The two eventually decide on pancakes for breakfast. As Camila couldn't cook to save her life, something she'd knew would have to change now she was in charge of a growing toddler, she grabs the box of ready made ones that she keeps in the cupboard paces several onto a plate.
After placing it into the microwave, she shifts her attention to the toddler in her arms still suckling on her bottle, "I know you don't like sitting in this..." she starts, gesturing to the booster seat strapped to one of the dining chairs, "but I'd really like it if you could be a brave girl for me. I won't strap you in, that way you can climb off anytime you like, okay?" She crouches down in front of the said chair, Lauren perched on her thighs.
Lauren glances back reluctantly as she chews on the end of her nearly empty bottle, tears already pooling in the corners of her eyes at the thought of being made to sit back on the scary chair.
Deciding that no, she really really didn't want to sit there whether she was strapped in or not, she shuffles as close as she could to Camila and clings to her, tightly.
Knowing her mind had already been made up and there was no way of persuading her otherwise, Camila lets out a sigh and slides an arm underneath her before rising back to her feet, "it's okay mamas. I'm not going to force you if really don't want to sit there." She wonders back to the microwave just in time for it to beep, and with her free hand, she pulls open the door and grabs the now hot pancakes out of it.
Placing it in front of the place she normally sat, she heads over to the fridge to grab the syrup. Soon, she was sitting down at the table with very quiet Lauren sat on her lap, and with the hand that wasn't wrapped around her, she picks up a pancake and offers it to the youngster.
"Be careful baby. It might still be a little hot" she warns as little fingers take the food from her, picking up one for herself.
As soon as the warning had escaped her lips the pancake was almost thrown back onto the plate, and with a frown, she looks down at the girl who had now buried her face into her chest.
"Hey, what's wrong?" She frowns as she grabs Lauren by the armpits, lifting her up slightly so they were almost chest to chest. The toddler seems to take comfort in the action, and utters two words at almost break Camila's heart.
"No hurt" they were said with so much fear that the older Cuban has to take a second to see if they really had just been spoken. Was Lauren scared she was going to be force fed? Was that why she had hidden her face from view almost as soon as she had disposed of the pancake like it had burned her?
Sighing unsurely, Camila pushes away the food and eases a trembling Lauren down in its place, allowing her tiny, bare feet to settle on her lap.
"Look at me mamas" she murmurs when she see's wet cheeks, placing her hands either side of the toddlers hips to keep her steady.
Lauren goes to refuse, but when she hears how soft Camila's voice was, how concerned she sounded, she hesitantly flickers her eyes up to make contact with the woman's own.
"There we go, good girl" Camila praises, "can you be a big girl a listen carefully for a second?"
A barely there nod.
"I would never ever make you do something you don't want to do. I would never ever intentionally make you eat something that would hurt you either. That would definitely not be a good move on my part." She starts, making sure to maintain eye contact with the toddler before continuing. "When you didn't want to sit in your chair, did I make you anyway?"
Lauren glances at the scary chair for a split second before shaking her head, her green eyes flickering back to Camila's brown ones.
"And did I make you eat the food that I made for you yesterday when you were full?"
Lauren once again shakes her head, now understanding why Camila was trying get at.
"Exactly mamas. What I'm trying to tell you is that your decisions are your own and I will never ever make you, or force you to do something that you don't want to do. I would never ever do something to intentionally hurt you. It's why I warned you before you took the pancake that it was hot so you didn't hurt yourself" she tries her best to explain.
"That's why I immediately took you back into my arms when you didn't want to sit in your chair. Why I took the rest of your food away from you yesterday when it was clear you were full and didn't want anymore."
Eyes glazing over, Lauren nods her head in understanding. Camila wasn't like the rest. She wouldn't hurt her. She wouldn't force her to do things she doesn't want to do.
Deciding to try the food once again, Camila pulls the small girl back onto her lap and allows her to settle against her before reaching for the plate, grabbing a single pancake off of it and offering it over.
Little fingers once again take it, and she smiles when this time, Lauren doesn't hesitate to take a bite.
*
"...Seven, eight, nine. Ready or not here I come!" Camila calls with a grin as she uncovers her eyes and moves herself away from the wall, shaking her head playfully when she immediately see's little feet peaking out of the large curtain across the room.
This was their fourth round of this game now, and each time, the youngster had sudden somewhere completely open.
"Oh no, where could Lauren be!" She calls dramatically as begins to she pretend to look around the room, stifling a laugh of her own when the toddlers giggle fills her ears. She shifts the cushions in the couch, looks underneath the coffee table, each action causing her to get closer and closer to an eager Lauren.
"Mhhh, I know where she is" she pulls back the curtain on the opposite side of the small girl, letting out a 'disappointed' sigh when she comes up empty handed. A laugh threatens to escape her lips when she see's Lauren's familiar face peer behind the curtain, but as she wanted this to go on a little longer, she pretends to be oblivious and looks the other way.
"I wonder where she is" she muses as she once again pretends to look around the room.
Lauren soon makes herself known by wrapping her little arms around her thigh, and she jumps in shock before turning around and lifting the giggly toddler into her arms, covering her whole face in kisses.
"You're such a good hider mamas. I was worried I'd never find you" She gently yet playfully digs her fingers into the small girls sides as she wonders back over to the couch, feeling Lauren's tiny frame squirm in her arms as she giggles contagiously at the ticklish action.
"Now, why don't we get you a baba and put a movie on or something mhh?" She says as she glances a the clock which was nearing two in the afternoon, knowing from yesterday that putting Lauren down for a nap was probably a good thing to do to stop her from being grouchy.
Tired from the hour of constantly running around, Lauren finds herself nodding against the woman's sweater clad shoulder, her eyes already drooping.
It doesn't take Camila long to fix up a bottle of warm milk, and no sooner could she blink, she was sat on the couch with Lauren cradled in her arms and the tv quietly playing the beginning scene of the movie Moana.
Grabbing the blanket from the back of the couch and covering them both up, Camila uncaps the bottle and sets the lid onto the coffee table before looking down at the sleepy toddler in her arms, "open up baby" She places the nipple of the bottle against her lips.
Lauren doesn't hesitate to comply and was soon suckling softly, her hand that was once buried underneath the blanket coming up to enclose two of Camila's fingers in her own.
Camila's smiles softly at the adorable action, and carefully, as not to disturb the dozing youngster, she leans down a presses a lingering kiss to her head.
**
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Never grow up (kidfic)
FanfictionCamila was never able to have children of her own. So she adopts Lauren, a three year old little girl in need of a loving home. She falls for her best friend Dinah Jane Hansen along the way, but how hard could having a relationship and a child be? ...
