Everything Has Changed

Knocked Up

September 8th 2024
Kansas City, Missouri

The bed felt empty without him. His normal place beside her was as cold as it had been when she had gotten into it the night before. But she knew that Travis had a game that weekend. The first proper one of the season. Luckily for her, it would be a home game against the Buffalo Bills, and so she would not have to travel for the game. She didn't want to travel because she had to put up a pretence. A pretence that she was ill, at least until this was all over and she could restart things again. She informed Tree of her pregnancy, the day she left New York City. It had been a hard conversation filled with harsh realities....

"You didn't fuck anything up Tay, this is just how life is. Sure could you have been more careful, absoulelty. But I am not here to tell you how to live your life. What do you want to do?"

"Well I want to complete as much of the tour as I possibly can. I know whatever the outcome is, I won't be able to do all of it, but I want to try and get most of it done by October."

Tree had managed to sort the majority of things out internally. A statement would be made to the press tomorrow about the updated Eras Tour dates. They had agreed it would be for personal and medical reasons that the tour would have to end so soon. The Canada dates were to be fufilled but she couldn't say the same for the US dates. Taylor had decided that the US already had months of tour dates from the year before that it didn't feel right to choose them over Canada. Also with the NFL season swiftly underway, any last minute changes were near to impossible.

Taylor knew that she could't sit in bed forever. There were things that needed to be done. Travis' family had travelled down for the opening game of the season and were staying at Travis' old house. Ordinarily she would have hosted but Travis knew that she hadn't been feeling well for weeks. Tensions had been high ever since Taylor returned from New York City the week before. Taylor still hadn't told Travis what she had been told at the doctor's office but he knew something was up. But every time he would try to bring it up, Taylor would seemingly brush it off as if it was nothing. And this angered Travis. He felt as if there was something she wasn't telling him, and things like that never ended well for them. She flung her legs over the side of the bed, steading herself before retreating into the en suite bathroom for a shower. She knew that Travis' game was an early one and so his parents and brother would be joining her for breakfast and then they would all travel to the game together.

It was 9:03am

Shit, she thought. Better get a move on. She hopped into the shower, flinching at the sudden change in temperature as water ran cold. It soon began to warm up and before long Taylor found herself naked in her closet, trying to find the perfect outfit for that days game. It had to be a firecracker one for the start of the season, and something to distract the press from her lack of appearances and tomorrow's bombshell news. She settled on one of her shorter black skirts with a white tank top and her oversized chiefs sweater that she had personalised with Travis' name and number. Sunglasses would be key for that days look. It would hide the fatigue and the evidence of the days she had spent crying.

Reaching into her closet to rustle around for her sunglasses, her hand came across a drawer. The place where she kept the stuff she didn't want Travis to see. When they had just been dating casually and getting to know each other, hiding things had been easy. Anything she didn't want him to know, she just wouldn't show. But now that they lived together, did everything together, things began to become increasingly more difficult. She felt around for the card she had been given the week before, along with the advice pamphlets from the doctor, opening it up to the picture contained inside...

The news containing her fears...

An ultrasound picture of her and Travis' baby. Evidence that they were growing bigger and stronger with every passing day. She didn't have a visible bump yet, but she knew that she would. Things were destined to be different this time. She could feel it, deep set in her bones. If her nausea was anything to go by, this baby was a strong one and defiantly there to stay. Taylor still didn't quite know how to feel about it all, but there was at least some happiness. There was no other evidence of life other than the two of them in the house, but definite signs of illness. Pain killers lined most surfaces of the house, she was never far from a freshly lined trash can and many foods, drinks and smells had to be eliminated with immediate effect. Taylor was shocked that Travis hadn't noticed already but she guessed that she was good at hiding, and he was never to know any better. Last time, he hadn't been there with her until it was too late. Taylor unfolded the piece of paper, placing it into the small white box decorated with a neat red ribbon. She planned on giving travis later that night: win or loose, this was a present he was 100% going to receive.