miracle | tayley

i can feel the pressure, its getting closer

At seven-thirty the basement door swings open and Hayley stumbles into the kitchen still in her borrowed clothes, Rowan perched securely on her hip, clinging like an adorable little spider monkey. They are both sporting bed heads and sleep-soft eyes, and Taylor feels his heart squeeze at the sight of them.

Hayley moves to the kitchen table and takes a seat beside him, shifting Rowan around on her lap until she sits facing her, legs on either side of her hips.

Once she's settled against her mother, Rowan presses her face into her chest shyly, and Taylor watches as Hayley threads her fingers through their daughter's fine hair and presses a kiss to the top of her head.

Rowan turns and peers at him, grinning. "Hi," she says, giggling softly.

"Good morning, Rowan," he says in reply. He pokes her gently in the side and watches her laugh, squirm, and bury her face in Hayley's chest again. To Hayley, he says, "You want some tea?"

"If you don't mind," she responds, her voice still thick with sleep.

He moves to the kettle and pours her a cup, automatically adding the tea and honey. It's not until he hands it to her that he stops to question whether she still takes it that way.

As soon as the hot liquid touches her lips though, she sighs in appreciation and he relaxes, knowing that he's gotten it right.

She looks around, noting that they are alone. "Where's Michelle?" She asks, yawning so widely that her jaw pops in protest.

He chuckles as he watches her struggle to fully wake up. "She's at work. Early shift today, and Dad's already at the office. He had a meeting at eight, so..." He lets his words trail off, watching her sip her coffee.

She nods, placing her mug on the table and sliding it away from Rowan's wiggling form automatically.

"So, what's on the agenda for today?" He asks, quietly, in deference to her protracted waking-up stage. He's amused that despite motherhood, she still appears to struggle with early mornings.

"I really need to get on the road soon. I have a conference call at one with some potential partnerships, and I have to pick up Brian before. Hopefully he can fix this before the meeting," she says, motioning to her current appearance.

Taylor muses, silently, that this might be his very favorite version of her, but agrees that it's probably not appropriate for work. "Want me to entertain this one," he says nodding toward Rowan. "So you can grab a shower before you have to head back?"

She shakes her head. "I think I'm just going to shower at home. I didn't plan on staying over, and I don't have any of my things with me. Do you mind finding her something to eat though, while I go change and get our stuff together?"

"Sure," he says, trying not to let the sadness of the idea of watching them leave again impinge on this opportunity to spend a little one-on-one time with his daughter. "What do you think, kiddo? You want to get some breakfast?" He asks, holding out his hands to her.

Rowan nods, reaching for him automatically. Hayley gives him a strange look as she passes their daughter to him, one that he can't begin to decipher. He'd always been able to read her like an open book in the past, and he feels a pang of wistfulness in recognition of that damaged connection.

He moves over to the kitchen counter, carefully balancing Rowan on his hip and begins sorting through the cold cereal, looking for the most appropriate choice for a two-and-a-half year old. He hears the basement door open, and just then Rowan turns her head and he feels her stiffen in his arms. "Mama?" She calls, sudden panic in her voice.