Buzzed Hearts

24: no promises

SHE DOESN'T KNOW how, but this is how Laurent ends up with her in the waiting room of the hospital, Camila's mother just rooms away in labor.

"His name's going to be Cameron," she tells him.

"Should we get flowers...?"

"Yes. Probably. What are March flowers? For Aries?"

"Do I look like a search engine?"

"Okay, okay." Camila searches it up. "Honeysuckle. Where would we even get that? Oh my gosh I'm going to have a baby in the house."

Laurent snakes his hand out and grips her's, thumb moving across the back of her hand. "I think all you need at this point is his name. Take it slow."

"Have you done this before?" she asks.

"Given birth? Can't say that I have."

"Laurent..."

"Your mom will be doing the most. Just be there to support her. And don't be a bad influence. Although you could hardly be called that."

"Oh my gosh!" Camila exclaims, suddenly remembering.

He raises an eyebrow. They're just as nice as Elle's but with some stray hairs around the corners. Camila would have to fix that someday.

"I have a masterclass with my professor's professor. I can't cancel," she says, starting to breathe faster now.

"Just say you're at the hospital. You are, you know."

"I can't. I have to go. He came all the way from Europe. Tell my mom I love her and tell her the name's Cameron when the time comes."

"When the time comes? Get the fuck back here Camila and tell her yourself."

But it's too late, she's already out the room, a final glance at Laurent. He slumps back in his seat and wonders if this is why he ditched practice. He usually doesn't skip soccer but hey, he wasn't feeling it today. Birth usually takes long, from his experience. Not that he knows but his mother took about a day pushing him out. It's probably the large head.

His phone rings.

"Mila."

"I'll be back in two hours. That should be okay, right?"

"Probably."

"Laurent?"

"Yeah, Mila?"

"Thank you."

"Don't tell me you're more in love with me than before."

"Can't promise you anything. Bye!"

The sound of a shutting car door is all he hears before she hangs up and he finds himself smiling to himself. She sends a text as a reminder that her brother will not have any other name than Cameron.

Feeling lonely, he pushes himself from his seat and wanders around the hospital grounds. With her gone and there's no endless talking clogging up his system, Laurent thinks about the strange, precarious friendship he's got himself into.

But speaking by experience, he hasn't got any.