Lily almost thought Camellia didn't hear her question and opened her mouth to ask again, but when she saw their face. She knew they heard. Her neighbor was smiling a... a loving and adoring smile at her. "Then I'd call myself the happiest woman in the world, Lily." Camellia answered and Lily almost wanted to cry of joy and relief.
"I'm scared... but with you I feel a little less terrified of everything," Lily admitted. She wanted nothing more than to be able to fully open her heart to Camellia, to completely love her, but the past for now clouds everything.
"Fast or slow, I'll be here for you. I'll be here with you if that's what you desire." That moment changed both their lives for... for hopefully the better. Hangouts became romantic dates and Lily felt so out of her depth at being taken out, but loved all the same. Camellia was patient and understanding.
When Lily asked, with a lot of hesitation, what they were... were they together; like she hoped? Lupin never made anything official and avoided the topic except when it suited him. He was not saying she was his girlfriend in public, but then firmly telling her in private they were nothing of the sort.
Camellia answered, "Well, I want to call you my girlfriend if you're alright with that. That's what I consider you."
This time she did cry for many reasons while muttering 'yes' over and over. Her neighbor, her girlfriend, hugged her as Lily worked through her emotions. She was so grateful to have Camellia and for getting to experience actual romantic love. This was what she had wanted, Camellia made her happy in a way Lily hadn't truly experienced until now.
Tula and Lola were not blind to their mommy's happier demeanor. She was cheerier and they talked amongst each other about what it might be that made Mommy so happy. They did not believe for a second it was simply that life was finally going... right? There was so much less stress or drama but still this was different somehow.
"What about the neighbor woman?" Lola asked as she had seen Mommy talk a lot with the pink neighbor and Mommy was always smiling and giggling around her.
"Camellia? Hmm... maybe, Mommy seems to like her a lot," Tula said while kicking her feet back on forth. She knew Camellia's name through the list of emergency phone numbers on the fridge. There was her, the emergency line obviously, Lily's boss, and a coworker.
"Oh right, her name is Camellia." Lola was not the best at remembering names. "Do you think she is Mommy's friend?"
Tula suspected, though maybe it was her wild imagination, the two were more than friends. Whatever that meant because she wasn't completely sure when her friends talked about similar stuff. "I think so... that's nice for Mommy." Both children agreed that their mommy needed a good friend. Both were interested to see how this would develop.
Tula was definitely on it for thinking her mommy was more than friends with Camellia.
Camellia wanted for a long time to take Lily on an evening date, instead of these short day dates they had been doing. Which she loved, any date with Lily she loved. Evening or night dates had always been off the table because of the children, but she brought it up again just to see if maybe it could be made possible.
While nervous, Lily knew Tula and Lola were probably responsible enough to stay home alone. Especially if they were going to be asleep for most of it. So she sat them down to talk about it, to let them ask questions. Any questions.
"Are you going out on a date?" Tula immediately asked. She had heard the word around her school and that it was something people who were more than friends went on together. That some parents went on together.
"I- Well... yes, it is a date," Lily answered as she wanted to be honest with them.
"Is it with the neighbor lady?" Lola asked next, having once again forgotten the neighbor's name.
Both girls nodded. "Okay, we'll be fine," Tula said and Lola agreed.
She looked between the two a bit confused. "Do you have any questions about the rules?" That was what she expected them to ask about, but they did not and promised to be in bed before she got home. Both the front and back doors would remain locked and they would stay inside. They'd do their homework before bed and not stay up waiting for her to come home.
So the night came, the girls were fed and hugged their mommy goodbye and wished she'd have a good date when Camellia came to pick her up. Lily did a quick introduction as the children had never really talked to the neighbor, her girlfriend, themselves. "Tula, Lola, this is Camellia. Camellia, these are my girls."
"Nice to meet you two, your mom talks a lot about you both." Camellia waved at the two, who giggled at the mention at their mommy talking so much about them.
"Enjoy your date!" Tula said as they went back inside with a cheeky smile that had Lily looking a bit sheepish, but her girlfriend didn't seem to mind the children knew it was a date. In fact they were glad.
"Ready to go?" They gave Lily another chance to back out, but she didn't and nodded as they walked to the car.
Lily couldn't stop thinking about how gorgeous her girlfriend looked tonight, and she did try to express that, but Camellia was a much better flirt than her. She easily had Lily blushing, more so when Lily had a drink or two. Nothing strong, but Lily hadn't ever drank alcohol.
It was a very weird feeling and Camellia could tell she didn't need a lot to be even a bit loopy. Still the alcohol made Lily far more open and a bit clingy to her girlfriend.
They danced, ate, made sure Lily drank water, and kissed... a lot.
The date was amazing, life was amazing, and Lily definitely loved Camellia. This was going to be her happily ever after... yes, that she was certain about as her girlfriend loved her and seemed to care about her children too. She was genuinely happy and she wasn't going to let it slip away.
"I love you, Camellia," she muttered on the ride home. She didn't see the bright smile on her girlfriend's face, but she did hear their answer.
"I love you too, Lily." She wasn't imagining this love, she was loved, and Camellia would always make sure she knew that. Always.
