“Is it okay if I take your hair out?” Camila asked carefully, pointing the small bun on the girl’s head. “But Lo can braid it after,” she added and pointed to the green eyed girl at the sink. “She is good at that. She braids my hair.”Once the smaller girl gave her a soft nod, Camila helped undo the bobby pins from her hair and let the girl’s soft caramel waves fall down to just above her shoulders. She gave her soft smile, taking the girl back into her arms when she stood up.“Ready to be a mermaid?” Camila asked, looking down at the girl before glancing up to Lauren nervously. The green eyed girl gave her a soft nod, letting her know she was doing well.Camila gently lowered the smaller girl into the bathtub, relieved when the child just watched as Lauren dug through her bag to retrieve the shampoo and conditioner she’d brought with them.Using one of the paper cups from the dispenser on the wall, Lauren gently began wetting the small girl’s hair. She glanced at Camila, who was looking down at her own hands and grimacing.“Paper towels and water,” Lauren spoke up, earning a confused look from the other girl. “There’s a change of clothes in the bag. That’s all we have for now.”Understanding, Camila moved over to the other side of the sink and began wiping the soot and ash off of her arms. Lauren continued to gently wash the little girl’s hair, rinsing off her own arms in the process.About fifteen minutes later, all three girls made their way back into the hospital room. Camila and Lauren both donned t-shirts and pajama pants, which was the only thing Lauren had packed for the apartment.Luckily, they had a few extra things packed, and now the smaller girl sat in the middle of the large hospital bed. She wore one of Lauren’s gray t-shirts, which fit more like a dress on her.The nurse had left two trays of food and a few random oddities such as diapers and socks outside their door. Camila sat on the bed beside the smaller girl while Lauren sat in front of her, attempting to coax her into eating something.“Mashed potatoes?” Lauren offered again, even though the smaller child had basically turned down everything on the plate. She sighed when the girl shook her head slowly.“Ice cream?” Camila spoke up, grabbing the small plastic cup from the tray. Lauren shook her head quickly, knowing ice cream wasn’t the ideal meal. But when the smaller girl nodded almost immediately, Lauren couldn’t help but give in.Lauren wasn’t quite sure why they were still there. The accident hadn’t been their fault. They’d literally just been two bystanders that witnessed it. But Camila was immersed in making sure the smaller child was okay, and Lauren knew she couldn’t get in her way.Just as Camila was opening the small ice cream cup, there was a light knock at the door. Lauren looked up as the nurse slipped into the room, giving them a sympathetic smile.“I’m told they still haven’t identified the other two passengers in the car,” she nodded, a slight frown on her face.“There’s a social worker coming for her in the morning,” the woman explained, nodding towards the younger girl. “Obviously once they get in touch with her family we’ll know more. But you guys are free to leave whenever y-,”“No.”Lauren could have predicted what Camila was going to say. She glanced back at her wife, who had placed a protective hand on the smaller girl’s shoulder. Luckily, the child was too invested in her ice cream to notice.“What she means i-,” Lauren began, but was interrupted once more.“We will stay,” Camila nodded with finality.Sighing, Lauren turned back to the nurse with an apologetic smile. Luckily, the woman was understanding.Lauren realized that in these types of situations, people tended to band together. Her and Camila could have been two complete strangers, but yet here they were, watching over the smaller girl. But since the child was growing comfortable with them, no one had the heart to send them away.“How long do we plan on staying here?” Lauren asked once the nurse left the room once more. Camila met her eyes, and Lauren saw the compassion present in them.“Would you want to be alone?” Camila asked, raising her eyebrows at her wife.“What?” Lauren grew confused. Camila sighed and nodded towards the little girl.“If you were her… would you want to be alone?” Camila repeated her question, looking back up at Lauren.It all clicked for the green eyed girl when she saw the longing in Camila’s eyes. Her wife was giving the girl what she hadn’t had as a child. Someone who was there for her.Lauren felt a pang in her chest at the thought of a tiny Camila in a similar situation. She decided not to question her wife anymore.“I’m on your side,” Lauren whispered, giving Camila a soft smile. “I’m here.” The brown eyed girl looked up when Lauren squeezed her shoulder gently, and nodded quietly in understanding.Lauren was taken by surprise when the small girl on the bed turned around and tugged on her sleeve
đang được dịch, vui lòng đợi..