“I’ve been trying to reach you. You never answer anymore.”
Camila rubs her eyes. “Yeah. I’ve been busy with work,” she lies. Her mom has been texting her a lot lately, and Camila hasn’t been ignoring her per se, but she has been slow to respond.
“Well,” her mother sighs, one that’s more disappointment than anything else, “I wanted to hear your voice. Make sure you’re ... okay, catch up a little.”
“I’m fine, Mom. Nothing new to report.”
“Mmh.” A tiny, clipped sound. “Zoe came by a few days ago.”
“Did she?” Camila asks, already feeling a sinking in her chest.
“She mentioned the two of you went out.”
Camila rubs the back of her neck, as if she can scrub the guilt from her skin and make it disappear. “Yeah, we did.”
“Is there a reason I’m finding out through her and not you? I thought you were going to try to involve me in your life more.” Her mom sounds almost hurt as she says this, and Camila’s stomach churns.
She hadn’t told her mom about her date with Zoe, because it hadn’t occurred to her. She knows her mom wants to be more involved, but a part of her still doesn’t fully believe it—she still can’t come to terms with this new reality, and she hates it.
The closeness between her mom and Zoe also unsettles her a little. It’s the main reason Camila hasn’t gone out of her way to see Zoe again, even though she really likes her.
Camila shuts her eyes. “You’re right, Mom, I should have told you. I’m still wrapping my head around it all.”
“I don’t understand. I thought everything was fine. Is this you trying to punish me?”
“What? No. I’ve—” Camila takes a sharp breath, steadying herself for this conversation. “I have never been able to share that part of my life with you before, and I honestly didn’t think about it. I guess it’ll take some getting used to.”
“That’s what your father said. Why don’t you come over this weekend? You can tell us all about it. Zoe was a little lax on details.”
“I would, but I have plans with a friend.” It’s a lie, but she doesn’t want to walk through her date with Zoe right now. She isn’t ready for the questions or the excitement her mom is bound to show her. Camila doesn’t know how to tell her mom that the relationship she’s rooting so hard for won’t work. Camila isn’t ready to disappointher.
Camila’s mom hums. “Okay, well. We would like to see you soon, so please prioritize that.” The wordprioritizelands like an order.
So she does.
December passes quietly, the days blurring together without much happening. Camila visits her parents a few times, and on Christmas Eve, she ends up stuck at her dad’s Christmas party. Valeria keeps Camila entertained with texts, jokes, and updates from her own holiday. Having Zoe there also makes the night easier.
Still, there’s a flutter of nerves at seeing her. Not the same as the last time they met, no. This is different, softer. Still unsettling, but in a way that feels ... hopeful. Camila promised herself she’d talk to Zoe, make sure they’re both on the same page. Zoe is sweet, funny, and easy to talk to, and Camila really wants to be her friend.
It’s been so long since Camila made a friend, since she’s had someone she could justcall. Someone she didn’t have to filter herself around. She lost her closest friends in the fallout of her breakup with Eileen, and the handful of friends she made in Chicago have stayed firmly in the “casual” category. Friendly, but distant. They check in on each other once in a while, but that’s slowly fizzling out the longer she’s in Washington. Zoe feels different, though. Like someone Camila could actually grow close to.
Camila exhales slowly as she approaches Zoe.
“Hey,” Zoe says, smiling when she spots her.
Just like that, some of the tension loosens in Camila’s chest; she can do this.
“Hey,” she replies.
Camila shifts her weight, then lets out a small, almost self-conscious laugh. “I told myself I wasn’t going to overthink this, and now I absolutely am.”
Zoe’s smile softens. “What’s up? Everything okay?”
“Yeah ... just—” Camila lets out a small breath, glancing around before settling her gaze back on Zoe. “All of this is kind of overwhelming. I haven’t been to one of my parents’ holiday parties in years.”
Zoe tilts her head, studying her, then lets a subtle smile return. “Want to get out of here?” she says, a hint of mischief threading through her tone. “We can make a quiet escape.”
Camila’s pulse ticks up. She nods, then hesitates. “Yeah, that sounds great, but I want to talk to you about something first.”
