I Know I Was for a While
11: He Told You?
“Remind me” Lionel quipped as he followed Camila into another store “How did I let you convince me to come with you?” he added, sparing her a grin as she rolled her eyes at him over her shoulder. it had been a little while, after they’d attended Camila’s last baby scan together, a few weeks had passed, and with Camila approaching six months pregnant, she’d invited him to go baby shopping with her, wanting to make a start on getting all of the things she would need for when the baby put in his or her first appearance.
Things felt good between the two of them, after they’d talked about their almost kiss, they’d quickly settled back into their usual rapport, and Lionel was pleased that they had, even if there was a sense that there was a little more between the two of them. Neither one of them wanted to push the other one into anything that they weren’t quite ready for.
They both knew that there was something, their admissions that, if it hadn’t been for the interruption of Camila’s midwife, they would have kissed one another had confirmed it, but they were both happy with how things were between the two of them, something which made them both content not to push things. They liked how things were, they liked that they were comfortable around one another, and neither wanted to push it too far too soon, not wanting to make a mess of a friendship that had become increasingly important to one another.
Camila, who’d started towards a display of baby car seats, shook her head. “You could always go back to the car” she noted “I’ve still got a few shops that I want to look around, but if you’re just going to complain...” she trailed off, flashing him a warm grin.
Lionel huffed out a playful sigh. “I suppose I could stick around” he quipped.
Camila rolled her eyes again, but couldn’t keep her smile off of her face, something Lionel mirrored as he stepped towards the display. Turning his attention towards the car seats, he scanned them over for a couple of seconds before he subtly turned his head, sparing a look towards Camila who stood at his side, a warm expression lighting up her face. Shaking his head, he marveled at the look on her face for a couple of seconds before she lifted her head, catching his stare. “What?” she asked, a slight laugh falling out of her mouth.
Lionel shrugged. “Nothing” he quipped “You just...you light up when you do something for the baby. It’s a good look on you” he complimented sheepishly.
Camila’s cheeks flushed a light shade of pink before she shook her head, diverting her stare back towards the display which stood ahead of them. “I’m excited” she explained quietly “I was excited when I found out that I was pregnant, and whilst it made a mess of things with Noah, I’m not going to let that get in the way of me being excited about my baby. I’m going to be a mama, Leo, and that makes me smile” she enthused, offering him a slight glance.
It wasn’t what she had envisaged, when she had first set eyes on the positive pregnancy test, she had envisaged that things would work out differently, but she couldn’t deny that she was excited about the arrival of the baby, even if the circumstances around it weren’t exactly as she’d thought they’d be. The idea that was she was only a few months away from the arrival of her son or daughter was enough to make her excited.
Lionel smiled at her. “It should make you smile, Mila” he mused “Regardless of anything else, you’re going to have a little baby, and that’s a wonderful thing” he enthused warmly.
Camila offered him a small smile, allowing a beat of silence to pass between the two of them, before she felt her stomach rumble, something which caused her to shake her head, her cheeks flushing a deeper shade of pink. “Do you think we could take a break for lunch?” she asked.
Lionel, who’d been quietly studying the car seats, looked up at the sound of her voice before he nodded. “Sure” he agreed.
~#~
“How many more shops do you want to visit before we head home?” Lionel asked as he leant back into his seat slightly, his dark eyes settled on Camila who sat across the table from him, finishing up the last of the dessert that she’d ordered. He was enjoying himself, despite his playful complaining, he had enjoyed spending the day with her, and he was hopeful that it’d keep going for a little longer, even if he was wary of her wearing herself out.
Camila shrugged. “I’ve got a couple more in mind” she mused “But we don’t have to do it all today. I’ve got some time left” she added, sparing a playful glance down towards her stomach.
Lionel followed her stare downwards, a slight grin pulling at the corner of his mouth, something which made Camila’s own smile widen a fraction before the sound of someone calling her name reached her ears. Offering Lionel a quick frown, she turned in her seat slightly before she felt her eyes widen, settling on an older woman who was a little away from her, quickly making her way over to the table that she and Lionel sat at.
Lionel noticed Camila’s body stiffen before he looked up, following her stare across the restaurant. “Mila?” he pressed, his hand gently settling on her shoulder.
Camila flinched, surprised by the feel of his hand, before she turned to look at him, a shaky expression on her face.
Lionel studied the look on her face for a second before he opened his mouth to ask what was wrong, only to be cut off as an older woman stopped beside their table, her eyes fixed on Camila. “I did think it was you, Cami” she gushed, using a nickname that Lionel knew for a fact that Camila hated.
Camila forced a weak smile onto her face. “Hola, Isabel” she greeted quietly.
Isabel grinned. “You look so good, sweetheart” she fussed, her eyes trailing downwards towards Camila’s bump.
Camila shook her head, trying to hide her bump slightly. “He told you?” she muttered.
Isabel nodded. “He did” she confirmed “And can I just...”
“I don’t want your apologies, Isabel” Camila cut in sharply “Your son tossed out his pregnant girlfriend. I don’t want to listen to you make excuses for him. He made that decision” she added firmly, her eyes fixed on her stomach.
Isabel sighed. “Cami...”
“I’m going to head back to the car, Leo” Camila interrupted the older woman again “I’ll see you back there?” she added as she pushed herself up to her feet.
Lionel nodded. “Of course” he confirmed.
Camila flashed him a quick halfhearted smile before she walked away, leaving Isabel and Lionel alone. The older woman watched her across the restaurant for a second before she turned to look at Lionel, her eyes surveying him for a second before she walked away. Lionel shook his head at her before he hurried to his feet, placing down enough money to cover their meal before he followed after Camila, knowing that Isabel’s appearance would have hurt her.
Things felt good between the two of them, after they’d talked about their almost kiss, they’d quickly settled back into their usual rapport, and Lionel was pleased that they had, even if there was a sense that there was a little more between the two of them. Neither one of them wanted to push the other one into anything that they weren’t quite ready for.
They both knew that there was something, their admissions that, if it hadn’t been for the interruption of Camila’s midwife, they would have kissed one another had confirmed it, but they were both happy with how things were between the two of them, something which made them both content not to push things. They liked how things were, they liked that they were comfortable around one another, and neither wanted to push it too far too soon, not wanting to make a mess of a friendship that had become increasingly important to one another.
Camila, who’d started towards a display of baby car seats, shook her head. “You could always go back to the car” she noted “I’ve still got a few shops that I want to look around, but if you’re just going to complain...” she trailed off, flashing him a warm grin.
Lionel huffed out a playful sigh. “I suppose I could stick around” he quipped.
Camila rolled her eyes again, but couldn’t keep her smile off of her face, something Lionel mirrored as he stepped towards the display. Turning his attention towards the car seats, he scanned them over for a couple of seconds before he subtly turned his head, sparing a look towards Camila who stood at his side, a warm expression lighting up her face. Shaking his head, he marveled at the look on her face for a couple of seconds before she lifted her head, catching his stare. “What?” she asked, a slight laugh falling out of her mouth.
Lionel shrugged. “Nothing” he quipped “You just...you light up when you do something for the baby. It’s a good look on you” he complimented sheepishly.
Camila’s cheeks flushed a light shade of pink before she shook her head, diverting her stare back towards the display which stood ahead of them. “I’m excited” she explained quietly “I was excited when I found out that I was pregnant, and whilst it made a mess of things with Noah, I’m not going to let that get in the way of me being excited about my baby. I’m going to be a mama, Leo, and that makes me smile” she enthused, offering him a slight glance.
It wasn’t what she had envisaged, when she had first set eyes on the positive pregnancy test, she had envisaged that things would work out differently, but she couldn’t deny that she was excited about the arrival of the baby, even if the circumstances around it weren’t exactly as she’d thought they’d be. The idea that was she was only a few months away from the arrival of her son or daughter was enough to make her excited.
Lionel smiled at her. “It should make you smile, Mila” he mused “Regardless of anything else, you’re going to have a little baby, and that’s a wonderful thing” he enthused warmly.
Camila offered him a small smile, allowing a beat of silence to pass between the two of them, before she felt her stomach rumble, something which caused her to shake her head, her cheeks flushing a deeper shade of pink. “Do you think we could take a break for lunch?” she asked.
Lionel, who’d been quietly studying the car seats, looked up at the sound of her voice before he nodded. “Sure” he agreed.
~#~
“How many more shops do you want to visit before we head home?” Lionel asked as he leant back into his seat slightly, his dark eyes settled on Camila who sat across the table from him, finishing up the last of the dessert that she’d ordered. He was enjoying himself, despite his playful complaining, he had enjoyed spending the day with her, and he was hopeful that it’d keep going for a little longer, even if he was wary of her wearing herself out.
Camila shrugged. “I’ve got a couple more in mind” she mused “But we don’t have to do it all today. I’ve got some time left” she added, sparing a playful glance down towards her stomach.
Lionel followed her stare downwards, a slight grin pulling at the corner of his mouth, something which made Camila’s own smile widen a fraction before the sound of someone calling her name reached her ears. Offering Lionel a quick frown, she turned in her seat slightly before she felt her eyes widen, settling on an older woman who was a little away from her, quickly making her way over to the table that she and Lionel sat at.
Lionel noticed Camila’s body stiffen before he looked up, following her stare across the restaurant. “Mila?” he pressed, his hand gently settling on her shoulder.
Camila flinched, surprised by the feel of his hand, before she turned to look at him, a shaky expression on her face.
Lionel studied the look on her face for a second before he opened his mouth to ask what was wrong, only to be cut off as an older woman stopped beside their table, her eyes fixed on Camila. “I did think it was you, Cami” she gushed, using a nickname that Lionel knew for a fact that Camila hated.
Camila forced a weak smile onto her face. “Hola, Isabel” she greeted quietly.
Isabel grinned. “You look so good, sweetheart” she fussed, her eyes trailing downwards towards Camila’s bump.
Camila shook her head, trying to hide her bump slightly. “He told you?” she muttered.
Isabel nodded. “He did” she confirmed “And can I just...”
“I don’t want your apologies, Isabel” Camila cut in sharply “Your son tossed out his pregnant girlfriend. I don’t want to listen to you make excuses for him. He made that decision” she added firmly, her eyes fixed on her stomach.
Isabel sighed. “Cami...”
“I’m going to head back to the car, Leo” Camila interrupted the older woman again “I’ll see you back there?” she added as she pushed herself up to her feet.
Lionel nodded. “Of course” he confirmed.
Camila flashed him a quick halfhearted smile before she walked away, leaving Isabel and Lionel alone. The older woman watched her across the restaurant for a second before she turned to look at Lionel, her eyes surveying him for a second before she walked away. Lionel shook his head at her before he hurried to his feet, placing down enough money to cover their meal before he followed after Camila, knowing that Isabel’s appearance would have hurt her.
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Thanks to Twisted;;Symphony for the comments :)