Trials & Tribulations

Chapter 27. "perfectly imperfect."

"Wh...what?" Lauren stammered, moving her head back slightly in surprise at Camila's unexpected admission. "What did you just say?"

"I love you," Camila mumbled drowsily. She was facing Lauren, her eyes still closed, her voice soft and raspy with sleep.

"You do?" Lauren asked tentatively, her tone quiet and timid. Camila nodded her head in affirmation before shifting her position in the bed slightly to snuggle into Lauren further. She
lifted her right hand which was still positioned on Lauren's left side, and draped it over her torso fully, her fingertips lightly grazing the small of her girlfriend's back. "Really?" Lauren asked
still in shock, distrusting her ears. Camila nodded her head again and pulled Lauren closer to her so that their hips were touching.

Lauren smiled at the obvious exhaustion on Camila's face, noting that her girlfriend was now barely awake, her whole body so evidently craving sleep, her eyes still closed. Lauren sighed at the sight, desperate to talk to Camila properly about the declaration. She turned over onto her back, threading her right arm underneath Camila's shoulder. Lauren rolled Camila into her side
so that her face was now resting gently on her shoulder and kissed her softly on the top of her head, her other hand reaching up to stroke Camila's cheek with the back of her fingers. Lauren
felt Camila exhale heavily as though she were expelling every source of stress and concern from her body. She gently moved the hand which was still lightly brushing Camila's cheek and traced a line down the curve of her girlfriend's jaw with her index finger, taking her chin between this and her thumb carefully when she reached it. Lauren turned Camila's face up towards her and planted a tender kiss on her forehead just over her right eye before moving down to finally take Camila's lips in her own. Lauren lingered there for a moment, enjoying the feel of Camila's soft lips against her own. Camila responded to the kiss, but barely, her body desperately trying to drift off to sleep. Lauren noticed Camila's right hand move out of the corner of her eye and she reached up to lightly graze her fingertips across Lauren's cheek, her aim poor and imprecise. Lauren lifted her own hand to take Camila's wandering one and began to manipulate her fingers instinctively, watching as Camila lapses back into unconscious oblivion once again. Lauren smiled to herself as she watched Camila, the long lost version of her, hidden away since the accident in the shadows of the night and the lonely confines of her bedroom.

Here, now, as she slept, Lauren could see the real Camila, the girl that she'd been back before nightmares corrupted every dream. Lying in her arms now was the Camila that she knew still existed, selfassured and confident in slumber, her troubles forgotten. When she was afforded the opportunity of undisturbed sleep when her dreams are kind and her worries rested, Camila was just like any other girl their age. Lauren knew that was what Camila wanted more than anything, to feel normal and ordinary. When the rest of their peers were trying so hard to stand out, to be extraordinary and unique, Camila wanted nothing more than to blend in. Lauren felt a tear slide down her cheek at the thought of Camila's struggles, wondering why someone that she found so exceptional would ever wish to be anything less than that. Lauren knew that Camila was special, she'd felt it the moment that they'd met, but, in that brief meeting, she'd never realized precisely how remarkable her girlfriend would turn out to be, how special she truly was, how great. 

Watching Camila now as she slept after having finally heard the three words from her lips that she'd so desperately wanted to, Lauren tried to remember another time when she'd ever felt so happy. Every other memory that she recalled holds Camila firmly in its core and she realized that Miss Lovato's words were true. Camila may depend on Lauren for support but, Lauren was just as equally, if not more, dependent and enamored with her. Camila held the key to Lauren's happiness, she was solely responsible for safeguarding Lauren's heart and it would live and die with her.