'Taylor, you can't come to Santa Clara. You'll be 39 weeks pregnant. Not happening, no fucking way'.
'Ugh, Travis, get it into your head. I'm going to be there, rain hail or shine. Baby or no baby. Dr Henning is going to come with me, I'll be fine. Plus, you try and tell your three year old she can't go'.
Taylor crosses her arms over her now rather-sizeable bump, looking at Travis as he stands in the kitchen doorway. It's late, and they've just returned from Baltimore, where the Chiefs beat the Ravens in the AFC Championship to set up another chance at the Super Bowl. They were, however, locked into the argument about whether Taylor would be in attendance, given her pregnancy.
'Tay, I just don't want anything to happen to you, baby. I couldn't live with myself if something happened and you were in a different city, and I was stuck playing a football game'.
'And what difference would it make if something happened and I was here in KC, and you were in California? That would make you feel worse, I suspect', she reasons, her brow furrowed.
Travis sighs, running a hand over his face, knowing he won't be winning this argument any time soon. 'Tay, sweetie, let's talk about it tomorrow. Come on, let's go to bed', he offers out a hand which she grudgingly accepts, letting him pull her close.
'I'm still going, whether we talk about it tomorrow or not', she mumbles into his chest as he hugs her and he can only laugh, before guiding them both upstairs to bed.
The argument continued for over a week, but Taylor won out in the end - as Travis had always known would happen, anyway. She'd managed to get everyone else on side against him, too, with Kylie reminding him of her own experience attending Super Bowl 57, 38 weeks pregnant with Bennett. Plus, deep down, he knew Taylor was right: he'd prefer her to be close by him, just in case.
Travis and the team had touched down in Santa Clara on Sunday, and Taylor and the rest of the family were arriving today - Saturday - before the game tomorrow. Travis was bouncy with excitement - he hated going so long without seeing Taylor or Matilda, especially now that Taylor's bump was growing impossibly bigger by the day, and the fact that Matilda really knew what was happening this year, excited to see Travis play.
He pulls up that afternoon in the car outside the villa they'd rented, already grinning broadly as he steps out of the car before the front door is flung open, Matilda running towards him. The 3 - nearly 4 - year-old has her arms open wide, screaming, 'Daddy! I missed you!', as he catches her, spinning her around. He lifts her up and holds her close, her face immediately burrowing into his neck.
'I missed you too, Tilly. So much. I love you', he whispers back, squeezing her tight, before looking up again towards the door to see Taylor there, one of his old Chiefs T shirts on over her bump, paired with plain black leggings, no make up and bare feet. To him, she'd never looked more beautiful.
He strides towards her and hugs her tight, as much as the bump will allow, before pulling back and kissing her forehead. 'I missed you too, Mrs K', he greets her, before Taylor pulls him back down for a proper kiss.
'God, I missed you so much, Trav', she rests her forehead against his chest, breathing him in.
Travis reaches a hand down towards her stomach, smiling as the baby kicks at his palm. 'Hey baby girl', he sighs, smiling. 'Missed you too, don't worry'.
They head inside and spend a relaxing afternoon together, just the three of them, before Patty arrives to cut his hair and Donna and Ed come round, wishing him luck for tomorrow. He bids everyone goodbye, kissing Taylor longingly in the doorway after helping get Matilda ready for bed, promising to see her tomorrow.
