They both lie there, staring up at the dark canvas ceiling, the night pressing in close around them. The sounds outside fade into the background. Crickets, the soft shift of fabric as someone turns over in a nearby tent.
Camila suddenly becomes acutely aware of how close Valeria is. Of the warmth along her side, the faint brush of an arm when Valeria adjusts again. They’ve sat next to each other plenty of times before. Proximity has never been aproblem, but tonight every point of contact feels ... magnified.
After a moment, Valeria clears her throat. “Hey,” she whispers, tentative.
“Yeah?” Camila turns her head enough to see her in the low light.
Valeria hesitates before reaching for Camila’s hand, holding on to her fingers. “Is this okay?”
Camila’s heart gives a little leap. “Yeah,” she says without hesitation. “It is.”
With the weight of Valeria’s hand on hers, Camila falls asleep easily.
When she wakes, Valeria is still holding on to Camila, but her arm is somehow over her stomach. Camila doesn’t move, enjoying the weight of her arm on her, watching Valeria’s eyes flutter, her mouth slightly open. She looks so peaceful when she sleeps.
Camila had wanted to do this when Valeria was staying at her house, but she never let herself. She got only glimpses of Valeria asleep when she walked into the kitchen to make coffee, and then again when she tried to wake Valeria up after she’d snoozed her fourth alarm that morning.
But now, she’s getting her fill, enjoying watching her, wondering if she’s dreaming and if she is, of what. Camila reaches for Valeria, gently moving a strand of hair from her face, tucking it behind her ear. A flame sparks through Camila’s chest, a feeling like liquid gold slowly filling every crevice at having her so close.
Just then, Camila remembers the sketch she started in the car. She gently reaches for her iPad, careful not to move Valeria’s arm too much. Not wanting to risk her pulling it away. When she finally tugs it close, she opens a new sketch document and begins to draw. She wants to captureher first morning waking up beside Valeria, committing it to memory in lines and color. She knows the feeling will never fade, but she wants to remember every detail.
Camila sketches for hours, the sounds of the forest her morning playlist—birds chirping, the light rustle of the trees, a school of fish jumping in and out of the water. On the screen, Valeria takes shape as Camila zooms in, adjusts, softens, erases, and redraws Valeria’s full lips, the gentle slope of her nose, her ruffled bangs. Wanting to capture everything about her perfectly.
When Valeria’s eyes flutter open, Camila is in the middle of adding a faint flush to her cheeks, blending color until it looks almost warm enough to touch.
Valeria smiles. “Good morning,” she says, voice groggy. Her hand gently squeezes Camila’s side before she pulls it back to rub the sleep off her eyes. Camila wants to reach back for it, missing the weight of it on her, but doesn’t.
“Good morning,” she says instead. “How’d you sleep?”
“Much better. I woke up once, but then I inched closer to you and didn’t wake up again.”
“Happy to be of service,” Camila laughs.
Valeria smiles groggily and stretches. “What are you drawing?”
Camila closes the case, not wanting Valeria to peek. “You’ll have to wait until it’s finished.”
“Fair enough.” Valeria laughs.
Movement outside their tents grabs their attention, and the smell of bacon lures them outside.
“Good morning!” Valeria sings as soon as she’s out of their tent.
Alejandra groans. “Too loud.”
Clara also protests from a chair, head between her hands.
Ella and Lily walk out of their tent, and Valeria all but runs to Lily, wrapping her in a massive hug.
“Happy Birthday, my love,” she says, peppering Lily’s face with kisses.
“Thank you,” Lily grumbles, her voice thick.
“Happy Birthday,” Clara echoes, head still between her hands on her chair.
“You don’t speak to me,” Lily says, pointing at Clara. “It’s your fault I am dying today.”
“Happy Birthday, Lily,” Camila says. Lily turns and hugs her. The unexpected embrace is warm, a brief pressure against Camila’s side.
