Wait For Me To Come Home

Chapter 71

The next month passed by in a flurry of activity, and June fast approached. Camila made a small amount of progress, but it was a relief to them both that she was actually starting to get somewhere. After Maggie had slammed the cupboard door and triggered a flashback, Lauren had had every cupboard, drawer, and door hinge, and runner changed to ones that couldn't be slammed. When they fought it was almost frustrating not being able to slam a door shut behind them when they stormed off, but Lauren had everything in the apartment practically baby proofed to try and help Camila. Slowly she started to have fewer nightmares at night, and each morning they woke up after a peaceful night's sleep, it felt like a small victory.

            It started with therapy, which caused a few arguments between not just Lauren and Camila, but everyone. Eventually, though, Camila let Lauren make an appointment; once a week individually, and then another weekly session for couples counseling. Camila had fought against the couple's therapy, insisting that there was nothing wrong with their relationship, but Lauren had been adamant, because although she wouldn't admit it, she was close to breaking. They were three weeks in, and it was hard for them both, but they were managing. Lauren attributed most of Camila's recovery to the fact that they'd put Athena through the compulsory training and registered her as a service dog. She never left Camila's side, and while Camila rarely ventured outside of the apartment, it was a comfort to her to know that she would have someone to keep her grounded if something triggered a flashback or an anxiety attack when she did go out – not that Lauren had let her go anywhere alone yet anyway.

            Now, they were in the process of packing up all of Camila's stuff at Sofi's old apartment and moving it all into Lauren's place. Their place. Camila was finally fully moving in, because she'd insisted that they do something. One of their arguments had been about Lauren going back to work, and Camila taking Clara up on her work offer, but Lauren had put her foot down. Instead, they'd compromised on moving all of Camila's belongings into the apartment, because at least that was they were both occupied, and Lauren had started working with Clara, taking on the paperwork that she could do at home with Camila. On top of therapy and moving, Camila was so worn out that she had no motivation to do anything – not that Lauren suspected she would want to do anything even if they weren't busy. Most days, she would sit in the photography room that Lauren had set up for her as a birthday gift, and Lauren left her to do whatever she did in there, giving her privacy with her photos and cameras. At least that was one thing she showed some interest in.

Camila had her individual therapy that day, and Lauren was sat in the waiting room for the session to finish. She'd promised Camila that she would come with her to every session and sit outside, and afterward, they'd do something fun to help Camila unwind, because Lauren knew how draining therapy was. She had started getting back into the routine of therapy with her mom, and Lauren wasn't sure whether or not it was a blessing or a curse, because for that hour, it was the only time she was away from Camila, but at the same time, she hated the fact that she was away from Camila. She was on Lauren's mind every second, no matter what she was doing her mind would always run away to thoughts of Camila, and she'd find herself panicking about whether or not she was okay doing whatever she was doing with Sofi or Maggie. Even now, with Lauren sat in the waiting room, she was thinking about Camila and wondering how the session was going. It was another fifteen minutes before Camila came out, holding Athena's leash in her hand, and Lauren climbed to her feet, giving her a small smile.

Camila sorted out her next appointment, before walking over to Lauren and holding out a hand. "Let's go."

            They walked through the city, having walked to the clinic, and Lauren gave Camila's hand a quick squeeze. "Where do you want to go? There's that new art exhibit at the gallery," Lauren suggested. "Or we can go and get tacos from that Mexican restaurant you like and go and walk through the botanical gardens. I bet the flowers are blooming nicely now."