The next few months flow smoothly for Lauren and Camila. They don't hear from Matthew again, and whilst Lauren was glad, she had to admit she was a tiny bit concerned at his sudden disappearance. It was like a switch had been clicked, because one moment he was there, threatening them, tormenting them, and the next, he was gone. Almost like he had never existed.
Camila took this change well though. She was beginning to get some of the confidence she once had back. The confidence Matthew had ripped away from her with no consideration whatsoever. Don't get her wrong, she was still pretty dependent on her when it came to most things she did, just like she always had been, but she had gained that little bit of independence back.
She was able to mostly take care of herself again when she was out of her headspace and this definitely made things easier for Lauren. Not that she minded looking after her baby, but it was nice not having to accompany her to the bathroom every hour.
Things were different when she was little though. Completely different. Before this whole Matthew thing she'd have to say the young girl was between the ages of two and three, but because of what he did to her, how he scarred her mentally, she was now barely acting a year old.
Lauren had to admit she both loved it and hated it. She loved it because she loved her little baby. The cuddles she got, the attachment, the constant nursing. But she missed her baby before. The one that was vocal. Told her what she wanted, needed. She had to guess these days and most of the time she couldn't really decipher what she actually wanted.
She had tried talking to big Camila about it, but she refused to talk either which annoyed her to no end.
Letting out a small sigh, she looks down at the young girl in her arms. She was curled up on top of her. The place she often laid as it was an easy place for her to listen to the comforting sound of her heartbeat. She'd been asleep for a little while now after yet another tantrum. A tantrum she had attempted so fix by placing her in the corner.
Turns out the girl had a unknown hatred towards the corner of the room and got herself worked up to the point of vomiting and because she refused to communicate and tell her what was wrong, Lauren was unable to sooth her.
In the end she'd had to pace around the room signing a lullaby underneath her breath and much to her relief that had calmed her down, and after a quick bath and change, she was quiet again. Staring into space like it was the most interesting thing in the world.
Camila shifting on top of her brings her out of her thoughts, and she looks down just in time to see her eyes flickering open, her eyes shifting curiously around the room.
"Hi baby" she greets in a soft coo, placing a kiss to her head.
Camila grins shyly at her mama's voice, and she grips the top of her tank top between her small hands as she forces herself up into a sitting position. Lauren follows her lead and pushes herself up so she was sat against her headboard, pulling the girl close so she was once again settled against her chest.
"You gonna say hi to mama? Mhh? Can you be a big girl a use your voice?" Lauren pulls down the shirt that had ridden up Camila's back, resting her hands just above her diapered butt.
The small girl buries her face into her mothers neck, silently telling her that no, she wasn't going to speak and no, she wasn't going to use her big girl voice.
Lauren sighs and forces back the tears forming in her eyes, "we'll try again later" she forces the cheerfulness back into her voice so she didn't upset Camila too, "let's go see what there is for dinner" she pulls the girl closer before standing, shifting her onto her hip with ease.
She makes quick work of walking to the kitchen, and once there, she eases a quiet Camila into her booster seat. She allows her to play distractedly with the necklace hanging from her neck as she fastens the strap around her small waist, and once secure, she gives her cheek a gentle touch before heading to the fridge.
A whine escapes the girls lips at the action, and Lauren looks back, surprised, "mama's only here love, you're okay" she reaches into the fridge and pulls out some sandwich items, setting them onto the side before reaching for the bread she knew to be in the cupboard.
She really couldn't be bothered with anything fancy.
Camila wasn't happy with her mama's words, so determinedly, she reaches out and lets out a slightly louder whine, hoping to bring her attention away from the food and onto her.
"Camila, mama's doesn't know what you want so if you're so desperate to tell her please use your big girl words" Lauren silently hopes Camila would comply. She hadn't been big around her in weeks and she was desperate to hear her voice.
"Mama, hold now!" Camila was done with sitting in this seat and was beginning to grow agitated with not getting her way.
Lauren internally grins. Finally.
She couldn't find it in her to care that she had practically been told what to do, she was just grateful she had managed to get through to her.
Setting down her knife, she makes her way over to her whiny baby and begins to unbuckle her, "see, that's all you had to do. Can you be a big girl and use your voice when you want something? It makes things a whole lot easier for mama" she grasps her by the underarms and lifts her into her arms, placing both arms underneath her butt to support her.
Camila considers this a second before nodding.
"Thank you baby" Lauren sighs gratefully. She knew there was a chance this was just a one off, but she couldn't help but hope this was the start of her baby starting to be vocal with her again.
With the seventy pound girl clinging to her, Lauren gets to work on finishing up the sandwiches she had started. She slices Camila's into fours and hers into twos and she soon finds herself settling at the dining table.
"Here, what do you say to mama?" Lauren grasps a single corner of the girls sandwich and holds it out to her.
Camila eyes the food for a second before gently taking it, uttering a barely audible 'tank you' underneath her breath before taking an overly large bite, chewing happily.
"Good girl" Lauren made sure to praise her, giving her a quick squeeze before picking up a piece of her own sandwich and taking a bite.
The two make quick work of demolishing their food and as soon as plates were empty and dishes were washed, they were heading upstairs for a much needed bath. Despite it only being sandwiches, the young girl had still managed to wear it. The remanence of jelly and peanut butter staining her shirt and pants.
"Bubbles?" A tentative whisper. Almost a test.
Lauren looks behind her from her place knelt on the floor checking the temperature of the water, "of course you may have bubbles. Good girl for using your voice" She grasps the bottle of bubble bath and pours a decent amount into the filling tub, recapping it and putting it away again once done.
Whilst the tub fills, Lauren's stands and makes her way back over to Camila, "mama's missed hearing your voice" she utters quietly as she gently tugs up the youngsters shirt, wiping her mouth off as much as she could with it before tossing it into the laundry basket.
Camila looks down shyly, tears burning in her eyes. She didn't want her mama to be mad at her.
Lauren lifts her up slightly as she pulls the leggings down over her bottom, "can you tell mama why you stopped speaking?" She knew there was a big chance of Camila retreating into herself at the question. But she had to ask.
The young girl allows her diaper to be removed as she shyly looks up, her eyes still burning with unshed tears that were desperate to escape, "I was...I was scared" she feels her bottom lip begin to quiver.
"Of what baby?" Stopping the water, Lauren begins to strip herself off too. She figures Camila would talk best with comfort, and she couldn't exactly give her that without getting into the tub too.
Camila clings to her mother tightly as she settles on the floor of the tub, her arms round her neck and her hands gently, yet firmly tangling themselves into her hair.
"I don't want him to come again mama. He came last time when I acted big..."
A rational reason, Lauren muses as she absentmindedly trails her hand down her bare back, "so you thought if you were big, or acted big again, he'd come back?"
To her, the reason may seem a bit silly, but because of her past and her headspace, it was completely understandable for Camila.
The tiny brunette lets out a quiet, yet heartbreaking sob as she nods.
She didn't want to be taken from her mama again.
"Mama can't promise he won't come back baby" another sob, "but I can promise I'll do everything i can to keep you safe. Just like I did last time. Mama didn't let him hurt you then did I?"
"No mama" Camila whimpers.
"And I won't let him hurt you now. Not ever baby, okay? Can you believe mama when I say that?" Lauren cups the back of the girls head, her other arm tight around her waist , keeping her close.
Although doubt was running through her veins, Camila nods. While she didn't believe Matthew wouldn't hurt her again, she did believe her mama would keep her safe.
She always has.
**
So, its been a while, hasn't it? I guess I just lost inspiration if I'm honest, but I'm back now and updates should happen a few times a week, if not more.
Next chapter: 150 votes
I love you all, stay strong and take care of yourselves ❤️