Buzzed Hearts

27: slow and sleepy sundays

FOR THE SECOND TIME, Camila wakes up from deep sleep. Slumber has plagued the whole household and she hears soft, even breathing in the room. She's on the blow-up mattress her parents planted in the nursery and she finds that Laurent is sitting at the end of it, dozing off against the wall.

    Her heart jumps to her throat when she can't see Cameron but quiets down when she sees the dark bundle in Laurent's arms. The next few minutes are spent looking at him and then she gets up. The whole mattress shifts and his eyes flicker open.

    Laurent yawns.

    A blanket from Cameron's crib is covering Camila.

    "I pulled that on you since you have no pants on. Didn't want you to lose your dignity halfway through your nap," he speaks up, voice hushed.

    "Thanks?"

    "He's tiny," he adds.

    "Cameron Konan Bean."

    "Konan?"

    "Where my parents are from, they name their children according to the day they were born on. So I would be called Amlan because I was born on a Wednesday. So was Cameron so his middle name's Konan. They were raised here though, so."

    "Where my parents from, we carry sacks of coal and race with it."

    "What?"

    "Scottish."

    "Oh."

    "I'm Scottish, French, and lots of other European countries."

    "Do you have to go home soon?" she asks, suddenly distracted by the light flickering through thin material of the curtains.

    His eyes flit to the analog clock propped against the wall. They haven't gotten to hanging it up yet.

    "Not really."

    "Okay."

    The aftereffects of a heavy nap session is still stirring deep in the bones of the two so Laurent sits in silence as Camila starts folding the blanket. One of her socks is down her ankle and the other one, completely off. She's a downright mess at the moment.

    "Are you excited for Juilliard?" he breaks the silence.

    "Not really," she says and explains more. "I've been doing this my whole life and Juilliard's going to be different but I already know the ins and outs of it already."

    "What's something you're proud of achieving, then?"

    "Probably Carnegie Hall. But if I ever do sort of make it, I'd rather stick to something less...public."

    "Teaching?"

    "I already do that on weekends," she laughs. A warm feeling washes over her, answering Laurent's questions. They're in no rush to interrupt each other, on this slow Sunday afternoon. "Why don't you want to date anyone?"

    "That question again. When will you ever stop?" he shakes his head slowly, careful to keep Cameron still.

    "I'm just curious. All I've ever known is love."

    "It's not that I don't get love, I have family for that. It's just that it's absolutely useless at this time where I'm going through the most changes. Also, love is dumb."

    "How dumb?"

    "Almost as dumb as you," Laurent jokes.

    Camila can't help but feel as if there's some truth behind his words, that she's mindless for being this way.