DESTINED AFFECTION

TWENTY FIVE

Lauren jumped as her phone on her waistband vibrated. She glanced at the readout and grimaced.

"Camz, can you keep an eye on Kyle, I just need to answer this one? It's the ER "

Camila turned away from the spectacle of cavorting sea lions, taking in Lauren's slight frown of irritation. "I thought you were off today. I don't even have my cell phone."

"I'm supposed to be off," Lauren shrugged in resignation. "It's probably just some administrative issue and they need me to confirm the official party line. I'll only be a few minutes."

"No problem. We're headed to the monkey house next," Camila replied. "We'll wait for you there."

Since arriving at the zoo, Camila and Kyle had been busy studying the pictorial map in the color brochure that came with the price of admission and plotting their course around the enclosure.. Lauren was amused to discover that her daughter and Camila shared a very strong sense of order and a love for structure. Left to her own devices, Lauren would have wandered in whatever direction her interest led. However, it had rapidly become clear that with Kyle and Camila in charge, this was to be a very systematic safari.

"Yeah, Mom," Kyle announced excitedly. "We're going to take pictures of them when they're outside in their...natural habitat." She glanced at Camila, who gave her a thumbs-up of approval for remembering the new term.

"That's great, honey. I'll be right back." Lauren fixed them both with a mock-stern look. "And don't get into trouble."

The angelic brunette child and the devilishly good-looking dark-haired, browned-eyed woman both grinned, and Lauren's heart melted.

Unfortunately, she looked at Camila for just a second too long, and a few other parts of her anatomy grew disturbingly warm. She left in search of a good reception before she could become any more distracted.

It was closer to fifteen minutes before Lauren made her way back through the heavy throngs of visitors toward the screened-in expanse of tall grass, trees, and man-made climbing devices that composed the outdoor extension of the monkey house. Her daughter and Camila were nowhere in sight. With just the slightest sense of unease, she turned slowly, scanning the people lined up along the railing that separated the paved pathway from the animal habitat. Then she heard, above the cacophony of the crowd, the sound of one child laughing. Unerringly, she pivoted toward the voice, and her gaze fell directly on Kyle and Camila.

Kyle stood on the bottom rung of the metal railing that edged the moat surrounding the monkey house. She leaned as far over the railing as she possibly could with her camera at eye level, a posture which, Lauren was certain, was frowned upon by zoo officials. Ordinarily, she would have been too anxious to allow Kyle to climb up on the barrier. However, Camila stood immediately beside Kyle with her fingers curled around the waistband at the back of the child's shorts. Lauren had not the slightest doubt that Camila would keep Kyle safe.

As she watched, she saw Camila point to two monkeys frolicking on a wooden scaffolding and caught a glimpse of Kyle's thrilled expression as she aimed her new camera toward them. The sight of her daughter's pleasure and the easy, tender way that Camila related to her brought Lauren a surge of joy. Smiling, she joined them and rested her hand in the center of Camila's back, stroking gently up and down.

"Hi," Lauren said softly.

"Everything okay?"

"Mmm. Just an insurance snafu with an ER transfer." She kept her hand lightly resting on the small of Camila's back. "You two look like you're having fun."