My Favorite Camren One-Shots (Part 2)

Never Go to Bed Angry

Camila signed deeply, reaching up to pull her keys out of the ignition of her police cruiser. She paused, the keys dangling just below the steering wheel as she thought over the events of her latest shift at work. Her squad had been tracing down a gang for weeks, and finally the pieces were all coming together, meaning that sooner or later her and her squad would have to go and take them down. She placed her head against the steering wheel and inhaled three times, feeling the walls around her closing in. Once she entered the front door, her face would have to be all smiles, showing no sign of weakness or fear. It was never in the way that Lauren would outright admit to her fears about Camila’s profession but Camila could sense it in her eyes. The green orbs would always flood with concern, occasionally Camila would watch as they filled with tears and she reached up desperately to hide any sign of weakness from her wife. Camila took one last deep breath before pulling the keys towards her and reaching up with a shaky hand to open the car door. Stepping out, Camila made her way up the driveway to their two-bedroom house, reaching up and unbuttoning her gun holster, wrapping it up and holding it tightly in her grasp. With her other hand Camila fumbled with her keys, selecting the proper one and unlocked the front door.

“Mommy!” Within a second, Camila’s smile was plastered on her face as her young daughter Emily ran up to her. She placed the gun holster and her coat on the coat hook, and leaned down, hooking her arms under the girl’s armpits and hoisted her up. Camila pulled her as close as she could, hugging her tightly and kissing her cheek.

“Hey baby.” She greeted her daughter.

“Mommy, you should see my drawings!!!” Emily exclaimed freeing one arm to point towards the living room, which was covered in paper, and crayons, which were rolling around from the wake of Emily charging her mother. Camila took in a deep breath and prepared herself for the mess that would become evident once she took only five more steps. She adjusts her daughter in her arms and heads in the direction of the small pointed finger. Camila leaned down and took one of the many widely animated drawings in her hands, smiling in awe of her daughter’s imagination.

“Em, this is so good. I’m so proud of you baby girl.” Camila placed a kiss on the side of her forehead, and began to scan the room. “Now where is your mother?” 

“I thought I heard you come in.” Camila turned a full 180 degrees, following the sound of her wife’s warm voice. She leaned up to receive a kiss from the older woman, and for the first time since she entered the house, the smile that stemmed from it was real. Nothing grounded her more then Lauren. She was the calming force at the end of a long workday, even on the hardest days, like when she lost her first partner on the job. That night, after they put Emily to bed, Lauren sat up with Camila the whole night, rubbing gentle circles into her back as Camila buried her face into her hands, as Lauren kissed the side of her head while whispering gentle words of comfort and love over and over. That night, Camila only mumbled a phrase that she repeated over and over. “Why couldn’t I have saved her? I should have been able to save her.” and she could hear Lauren’s sharp intake of breath the first time the words tumbled out of her lips, the tears flowing like waterfalls, gushing down her cheeks. Lauren knew that one night, this would happen. That one day Camila would come home and someone she knew wouldn’t be.

“Hey.” Lauren greeted her, one arm wrapping around her wife’s waist and the other reaching up to tickle her daughter. “I’m sure Emily’s already shown you her drawings, huh? She spent all afternoon trying to make them perfect for you.”

“You did, did you?” Camila asked, cocking an eyebrow at her daughter who was burrowing her head in embarrassment into her chest. “Well I thought that they were masterpieces!”

“Alright well it’s time for Picasso over here to go to bed. She’s up well past her bed time.” Lauren cooed, taking the young daughter into her arms and began to walk down her hall. Camila followed behind and together they went through the motions of putting her to bed, singing her favourite lullaby and both finally taking a deep breath of relief when they heard Emily’s breathing finally steady into a light rhythm. Camila took this as her turn to leave, and she made her way to the bedroom that she and Lauren shared.