I Built This Home For Me, For You

Chapter 33

The rest of March passed by in a flurry of blooming flowers and a shock of green as all the skeletal trees flowered again, and spring well and truly came. With it came the light feeling that accompanied the fresh air and the weak sunlight, and at the Jauregui estate, everything was getting better and better, on an upwards trajectory after their deep downwards spiral. Lauren went back to work full-time, home by five every day, and Camila worked alternate days with Clara, choosing to stay home and focus on their family while she let her work take a backseat. Every day, the five of them ate breakfast together before they all went their separate ways - Lauren to the office, Daisy and Lily to school, and Clara either stayed at home or went to the lab - and then they'd start coming home, one by one, finding the house smelling of whatever Camila had cooked for dinner, looking neat and tidy after a day of her fussing around the place. They fell into a comfortable routine of therapy, dinner with Sofi and Maggie, chemo treatments for Clara, and the girls' extracurricular activities, and every night, Lauren fell asleep in Camila's arms, her heart feeling lighter with each perfectly normal day.

It was a Saturday - a day they reserved for family time - but for now, everyone else was in bed, and it was just Camila and Lauren taking a stroll through the gardens in the early morning light, watching as the peachy sky started turning to an eggshell blue as the sun rose higher and higher. Artemis ran ahead, before doubling back, run laps as her owners walked after her at a leisurely pace, Lauren's hand holding onto Camila's arm as they made their way towards the stables at the far end of the estate. They stopped at the wire fence enclosing their few grazing horses in the field of fresh long grass, leaning against it as they watched the horses wander around aimlessly.

"So, there's something I want to talk about," Camila hesitantly started after a few moments of silence, and Lauren immediately turned to look up at her.

"Oh? It sounds serious."

"Well, it is."

Arching an eyebrow, Lauren gave her an expectant look, "Please don't tell me there's something else wrong now. You're not dying of something are you? Thinking of divorce."

She gave Camila a wry smile, and Camila burst into laughter, reaching out to cup Lauren's cheek and run her thumb over her prominent cheekbone. "No. It's actually quite the opposite. I was just thinking ... let's get married again."

"Married again?" Lauren spluttered.

"We've had a rough time, but we came out the other end loving each other just as strongly," Camila explained, "Let's just ... renew our vows. We'll have all our family there again, and the girls. Just the nine of us. We need something fun and light."

"Was there something wrong with our vows the first time?" Lauren laughed, reaching out to brush a short lock of Camila's hair out of her face.

"You know they were perfect."

Looking out at Lily's grey mare, Lauren pondered Camila's idea, thinking back to their wedding in the south of France, with the small church, the butterflies and the cobbled streets. And Camila. Camila in a white dress, waiting for her at the altar, the feeling of her soft lips beneath Lauren's as they tied themselves to each other, the tears in her eyes the moment she had laid eyes on Lauren. It had been perfect - one of the most beautiful moments in their lives - and Lauren realized that she wanted that feeling again. Why shouldn't they renew their vows? Why shouldn't they have that happiness again? Turning to look at Camila, Lauren gave her a crooked smile, her face softening slightly, and she leaned in to steal a quick kiss from her wife.

"Okay."

"Okay?"

"Let's do it."