Color [CAMREN] [COMPLETED]

Chapter 12

Upstate New York, 5 Years Ago II

Even when his baby was born, Harry's expression didn't change too much. Most fathers would've smiled or burst into tears or done something to show excitement but not Harry. It was as if he was born with one face and that face was set in stone. Sure, he showed tiny bits of emotion but they were subtle and it took someone with great observation skills to see them. Lauren and Marielle happened to be two of these people.

However, giant tears leaked out of his eyes when he heard the news from Marielle.

"Camila's dead." Marielle whispered to him while Lauren was playing with Camren in the living room. Harry said nothing for a moment, his face unreadable. And then his eyes started shimmering and Marielle couldn't believe it but he started crying. He wiped away the tears as they came but this was something that shocked his wife to no end. He had never cried in all the time that she knew him and here he was silently bawling. After a few seconds of battling the never ending onslaught of tears, he grabbed his keys and started for the door.

"Where are you going?" She asked.

"Drive." He replied and slammed the door shut. Harry was still a man, Marielle concluded, and she knew he was probably going off somewhere deeper into the country to let out his sorrow. Marielle envied his luxury. After hearing Lauren's confession, she too wanted to just wander off in the night and have a good cry. Her mothering instincts prevented her from taking off and leaving the girl by herself.

"Do you want to sleep in my bed tonight?" She offered. Lauren looked up. "I find it helps to be close to someone." Lauren smiled appreciatively.

"No thanks, I'm a big girl." She replied. Marielle sank into the couch next to her, hoping that Max and Laney were fast asleep and wouldn't wake up anytime soon.

"This must be hard."

"You have no idea." Lauren said.

"I'm sure I don't. I don't think I ever had a friend as close as Camila was to you. I mean, Harry is my closest friend and I don't think I could handle losing him." She replied.

"I guess it is hard." Lauren admitted, spinning the ring on her finger.

"I don't know how you do it." Marielle stroked the top of her head comfortingly. Lauren shrugged.

"I don't know either." The two of them sat there in silence until Lauren stood up.

"You going to bed?" Marielle asked, not quite knowing how to comfort the girl. She watched the girl sadly as she walked up the stairs, shoulders slumped slightly forward as if a heavy weight was pressing her down. Marielle covered her face and took in several deep breaths. She could still see the other young girl's shining smile, her ever cheerful and light hearted demeanor, and her innocent brown eyes. She remembered how calm her voice was even when she was screaming and pushing a baby out of her. She handled the whole situation with an air of "everything was going to be alright."

It was hard to imagine that angel now returned to heaven. With a heavy sigh, Marielle stood up from the couch and went upstairs. She heard Lauren on the floor above her flopping into bed and she checked on Max and Laney who were slumbering peacefully. She knew she'd have to tell Max one day, and Laney deserved to know about the girls who helped her into life once she was old enough. Max understood death, being on a farm where there were hundreds of animals made it hard to keep from the boy. But telling him that Camila was dead would be a completely different matter. The boy asked about Camila almost every day since they left, wondering when the brunette would come play with him again. Marielle rested her head against the doorway and let her body seize up in quiet remorse. She made a silent promise to take her whole family and pay respects to both Camila and her family.