green ➸ camren

twelve

"Hurry up!" Camila laughed, already halfway up the hill by the time Lauren had gotten out of the car. She nearly tripped backwards, quickly catching herself and pouting when Lauren burst into laughter.

"Not funny," Camila mumbled, crossing her arms and playfully jutting out her bottom lip. Lauren couldn't help but laugh even more, jogging up the hill to catch up with her wife. She paused for a moment. Wife. She liked the sound of that.

"Someone's eager," Lauren laughed when Camila grabbed her hand, pulling her the rest of the way up the hill. Both girls stood still for a moment once they reached the top, gazing ahead at the wrought iron gate.

Camila took a deep breath, giving Lauren a shy smile before leading her down the familiar pathway. Lauren kicked a stone as they walked while Camila's eyes scanned their surroundings. When she spotted the tree, she led Lauren off of the pathway and immediately knelt down to brush off the two graves.

Meanwhile, Lauren dug a blanket out of her backpack, laying it out in the glass underneath the tree. Camila turned around, giving her a questioning look.

"I planned ahead," Lauren laughed, sitting cross legged in the middle of the blanket. She patted the space next to her and motioned for Camila to join her. With a soft smile, Camila padded over to the blanket and sat down, leaning against Lauren's shoulder and sighing contently.

"If there were here they would be super happy," Camila whispered, causing Lauren to laugh softly. "They were always happy. Even if everything else sucked."

"I wonder where you get it from," Lauren giggled and nudged Camila's shoulder. The smaller girl hid her face in the crook of Lauren's neck, accidentally knocking her elbow and causing her to lay completely flat on her back. Camila couldn't help but laugh, and she lay back so her head was resting on Lauren's abdomen.

Lauren moved her arms behind her head, staring up at the sky as the wind gently rustled the leaves on the tree above them. She smiled when she felt Camila take one of her hands in her own, cupping it between hers and resting it under her chin.

"There are so many stories here, Lo," Camila whispered, keeping her gaze focused on the sky.

"Stories?" Lauren propped herself up on her elbows, looking down at Camila, who nodded eagerly.

"Just think about it," Camila pursed her lips in careful thought. "Everyone here once had a story. And now there's millions and millions of stories here. I wish I could know them all."

"I don't," Lauren said absentmindedly, gazing at the sky while Camila played with her fingers. The smaller girl furrowed her eyebrows and looked up at Lauren.

"Why not?"

"Because the best story of all is ours," Lauren whispered, tracing her eyes back down to the small girl. "You're my whole book, Camila. It starts with you and it ends with you. No other stories exist in my world."

"Ours is my favorite, too," Camila said softly, looking up at the girl with adoration filled eyes. "I will tell our story forever and ever. I promise," she locked their fingers together.

"I couldn't ask for anyone better to be my leading lady," Lauren laughed, crinkling her nose. Camila reached up to run her fingers through Lauren's hair. The two girls locked eyes and Lauren leaned down to plant a soft kiss on Camila's lips.

"We're married," Lauren laughed, lingering in front of Camila's face. The small girl couldn't help but giggle, sitting up and crossing her legs underneath her.

"It feels the same," Camila toyed with the end of her braid. "Everyone acted like it was a big deal but it did not feel like that to me."

"Is that bad?" Lauren tilted her head to the side. Camila quickly shook her head.