Camila had recently released her first single 'Perfect' featuring one of her oldest friends in the music industry; Selena Gomez, from her third studio album; The Hurting, The Healing, The Loving, and her fans were going crazy.
She had intended to drop three singles; one from each of the stages on her album. They were the songs that resonated the most with her and she wanted to be able to convey visually, what she was feeling at the time. Her favourite one would have to be The Loving, in which she'll release No Hay Nadie Más with Demi Lovato. This song was obviously about her love for her wife, and it would most definitely be her favourite to perform even though she hadn't performed it just yet.
Before she and her wife were to have their dates, Camila decided to push harder with her album. She had done a couple interviews and did her very first performance of 'Perfect'. Camila even managed to snag Selena to perform with her despite her being on an indefinite hiatus.
She couldn't wait to share her songs with the world, and Camila had hoped that she would be able to at least help one person, if they were in the same position as she was just a few months ago.
You know what they say, when words fail, music speaks.
***
As for the couple's date assignment, Camila had been planning to take her wife out on a date for quite a while now, but she had never truly gotten around to it because of their both busy schedules. She had already asked Maggie and Ariana to babysit Isabella, while she and her wife continue to ignite the flame of their love.
"Are you sure you're going to be okay?" Camila asked Maggie for the millionth time as though she hadn't taken care of her niece on her own.
Maggie rolled her eyes playfully. "Camzii, it's not like I'm going to give the kid alcohol and have her smoke weed. I'm not THAT much of a bad influence."
"I actually think she'll give her alcohol to drink though," Lauren said as she descended the stairs. Meanwhile, Ariana was upstairs with Izzy, picking out a game for them to play when her parents left. "But not too much alcohol, she's still a kid." Lauren winked at her younger sister.
Camila crossed her arms and glared at her wife. "Really, babe? Really?"
Maggie laughed loudly and pinched her sister in law's cheeks. "Aw you're so cute when you're pretending to be a good mother."
"I am a somewhat decent mother!" Camila protested.
Izzy came running down the stairs, with Ariana trailing behind her. "Mama! Mummy!" She dove into Camila's awaiting arms. "Hi." She kissed her mother on the cheek, causing the woman to swoon. "Are you and mama going to leave soon?"
Lauren placed a kiss on top her child's head. "Yes we are. Are you going to be good for your aunties?"
Izzy smirked devilishly and nodded. "I'll only be good to aunty Ari because she brought me a new teddy and I like him a lot. I named him Ted."
Yes. Ted as in that foul mouthed teddy bear.
Maggie gasped in faux hurt. "Are you insinuating that you don't like me and would sell me to the cartel at any given opportunity?" She asked her niece who had no idea what she was talking about. The child just stared at her aunt in pure confusion. "Exactly what I thought! You wound me, Mini Me. To think you like my girlfriend more than me."
"Everyone likes your girlfriend more than you, Maggikins," Ariana said as she placed a chaste kiss on her girlfriend's lips. "I'll like to think that you like me more as well."
Before the new couple could get even more cheesier than they already were, Camila and Lauren bid their daughter farewell and promised to be home in a couple hours. It's not that the child was going to miss her parents, because she was going to be distracted. A sleepover with two of her favourite people? What more could a child want?
***
"You're taking me to an art gallery?" Lauren asked in awe as she stepped out of her wife's car. "Just when I thought going on a date with the most beautiful woman to ever walk this earth couldn't get any better, it just did. " She smiled brightly at her wife. Camila shut and locked her car, as she sidled up to Lauren, slipping her arm into her wife's.
"Tonight is all about you, babe," Camila kissed her wife's cheek. "I just wanted to do something that I know that you're going to like."
Most of us know what love is and we know what it feels like to be in love. What some of us don't know is what being in love feels like. To be loved by someone, and to know just how scared they are to lose us to someone else, just as you are to lose them.
You're probably wondering, 'Will I ever experience this?' And truth be told, I am no psychic, but I believe that there's someone out there for all of us. You probably have not met the person yet, but you will one day.
Wait for it.
As they entered the gallery, Lauren's eyes were bright with excitement. She hadn't been there before. It was definitely high end, and the pieces were absolutely incredible. Lauren began explaining some of the pieces to her wife, who was hanging on to every word that she was saying. It wasn't exactly a place Camila would go to, as she used to wonder why someone would spend so much of money on paint splattered on a canvas, but who was she to judge?
Camila and Lauren were walking around, examining all the various art pieces. Camila couldn't help but feel extremely happy about being there. The glimmer in Lauren's eyes was enough to make her heart soar. Who would've thought that after all these years, they would've still been together? Married with a child and the both of them being successful with thriving careers.
See, the thing about Camila and Lauren, despite there ups and downs, they still made it. You all would probably be shocked to know, that they did break up once many years ago, for a little over a month.
Forty five days to be exact.
Forty five excruciating days for the both of them.
It was over something so trivial; Lauren's insecurities had always been a thorn in the site of their relationship, but Camila's hotheadedness and belief that all good things in her life always leave, was one of the reason why they broke up.
They experienced a heartbreak that neither of them thought they were ever going to recover from or would work pass.
Heartbreak isn't just about missing someone. It's that feeling you get in your chest that makes you want to tear your heart out with your bare hands, hoping to stop your whole being from hurting.
It feels like your chest is being crushed and all you can do is stare up at the ceiling and think that you did this to yourself.
The worst part about a heartbreak is where the shock wears off, and you realise that you no longer have the person who you're in love with. You try to hold everything back, but the pain is no longer under your control.
They're gone.
They've left after they said that they wouldn't have.
They stopped trying.
They don't love you anymore.
The dam breaks with the rest of you breaking along with it. And this time, you have to pick the pieces up alone. You have to put yourself back together and pray to God, that you don't end up in this position ever again.
I don't get why we hang on to something that we know we'll be better off without. We're all scared to lose something that we never even had in the first place, so why is it always so painstakingly hard? Why can't we just loosen our grips and let them go?
Is it really better to have someone who hurts you rather than being alone and having nothing?
Because honestly, it's far easier to have nothing than to hold on to someone you never truly had in the first place.
"Like the Mona Lisa's smile," Camila whispered into Lauren's ear, "I find your smile absolutely intriguing."
Her wife turned to stare at her before bursting into laughter, "Oh...my....god, Camz." She said in between laughs. "That was horrible."
Camila pouted and punched her arm. "Okay, what about this one..." She paused for dramatic effect. "You must be an artist, because I find myself drawn to you."
"Okay, I'll like to think that one was somewhat better. E for effort."
"More like, F for fuck you, Jauregui," Camila rolled her eyes, and walked away from Lauren. "Stay away from me, I hate you right now."
The photographer laughed and caught up to her wife, grabbing her hand to stop her. "All these priceless paintings, works of art, and the only true masterpiece here is you, amor." Lauren said as she stared into the brunette's eyes. "It's how I feel every single time I see you. I don't get how you can compare yourself to other women, when you're literally the only one that has ever caught my eye."
Camila blushed at her wife's words, and reveled in her touch as Lauren ran her finger along her cheek. "Not even that bitch, Sarah who you liked back in high school, way before we got together?"
Lauren snorted. "Sarah has nothing on you, my love. You are complete and utter perfection. I remember the first moment I saw you, Camz. My heart was beating like this..." She brought Camila's hand to her chest so that she could feel just how fast her heart was beating. "You have this crazy effect on me after all this time, and I don't think I'll ever want it to go away."
One day, you're going to meet someone who will fall in love with every damn inch of you. All your imperfections and flaws. They'll love everything about you, even the things that you hate. They'll fall in love with your mind, even the parts that terrify you.
Don't let that person go.
The person you're going to marry is currently walking the earth, living their own life and creating memories that you're going to hear about in a couple years from now. They're probably waiting for you to come into their lives and make memories with them too.
It may seem hopeless now, and you may lack the patience, but don't give up. The best is yet to come.
We go through the worst to get to the best.
But just remember, at your best you still won't be good enough for the wrong person, and at your worst, you're always going to be worth it to the right person. You can go to the moon and back for the wrong person, and they'll still have the audacity to tell you 'I never asked you to.'
You're never going to have to chase the one who wants to stay with you.
Camila cupped Lauren's cheeks and pulled her in for a kiss. Her green eyes portrayed shock until she realised exactly what was going on. The moment their lips touched, and every other time they kissed, their bodies were set ablaze with passion and longing.
Lauren kissed Camila back. Her lips moved skilfully against Camila's as it always did. Camila's hands moved from her wife's face to the back of her neck, pulling her closer than they already were.
Camila brushed Lauren's bottom lip with her tongue, seeking entry into her mouth to deepen the kiss, but green eyes pulled away, breathing heavily.
"We're in public, Camz," Lauren said, trying to regain her composure. "And as much as I'll like to have you right here, right now. I don't think that's a good idea."
The brunette smirked and placed a chaste kiss on her wife's lips. "Why don't we give the people a show? Let them see exactly what I'm blessed to have in my bed every...single...night," Camila whispered seductively into her wife's ear, teasing her. She knew just what sort of effect she had on her wife. But quite frankly, teasing Lauren was fun.
Lauren swallowed hard before moving away from the woman. "Have I ever told you how much I hate you?"
Camila laughed and sidled up to her wife yet again, wrapping her arms around her waist as they continued walking around the museum.
"Are you having fun?"
Lauren stopped walking and looked at her wife. "Is that seriously a question, babe?" Camila nodded. "Of course, I'm having fun. Everything is better with you. You know that."
Camila shrugged, doubting her wife's words a bit. "I know how much you loved going to art galleries when you were younger, and we never really went when we were dating...and I just..." She trailed off, not sure where she was going with this conversation.
"Amor...I am having fun. I love spending time with my favourite person," Lauren kissed her wife lightly on the lips. "I love how you remembered how I liked coming to these places. And I love how it's the two of us. What more can I ask for?"
Camila shrugged. "Maybe you would've wanted Izzy to be here?"
Lauren smiled. "Okay, I probably would've liked for the three of us to be together, I don't like being without her, but tonight is about us." She stared into her wife's beautiful brown eyes, smiling to herself.
What a wonderful wife she had.
What a beautiful family they made together.
You may not be their first, their last or even their only. They loved before you and they might love again after you. But if they love you now, then what else matters?
Camila isn't perfect, Lauren wasn't either - and the two of them may never be perfect together. They're going to fight, they're going to tire of one another, but if Lauren can make Camila laugh, think twice and admit to being human and making so many dumb mistakes, shouldn't she hold on to her?
Camila may not be thinking of Lauren just about every waking moment of the day, but she's going to give Lauren a part of her that she had never given to anyone else before. A part of her that she knows that can be broken; her heart, but she's going to give it either way.
Don't hurt that person, don't try to change them, don't expect more than what they can give. Smile when they make you happy, let them know when they make you mad.
But most importantly, love them with every fibre of your being...if that's what they deserve.
About an hour more passed. The couple had ended up spending a lot more time in the gallery than they intended. Mostly because they were enjoying each other's company to the point that they lost track of the time.
Finally leaving the art gallery, Lauren had assumed this was it and they were headed home. However, Camila had one last thing planned for them.
A few minutes later, they pulled up to a lake, Camila shut off the car and grinned at her wife expectantly.
"...Are you planning on killing me and throwing me in the lake?" Lauren asked as she looked between her wife and the pool of water before them.
The singer rolled her eyes and scoffed loudly. "Wow. To think after all those crime documentaries I've watched, you'll think I'm such an amateur. I am deeply wounded." Camila shook her head sadly. "I would've used sodium hydroxide."
Lauren's eyes snapped back to her wife. "I...I married a crazy bitch."
The other woman laughed loudly. She ran quickly to open the door for Lauren, and bowed dramatically. "M'lady." Camila took her hand in hers and led her out of the car. "Wait here. Close your eyes and give me between five to twenty minutes to do what I have to do."
Lauren laughed but did as she was told.
"Okay," Camila said excitedly, "You can open your eyes."
When Lauren opened her eyes, she was greeted to all of her 'little favourites' spread out on the ground. There were three candles flicking, allowing a little bit of light into the almost dark sky. A bottle of wine, and a music player playing one of Lauren's all time favourite songs that was titled 'Lady in Red' by Chris DeBurgh. It was the song that the couple had shared one of their very first dances to at their school's prom, and ever since then, it had became one of Lauren's favourite song.
"Amor..." she breathed out in complete shock. "This...you...wow." Lauren was trying to form a coherent sentence but her vocabulary had failed her.
Camila smiled. She pulled her wife in for a quick kiss. "I'll take it that you like it?"
"Like it?" Lauren asked. "Camz, I love it. This is wow. Perfect. I love you. You're literally the best wife anyone can ever ask for."
The Argentinian singer bent her head and blushed furiously. "Stop it. You're going to make me blush."
Lauren laughed and wrapped her arms around her wife from behind. "You are literally heaven sent, Camila Jauregui. Heaven sent."
They stayed like that, enjoying each other's embrace as they looked out at the lake.
"We can literally go through hell and back, and I'd still want to be with you," Camila rested her hand on top of her wife's. "I'll stick with you through the good and bad. Just please..." she turned so that she can look into her wife's eyes, so that Lauren could have seen the sincerity in them. "...don't let go."
The photographer caressed her wife's face, causing the woman's eyes to flutter shut. "I promise you sweetheart." She kissed Camila on her forehead. "I could take all the drugs in the world, kiss every girl that I meet, drink the strongest liquor all night long, but I can assure you this, my love..." she held Camila's face in her hands. "I could never feel the same type high that I'll feel, when I'm with you."
I hope you wake up to someone every morning, who loves you like you're a flower and they're so desperate to keep you alive. I hope they hold you all night long when you're falling apart, whispering little things in your ear to ensure you that everything is going to be okay.
I hope you can dance with them in your kitchen, while your hair is in a messy bun, and you're both waiting on dinner to be finished.
I hope they can make you laugh in a way no one else has ever done. I hope they can make your cheeks hurt, and your eyes tear up from laughing so hard. With your head titled back and every possible noise comes out of your mouth, and I hope you don't cover it, but if you do, I hope they stop you. I hope they grab your hand and they bring it to their lips kissing it ever so lightly as they stare deep into your eyes.
Because fuck, everyone knows just how much you deserve it.
I hope you find someone who'll accept you. I hope they accept that you won't look your best during the mornings, and that sometimes you can't help but talk endlessly about something that makes you happy.
I hope you find someone who loves every inch of you, and loves you even more on the days that you can't even love yourself.
I hope you find someone who makes you happy, even when you feel like sometimes life is too hard, and it's just easier if you threw in the towel.
I hope you find someone to love you the way Lauren and Camila love each other.
And lastly, I hope that when it comes to a tough situation and there's a choice to make; you being one of them, I hope that they choose you.
Every goddamn time, I hope that they choose you.
Because Camila chose Lauren.
And, every single time, Lauren chose Camila. It was tough, and most people would've given up, but what's true love without a bit of disappointment?
What's love if there isn't any hardships?
Picture this, what if one day, Lauren had had enough of Camila and her shit? She had enough of Camila constantly pushing her away and she wasn't willing to listen to what she had to say when she saw Lauren with Hailee?
"I did love you. I loved you so much that I couldn't bear to breathe without you. You consumed my entire being, and maybe that's why I let you treat me the way you did after all this time."
Lauren would look at Camila, there would be tears threatening to fall, but she would try her best to hold herself together.
"I don't know what sort of joy you got out of destroying me time and time again, but I pray to God that you find it within yourself to heal and not treat anyone the way you treated me. I waited for you. I wanted you. I tried to hang on, because I thought you were worth it."
Camila would look away. Her heart wouldn't be able to handle all the words that Lauren would be spewing at her.
"But one day, I simply stopped waiting around for you. I didn't want to hear you say that you missed me anymore. But I fucking hope that you do. I hope that when you think of me, it'll break your heart, because you would finally realise that I wanted to try."
Lauren would say these words with a bite in her tone, the bitterness and the hurt would be surfacing.
"I hope you see me so happy that it hurts to the point that you begin to hate me for being happy without you. I hope you crumple to the floor and feel like the air in your lungs is being sucked out of you and you realise what you had and what you didn't fight for."
Lauren would approach Camila and hold her face in both hands, staring deep into her eyes, before their final farewell.
"Because I would've given you the world if you had asked me to. I would've kept fighting if you told me to. But you didn't deserve my energy. Fuck you."
But that's the thing about loving someone who loves you back, they're willing to fight along with you for the sake of your relationship.
Remember the one destined to be with you, destined to love you would never have the desire to hurt you, nor leave you.
***
The front door to the to the Jauregui - Cabellos' house opened slowly as they were assuming that their daughter was already asleep and the couple didn't want to make any noise to wake the child. But to their surprise when they stepped into the mudroom, they heard the television and a voice resembling their daughter's screaming the lyrics to her mother's song, 'Havana', also known as the song that Izzy very much didn't like.
"Emilia Isabella Jauregui - Cabello!" Lauren's voice boomed through the house, the child stopped singing immediately. When Lauren checked her watch, it was almost one in the morning. Upon further inspection, the couple saw that Ariana was fast asleep on the couch, her legs draped over her girlfriend's lap, whilst Maggie was in and out of sleep next to her.
".....yes, mama?" Izzy asked softly. "You're...home...early." The child said sheepishly as she realised that she was caught. Her bedtime was usually at eight thirty, and because she was up, chances of her waking up on time and fully rested tomorrow for school was very low.
Camila entered the room now and tossed a pillow at Maggie and another at Ariana. "Thanks for babysitting, Izzy, guys. Y'all are definitely hired for the next time."
Maggie rubbed her eyes tiredly, Ariana not waking up as she was passed out like a bear hibernating for the winter. "Ugh. Hola, sister in law...and sister. How was y'alls date?" She asked oblivious to the fact that Lauren was fuming about her child being up at this hour.
The elder Jauregui rolled her eyes but before she could say anything, Camila butted in. "I thought you hated 'Havana'," she smirked at her child who blushed and hid her face behind her hands. "AW! My baby loves my songssss." Camila ran and scooped Izzy up into her arms. "You're so precious. Mummy loves you very much," she loved various kisses on the child's face. "But you've been a bad girl and it's time for bed now." She brought their daughter to Lauren so that she can kiss her good night, as she carried her to bed.
Maggie stroked Ariana's legs, to coax her to wake up, her eyes fluttered open slowly as she tired to decipher as to where she was right now. "So, you didn't answer, how was the date?"
Lauren took a seat on her recliner, sighing heavily. "Why wasn't Izzy sleeping?" She questioned Maggie and her girlfriend.
"She didn't want to," Maggie shrugged, as she kept stroking Ariana's legs.
"So you let her stay up, almost five hours after her bedtime?" Lauren rubbed at her temples. "Okay, there is no need to be angry, clearly Camila isn't angry. Deep breaths, Lauren. You just had an amazing night out with your wife, no need to murder your sister and future sister in law."
Ariana piped up at the mention of her being the 'future sister in law'. "Ooh, I like the sound of that," she clapped happily. "And we can buy a house next to you guys, so we can be neighbours! Oh my god, I can't wait."
"Calm down, babe," Maggie laughed. "We haven't even been dating for six months yet. How am I so sure you're not a crazy bitch? Would I be willing to deal with you for the rest of my life?"
"But you didn't deny it though," Ariana sent her girlfriend a wink, and threw herself to lay back on the couch. "So, what did you and Milz do? Tell me all the juicy details."
Camila descended the stairs. "I heard my name."
Lauren laughed and patted her lap for her wife to take a seat. "These two terrible babysitters of ours want to know how our date went." As the brunette found her place on Lauren's lap; her hands instantly went around Camila's waist, holding her close.
Camila craned her neck to look at her wife, expectantly. "Exactly, amor. How was our date?"
"It was amazing," Lauren kissed Camila on the cheek. "The art gallery, the picnic, the company, everything was perfect."
"Ew, an art gallery date."
"Aw, an art gallery date!"
Camila laughed at her friends' reaction. "I can't wait to see what you have planned for me, baby. I want you to blow my mind."
"Or blow your back out, either is fine," Maggie said, laughing to herself, which earned a smack from her girlfriend. "Ouch." She pouted. "Why are you so mean to me?" Ariana rolled her eyes playfully and gestured for Maggie to come closer, as she placed a tender kiss on the model's lips, she sighed happily. "Yay! Much better."
"You two are so sickeningly cute to the point that I find it utterly disgusting," Lauren fake gagged. She gently patted Camila's thighs so that she could stand. "Why don't you two lovebirds go to bed? It's late and I want y'all out of my house as early as possible."
Camila punched her wife. "Hey, don't be mean. We'll need them to babysit Izzy for your date."
"No, we'll ask Dinah, Hailee, Shawn, somebody that's not them." The couple bickered as they climbed the stairs to their bedroom.
"All I'm hearing is how much you love me!" Maggie yelled after them.
***
Camila's lips slowly disconnected from Lauren's. But, she allowed Lauren's hands to roam her naked body, as her eyes remained shut, she reveled in her wife's touch. The hot water cascading onto their naked bodies, as they were pressed up against each other in the shower.
She could have felt Lauren's pleasure rising, with every moment that they shared together. Camila opened her eyes slowly to look at the joy etched on her face, and she knew that very moment, she was completely and utterly in love with this woman that stood before her.
Lauren grasped the back of Camila's neck and pulled her closer, connecting their lips. Camila could feel her erection against her stomach, as a smile found it's way on her lips.
"I love you, Lauren Michelle," the brunette murmured against Lauren's lips.
She smiled. "And I love you too, Mrs Karla Camila Jauregui."
"Now," Camila whispered into Lauren's ear. "Make love to me."
"Your wish is my command."
***
Hope y'all enjoyed the chapter 🦋
Next is Lauren's date idea for Camilita.
Also, Happy Birthday to my annoying older sister! 🎉
This chapter is your only birthday gift.