Camila's PoV
Lucas came into the living room and looked at me with sad eyes. "What's wrong?" I whispered and she pointed upstairs.
"Dylan's crying again." She whispered back, sadly. "She wants you."
I nodded and kissed the small blonde on the forehead before taking her hand as we went upstairs quietly. I pushed Dylan's door opened and found her body curled up in a small ball, shaking with tears. "Oh baby girl," I hushed and scooped her up in my arms, pressing a kiss to her forehead, "what's wrong?"
Dylan held me tighter but never said anything. I allowed her to cry it all out before a few sniffles came out of her and she blinked, her brown eyes on me intensely. "I miss her."
"She misses her mommy," Lucas crawled up beside us and snuggled into the bed, her hand holding Dylan's.
"I told you I loved you," Dylan finally hiccupped and she looked down to her fingers that were being caressed by Lucas', "the last person I told I loved them was my mommy and then I never sawed her again."
My heart broke as tears began to gather in her eyes again. I rubbed her back, soothing her as she let it all out. "I love you Dylan," I whispered and she cried even harder. "It's okay to love someone else other than your mommy."
"But what if she never comes back?" Dylan whispered into my neck and Lucas and I shared a sad look.
"If she comes back," I spoke softly, "then you'll get to live with her again and create more memories." She had shared many memories of her mother and herself and not one of them led me to believe that this 'Leigh Avery' was a bad parent. "But we're going to miss you if she does come back."
Lucas nodded, her own sniffles filled the room. "We would."
"I would miss you too." Dylan peered over at my daughter and scooted off my lap to hug Lucas hard.
After calming down the two girls, I made my way back downstairs and cleaned up a bit before turning off the lights. I had to be up early in the morning again and since I hadn't seen Alex all evening, I wasn't sure if she had made it back yet from her visit with Sammy.
I knocked on the spare bedroom door and it came open slightly, revealing that no one was there. The room was more than tidy, thanking the Lesbian God that Tracey liked things cleaned. Whenever she was visiting, she'd always help me with the house cleaning.
When I noticed a black photo album out, I couldn't help but check it out. The front was engraved: Sofi's Favourite Memories. I flipped through the first page and grinned as the three faces of the Cabello kids were plastered all over the pages. Alex always had to be making a funny face, never taking the camera seriously. I always had a puck in my hand and Sofi always had headphones in her ears.
The first couple of pages were pictures of birthday parties, dance recitals and my hockey games. Then we got into pictures of girls and boys I barely recognize from her freshman year. A picture of a boy taller than Austin, kissing her cheek while another girl kissed her other cheek. Sofi had the charm even if she thought she didn't have it.
It may have been wrong to snoop through the book of her memories and I would've stopped but when I put the book back down, a folded letter fell to the floor and all that I could see was 'Love, Lauren.'.
I swallowed hard picked up the letter, shakily unfolding it. Lauren and Sofi's life for the past twelve years was private. No one knew and no one really asked, scared that they'd find out they were more than friends.
I couldn't handle that but I knew that it probably never happened.
I sat on the neatly made bed and chewed on my bottom lip before taking a deep breath and reading it.
Dearest Sofia,
First, I just wanted to congratulate you on your graduation. You've worked hard for it and I'm sure you made your family proud. I'm sorry I couldn't make it but I don't think that would've been the safest or brightest idea. Too much drama.
It's sad how everything revolves back to drama, right? Anyway, I just got back from the States and found your letter in my mailbox. Of course you can stay with me if you get accepted to U of V! Like I'd deny you a spot in the spare room.
I'm sorry to hear you and your sister aren't doing too well these days. Go easy on her, she's got a tough career ahead of her and we both know how hard she works to be where she's at. Between her courses and playing hockey, she's probably just tired.
And yes, I miss her. I miss her more than you'll ever know. It's been a year and she's still all I ever think about. It wasn't just some high school fling, she was it. But I couldn't stand in her way, you know? She may resent me for it and she may hate me but God, I just wanted her happy. Then she gave me my grad gift with her jersey and a note that said I was all she ever needed – I turned around. I knew I wanted her. I knew I'd try my best to make it work but when I got there, she was already gone.
With Normani.
I was slightly upset and scared. I was stupid. I was...
Being me...
I swallowed and reread the part about her coming back to see me. I reread it again and the more I read it, the more I felt angry. I didn't bother reading the rest, instead I pulled the book onto my lap and flipped through random pictures of us in high school.
My breath caught in my throat when one picture stared back at me. Two brunette's and a raven haired Sofi in a booth at what looked like an arcade of some sort.
Two twin smiles stared back at me with two pairs of warm chocolate brown eyes.
I closed my eyes and swallowed the bile that threatened to spill.
"Oh hey Mila!" Sofi came into the room and stopped in her tracks when I stood up abruptly. "What's wrong?" She glanced down at the book in my hands and gasped.
Loudly.
"I can't fucking believe you." I hissed, thrusting the letter in her hands before shoving the book in her arms next. "You knew this whole fucking time who she was? Who she belonged too?"
"Mila," Sofi's voice quivered and I shook my head, signalling to her that she needed to be quiet.
It was my time to talk.
Since she didn't have the balls too.
"Dylan Avery!" I said again, laughing at how oblivious I had been. "That should have been the first clue."
"I can explain."
"Explain what? Huh?" I successfully remained quiet, careful not to wake the girls. "I knew you had a life with Lauren, I did. I knew you two shared secrets that no one else knew. But this Sofi? You've been here for a couple of months and you've allowed Dylan to get attached to you knowing exactly who she was but never spoke a word to me?"
"I just didn't want any drama stirred up!" Sofi frowned.
"Drama? Drama?" I snorted and made air quotes with my fingers, "what is life without drama?" I quoted her.
"Camila..."
"I don't want to hear it." I walked out of the bedroom and found her following me. "Sofi, go away."
"I'm tired of people telling me that!" Sofi's voice raised and I shoved her back in the room, shutting the door.
"Be quiet." I hissed and poked her in the shoulder. "You know why people tell you that? Because you've yet to grow up. God Sofi, you've done so much better since Tracey has been in your life but you've still got this whole attitude about you thinking that your own shit doesn't stink!"
"I resent that!" Sofi choked back and threw her book on the bed, facing me.
"Dylan is Lauren's daughter. Something a little big that you failed to mention to me, don't you think?" I frowned.
"Okay, so I messed up!" Sofi cried and moved to block the door. "I was going to tell you Mila, I was."
"When? When Lauren knocks on my door ready to take Dylan away? When the court finds her fit enough to have her daughter back leaving my own daughter distraught and depressed?!" I pointed towards the door, making my point loud and clear. "You can go off and do your little tours and fuck your little groupies or do whatever is that you do on the road once this is all said and done," I narrowed my eyes at her, "but Lucas is my daughter and once she finds this out, once Leigh comes knocking on my door ready to take Dylan away – I'm the one who's left cleaning up all the pieces. Not you."
I watched as Sofi argued with herself internally and before she could say anything, I laughed once again. "You know, I told myself that it was better to forgive you then relive all the hurtful things you said to me. I really thought I could," I grabbed her wrist and pulled her aside, opening the bedroom door, "but it just feels like everything between then and now was a complete lie. You knew how I felt about Lauren, Sofi. You knew how bad I missed her and-"
"You slept with a random guy!" Sofi bit her lip.
"See? Still haven't grown up." I whispered disappointedly. Before I walked away completely, I turned around and pointed to the letter that was still resting inside her hand. "Why didn't you tell me Lauren came back for me?"
"I didn't want to hurt you." Sofi hung her head.
"Look how well that turned out." I said in a hurtful tone before turning off the hallway light and making my way upstairs.
I opened the door to Dylan's room and found both girls snuggled close together. I made my way quietly into the bedroom and brushed blonde strands away from Lucas' face, kissing her cheek softly.
I proceeded to do the same with Dylan, taking a moment to watch her pouty lips parted as she breathed softly. I pressed a soft kiss to her forehead and smiled as she sighed contently. Now that I knew the truth about Dylan's mother, I noticed just how much she looked like her... her...Lauren...
"Good night my girls." I whispered before shutting the door quietly and leaning against it.
My heart pounded hard in my chest as I thought about running into Lauren again for the first time in over a decade. What made it beat even harder was the fact for the first time, I wanted to meet that woman face to face.
I wanted to see her and ask why?
Why was Dylan in the system? Why was she so stupid, drinking and driving with her daughter in the car? Why the hell did she wait so long to turn around and see me at the end of graduation?
Just...
Why?
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