Camila's PoV
I finished piling in the gifts Lauren insisted we bring for the family. They weren't much but still. Alex just got back from picking up his daughter and for a while there, we thought Sarah had changed her mind because Alex hadn't heard from her.
Turned out Sarah's boyfriend was late picking her up and her parents couldn't watch Hannah. That was the only reason Alex lucked out.
"Auntie Camila!" I spun around to find myself being knocked into, with small arms thrown around my legs, and a cute brown eyed, blonde little girl smiling up at me. "Hi!" She bounced up and down and I picked her up.
"Hannah!" I gave her a big kiss on the cheek and she giggled. "Wow, you're growing up so fast, how old are you now?"
"Five!" Hannah grinned and her arms came up around my neck. "Where's Lucas?!"
"Lucas is out with Auntie Sofi." I put her down and she held onto my hand while we went into the kitchen where Alex was having a conversation with my lovely girlfriend.
"And there she is." Alex said proudly as Hannah let go of me and ran into his arms, her face pressed tightly against his chest.
Aside from Austin and my own father, Alex was the best at making his child feel loved and wanted. He knew what to say, what to do and raised a perfect little girl for someone who didn't care about his life until he met his bitch wife Sarah and knocked her up.
"Hannah, I want you to meet this amazing woman right here." I stepped up next to Lauren and watched as Hannah studied the brunette. "Her name is Lauren."
"Lauren?" Hannah's cute brows furrowed and she grinned. "Are you my new mommy?"
I couldn't help but laugh at the cute look on Hannah's face and mortified ones on my brother and Lauren.
"No sweetheart," Alex nervously snickered, "Lauren is Auntie Camila's girlfriend."
"Mommy said two girls can't love each other." The little blonde frowned.
Lauren licked her lips and glanced over at me.
"Mommy shouldn't be saying those things," my brother sat Hannah down on the counter, "you know why?" When she shook her head, he continued. "No one gets to say who falls in love and who they fall for. Auntie Camila and Lauren have been in love for nearly thirteen years." He slacked his jaw at his daughter and smiled when she giggled. "If you ever fell in love with another girl, you know I'll love you regardless." He kissed her nose and helped her down from the counter and watched as she ran out into the living room to finish watching cartoons.
"Wow," Lauren breathed, "you're amazing with her Alex."
He blushed and shrugged, going back to making some juice. "I know I'm a good father, I just wish I was good enough for the court to see that."
"You have witnesses," I smiled encouragingly, "we'll vouch that you deserve a 'Dad of the Year Award'."
"Thanks," Alex laughed softly, "you two aren't so bad yourselves. I've seen you both this morning with Lucas and Dylan. I always figured Lauren would be wearing the pants though."
"Jerk." I punched his arm with a laugh.
The doorbell rang and Sinu was at the door quicker than anyone. "Kyla! Austin! Kids!" I heard her shriek with joy and rolled my eyes. It wasn't like she didn't see them everyday. Kyla was my sister technically speaking.
"NANA!" I heard a cute little voice echo through the house.
My focus was immediately on Lauren when I noticed her body tensing. "Hey," I wrapped an arm around her waist, "everything okay?"
"No." Lauren frowned and shook her head. "God how can I face them?"
I ran my fingers through her thick curls and kissed her forehead. "Baby, Austin and Kyla are going to be more than thrilled to see you. You have nothing to worry about."
"What if they see me differently?" She asked, almost in tears. "Oh God Camz, I'm going to be sick."
Alex was right next to Lauren in seconds, handing her some cold water. "Here, drink that slowly, it should help."
I smiled gratefully at him and he winked. "Thanks."
"What are big brothers for?" Alex shrugged and made his way towards the living room to join his daughter.
Lauren clutched at my shirt when we heard footsteps coming closer to the kitchen. I could hear Austin's voice growing louder. "It'll be okay. He's Austin. Blood. Your best friend."
"Lauren." Austin stopped in the doorway and I watched the two cousins exchange a silent look. "Come here." He finally stepped forward and wrapped his more than muscular arms around her more than thin body.
I heard Lauren start to sob into his neck and noticed her arms tighten around Austin.
I took that as my cue to leave.
Kyla met me at the kitchen doorway with tears in her own eyes at the cousins reuniting. "She looks really good." She whispered.
"Yea, she does." I nodded and felt Kyla slide her hand into my own.
"Where are the girls?" She wiped her eyes and looked around the large living room.
"Ah," I smiled as we left Lauren and Austin alone, "they are with their aunts. All three of them."
"Three?" She raised an eyebrow.
"Sofi, Sammy and Normani." I sat down on the couch and my eyes lit up when I noticed the tall teenager standing in front of the tree, staring at me. "Anton!" I hopped up and he crushed me. Fuck he was tall.
"Auntie Camila." Anton smiled and kissed my cheek. "Merry Christmas."
"You too buddy," I grinned and felt two pairs of arms wrap around my legs, "buddies." I corrected as Cailyn and Hannah hung off of me.
"And you said you didn't want kids some day." Sinu snickered and made my Dad follow her up the stairs.
--
Lauren's PoV
He smelled the same.
He felt the same.
That safe feeling he always gave me was there in his hug as he let me break down and cry. I've broke down and cried countless of times with Camila, but I was faced with my family for the first time in years, not counting Dylan. Granted Austin was the one that found me and encouraged me to go to rehab, I couldn't really make that meeting count because I was so high.
Austin gripped me tighter and I felt hot streams of his tears meet my skin. He was crying too. I couldn't tell you how long we stood like that for but it was needed. Time was slowly healing around us and it was felt like a small weight was being lifted off my shoulders.
"I missed you so much, Lauren." Austin pulled back and placed his cool hands on my cheeks, brushing away my tears. "God look at you! You're looking so good."
I sniffled and patted his chest. "Same with you Aus," I watched as he studied me very intently, "what?"
"I'm just remembering." He smiled softly and pulled me in for another hug. "No more leaving your cousin all alone with these crazy Cabello women, you hear?"
I couldn't help but laugh and nodded into his chest. "Promise."
"I can't believe you're here. I mean I can believe it, but here, with Camila." Austin's green eyes twinkled, "feels like high school again, doesn't it?"
"Everything does." I nodded and grinned. "So, you're not mad?"
"I'm not mad." He whispered and sighed heavily. "I worried about you every day, but I knew if I tried to make any contact, someone would end up finding out and you asked me not to say a word..."
"Thank you." I gave him a soft smile and peeked around the corner. "Is that Anton?" The teenager was probably a foot shorter than Austin, pretty tall for his age.
"That's my boy." He laughed and patted my back. "The young lady in the white dress is Cailyn. She's five and wild."
"Ky's spunk?" I raised an eyebrow and Austin snickered. "God Aus, she's gorgeous."
"Totally," he wrapped himself around me again, "I know there's a lot to talk about Laur but we have forever to do that now, okay? Let's just enjoy your visit." Austin pulled back and winked, "besides, word on the street is you're back together with the brunette that had us fighting when you first moved here for school."
"Yea," I nodded and Camila caught my gaze, her hand lifted up and she waved a little, smiling. "She's pretty much perfect and has been so good with Dylan."
"She's a perfect mother," Austin sighed and smiled, "I used to think she'd be the one I'd marry, you know? It's like I had it all figured out and no one or nothing could get in my way-"
"Then I come into town and ruined it for you?" I smirked and he laughed.
"That and I started to hang out with Kyla more. In the end it worked out perfectly because we both have beautiful families of our own and we're all still connected together." Austin wrapped an arm around my shoulders. "Speaking of which, come meet your little cousins."
"Lauren," Kyla rushed towards me and wrapped me up in a hug, "I missed you."
"I missed you too, Ky." I whispered back and separated from her. Camila was right by my side and I noticed Cailyn looking up at me curiously. "Hey cutie." I knelt down to her level and she stepped forward, her tiny fingers tracing my cheeks.
"You cry?" She frowned with worry. "Momma, she sad?"
"She's happy baby," Kyla knelt down between us, "this is Lauren, your cousin."
"And Camila's girlfriend." Hannah threw in with a wide smile.
"Hi." Cailyn smiled and she resembled a small Kyla with green eyes.
"Lauren?" I stood up to find Anton standing by the tree. "Are you still doing the mean flips off the slopes with your board?"
"Oh God," I blushed, "I haven't done that in a while."
"Wow." Anton smiled and licked his lips. "My grandparents talk about that a lot and they showed me pictures of some competitions. I heard you're pretty bad ass, is that true?" He gave me a boyish grin.
"It is true." I winked and smirked. "Anton Spencer Mahone, you were just a newborn the last time I saw you."
I didn't know what to expect when I was faced with part of my family again. I wasn't sure how to act but everything seemed to have snapped into pieces perfectly.
The day seemed to have lapped together perfectly. Alex and Austin were helping Anton set up his new game system from Sinu and Alejandro, Hannah and Cailyn were playing with Barbies at the dining room table, Sinu and Alejandro were making appetizers and I found myself on Camila's lap in her bedroom with Kyla sitting against the headboard.
"I'm excited to meet Dylan," Kyla grinned, "she seems like a real cutie in the phone calls we get."
"She's a Jauregui," Camila kissed my chin and played with my fingers, "she's just like Lauren only really tiny."
"Aww," Kyla gushed, "I'm so scared of Cailyn growing up. She's been my doll for five years now."
"Anton's really tall." I said with wide eyes. "Where'd he get that height thing from?"
"Probably my Dad's side." Kyla shrugged. "He's already on the high school basketball team."
"Wow," I smiled, "that's awesome Kyla."
"Austin's happy about that but he assures Anton that if he doesn't want to play anymore, just say the word. I guess he's afraid that since he never lived his dream of being a star in basketball it'd come across as 'parental pressure' or something." Kyla smiled softly. "He's a really great Dad."
Camila filled me in on the fact that Mr. and Mrs. Woods never did come around to their own daughter. Not until Cailyn was born and that was when they tried to butt their heads into the Mahone's life but the only thing Kyla showed them was the door, which she slammed in their faces.
I hoped they would've at least come around because parents don't last forever. Neither do children or anyone and I learned that the hard way. I gave my parents so much crap to deal with when I was younger but thankfully we worked them out before they passed away.
I sighed and closed my eyes. The subject was a touchy matter for me but it felt good knowing I had more than Camila's support. She'd already held me countless of times when I cried over the loss of them, the loss of Dylan and the loss of her. I wasn't going to let anything happen like that again.
Which would be why I hadn't touched a drop of alcohol since that first time I stepped into the rehab centre.
I at least felt proud of myself.
"Girls?" Sinu poked her head through the door. "Mini Camila and Mini Lauren have arrived."
Kyla laughed and hopped up off the bed. "I'm excited!"
I got up off of Camila's lap and she stopped me gently with her forehead pressed against my own. "I love you Lauren Jauregui. I love you so much and you have no idea how proud I am of you."
I blushed and instead of saying anything, I captured her lips in a soft, slow kiss. "Thank you."
"Moms!!!!" Lucas burst through the door and skidded to a stop when she saw us kissing. "My eyes!" She slammed the door shut and ran back downstairs.
Camila laughed and laced her fingers with mine. "I think that's our cue to head downstairs."
I nodded.
That was also my cue to gather up Lucas and start working on my plan.
My plan to forever change The Cabello family.