
"Your father is talking with the police outside." Lauren looked through the window, finding her father talking with two policemen.
"Come on, baby. Why don't you go wake up Chris and Taylor?" Y/N whined, stretching and bringing her thumb back to her lips.
Clara chuckled at her behavior, gently pulling it away.
"You're a big girl, Y/N/N. Big girls don't suck their thumb."
"Aww, mom. Leave her be, she's comfortable." Lauren rubbed the child's back.
Y/N only fussed and brought her thumb back to her mouth. She tugged her blanket with her, little feet pitter-pattering against the floor as she pulled at Chris's ankles.
The man groaned, feeling little hands on his feet.
Y/N only whined back, pulling with all of her might.
When that didn't work, she grabbed ahold of his blanket and pulled on that.
"Y/NNN...." He groaned, yawning and opening his eyes.
The little girl tumbled to the ground with a thud when she finally got the blanket off of him.
Lauren laughed at this, "oh, baby are you okay?"
Clara went to the child, finding her under the blanket.
Y/N was blushing, a smile behind her thumb.
"She's fine, she's blushing!" Clara chuckled, uncovering the child, making her laugh.
The little girl let out the cutest of laughs, making Taylor wake up.
Chris smiled, hearing that contagious laughter.
Lauren chuckled at this, lifting her up and sitting her on her lap.
"Look at that smile." She stroked her smooth cheek, redoing her hair.
Mike came upstairs with one of the police.
She wasn't dressed in uniform, not wanting to scare the child.
Instead, she wore a plain shirt and some jeans.
"Hi, sweetheart. I'm Camila, can I ask you a few questions?" The girl looked to Lauren, tugging her with her.
"Yes, yes. She can come too." The nice police woman nodded.
Lauren was quick to get dressed in the bathroom, fixing her hair a bit before lifting Y/N and bringing her outside.
"Okay, honey. What's your name?"
"She didn't have one, so we decided to name her." Lauren spoke when the tiny girl only turned her back to the police officer and turned more into her.
"And that is?"
"Y/N." The woman nodded and wrote that down.
"Any guesses on her age?"
"I'd say around four? Does that sound right, baby? How old are you?" She asked the toddler, making her look up in confusion.
"She has no clue, either." The woman chuckled.
"Y/N, sweetheart. Do you remember when the people took you?"
"Chawks?"
"Right, yes. The sharks." Camila corrected herself for the child.
The girl shook her head no.
"Do you remember what any of the sharks looked like? Any names?"
"Mitew B'ad, Mitew Matt." She nodded.
"Big Chawks. Wots guppies." She pointed to herself.
"And that's what you are? You're a guppy?" The little girl nodded her head, thumb tucked between her lips.
Camila was writing this all down, especially the names.
Brad and Matt.
"Thank you, sweetheart. You've been so very brave. I have something for you." The brunette smiled, reaching into her bag and taking out a stuffed fish.
It was Nemo, the girl's eyes glistening with astonishment.
"Mines?"
"Yes, baby. It's for you." Lauren smiled, gently nudging her to grab it.
Tiny hands took the stuffed animal that made her look even tinier.
"I think your parents decided that you'd be best adopting Y/N?"
"Yes, we spoke about it last night." Lauren smiled, watching the policewoman take out the papers.
Without a birth certificate, they had to make do with Y/N's new name, and inferred birthdate.
Y/N didn't want to let go of Lauren, arms still wrapped around her neck.
Her Nemo was tucked under her arm, thumb still between her lips.
"Thank you, Miss Lauren."
"No, thank you, Officer. This really means a lot, especially to Y/N." The woman smiled, looking down at the tiny girl who was snuggling into her.
"Alright, I'll keep you updated as best as I can. In the meantime, we'll have a doctor check up on her as soon as you return to Miami."
"Great, thank you." Lauren bid the woman farewell, bringing Y/N back inside the hotel.
The little girl was playing with her stuffed animal, letting Taylor dress her in the clothes she had just bought for her.
"Oh, baby! You look so cute!" Lauren gushed, adjusting her little overalls.
"Nana." The tiny girl pointed to Taylor.
"That's my name? I'm Nana?" Y/N nodded her head, a brand new pacifier between her lips.
Lauren chuckled at her cuteness, fixing her pull-up from underneath her overalls.
The toddler let her do as she pleased, the woman releasing her with a gentle pat to the bottom.
Y/N played with her Nemo stuffed animal, her grandma grasping her little hand to tug her along.
Everyone was ready to go, all of them going to see the preparations for the Fire Festival tonight.
Y/N was holding her grandma's hand, walking with her to the car.
When inside, she was buckled into her brand new car seat.
"You okay, baby?" Lauren held that little hand, knowing well that this was the first time the toddler had been in a car.
"Ahh! Ahh!" She cried, squirming and kicking.
She pulled at the straps of her car seat, tears streaming down her face.
"Y/N, baby. Hey, shh. You're okay, look at me. Look at Mommy." Lauren cupped that little cheek.
"Baby, baby. Shh, look at me." She looked into those teary green eyes.
"It's just a ride, baby. A rollercoaster, don't you like rollercoasters?" She asked the toddler, wiping away her tears.
"W-Wide..." she sniffled.
"Yes, baby girl. It's just a ride, look." Those eyes looked out the window and at the passing trees.
"There's nothing to be afraid of, Y/N/N." Chris spoke from the third row of seats in the van.
"Kiss." She mispronounced his name, making him chuckle and reach his hand out to her.
She held it when she saw it, playing with his rings.
Taylor was on the other side of her car seat, looking through her little diaper bag for her stuffed animal.
She retrieved it, setting it into those little hands.
"Why don't you have a little nap, hmm?" She pressed that familiar pacifier to her little lips.
Y/N almost instantly accepted it, suckling softly and laying her head back.
"K." She nodded, letting her Mommy cover her with her Finding Nemo blanket.
Those little eyes drooped shut, lips still gently suckling on her pacifier.
"And she's out." Lauren chuckled, making Clara look back from the passenger's seat.
"Oh, que chula bebita." She pouted, gently rubbing that little knee.
"God, she reminds me of you, Lauren." The green eyed woman smiled at this, kissing her daughter's forehead.
They arrived in downtown Cuba, Lauren taking out her little girl's stroller and fixing it up before unbuckling her and laying her in it.
The toddler whined, arms being maneuvered around so that she was strapped in.
"Shh, Shh, my love. Sleep, baby. We're going on another ride." Y/N rubbed her eyes, bringing her blanket over her face to block the sun.
Lauren pulled the visor of the stroller down, making sure the toddler was shielded from the hot sun.
"Sunscreen?" Taylor pulled the baby sunscreen out from the diaper bag.
"Yes, thank you." The woman took it, smearing some on the little girl's exposed arms and legs.
Y/N whined more, making her mother chuckle and kiss her little pacifier.
"Shh, okay. I'm done." The woman pulled away, covering her back up with her blanket.
The toddler sighed out, suckling on her pacifier and falling back to sleep.
Lauren pushed the stroller along the streets of Cuba, seeing everyone setting up for the beautiful fire festival.
There were firework venders everywhere, Y/N clearly very used to them.
Children popped fireworks along the streets, the toddler not even flinching when she heard them.
Her eyes just fluttered open to see the pretty lights.
"She's awake, Lo." Chris noted, looking to his little niece who was watching the fireworks.
"Y/N/N, baby do you want to walk with Mommy?" Lauren pushed the visor down, making the girl look up at her.
"Up." She nodded, making her mother unbuckle her and fold up the stroller to put in her backpack.
Y/N held onto her Nemo in her left hand, her right one holding her Mommy's.
Clara and Mike couldn't help but take photos of the two, the toddler looking so much like baby Lauren.
Suddenly the little girl stopped walking completely, eyes staring at someone.
"Baby, come on. We're going to lose Grandma and Grandpa."
"Chawks."
"Where?" Lauren felt the seriousness of the matter.
"Don't point. Just tell me where." The little girl wasn't looking over, following her mother's directions.
"Fiwe stand."
Lauren glanced over at the firework stand, finding two men who were clearly watching the children like hawks.
"Okay, go with Nana." The toddler nodded, running and grabbing her Tia's hand.
Taylor looked down, then to her sister who was a few paces behind her.
"Chawks." With just that word, the woman knew what was going on.
Lauren was phoning the police, watching those men who were making their move.
One snatched a little boy, the other covering for the other man.
"They're here, Camila. The firework festival and they've just grabbed a little boy." Lauren rushed the words out when the woman answered.
"Shit! Okay, look for security! I'm on my way! What street?!"
"Rosa street."
"Okay, I won't be five minutes. Is Y/N okay?"
"She's fine, she's with my family." Lauren replied, approaching security.
The policeman ran over when he heard what was going on, following after those two men.
Camila showed up not much after that, helping them detain the two.
Y/N didn't know what was happening, too busy with her Grandma and Grandpa who were letting her feed the ducks in the pond.
The little girl giggled, sitting criss cross on the dock and sprinkling some fish food into the water.
Large koi fish came up, eating the food with the ducks.
"Fichies! Fichies!" She pointed, eyes lit up with joy.
Lauren returned with Camila, hearing that little voice.
"Mommy! Fichies!" She pointed for her, making the woman smile.
"You made some friends, didn't you?" She chuckled, squatting down to be her baby's height.
Y/N sprinkled more of the food into the water, watching the ducks come over.
"Fwiens." She nodded, letting her mother clean her hands when she was done.
"I'm glad to see that everything's alright here." Camila smiled.
"Thank you again, Camila."
"No, thank you. If you hadn't seen them, we wouldn't have had them in custody. Odds are, more children would've gone missing." She smiled, playing with the little girl's beautiful braids.
"Tay?"
"Stay? Honey, I have to go back to work. I have to make sure no more bad people hurt anyone."
"Ohh." The little girl understood, nodding her head.
"You stay close to your Mommy, okay? Don't wander off on your own." The toddler nodded her head, giggling when the brunette gently squished her cheek.
"If you ever need me, I'm just a call away." She gave Lauren a soft smile before leaving.
The young mother held her little girl's hand as she walked behind her family down the streets of Cuba.
They saw so many beautiful things.
Statues, art, history.
Y/N was from here, she was used to all of this.
She saw it everyday.
"Mommy, thewe."
"You want to go there?" Lauren asked, not seeing any signs to tell them where it led.
"Mhmm, animamals." She mispronounced, making her family chuckle.
"There, look. Petting zoo." Taylor pointed at the sign she saw.
Lauren smiled, bringing her little girl over to the animals.
There were pens with horses, sheep, goats, llamas, alpacas, tortoises, and so many more animals.
The little girl got on her tippy toes, trying to see over the fence. But even then, she couldn't even reach.
"I've got you, squirt." Chris lifted her up, standing her on the fence and holding her.
She gasped, finding beautiful puppies that were nursing from their mother.
A sign on the gate said, "para adopción," meaning "for adoption."
"You can come in, sweetie." The nice woman spoke, opening the gate.
She surprisingly spoke perfect English.
Y/N slowly walked in, not wanting to scare the beautiful creatures.
"Smaw." She pointed at the littlest puppy that seemed to be having a hard time finding its mother. It's siblings pushed it away, taking up all of the mother dog's nipples.
"He's very small, isn't he? He's what we call a runt. Can you say runt?"
"Wunt." The toddler repeated, letting her mother take her pacifier.
"Smaw ike mwe, Mommy. Me wunt?" She looked up at her mother.
"No, baby. You're not a runt, people can't be runts." Lauren answered, leaning on the gate and watching her baby girl.
Y/N sat down, watching over the runt.
"Name?"
"He doesn't have one yet, sweetie."
"No name, Mommy. Ike mwe." She looked up at her mother with those eyes, those eyes that now held a look that none of the Jauregui's had seen them have before.
Y/N related to this animal, she already had an attachment to it.
"Y/N, Uhmm... she didn't have a name when we adopted her. She was all alone." Lauren told the young woman who looked up at her with inquiry.
The woman understood completely, heart breaking at the thought.
"I'll tell you what, sweetie." She squatted down to be the girl's height.
"If you can lift him up, you can take him with you."
Those little eyes lit up with joy.
"Mommy pease?!" She looked up at her mother.
"Go ahead, baby." Lauren smiled.
Those little arms wrapped around the puppy, the girl lifting it up with all she had.
It was clearly an Australian Shepherd breed, making the puppy a bit on the bigger side.
But Y/N didn't care, she held him up and hugged him.
"Love you." She mumbled, burying her face into his fur.
"What's his name, baby?" Clara asked, stroking the puppy's soft fur.
"Guppy." She nodded, looking down at the puppy that had yet to open his eyes.
The pup was only the size of Lauren's two hands, but to the child, he was the size of her torso.
"Okay, baby. Look, she's gonna teach you how to feed him." Clara patted her bottom to get her to pay attention.
"This is just his formula. Mom, you're gonna need to help her with this."
"I kinda expected that." Lauren chuckled.
"He gets a bottle three times a day. It's easier to feed him when you have a meal. So, breakfast, lunch, and dinner." She explained, making his bottle.
"It's just two scoops into the water that's filled to this line." She pointed.
"Then, just shake it up and it's ready." She smiled, helping the toddler get in a better position to feed him.
The little girl sat on her bottom, Guppy on her lap as he drank his bottle.
"I'm glad he's going to a good home. He wouldn't make it another week here." The woman sighed.
"What do you mean?" Chris asked, leaning on the gate and petting the puppy.
"His mother has already left him on his own. She doesn't even try to feed him and his siblings just push him around."
"Ike Guppies." Y/N nodded, looking down at the puppy.
"Come on, baby. We have to get some food in your belly too." Lauren patted her daughter, making her giggle.
"Thank you so much..."
"Ally, Ally Brooke. I'm a transfer from California, if you can't already tell." She chuckled.
"I hope everything works out for this little one." She pushed Y/N's hair away from her face.
"Thank you."
Y/N never once set Guppy down, being pushed in her stroller with the puppy on her chest.
The pup was under her blanket as he finished his bottle and fell asleep.
"Mommy he seep." The girl giggled.
Lauren smiled, glancing down to find her baby girl's eyes still concentrated on that beautiful puppy.
They went to a beautiful outdoor food truck area, Lauren staying with her daughter at their table, while her family all went to order their food.
Mike returned with Y/N and Lauren's food, the mother unbuckling her daughter and lifting her and the puppy.
The little girl was now sat on her mother's lap, her puppy still in her arms.
"Why don't you set him down to see if he has to go potty, baby." The little girl nodded, being set on her little feet and setting out a puppy pad for the little fluff ball.
She laid him on it, watching over him.
"Here, clean your hands." Lauren wiped her little hands with a wipe before sanitizing them with some hand sanitizer.
The family all gathered at the table, Y/N being fed her lunch while simultaneously watching her puppy.
"Mommy, he went!" Lauren chuckled at this.
"Shh, that's not something to shout, baby. Especially not here."
The little girl blushed, pale face turning red as she covered her lips.
"Sowwy." Her family laughed at this.
"You done with your food?" The little girl nodded her head, taking her sippy cup of chocolate milk with her as she climbed down off of the picnic table.
She sat down, lifting the puppy up and taking him off of the puppy pad.
She then proceeded to throw it away, letting her Mommy sanitize her hands again before she scooped the puppy up.
She held him close, kissing his head.
"Love Guppy." She mumbled, making her family all aww at her cuteness.
The little girl waited patiently for her family to finish their lunch, taking a drink from her sippy cup.
"Y/N, mija why don't you go play?" Clara pointed to the little park.
"No wan. Wan Guppy." She responded with, looking at the little creature on her lap.
The family picked up after themselves, Y/N walking beside her mother as they continued their journey down town.
The little girl began to get tired, slowing down and rubbing her eye with her fist.
"Y/N/N, baby come on." Lauren gently pulled her arm, sighing when she saw her practically dragging her feet.
"Okay, my girl. Up we go." She lifted her up, feeling her immediately snuggling close.
Guppy even nuzzled into her, gently licking the little girl's face.
"Guppy." She whined softly, turning away from him and holding him so that his face was to her neck.
"Everything okay? Do you need the stroller?" Taylor asked when her sister finally caught up to them.
"Yeah, Y/N/N needs a nap." The little girl whined when her mother pressed her hand to her wet pull-up.
"And a change." The mother sighed.
"Okay, bathroom break everyone. Meet back here as soon as possible." Mike announced to the family of six.
Lauren took her little girl to the bathroom, Clara holding the puppy outside while the young mother changed her sleepy daughter.
The woman laid Y/N on the freshly sanitized changing table, undoing the snaps of her overalls.
"Aye, Y/N/N. You have to tell Mommy when you have to go potty." She sighed, watching the toddler who was still drinking her chocolate milk from earlier.
"That's probably why you had to go so bad, baby. No more." She took her sippy cup, setting it down before taking the soiled pull-up off of her.
Y/N whined, kicking her feet.
"Mama, miwk."
"No, baby. No more." She told her, wiping her down with some wipes before getting her in a fresh pull-up.
"You have to tell me when you have to go potty, okay? I don't want to have to change you again. You're a big girl, remember?" She looked at the toddler who was now suckling on her pacifier.
"Gosh, why are you so darn cute? I can never be mad at you." She pouted, squishing her baby's cheeks.
The little girl giggled around her pacifier, letting her Mommy lift her up to fix her overalls.
"Oh que linda!" An older woman gushed when she walked into the bathroom and saw the beautiful child.
"ella es tuya?" She asked, in awe of the little girl's beauty.
"Si." Lauren smiled, setting her baby girl onto her feet.
She was so very small, not even reaching Lauren's knee in height.
"ella se parece a su madre." The woman smiled, pointing to Lauren.
She told the woman, "she takes after her mother."
"Aww, gracias. Muchos Gracias." Lauren smiled, bringing her daughter to the sink to wash their hands.
The older woman left them be, the mother throwing away the pull-up.
"Mommy, me pwetty?"
"Yes, baby. You're very pretty." Lauren smiled when she heard that little voice, helping her baby wash her hands.
Y/N practically ran out of the bathroom when she saw her grandma with Guppy.
The puppy was on a fresh puppy pad, the older woman smiling when her granddaughter ran over.
The little girl tripped over her shoelaces, stumbling and being caught in the arms of Clara.
"Oh, baby! Be careful!" She exclaimed, seeing the hole made by the concrete on the little girl's knee.
Blood began to coat her skin, the toddler bursting into a fit of tears.
"Oh, shh. Shh, no llores, bebita." She told the little one, picking up her pant leg and rolling it up to make sure the blood didn't stain her pants.
"No llores." Clara wiped her face with her sleeve, making her sniffle.
"You're fine, baby. You're fine." She told her, sitting her down and taking out the first aid kit.
"Me fines." The toddler repeated, sniffling and rubbing her face.
Lauren rushed over when she heard the cry of her little girl, squatting down to see the blood dripping down her leg.
"No, Lauren. Don't baby her, she's fine." Clara reminded her daughter, knowing that she was about to burst into a fit of tears, herself.
But the toddler needed to learn that life was filled with bumps and bruises. That a little scrape wasn't the end of the world.
"She's a little girl, she's meant to get hurt once in a while. We have to get used to that." Lauren nodded, forcing her tears away when she saw Y/N calm.
The toddler was sitting, sniffling and watching her grandmother as she opened up the first aid kit.
Lauren tied the little shoelaces on her red high top converse.
"Owwie!" Her bottom lip trembled when her grandma wiped her wound with an alcohol pad.
"Shh, Shh, baby. You're fine, you're fine." She blew on the girl's knee, helping the alcohol dry and for the burning to stop.
Tears fell down her little face, Lauren wiping them away.
"All done, there. See, no more Owwies." Clara kissed the little unicorn bandaid on the girl's knee.
"Here, blow." She wiped the little one's nose, wiping her tears away.
"No mowe owwie?"
"No more owwie." Lauren nodded, kissing her daughter's cheek.
The little girl rubbed her face, hopping off of the chair and going to Guppy.
The puppy squirmed, crawling to her when he smelt her.
Lauren threw away the puppy pad, watching her daughter as she held the puppy and climbed into her stroller.
The woman buckled her in, pushing the visor down and covering her with her blanket.
Y/N was fast asleep the second she looked back, making the mother smile.
"Thanks, mom."
"Always, mija. I raised two little girls, remember?" Clara teased, putting away the first aid kit and getting ready to go on with their journey.
"Right." The woman smiled, pushing the stroller.
They arrived at the center of Cuba, the heart of the festival.
The sun was just beginning to set, Y/N waking up to hear music and people singing.
She rubbed her face with her blanket, sitting up and looking around.
"Mama." She pointed at the fire dancers.
"Hey, baby. You're awake, do you want out?" The toddler nodded her head, letting her mother unbuckle her and carry her.
The little girl watched, eyes trained on the beautiful dancers that danced with rings of fire.
"They're pretty, huh?" Lauren chuckled, making her baby girl nod her head.
"Pwetty." She confirmed.
One came up close, smiling at the little girl.
Y/N gasped, face turning bright red when the woman tucked a hibiscus flower behind her ear.
Her family laughed at her reaction, "guess we have another girl lover." Chris teased.
"Leave her be, she's a baby." Lauren chuckled.
"Me big guwl." The toddler reminded her mother.
"Right, a big girl."
Y/N held her puppy close, putting him in the front pocket of her overalls. He fit perfectly, paws on her chest and tail tucked securely in her pocket.
He felt warm, coddled, safe.
The family gathered at a restaurant to have their dinner, the little girl being helped to make a bottle for Guppy.
Lauren made sure she didn't make a mess, shaking up the bottle for the puppy who immediately began to drink.
Y/N sat on her Mommy's lap, feeding the little furry puppy.
Lauren took her time cutting up the little girl's food, feeling her begin to squirm when she drank almost half of her water.
"Baby, come on. I think you have to go potty." The woman laid the puppy in the stroller, making the little girl whine.
"Mommy!" She pouted, crossing her arms over her chest.
Lauren couldn't help but find that adorable, "are you giving me attitude?" She questioned, very surprised that the little girl found her voice.
"Come on-"
"No, Mommy- Owwie!" She pouted more when she felt a swat come to her bottom.
"Behave." Clara gave her a look, the same look that said, "I dare you, little girl."
Y/N huffed, her attitude faltering when she felt the pain of her tiny bladder.
"Mommy, go now!" She nodded, legs twisting and hands holding her overalls.
"Okay, okay. Come on, hurry." Lauren picked her up, almost sprinting to the bathroom with the little girl.
But just her luck, it was occupied.
"Baby, I'm sorry. We have to wait, can you hold it?" She looked down at the little girl.
"Mommy! Can't howd! Can't howd!" A man came out of the men's bathroom, seeing them.
"vete, date prisa! ¡Me quedo y miro!" He opened the door for them.
"Muchos Gracias!" Lauren exclaimed, bringing her little girl inside the bathroom.
Luckily, it was very clean and tidy.
She locked the door, rushing to get those overalls off of her baby girl.
She sat her on the toilet just in time for the girl to release her bladder.
The toddler let out a relieved sigh, "good girl, baby. I'm so proud of you!" Lauren smiled, helping her baby wipe herself when she was finished.
"Me no wike howd, Mama."
"I know, baby. But you did it, you used the big girl potty." She lifted her off of the toilet, fixing her pull-up and overalls.
"Come on, let's wash our hands." She told her after flushing the toilet.
"Me do it. Me big." The little one spoke, making her mother smile.
"You are big."
The two left the bathroom, Lauren finding that man still there.
"Gracias, ella tuvo que irse." The woman chuckled, looking down at her little girl.
"De nada, yo tambien tengo uno chiquito." He smiled, gesturing to where his family was.
"You're welcome, I have a little one too."
Lauren saw a little girl that was around the same age as Y/N. She smiled, bringing her baby girl back to the table.
"Me went big guwl 'otty!" She exclaimed when she got to the table, making her family cheer.
"Good girl, baby!" Clara smiled, patting her bottom and helping her into Lauren's lap.
Y/N happily ate her food, simultaneously feeding the puppy his bottle.
After dinner, the little girl was watching the firework show with Guppy in her arms. She was sat with her Mommy on a bench while her Grandpa went to grab the car.
Taylor and Chris sat beside them, Clara standing near the stroller.
Guppy was back in the front pocket of her overalls, sleeping peacefully and used to the racket by now.
Y/N hadn't seen the fireworks this close up before, eyes staring up at the sky. Lauren was pretty sure that if her daughter didn't look down now, her neck would get stuck.
The woman smiled down at her baby, seeing herself in those little green eyes.
Y/N had been through so much, yet she was open to love again. She was open to her family.
Lauren remembered that when things got tough, she hardened her heart. She could learn a few things from her baby.
Now safe and in the car back to the hotel, the family was exhausted.
Especially little Y/N. She was fast asleep, even if she already had two naps today. Her little body was exhausted from all of the walking of their adventure.
Tomorrow they would hike the trail of Vinales mountain.
Y/N was out as soon as she was bathed, her mother not even able to get her to wake up to dress her. Nope, the toddler was out.
Lauren chuckled, laying the sleeping child down before she went for a shower, herself.
The family was taking turns showering, Chris watching tv since he was last.
When the young mother returned, she had to physically move her baby who was practically taking up the entire bed.
Lauren packed water, snacks, food, sunscreen, everything she, her baby, and Guppy needed for the trip.
This was their last day and they would leave that evening.
Y/N's stroller was packed in Taylor's bag, Lauren reminding her daughter to go potty before they got in the car.
But guess what, "didnt hafta go den, Mama!" She whined as Mike stopped by the store so that Y/N could go potty.
Luckily, they needed some things, anyway.
Clara got the necessities:more water, more snacks and food, a leash and a harness for the puppy.
Mike busied himself with grabbing a child fishing pole to teach his granddaughter to fish.
He didn't realize how much he loved that little girl until he caught himself buying her a little unicorn life vest for their canoe ride.
He smiled at himself, feeling little arms wrap around his leg.
"Papa, wen potty." She showed him her wet hands, making him chuckle.
"You did, huh? How about we get you a little snack before we go? Come on, you can pick."
"Weawy?! Me?!" He laughed at this.
"Yes, you." He put her in the cart, seeing Lauren looking in the kids isle.
She must've seen Y/N go to Mike.
When they all gathered at the register, the little girl was holding her little bag of goldfish.
She held her puppy in her arms, taking him from her grandma who had been looking for stuff for him.
She also got him a carrier for their trip home.
The little girl let her Papa take her snack and put it with their items as they paid.
"Guppy." She smiled, kissing her puppy and holding him like a baby.
The little pup's tail wagged, eyes opening for the first time.
He looked around, Y/N squealing and kicking her feet.
One of his eyes was bright blue and the other was green.
Lauren took a picture of her baby, smiling and pushing the cart to the car.
Everyone unloaded their things, the young mother getting her daughter into her car seat.
"Mommy! He look!"
"Yes, baby. He can see you now." She chuckled at her baby's excitement.
Now, they were off to the trails.
Mike parked, everyone getting down and filling their bags with the things they needed.
Y/N was holding onto Guppy's leash, the puppy gently tugging her along.
He sniffed her shoes, making her giggle.
The pup chewed on her shoelaces, the little girl tugging him along.
She had a fistful of cupcake goldfish, eating them as her mother put sunscreen on her.
Then, they started their hike.
The little girl happily followed with Guppy on the leash, her mother right behind her to make sure she was fine.
"Mommy! Mommy!" The woman smiled, finding her daughter so very excited to be outdoors and exploring new things.
Y/N stopped every time Guppy wanted to sniff something, her mother patiently waiting for her.
But, half way up, the toddler began to get sluggish and tired.
Lauren noticed it almost as soon as it started, calling her younger sister who got that stroller out.
The little girl ran over, pulling Guppy onto her lap as she was strapped in.
"You okay, Baby girl?" The woman asked, making her nod and stick a goldfish into her mouth.
Lauren chuckled, rolling her eyes at her baby and pushing her along the trail.
It took a good 3 hours, but finally they were at the canoe crossing.
Clara helped Lauren with the toddler, Mike securing that life vest on her.
"Keep this on, okay? It's to keep you safe." He spoke, tightening the straps to fit her tiny frame.
"K, Papa." She nodded, giggling when he adjusted her little hat on her head.
Lauren couldn't help but take a few photos of her, finding her looking so incredibly adorable.
Y/N was settled in the middle of the canoe, Chris and Taylor in one of their own, while Mike, Clara, and Lauren had Y/N in the second one.
The little girl was sat on her mother's lap, her grandpa showing her how to use her little fishing rod when the got further out.
Her little hands fiddled with it before she realized just how to use it.
Mike, Chris, Taylor, and Y/N were all fishing.
But that little girl just so happened to be the first one to actually catch a fish.
"Papa! Papa!" She exclaimed, giving him the rod.
He laughed at this, taking it and reeling it in.
He pulled it up, finding a little baby snook fish.
Chris laughed, taking a photo of the girl with his disposable camera.
"Chris you're gonna- Chris!!" Taylor exclaimed when the boy had managed to lean to much and tip their canoe over.
Everyone was laughing, even little Y/N.
Guppy was barking along, everyone finally reaching the other side of the water.
Chris and Taylor wrung out their clothes, thankful that they had give their backpacks to their parents.
"Looks like we got two wet monkeys."
Y/N laughed at her Papa's joke, giggling.
The man smiled, patting her head.
They started their walk, finally reaching the top of the mountain.
It was so beautiful, the family taking hundreds of pictures. Y/N was with her Guppy, holding him and showing him the view.
They could see the ocean, the fields of flowers, everything.
Lauren took a long inhale of the salty air, finally realizing why she arranged this trip. To become closer to herself.
And she did. She found where she came from, where Y/N came from, she found much more than she came for.
She found her baby girl, a daughter. A daughter that made her rethink her life.
Lauren had always thought that she just wasn't ready for kids, she kept pushing it off again and again.
She would miss her chance and forget all about it until it was too late and she grew too old. She feared she'd put her occupation first and be too blinded by that to notice time flying by.
The little girl was leaning on the fence, watching the beautiful birds and butterflies fly by.
Guppy was tucked under her arm, chewing the sleeve of her shirt.
When the sun began to go down, the little girl was being taken back on the canoe to begin their journey back to the hotel.
Y/N surprisingly made it to the car before falling asleep, Lauren knowing well that she must've been exhausted.
But she also knew that the trip down was much easier than the trip up the mountain.
The little girl was soon in the hotel, laying in bed and sleeping while her family all gathered their luggage for their flight back to Miami.
The child slept all the way until they were on the plane, eyes opening up when she heard noises.
Guppy was in his carrier, his body that was in her arms, now replaced with her Nemo stuffie.
"Mama..." she mumbled, rubbing her eyes and looking up at her mother that was holding her on her lap.
"Shh, baby. We're going home."
"Whewe home?"
"Miami, Florida. That's where our home is." The woman tucked that beautiful dark hair away from her face.
Y/N stuck her thumb in her mouth, her Tia replacing it with her pacifier.
Taylor sat beside them, Guppy's carrier taking up the middle seat, while Y/N and Lauren were at the window.
"We're going to take off, baby. I want you to hold my hand if you get scared, okay?" The toddler nodded her head, suckling on her pacifier and grasping her Mommy's hand the second she felt the movement and saw them ascending.
"It's just a ride, baby. Like a roller coaster." Lauren reminded her when she heard the tiniest of whimpers leaving her lips.
The toddler buried her face into her mother's chest, not wanting to look any longer.
"Shh, get some rest. I'll wake you when we get there."
Y/N didn't wake until her Mommy gently shook her.
Lauren showed her inside her beach house, "this is Mommy's house. Your home. This is your room." She showed the little girl her room.
"I know it may not look like much, but we can always fix it up for you."
The toddler found herself not wanting to sleep alone.
She didn't let go of her mommy, not even when Lauren tried to lay her on the bed.
"Nwo!" She cried, tears in her eyes.
"Okay, okay. You and Guppy can sleep with Mommy." The woman sighed, bringing her daughter and the carrier to her bedroom.
"Gam an' Papa?"
"Gam and Papa are at their house, with Nana and Chris." The toddler nodded at her mother's words and relaxed against the bed when she smelt her Mommy's scent.
She snuggled into the covers, smiling when Guppy ran and jumped onto the bed as soon as his carrier was opened.
"Guppy." She yawned out, making her mother smile.
"Yes, baby. Guppy can sleep with us." She smiled, taking her daughter's hair out of its braids.
She knew they'd fall out by morning.
Those beautiful waves fell all the way to the child's calves, her mother tying it in a little ponytail.
Y/N rubbed her eyes, suckling on her pacifier and curling into her Mommy when she laid with her.
"Goodnight, baby girl."
"Ni Ni." She lisped around her pacifier, eyes already shutting.
By morning there was paparazzi photos all over the internet, fans gushing and questioning who that little girl was.
But Lauren was smart. She covered her daughter's face and didn't let anyone see her.
She wanted the child to be shielded from the media, free from it.
So, all of her windows stayed covered with curtains and Y/N wasn't allowed in the front yard.
Luckily, the backyard was heavily gated and filled with greenery to keep anyone from seeing into it.
The toddler was fussy this morning and Lauren had no idea why.
She refused her breakfast, she refused wanting to go outside.
The woman knew something was up, especially when tears filled those little emerald eyes.
"Baby, what's wrong?" Lauren paused the movie, looking to her little girl who just sniffled and whimpered.
"Baby, talk to me. Use your words, I can't help if you don't tell me." She practically begged her daughter, only faced with her grasping her and cuddling closer.
Lauren was giving up, calling her mother who was almost immediately on her way.
"What's wrong? How is she?"
"She doesn't want to eat or drink anything and she won't let me hold her now." The woman sighed out, looking to her baby who was curled up on her side on the couch.
Guppy was trying to jump up, licking at her arm.
"I'm almost there. Has she said anything?"
"No. She hasn't talked all morning, mom. I don't know what's wrong." Lauren sniffled, tears in her eyes.
"Please, Lauren. Just calm down, mija. Your tears aren't helping her right now. You have to be strong, be strong and show her that everything is okay." The woman nodded at her mother's words, wiping her tears away.
Clara soon arrived, finding Lauren rubbing her daughter's back that faced her.
"Baby, come on. What's wrong?"
"Y/N/N, mija. Ven aqui." She spoke in that sharp, commanding tone.
"Gam..." the girl whimpered out, silently telling her that something was actually wrong.
She wasn't just being fussy or giving attitude.
Clara sighed, lifting the toddler by the armpits.
All the girl did was whimper, letting out more tears.
She let out a pained cry, her grandma immediately looking her over.
"Que duele, mija? What's hurting you?" She asked her, not finding anything physically wrong with her.
The toddler only pointed at her stomach, making the older woman lift her shirt.
She was bloated, stomach a bit bigger than how it usually was. Clearly the toddler wasn't used to eating so much, her tummy unable to process so much food.
The little girl began to gag, making Clara rush her to the bathroom.
"Okay, okay, mija. Relax, shhh." She hushed her cries, wiping the vomit off of her chin.
"Duele! Duele, Gam!" She cried, little body wracking with her sobs.
Lauren couldn't watch, she just couldn't. She couldn't see her baby in so much pain. It hurt her too much.
"I know, I know it hurts." Clara rubbed her back, holding her over the toilet when she began to throw up again.
Her entire body tensed up, her stomach emptying itself entirely.
She was just dry heaving now, sweat covering her skin.
Finally, finally her body relaxed.
"Shh, Shh, it's over. It's over, mija. Relax." Clara stroked her hair, flushing the toilet and starting a bath.
Lauren was on a call with her own doctor, trying to find someone who could come see her daughter.
She practically begged him, finally getting on the phone with a pediatric doctor.
Y/N cried when her grandmother set her in the lukewarm water, shivering and reaching for her.
"Gam!! Gam!!" She cried out, Guppy running over and licking her face. He clearly wanted to make her feel better.
Clara sighed, "I know, my baby. I know it doesn't feel good, but it's to make your body feel better. You're running a fever, mija." Y/N didn't understand those words, only crying more when she found no one would help her out of the tub.
She finally took matters into her own hands, trying with all of her might to claw, grasp, and even clutch her Grandmother's pant legs for grip to get out.
But Clara only pushed her off, wincing at the feeling of little nails digging into her skin.
"No, no." She remained calm, thankful of the puppy that was now nudging the child and slowly calming her.
Guppy nudged into her, gathering himself before jumping into the tub with her.
Y/N held him close, hiccuping and burying her face into his fur. A soft cry left her lips when her pain only came back.
Lauren walked in, "the doctor's on her way."
The little girl raised her hands, "Mama."
"Just a little bit longer, Mija. Then you can get out." Clara spoke, using a cup to scoop some water up, pouring it over the little girl's body.
"Mama!" She cried out, pain returning again.
Her grandmother sighed, wetting her hair and her red colored face.
Finally, Lauren had enough and scooped her up, wrapping her in a towel.
The toddler was physically shivering, Clara handling the puppy who was now soaking wet.
But he chased after Y/N, making the grandmother groan and clean up after him.
The young mother dressed her baby girl, hearing the doorbell chime.
"I've got her." Clara finished dressing the toddler who was unable to stay still.
The doctor came in, "hi, sweetheart. I'm doctor Ashley. Your Mommy told me that your tummy is hurting you, is that right?" She asked, distracting her with talking while she looked her over.
The toddler whined and squirmed when the cold metal of the stethoscope pressed to her chest.
"Do you know what we do when it's our birthday and our family sings us happy birthday?" She asked her, making the little girl look up at her.
"We blow out our candles, can you blow out your candles? Like this?" The woman smiled, pretending to blow out a few candles.
The toddler copied her, pacifier held in her hand.
Her bottom lip trembled, tears filling her eyes again.
"Oh no. Does your tummy hurt again?" The woman asked, making her nod her head.
"Where does it hurt?" The doctor watched her, watching that little hand point to her stomach.
"Hewe!" She cried, lips forming that all too familiar pout.
"Okay, okay. Lay back, sweetie. Just relax for me, okay? Can you count? How high can you count, hmm?"
"Mmm, figh." She sniffled, squirming when the doctor picked up her shirt.
"Can you count for me? Nice and slow so I can hear my numbers, close your eyes." Ashley took out something from her bag when she saw those beautiful eyes close.
"It's just some pain medication, it'll keep her calm and stable so that I can continue my examination." The woman told the mother when she practically freaked out when she saw the needle.
"One.."
"Mmm, t-two..."
Ashley filled the right amount after she had already gotten the child's weight, distracting her by playing with her arm as she injected the needle into her leg.
"T-Twee, fouw."
The toddler didn't feel a thing until the doctor injected the medication.
Y/N whined, "figh." She finished counting, opening her eyes to find Ashley placing a little unicorn bandaid on her thigh.
She was a bit confused, but traced over it.
The little girl began to feel sleepy as the medication kicked in, the doctor now able to physically touch her stomach to see if anything was out of the ordinary.
Y/N didn't feel as much pain, but was still uncomfortable.
"She may just not be used to having so much food, you said she was abandoned?" The woman looked to Lauren.
"Yes, we just adopted her." The toddler was fast asleep the next time Ashley looked down.
Her pacifier was halfway in her mouth, the mother gently pushing it in when the little one began to suckle on air.
"To be safe, let's start a meal plan. Her body is clearly not used to this much food, so we must start small. She is very underweight as is, so we need this schedule to be strict. I'd say to start her on nutrient rich supplements and maybe some PediaSure just to keep everything in balance. One solid meal per day, and milk with every meal. The liquid food options are simple, a protein shake, PediaSure, or we can even try smoothies." She wrote everything down.
"When she gets used to this, let's say a month in, we can think about upping solid meals."
"What if she refuses to eat... like she did today?" Lauren stroked her daughter's protruding hipbone.
"Then, she can try the liquid options. But, we have to try to get her into solid foods again. She needs it." The doctor said goodbye to the little family, leaving.
Y/N was fast asleep on her Mommy's bed, feeling much better with the medication in her body.
Her pain had subsided and she was now comfortable.
"God... I didn't think things were this bad." Clara sighed, stroking her granddaughter's long hair.
"Me either... I thought everything was fine." Lauren admitted.
"What if she refuses anything at all, mom? She wouldn't even have water today." The young mother looked to the older woman.
"We can a ways try some of these ideas." Clara showed her daughter the brochures that the doctor left them.
Lauren looked through them. Breastfeeding, tube feeding, feeding therapy, etc.
The Cuban hadn't found any ideas she liked.
But she knew the child needed it.
By noon, a package arrived with the items Lauren ordered online.
Breastfeeding starting pills, bottles, pumping supplies, everything.
Clara was staying here to make sure her granddaughter was okay, Mike arriving at Lauren's house after work.
Y/N was just waking up at this time, pacifier between her lips as she rubbed her eyes.
"Hey, pumpkin." Mike stroked her hair, making her look up.
"Papa." She yawned out, reaching up for him.
"No, you stay right there. You're sick, honey." He sighed, kissing her forehead and joining her on the couch.
The toddler climbed onto his lap, squirming because of her wet pull-up.
"Someone needs a change."
The little one whined at this, "I didn't say you, I said someone." He chuckled.
"I've got her." Clara laid out that familiar changing mat, lifting the tiny toddler.
Y/N squirmed, stretching her limbs and looking up when she heard footsteps.
Lauren had just taken her first starter pill, sipping some water and looking to her daughter who was being changed.
"Mama." She made grabby hands, sitting up.
"No, no, mija. Lay back, I'm not done with you." Clara gently pushed her to lay back down, wiping her down with a wipe.
Guppy ran over, toy in mouth when the little girl was being put in a diaper for the first time.
The girl squirmed, feeling the extra padding on her bottom.
"Why diapers?" Mike asked, adjusting it around her little hips.
"The doctors said that if she's having trouble eating, she's most likely going to have a hard time potty training." Clara answered, cleaning up after changing the toddler.
Y/N threw Guppy's toy, making the puppy chase after it.
"No running, Y/N. Remember what doctor Ashley said?" Lauren asked her baby who just whined.
"If you're not eating big girl food, you can't run around." The young mother fixed her daughter's hair in its little bun.
The toddler played with her puppy, growing fussy when lunch time came around the corner.
She hid from her family, leaving Guppy who was trying his best to sniff her out.
"Find her, boy. Where is she?" Clara chuckled, looking at the puppy who immediately ran to where he smelt her.
Y/N whined from her hiding place-in the kitchen cabinet- and pushed Guppy away when he managed to open it and climb in.
"Y/N, mija. Come on out." Mike sighed, opening the cabinet door, only for it to be shut again by a little hand.
"Baby girl, come on." Lauren shook up her PediaSure that she had poured into a sippy up.
"Look, baby. This is all it is, chocolate milk. Don't you like chocolate milk?" She asked, squatting down and opening the cabinet to find her baby girl inside with the puppy.
Her thumb was in her mouth, knees to her chest.
"Miwk?"
"Yes, baby. Milk." Lauren showed her, helping her out of the cabinet.
Guppy followed close behind, tail wagging as he chewed on the girl's socks.
Y/N took the sippy cup into her little hands, examining it for a moment.
"Come on, Guppy. Make Y/N/N feel better." The young mother gently pushed the puppy that immediately began to jump on the toddler's legs.
The little girl giggled at this, being followed to the living room where My Little Pony was playing.
She climbed onto the the couch, laying on her back as she brought her sippy cup to her lips.
Her family watched, hoping and praying that she would drink it.
Finally, the toddler did, taking a tentative sip.
She cringed at the taste, whining and pushing it away.
"Y/N/N, baby come on." Lauren sighed, sitting beside her.
"You're a big girl, remember?" She grabbed that little sippy cup, setting it in her little hands.
"No Miwk." She set it on her mother's lap, going to jump off the couch.
"No, Y/N." Lauren grabbed her little arm.
"You need to drink it."
"Nwo." She kicked her Mommy's leg, surprising her.
"Y/N Jauregui! We do not kick!" She gasped when her daughter kicked her once more.
Clara was about to step in, her husband pushing her back.
"She's got this. Let her, she has to learn." Clara stood back, watching her daughter.
"Alright, that's a time out for you, Y/N." Lauren pulled her up by her arm, making her tug and pull with all of her might.
The woman pulled a chair to the corner of the room, sitting her daughter in it.
"No, you're going to sit there until I say you can get up!" Y/N crossed her arms over her chest, eyebrows furrowed and bottom lip jutted out in a pout.
"Tupid!" Lauren gasped at the word that left her daughter.
"That's another five minutes!" Y/N huffed, sulking in the corner.
Clara was proud of her daughter for finally stepping up and disciplining the child.
But that little girl began to squirm and fidget, whining halfway through her time in the corner.
"Mama... Mama potty!" She cried out.
"That's what your diaper's for, mija." Lauren sighed, feeling bad.
"Big guwl..." she sniffled, clearly crying.
"She won't learn, Lauren." Clara warned her daughter who was already going to get the toddler.
"Mom, she's crying."
"And little girls cry, Lauren. She's a toddler, she's going to cry." Clara told her.
So, the young mother waited until the timer went off, even if it hurt her heart to do so.
Y/N was taken to be changed, Lauren finding that the diaper didn't leak like her pull-ups did.
She was thankful for that, changing her into a new one. The woman sighed, finding those little ribs and hipbones poking out of her baby's skin.
"Baby, you have to eat something. Please, for Mommy?" The toddler wasn't having it, stubbornly turning away from her sippy cup.
Lauren had frustrated tears burning in her eyes, Clara finally coming to help.
"Y/N/N, baby why don't you want to eat?" She asked, rubbing her little tummy that was exposed as Lauren fixed the waistband of the diaper around the girl's hips.
"Tummy huwt."
"Your tummy still hurts?" The toddler shook her head.
"You're afraid it's going to, huh?" Y/N nodded at this, rubbing her eyes.
Guppy jumped on her, attacking her with kisses as soon as he was brought back inside.
Y/N laughed and squealed hugging the puppy that was significantly larger than when they first got him.
The toddler got up, crawling around with her puppy.
Lauren once again was taking those pills, starting a schedule for them.
She knew Y/N wouldn't last long like this, but the toddler was stubborn as hell.
"Nuh Uh!" The toddler pushed the plate away, tugging at the straps of her high chair.
She had already been there for a good thirty minutes, Lauren trying her best to feed her. But Y/N would not even try it.
"Y/N..." Lauren sighed when the toddler had hit the fork out of her hand, making it land with a metallic clink.
"Okay, come on." Clara and Mike had already gone home, leaving Lauren with her daughter.
Clara would be back in the morning to help with the toddler.
Lauren let the girl out of the highchair, helping her down. The toddler fell to her bottom, little legs giving out under her.
She landed with a soft thud, eyes going to her legs in shock.
"This is what happens when you don't eat, Y/N/N... your body shuts down and you don't have any energy, honey.." the young mother sighed, watching those little legs visibly tremble as she was stood back up.
"Mmph!" They gave out once more, Lauren catching her this time.
"Come on, if you won't eat you're not going to be watching tv. It's bed time." The toddler was thankful for this, feeling exhausted.
She was tucked into her mother's bed, already falling asleep.
Lauren woke up to her little girl on top of her, looking down to find her with her pacifier in her mouth.
The toddler would stop suckling on her sleep, only to go back to it.
The Cuban slowly and carefully slipped out of bed, going to the kitchen to make her daughter a bottle. When she returned, the toddler was still fast asleep.
She slowly slipped her pacifier away from those little lips, replacing it with the bottle. Y/N began to suckle, a little hand grasping her Mommy's shirt.
Lauren was silently thanking god, watching her daughter as she drank her bottle.
The little girl began to wake up, yawning and rubbing her eyes. "Mommy..." she mumbled, snuggling closer to her and drinking her bottle.
"Shh, Shh, I'm right here..." Lauren smiled, patting her diapered bottom.
"Good girl, baby." She tan her fingers through that silky hair, hoping to get it cut soon. She knew her little girl hadn't ever gotten it cut before.
It was so long, still growing and going past her calves now.
Y/N sighed in contentment, lazily looking up at her Mommy as she finished half of her bottle.
The toddler whined when Guppy began to nibble on her fingers, unlatching from her bottle and turning away when her mother tried again.
"Okay, thank you. Thank you, baby. You were worrying me." Lauren stroked her baby girl's tummy that was now a little bit extended.
Y/N got up, tentatively looking down at her feet as she stood. Her legs wobbled, but she was doing her best.
"Come on, let's not force anything." She lifted her up, carrying her to the bathroom and setting her on the counter as she brushed her teeth.
Y/N sat up, watching her and copying her with her own little toothbrush. She had her own unicorn toothpaste that was bubblegum flavored.
Lauren chuckled, "baby, you're making a mess." She wiped her chin, making her giggle.
"Ready, spit." Her daughter copied her, Lauren washing it away with some water.
Y/N rubbed her eyes, still very sleepy. Her mother had felt her tossing and turning all night, hearing the grumble of her stomach this morning.
Y/N was hungry, Lauren knew this. But the toddler refused any solid foods, stomping her foot stubbornly.
Lauren sighed, welcoming her mother into her home when Clara walked in.
"How was she?"
"All she's had was a bottle of milk..." the woman tried once more with the bowl of fruit.
"Nwo, Mama!" She crossed her arms over her chest, pushing it away and getting up off of her mother's lap.
"Just a bottle?"
"And even then, she didn't finish it." Lauren watched her little girl that was crawling around on the floor with Guppy.
She had her pacifier between her lips, laughing and playing with the puppy that wrestled with her.
"She's having a hard time standing and can't even walk, mom... she's been so weak. I don't know how she's still playing." The toddler was panting, tired from her play and laying on her back with Guppy who was trying to get her back to it.
She yawned, rubbing her eyes and snuggling Guppy. The next time Clara looked over, she was fast asleep.
The toddler whined when her grandmother lifted her up, the older woman sighing when she felt just how light the child felt.
Lauren was once again taking those pills, her mother a bit confused when she saw them.
Y/N suckled on her thumb, her pacifier suddenly lost.
The child whimpered when her grandmother pulled her thumb from her mouth, trying to put it back in. But the woman forbade her from it, holding her little hand.
That's when the tears started.
Lauren sighed, hearing the cry of her daughter and going over. "Mom, leave her be." She lifted her baby up, letting her stick her thumb in her mouth.
"Lauren, she's a big girl, remember?" Clara reminded her.
"A big girl who's sick, mom." The woman sighed, holding her baby close and wincing a bit when a little chin pressed against her breast.
Her breasts had grown very tender and sore today.
The toddler sighed in contentment, sucking her thumb and laying against her mother's breasts.
"Take a nap, baby." Lauren patted her bottom.
Y/N woke up alone, her wet diaper very uncomfortable.
"Mama!!" She cried out, tears streaming down her face as she waited for her mother.
"Shh, baby I'm here. I'm here." The woman ran in, scooping up her baby.
Suddenly her shirt began to feel wet, the little girl looking at her mother's chest in confusion.
"Oh my god, okay. Baby, stay right here. I'll just be one second." Lauren immediately went to go change, not expecting her milk to come in this early.
But clearly her body was already producing.
She hadn't even had the talk with her daughter about it.
"Mama..." the toddler whined out.
"Mama miwk." She whined, surprising the Cuban.
"Baby, you know about Mommy's milk?"
"Mama miwk." She whined more, tears falling down her face.
"Okay, okay. I'm coming." Lauren slipped onto the bed with her, laying the toddler across her lap and undoing her bra.
She slipped the cup of her bra down and the little girl examined her breast for a moment or so.
"It's just like your bottle, baby. Just be very gentle." She told her.
Y/N took a few moments before growing comfortable enough to snuggle close and latch on.
She smelt her Mommy's scent, she smelt her milk, that alone making her tummy grumble.
Lauren relaxed, feeling the slightest bit of pain, but trying her best not to think about it.
Clara walked in, freezing in place.
"Oh." She chuckled.
"Finally found a safe alternative, huh?" She smiled, kissing the little girl's forehead.
"Yes and thank god for it. She needs all the nutrients she can get." Lauren patted her baby's bottom, swiftly changing her.
Y/N sighed in contentment, drinking down her mother's milk and relaxing fully.
Her Papa entered the room, heart melting at the sight.
"Aww, hi sweet pea. Is you tummy feeling better?" He rubbed her stomach.
"Mama be'er." She spoke around her mother's breast.
"That's right, Mama will make you better." Lauren rubbed her back with a soft smile on her lips.
The toddler let her mother switch breasts, happily drinking down the milk from that one.
"Look who's finally full." Clara rubbed the little girl's extended tummy.
"Fuww." She repeated, rubbing her eyes and accepting her pacifier.
Lauren fixed her clothes, breasts a lot less tender than before.
The toddler snuggled into her mother, getting lifted up when the woman had fixed her clothes.
Y/N was finally full and comfortable, the little girl not wanting to part from her Mommy. She was closer than ever before with her.
Lauren gently patted her bottom, rocking her back and forth.
"Mama..." the toddler mumbled, playing with her mother's earrings.
"Yes, baby?" The woman smiled, gazing down at the little one who was talking around her pacifier.
"Me till bi' guwl?"
"Of course you are. You'll always be a big girl." She stroked this little legs, loving just how soft they were.
Clara and Mike left the two that evening, Lauren sighing when her daughter once again refused dinner.
"Nwo! Wan' Miwk!" She exclaimed, kicking her high chair and throwing a fit.
"Y/N Jauregui! That's enough! You're going to eat your dinner, or no milk tonight!" The woman had enough of the toddler's tantrums.
She finally put her foot down, deciding that enough was enough.
The toddler bursted into tears at this decision, hitting her fists against her little tray.
"Stop the tears, tears won't get you anywhere." The woman finally found herself understanding that the child was bound to cry and that wasn't a reason to be worried.
Y/N was a toddler, still a baby. She didn't know or understand emotions yet.
Lauren did, though. She understood that Y/N wasn't hurt or sad, she was just frustrated.
"That's enough." She wiped her face clean with a wipe, wiping her nose.
"You're a big girl, Y/N." She reminded her, making her sniffle.
The toddler finally accepted her dinner, still very tentative about the situation.
She was still scared that her tummy would hurt and she'd throw up again, but Lauren just assured her that everything would be okay.
"Done? Good girl, good girl, baby. I'm so proud of you! Look, you almost finished your food!" She pointed out, making the little girl giggle and kick her feet.
Guppy barked at the sound, jumping up and down.
This made the toddler laugh more, her mother smiling and kissing her little lips.
"Okay, calm down my big girl." She teased, helping her off of her high chair.
Y/N ran and played with Guppy while Lauren finished her dinner and cleaned up.
Finally, the toddler was curled up on her Mommy's lap and nursing from her just before bed.
She was already falling asleep, cradled in Lauren's arms and gently kicking Guppy who was laying beside them in the bed.
Of course, the musician was a bit scared of what would happen when she got off of her creative break. But, that was a problem for another time. Right now, all she cared about was that beautiful little girl. Her little girl.
Until that moment ended...
Lauren got a call from her manager about tour, about a week later.
The Cuban had to explain to her what happened over her break, making her freak out.
Ashley didn't know whether to be angry or proud of Lauren. But she knew that she was happy, she knew that the Cuban had finally made herself a family.
But tour? That was going to be a tough one.
Y/N couldn't be away for Lauren for longer than two days, because her bottles would become less like her Mommy and more like a chore.
Lauren knew this. She knew that if Y/N didn't feel her physically there when she ate, she would throw a fit. The toddler hated mealtime so much, already.
She was just so picky. The only foods she tolerated were French fries, mac and cheese, and pasta. She hated anything too hard or anything crunchy.
But, the woman had to choose her career. She had to. It was her life and her daughter just had to grow used to it.
So, she started tour a week later. She left Y/N with her parents, hoping that everything would be okay.
Clara would bring the toddler to her mother once every week to get bottles, and to let the toddler see her. But, FaceTimes were a must.
Everything was fine for a while, until the last few months of tour.
Clara hadn't shown up for their weekly gathering, she didn't call or text.
Lauren was thinking the worst, spamming her parents and siblings with calls and texts.
Finally, finally her father called back.
"Mija... it's bad, it's really bad..."
"Dad?! What's wrong? Is she okay?"
"Lauren... we need you to come down here.."
"Dad, Goddamnit! Just tell me what's going on!" Lauren cried out, tears in her eyes.
"I can't tell you over the phone... I just can't." Lauren couldn't leave, not now.
Not when she was about to go on, so she made a decision. A decision that would haunt her for the rest of her life.
She decided to wait until after tour, thinking that Y/N was just sick with the flu or something.
But when she returned to Miami, her heart dropped.
Little Y/N was in the hospital, diagnosed with cancer.
She was so pale, sitting and watching cartoons on the tv.
"Y/N..."
The toddler only turned away from her, cuddling more into her Tia.
Taylor shook her head at her sister, running her fingers through that long hair.
"Baby... it's Mommy." She sat on the edge of the bed, tears in her eyes when she saw that still healing scar at the base of the child's neck.
There was no response from the toddler who just shut her eyes and curled up more into her Tia.
"She hasn't said a word since she was diagnosed. She knows she's sick and she knows that you weren't there to hold her." Taylor spoke up, very angry with her sister for being so selfish.
"If you didn't want her, Lauren. You should have let mom and dad adopt her."
"But I do want her, Taylor! She's my daughter!" The woman cried out.
"Doesn't seem like it." The younger woman replied, holding the toddler close.
Guppy was curled up beside her, gently licking her.
"Y/N, please." Lauren begged, placing a hand on the girl's shoulder.
She only moved away, wrapping her arms around Guppy.
The Cuban ran out of the room, curling up into a ball and softly sobbing into her hands.
"Lauren? Mija, what are you doing here?" Clara ran to her when she saw her.
"She hates me, mom! She hates me!"
"Y/N? No, no, honey. She doesn't hate you, she's just a little forgetful right now. Her medication and surgery have done a lot to her. Come on, look." She showed her the paperwork.
Side affects: Irritability, nausea, fatigue, loss of appetite, and forgetfulness.
"But Taylor said-"
"Ahh, forget what Taylor said. She's just been a little angry about what happened. Come on." Clara brought her daughter back inside.
"Y/N, honey." Clara lifted the toddler, sitting her up.
She was visibly slower than usual, looking around and sticking her thumb into her mouth.
"Look who it is." Finally, the girl looked at her.
Her little green eyes went over her features, slowly.
Suddenly, her hands reached up to her.
"Hi, baby." Lauren sniffled, lifting her into her arms and feeling just how much lighter she was.
She was skin and bones.
"Im so sorry I wasn't there..." she whispered, kissing her cheek.
Taylor sighed, going to find her brother who had gotten lost in the food court.
"What kind of cancer, mom?"
"She has a tumor right in there." She gently tapped the scar at the base of her neck.
"They took some of it for testing, but the radiation therapy and medication seem to be helping." She answered, kissing the little girl's shoulder.
Y/N squirmed when her mother touched her back, "careful, she still may be in pain." Clara warned her.
Lauren immediately moved her hand away, holding her by supporting her bottom.
"I'm so sorry, my baby..." she whispered to her, the toddler suddenly not recognizing her.
Her little eyebrows furrowed, eyes grazing across her mother's features again.
"It's Mommy, baby. Did you forget again?" She asked, patting her bottom.
She remembered again, hugging her mother around the neck.
"The medication's side affects..." Clara sighed.
"They make her this way." She rubbed her little arm.
"She sometimes forgets where she is and panics... we had to restrain her a few times because of how scared she was..."
Y/N suddenly pulled back, reaching for Guppy.
"Down? Okay." Lauren set her on the bed, fixing the wires that were hooked up to her.
She had a little IV and a tube that came out from her nose, stuck to her cheek with some tape.
"They had to tube her because she refused to eat..." Clara sat on the bed beside the toddler.
"This is all my fault... if I would've just canceled the tour-"
"None of this is your fault, Lauren. We didn't know she had cancer. They said its most likely been there since she was born.."
"But still, mom... if I just had come here first..." Lauren let her tears fall, watching her baby who snuggled into Guppy.
That evening, she was taken in for radiation therapy. When she returned, she was fast asleep.
The toddler was exhausted, feeling the affects of her medication.
But this time, Lauren didn't leave her side. She promised herself she wouldn't ever leave her daughter again.
Not for tour, not for anything ever again.
Lauren had to learn how to be a better mother, how to be there for Y/N.
She was learning.