Camila's PoV
I felt warm breath on my nose and cheek and tried to open my tired eyes. I finally fought the heaviness of my eyelids and opened them, smiling at the sight before me. A small smile graced her lips as she breathed softly in her sleep. The light freckles that danced on her bronze skin, her long eyelashes unmoving as she slept soundly.
I glanced over at the clock beside my bed and rolled over slightly. 6:29am. The alarm was about to go off and when it did, the body next to me jumped slightly.
I turned back around and grinned. "Morning beautiful."
She grumbled and threw the pillow over her head. I laughed and pulled the pillow away from her, ruffling her hair. "Can we just skip today?"
"No," I laughed and sat up, stretching my aching muscles. "Come on, go get ready baby."
"But," her grey eyes blinked at me and her pout formed perfectly. God that girl was definitely my whole world, "Mom, please can I just not go to school today?"
"You will go to school," I ushered her out of my bed and she grumbled something about being an eleven year old with no fun.
"And why were you back in my bed?" I asked her in the bathroom as we stood in front of the mirror, brushing our teeth together.
A morning ritual.
"I watched a scary movie last night." Lucas frowned. "I needed to feel safe and you're always safe."
I grinned and we both rinsed our mouths out at the same time. Lucas spun around and let me brush her long blonde hair back in a neat ponytail. "I'm going to have to talk to the babysitter of yours about this," I said and swatted her butt, "now go get your school clothes on, I'll be downstairs making some breakfast."
I was downstairs when I heard the front door open and close. I knew who it was and smiled as her red hair flowed behind her. "Hey."
"Hey honey!" Ryn grinned and put her purse on top of the mantel. "You're up early."
"Yea," I rolled my eyes and put on a pot of coffee, "and so are you."
My best friend grinned and shrugged. "I thought maybe I could help you get Lucas ready for school and then go out for breakfast, but it looks like you're already making breakfast." She watched me crack an egg into the frying pan.
"You're more than welcome to stay." I softly smiled.
"Okay!" Ryn smiled and moved to wash her hands, helping me with getting some toast ready.
"Auntie Ryn!" Lucas giggled and gave the woman a hug.
"Squirt," the redhead grinned and tickled Lucas. "Oh, Mila?" She looked at me. "I don't think I can pick up Luc from school today."
"That's okay!" Lucas smiled and sat at the table with a sketch pad. Yea, she was that talented. "Mom said that she's going too."
"First hockey practice of the season." I grinned.
"Ouu, Coach Cabello, is it that time of the year already? Oh my God, I'm going to lose my two favourite girls in hockey again, aren't I?" Ryn gasped, tickling Lucas again, making her squeal with delight.
So much had happened in the past twelve years. I had gone off to hockey camp with Normani and focused mainly on the sport, trying my hardest to forget about Lauren and my broken heart. It didn't work though; I just grew cold when it came to love again.
After arriving back to Midtown, it was time to move into residency and I was more than ready to start the new school year off with playing hockey and majoring in Child Psychology. I could use any distraction that was thrown my way.
Including the partying that had taken place when I wasn't playing or studying; which was my first mistake being a student in University.
//
"Ugh, we finally finished a whole semester without breaking our legs." Normani sat down on my bed and looked at me. "What should we do to celebrate?"
"Um," I twiddled my thumbs and shrugged, "I think we should head to Toronto and catch a game..."
Woo. Go Maple Leafs.
"No." Normani sighed and stood up, placing her hands on my shoulders. "Come on Mila, think outside the box!"
"I don't know!" I pouted and Normani rolled her eyes, pinching my cheek.
"Go get something slutty on, we're going to party. There's one going on at Tiffany Greene's house and all the hotties are going to be there." She twirled me in the direction of my closet.
I thought about it and smiled. "It ' s been like, months since I've been laid last."
Crude, I know, but it was true.
"Lauren was the last person to touch you, I'm surprised you haven't slept with anyone else." Normani shook her head. "Not for my lack of trying."
Normani and I came close to it, believe me. It was when we were in Quebec City, drinking after a long hard day at practice. The kiss started out playfully which quickly developed into a full blown make-out session. Hands roamed and some articles of clothing were shed, but I couldn't t go through with it. I felt like I was cheating on Lauren, even though we had broken up. I just felt like I ' d be betraying her with every word I had promised her.
"Go get dressed; I'll meet you in the student lounge!" Normani smiled and ran out the door. She had become my closest friend, having been accepted into the same school and played with me on the same team. We were closer than ever and you know, she was like my best friend away from home.
Kyla could never be replaced. Ever.
The party was loud and rowdy. I had slammed back shots of tequila like nothing and danced up a drunken storm on the dance floor. Normani had disappeared with a hot redhead and left me alone to my own choice of potential ladies.
Though, through my drunken state, it wasn't a lady that had caught my attention. No, in my drunken state, my brain was telling me that if I let another woman touch me so intimately, I ' d still be betraying Lauren. I shouldn ' t have cared, she was probably doing as many women as she could now that she was single again, but I was in love with her and always would be.
It was a curse.
So I turned down Carrie, a hot brunette that practically threw herself at me.
His name was David. Tall, dark and handsome – male version of Lauren.
There was a lot of flirting going on between us through the remainder of the night. I kept drinking and we kept dancing. His tongue was shoved down my throat by the end of the party and as gross as it felt, I just wanted to feel something and not care anymore.
I don ' t remember anything clearly. I do remember waking up in a bed that had Sponge Bob as sheets and a killer hangover. Oh, and I was naked.
Nice.
I sat up quickly, ignoring the hammers going off in my brain and looked around for any familiarity. I found nothing but a note.
Wicked time Camila.
Call me. David.
Ugh.
I threw up right then and there and put my clothes on, running out of the strange bedroom and straight home to shower.
//
"Bye mom!" Lucas hopped out of my black Chevy Blazer and ran into the school yard, playing with her friends.
I made a stop at Rapture and walked in. "Rough morning?" I raised an eyebrow at Ephiny, who just waved me off with a yawn.
"You wait until you have a seventeen year old daughter who likes to sneak out of her bedroom at night." She rolled her eyes.
"I was that seventeen year old." I smirked and laid my sunglasses on the counter. "Caught Jaiden hanging out her bedroom window again?"
"Ugh." Ephiny whined and poured me a cup of coffee. "She was letting someone in last night. Chase wasn't sleeping yet so Jaiden was busted when we found her straddling that damn girl from the tattoo place across the street."
"At least it wasn't a guy this time." I shrugged.
"Oh you laugh now, Mila, just you wait." Ephiny shook her head and went towards the back. The bell chimed and I turned around to see the familiar brunette walk in with a bounce in her step.
"Hey Coach." She sat beside me and swung her messenger bag on the counter.
"Jaiden." I nodded and smirked. "So, why the happy grins? I was just told that you were busted last night."
"Grown ups and their gossip." Jaiden rolled her blue eyes but smiled. "Yea, Jyll was caught in my room – again."
"Wasn't it Steve last week?" I raised an eyebrow.
"Uh yea, but Steve and I are just friends. I've been there, believe me." She made a face and then smiled again, "Jyll is way better."
I shook my head and patted her hand. "So, about last night," I eyed her up, "you really need to stop letting Lucas watch scary movies before bed."
Jaiden looked down apologetically. "I'm sorry, it's just she does this pout thing that I can't resist and I know she gets that from you. Ugh, damn kids and their cuteness."
"I get the pout thing, I know it's hard to resist," I laughed, "but especially on a school night, please lay off the horror movies?"
"Promise." Jaiden crossed her heart and hopped off the stool.
"Jai, you're running late again." Chase came from behind the back and threw a set of keys at her daughter. "You have to work tonight after practice so please don't be late!"
"I won't." Jaiden kissed Chase's cheek and hugged Ephiny. "See you later Coach!"
"I gotta get to work." I grabbed my sunglasses and threw a couple of dollars on the counter. "See you two later."
I walked into my office and checked my messages. I was in charge of running the Children's Social Services office. My dad had helped me set it up after I retired from playing hockey. I had snapped my knee out of place during a hard body check and I didn't want to risk making it worse. So I continued to study and graduated from York University, finally accepting the fact that my life was no longer about hockey.
I was a mother and I needed to start acting like one. After the one night stand with the David guy, I found out I was pregnant and freaked.
//
I sat nervously on the sterile bed, looking around the cold small room. I had taken three home pregnancy tests and they all had the same result.
Positive.
Normani encouraged me to go to a real doctor and I did it only because my mind would not rest if I didn't.
I was nineteen and a year away from playing in the 2010 Olympics in Vancouver. If I would've known I was going to fuck up that close to my dream, I would've definitely fought harder to be with Lauren and just tell her to shut up and deal with my tagging along.
But no.
We both let pride or whatever get in our way and there I was, sitting in a cold room alone, waiting for the doctor to come back and tell me that the three tests I had taken were just a joke and I was free to leave and live a normal university life.
"Miss Cabello," Dr. Gibson smiled at me through her pearly whites and placed the clipboard beside my leg. "Looks like the home tests are-"
Lying.
"-right. You're about ten weeks pregnant."
"What?" I thought she was crazy.
Crazy bitch doctor telling me I was pregnant.
Whatever.
"-are ten weeks pregnant. Going on three months."
"What?" I repeated and shook my head, jumping off the bed and laughing incredulously. "You probably grabbed the wrong test result, that's crazy!"
"I can test you again." Dr. Gibson smiled cheekily and I felt defeated. "Let me guess, you're single or you have a boyfriend who will freak out once they find out?"
"I'm gay." I deadpanned. "Therefore you're wrong. I don't have sex with guys."
Except when I was stupidly drunk.
"I'm sorry Camila," She looked at me with sympathy, "You're pregnant. I don't know what to tell you."
I grabbed my stuff roughly and left, slamming the door behind me. I felt like I was living someone else ' s life. I felt like I had lost myself the day Lauren had left me.
I didn't know who I was anymore.
//
"Camila, case file." Ryn smiled at me and threw a beige folder on my desk. "New one, just came in."
Ryn and I met right after I moved to Kenora. I know what you're thinking, why move to a place that held such an affective memory? I couldn't tell you what exactly possessed me to move to a town that constantly made me think of Lauren Jauregui. It was a comfort thing. Nothing bad happened in this town and I fell in love with it the moment we stepped foot on its soil.
Ryn was the one that helped me get settled permanently. I had hired her based on her background. Her sister and mother used to be in the business of taking care of abandoned children and finding them good Foster homes. Kathryn, Ryn as I called her, was amazing with her work and people skills. She brought a smile to every child's face that walked through that door, whether they were there to find a home, or there for counselling, she knew how to make them all smile.
Lucas gravitated towards Ryn quickly. She was four when we first moved to Kenora. I had just landed a deal with my father and he helped me set up an office to get me started with the Centre. He even made a trip down and stayed until I was set up with people who would work for me and until we got a solid base when children started to pile in. It amazed me that so many unwanted children were floating around such a beautiful town. I knew at that moment that I could at least try and make a difference.
I even fostered a few children myself but they were either given back to their rightful parents or adopted. It broke Lucas' heart because she could get attached to people so easily.
I was a new mother because my parents had taken care of Lucas while I continued to play hockey and study in school. No one knew about the daughter I had except my family and Normani, who was basically my family away from home.
Chase and Ephiny made the transition easier too. They helped me find a place to stay and even took care of Lucas when I had to work. It was a struggle at first but we all made it work. I had found time to spare once everything fell into place and one of the hockey coaches recognized me as a Team Canada player. He offered me a position to coach a couple of hockey teams and I didn't even hesitate.
I found myself again. I was a mother who loved her daughter unconditionally. I was a friend who helped whenever I was wanted and needed. I was Coach Cabello, a figure that young skaters could look up too.
Including Jaiden.
It felt good to belong somewhere once again.
//
It looked the same. The town was small and perfect. Somewhere where I can start over and live a life as a mother, a mother I should ' ve been the moment Lucas was born.
"Mommy?" Lucas tugged on my hand, her bright four year old eyes blinked at me. "What awe we doing?"
"Are you hungry?" I squeezed her tiny hand and she nodded. "Let's go and find some good food."
"I's hungwy." Lucas rubbed her small belly and continued to walk along the sidewalk with me. I had a destination and when I arrived, I was relieved to find that Rapture was still open.
Lucas found a seat and sat quietly, scratching her forehead before looking around. "A wot of books."
"Yea," I smiled and sat down next to her in the booth, "what are you hungry for?"
"Fwies."
"How are you two doing today?" I looked up at the waitress and a slow smile spread across my face.
"Hockey girl." Chase mused and tapped her pencil against her lips. "Wow, never thought I'd see you here again."
"Small world." I shrugged and smiled softly.
"Who dat?" Lucas whispered shyly in my ear.
"And who is this gorgeous thing?" Chase slid into the booth across from us and eyed up my daughter. "You look just like your mother," she paused and looked at me, "uh, I'm assuming here..."
"Yea, mother." I replied and kissed Lucas on the temple. "Lucas, this is an old friend, Chase."
"Hi." Lucas grinned and continued to play with the menu.
"So where's Lauren?" Chase smiled and when I never smiled back, she back-pedalled. "Oh, um, I'm sorry, there I go again, assuming."
"I haven't seen her since graduation day," I offered softly and thread my fingers through Lucas' hair.
"I'm sorry Camila." Chase frowned and stood up. "Well, listen, you're back in town for how long?"
"Permanently." I smiled. "My dad and I just opened a new children development centre, I'm here to help set it all up."
"Wow." Chase grinned. "You two decide what you want and it'll be yours, on the house."
"I wike hur." Lucas grinned and I smiled.
-\-/-
A/N: This is a converted fiction. Previous author who wrote it was converted and it was deleted.