Buzzed Hearts

26: inside voices

WHO COULD'VE THOUGHT that baby Cameron brought no fuss among the Bean household? That's a lie. Camila is still sleeping, halfway through Sunday already because she was too busy cradling her brother to sleep all night while her mother got some rest.

The doorbell rings and jolts her to her feet. Before she goes to open the door, she tries to look through the living room windows to see who it is.

"Laurent?" she asks drowsily when she's met with his eyes.

"It's Sunday."

"I know...?"

A wave of realization washes over the confusion that she previously held.

"Yeah." Laurent stands with his hands in his pockets. "Fringe. You don't look dressed at all."

She really isn't. An oversized shirt she got from a school event reaches halfway down her thighs and she's pretty sure the socks she has on aren't even the same size. Her hand flashes up to her chin to check for drool.

"Sorry."

He sighs. He doesn't look dressed either. At least not in the date-like way Camila was hoping for. In fact, he looks even less put together than usual, hair a tousled mess and hoodie strings still tangled around his neck. He has a nice neck and an even nicer jaw. Camila stares and drops her gaze to his shoes.

"Wait, I'll go get dressed. Five minutes," she says and rubs her eyes before Laurent takes a step inside to stop her.

"We don't have to go. You look like shit right now."

"Oh thanks, Laurent."

"Is it the baby?"

"Yeah. My mom's sleeping right now because she's been up the past week. I'm supposed to be taking care of Cameron."

"Can I see him?" he whispers, and Camila smiles because it's as if he thinks Cameron can hear him.

She takes him to the nursery, still half renovated—it used to be the family office. Laurent treads softly behind her and he smells like sharp citrus.

"Cologne?" she asks him.

He pauses and looks down at her, wondering why she stopped right outside the door. Camila peers into his stained glass eyes and wonders if he was born seeing two worlds—or at least life in two colors.

"No," he says softly, swallowing. "Probably shampoo. Why? Do I smell good?"

Camila suddenly feels small in just a shirt, even though she considers herself pretty tall. "He's sleeping right now."

She, as superstitious as she is, should have knocked on wood because the wailing abruptly cuts her off. Laurent's eyes go wide in surprise and he flashes her a devilish grin before rolling up his sleeves and stepping into the nursery, ready to cuddle the hell out of Cameron.