Lauren stumbled through the door her hands and arms laden with bags and boxes dropping some not so gracefully in the hallway. Maybe a wedding on New Year's Eve had been too ambitious seeing as they had a lot to do for their first Christmas together first. Lauren smiled to herself her first Christmas with her little family they had asked Shawn to sleep over Christmas Eve so they could spend the whole day together instead of splitting the day. "Camz, baby can you come to help me with all this stuff please" Lauren shouted as she placed the rest down on the floor giving up trying to manage.
Camila skirted across the floor on sock feet as she ran into the hallway all the stuff in the hall bringing her to a full stop as her mouth dropped open in shock. "What are all these, is there anything left in the shops," she asked her eyes trying to see everything at once. "I hope you aren't spoiling Henry," she said, shaking her head and pulling at one of the bags to see what was inside.
Camila scowled and pulled her hand back as Lauren slapped it "Out! Some of the stuff is for you" Lauren replied. "Yes I admit I may have gone a little mad now looking at all this, but I have never really had a family to buy for, and it sounds silly, I'm excited."
Camila wrapped her arms around Lauren "It's not silly; it's sweet, but he doesn't need all this stuff, and I would be shocked if you weren't excited babe" Camila smiled. "But the main thing is we are together, spending quality time. What me and Henry want most is you," she said, standing up on her tiptoes to kiss her on the lips.
Lauren lifted her legs in turn and kicked off her heels "Easy now" she laughed as she pecked Camila on the lips.
"Yes much, how you walk around and manage all this in those insanely high heels I will never know, you have skills" Camila chuckled gently holding Lauren's cheek as she guided her in for another kiss.
After a few minutes, they separated, and Lauren looked around at the pile of bags and boxes and sighed "Maybe you're right I will take some of it back tomorrow there is a lot."
"Don't be too hasty with any of my stuff" Camila laughed as she grabbed some of the bags and ran off up the stairs taking them two at a time. Lauren shook her head and walked calmly after her following her upstairs. She heard Camila laughing in their bedroom and headed down the upper hallway until she came to the doorway leaning into the frame.
"Santa doesn't bring presents to naughty girls who peek beforehand," Lauren said watching Camila lay on the bed the bags still in her hand. Lauren bit her lip "This naughty girl needs some discipline" she said, directing one of her smoldering looks at Camila.
Camila gulped "shit you make me want to be bad" she breathed as she pulled the bag closer to her with no intention of looking in it but wanting the punishment. Lauren tilted her head slightly and licked her lips as she walked into the bedroom, shutting the door behind her.
A few hours later, Camila padded down the stairs with a broad smile on her face. Lauren always made her feel good, really good. Another knock came from the front door, and she heard Lauren shout "I don't think you should go to the door in your underwear babe."
"I'm covered I have my top covering the essentials, plus it's only the pizza guy I don't have to open the door fully" Camila laughed. She wasn't bothered it was unlikely she would see him again she thought as she opened the door grabbing the money off the side. All the blood drained from Camila's face as she was faced with Lauren's parents, her automatic reaction was to shut the door straight away, but they had seen her now. "Oh babe, it's not the food it's your parents" she shouted and heard Lauren swear from the bedroom.
"Are we to stand here on the porch all night, or will we be permitted to come in?" asked the annoyed voice of Clara. Camila reluctantly opened the door to allow them inside shrinking behind the door as they stepped over the discarded presents. Clara looked down at Camila as they stood in the hallway Michael politely looking away. "Do you normally answer the door with next to nothing on, dear?" she remarked.
Camila nervously pointed upstairs "We were tired, a busy day just having a nap" she muttered trying to cover herself with her hands her face flushing red as Clara arched an eyebrow at her.
Lauren sighed as she came down the stairs now fully dressed again "No, Camz, we were having sex like two consenting adults can do in their own home." Camila's eyes went wide as she silently begged for an escape from this whole embarrassing incident her face burning. "Go upstairs, babe, and get dressed. I will see to my parents" smiling as she patted Camila's backside she loved annoying her mother. Camila held her top down as she sprinted up the stairs to safety. "You do know they invented the phone for situations like this mother," she said as she followed her parents into the living room.
Clara picked up one of Henry's books and placed it on the coffee table as she sat down on the couch. She looked around the room "Your house never used to look like this Lauren there is stuff everywhere" Clara pointed out.
Lauren smiled and looked around fondly "Because it is no longer just a house it's a home," she said sighing contentedly, bending over to pick a few bits up and placing them in the toy box next to the chair. "It gets picked up eventually anyway is there a reason for your visit?" Lauren asked as she sat down in the chair.
"Yes we wanted to ask if you had any plans for Christmas day it would be nice to see you all," Clara asked.
Lauren was surprised by the invitation "I'm afraid we do have plans Henry's dad is stopping over, and we are all planning to spend the day together, so Henry doesn't have to go from place to place but how about the day after we could have a second Christmas day" she offered. Her mother didn't often reach out like this, so she didn't want to decline the offer.
Michael beamed "Yes that will work darling we look forward to it, there was one other thing we would like to discuss with you," he said as Camila came through fully dressed now with a tray of tea. Lauren smiled at her as she sat down on the chair arm next to Lauren and put her arm around her. "We were wondering if we could look after Henry sometimes and spend some quality time getting to know him," he asked.
"That's up to you, babe," Lauren said leaning forward and pouring out the tea for everyone.
"Hey, you remind me it's our house Henry is your son now too, so we make decisions, not just me" Camila explained l. She thought for a moment "How about we start with a small amount of time Lauren and I have an appointment Saturday afternoon to have a last look around the venue for the wedding. How about we drop him off for an hour, call you to see how it's going, and then he can stay a little longer if you're managing while we have dinner out together," she asked, and Lauren nodded her agreement.
"Yes, I think that sounds good thank you" Michael replied, picking up his tea.
"You will have to be wary about doors and windows keeping them locked, so he doesn't get out on his own," Lauren said.
"Yeah and put your valuables out of sight he can be pretty clumsy he gets that from me" Camila laughed. "It's nice you want to do this he will love spending time with you," she said, smiling sipping at her tea. Camila picked up the plate of cookies they had all made the day before Henry went to his Dad's and offered them around. Both Lauren's parents took one although Clara seemed a little unsure but took one to be polite.
"We will be around him all the time he will be safe" Michael reassured. "If you let us know what foods he likes we can get them in too." He bit into his biscuit and smiled "These are very tasty" he commented gesturing to Clara to taste hers.
"When Lauren is in charge they are tasty and edible with me not so much" Camila laughed as she stood up and walked over to the side table and pulled a piece of paper out and a pen to make a list of foods for Lauren's parents. "I can't say enough times how much we appreciate you making an effort it's nice for Henry to have more family seen as things didn't go well with my parents" she admitted. Lauren reached over and squeezed her arm, giving her a sympathetic smile "I'm fine. Just wish she could accept me and my life and understand how happy I am."
"I'm sorry things didn't work out with them, Camila" Michael sighed.
"Put her number and name on that piece of paper dear, I would like to have a chat with her," Clara said. Camila looked at Lauren a look of concern on her face, not sure if that was such a good idea.
"Thank you, Mother, but we have dealt with it, and so far she has caused nothing but trouble" Lauren replied.
"Still put it on there I just want to chat with her please, I won't cause you or her any trouble" she insisted. Lauren looked at Camila, and she sighed and got up and retrieved the number off the side table she had deleted it from her phone and handed it over to Clara.
"Don't forget to put on Henry's list about keeping any liquid food separate from the other food, he hates when it touches?" Lauren said as Camila added to the list.
"Have I missed anything?" Camila asked, passing the list to Lauren to look over. Lauren spent a few seconds reading what Camila had written, shook her head then handed it to Clara.
Clara folded up the note and tucked it into her handbag with the phone number "Right thank you for the tea we will let you get back to your evening" she said. They both got up to leave, and Michael moved across to hug both women. Clara took Camila's hand "I will say nothing to the woman that will make things harder for you, dear" she assured her. Camila smiled and moved aside as Lauren kissed her mother's cheek.
Camila stepped outside of the hotel that was hosting their wedding to call and check on Henry. The week had gone past in a blur of meetings and work they felt like they had hardly any time together and were looking forward to a meal out together. Lauren was just sorting out the final details to make sure everything went smoothly. They listened to her more anyway she had that air to her that she wouldn't be messed about. So Camila had taken the chance to escape outside and call Lauren's parents and see how they were getting on with Henry; there were no missed calls, so she hoped it was going well.
She brought their number up on her phone and dialed it in, and Clara picked up. "Hey, it's Camila we just wondered how everything was going and if you were happy to have him for a little longer while we go out to eat," Camila asked her fingers crossed.
"Yes he is very happy, I have barely seen the two of them except for at meal times they have been holed up in Michael's study using his telescope to look at the sky" Clara replied. "I will be joining them soon so we can look at the stars and have some snacks so feel free to go have your meal together dear there is no hurry" she added.
"That's great thank you hope you have fun and we will see you in a couple of hours," Camila said, glad that it was all going well.
"Goodbye, Camila" Clara replied as she put down the phone.
Camila felt Lauren at her side "So what's the verdict? Is it going well do I get to wine and dine my fiancee?" she asked, taking Camila's arm.
Camila smiled "Everything is under control so yes you may wine and dine me," she said. Camila kissed her cheek, and they walked off towards the car.
They pulled up at the vast mansion a couple of hours later, and Camila sighed for once she felt stuffed and overfull but happy. She looked up at the house "Well nothing is on fire" she chuckled as they both got out of the car. "Hope they had a good time and he didn't break anything," Camila said as they made their way up the drive and Lauren knocked on the door.
"Don't worry, and I'm sure everything is fine nothing happened that warranted a phone call anyway" Lauren reassured as she dipped forward and rang the doorbell. Camila still looked a little worried, and Lauren squeezed her hand "It will be fine trust me" she said as the maid opened the door.
"Your mother and father are on the patio if you want to go straight through," said the maid as Lauren smiled and passed by her followed by Camila.
Camila leant into the maid "Nothing got broken did it" she asked in a whisper and the maid smiled and shook her head. Camila breathed a sigh of relief as she continued to follow Lauren through the big house into the backyard. Camila mouthed wow as she looked at the back of the house she had never seen it before. There were another couple of buildings off to the left side one was the garage, but she wasn't sure about the other one, a considerable lawn, and off to the far side a tennis court. "What's in there" she whispered to Lauren pointing to the mysterious building.
"That's the pool house" Lauren answered, "probably not been used in a while."
Camila couldn't believe it this house was amazing she looked over to the right where they heard voices. "Am I seeing things or is your mother lying on a blanket looking at the stars with your father and Henry" Camila whispered with an amused slightly shocked look on her face.
"If it's a hallucination I'm having one too" Lauren chuckled "She certainly never acted this way when I was younger." Lauren cleared her throat to get their attention "Having fun?" she asked as they walked closer to the group.
Clara sat up as they walked over "I feel I know everything I ever needed to know now about space and weather thanks to these two" she replied. She leaned to one side to speak to the maid who had followed Camila and Lauren outside. "Could you fetch the hot chocolate now Beatrice and bring an extra two for the girls please" she said, and the maid nodded and headed back inside. Clara patted the blanket next to her as Lauren and Camila joined them.