New York Surprise!

Chapter Sixteen

Karlie's P.O.V

The feeling of sunlight on my back is warming me nicely I decide as I feel myself starting to wake up but chose to ignore it and snuggle down into the duvet on the bed. "Can you stop wriggling around?" A voice questioned from behind me. I roll over and see Taylor sitting behind me, her reading glasses on her face and a book in hand. I see her watching me as I struggle to pull myself upwards so I'm sitting too. "Uhm Karlie you may want to..." I look at her and see her motioning to her chest area, glancing down I see one of my twins is trying to make a break for it and without wasting time I pull the duvet swiftly up towards my chin, causing Meredith to slide off the end with a loud 'meow'. I pause mid adjust to look at Taylor who is staring in shock at where Meredith just slid off and before I can speak she is up and moving to the end of the bed, cotton boxes on show and all. "Mere? Are you okay?" she questions picking up the cat as I finish adjusting myself and wait for the yelling that will commence because I literally made her cat fall off the bed. "Is she okay?" I timidly ask as Taylor settles back next to me and pats Meredith, "of course, she's a big old baby." Taylor states making me smile but I don't laugh. "Okay tough crowd..." Taylor states turning back to focus on the cat who is sitting staring at me as I turn and apologize to her and as soon as I've done that Meredith walks towards me and settles on my lap. "Friends again?" I question scratching behind her ear as Taylor grins and moves out of the bed. "Fix your situation Karlie?" she questions as she walks out of the room and I hear her laughing all the way down the hall but I ignore her and focus on the cat until I hear her voice on the baby monitor next to her bed. It had shocked me that Aubree hadn't woken at all during the night but Taylor reassured me that it's normal because she is sleeping for longer periods of time.

Within five minutes Taylor is back with Aubree who is dressed in a cute short onesie that domes under her nappy. Full of smiles at 8.00am makes me smile to despite the early hour. "She's so cute and adorable..." I state as Taylor comes back to bed. "Did you have to completely change her I loved the pyjamas." I state as Taylor holds Aubree close.
"Yes, otherwise she gets grumpy not being able to play with her toes. I swear sometimes she tries to eat them." This makes me laugh as I could imagine that happening.
"That sounds adorable." I state as Meredith leaves me. "Hey, where are you going?" I question to the cat as I watch her walk across the bed and sniff Aubree who is making grabby hands at the cat. "These two are literally best friends, whenever Meredith is in the room you will have to fight for Aubree's attention. It's weird that she didn't sleep with Aubree last night though," which makes me panic, "don't worry sometimes she wants a big bed, not the chair in the nursery."
"Okay, maybe she wanted to make sure I wouldn't hurt you though." I state sitting up and moving my legs over the side of the bed. "Hey, don't talk like that." Taylor states from behind me but I don't turn around, "but it's true Taylor. I mean I appreciate what you did last night in letting me into your house and all but I was horrible to you," I state as I reminisce how I treated her, Lily's hadn't been her fault but I made it that way. "You needed someone last night Karlie and despite how you're feeling about the way I treated you and such you still came to me which makes me feel happy that you at least still trust me." I turn to this and say,
"Of course I trust you. You shouldn't trust me." I state sadly as I stand and move towards the bathroom, gathering last night's clothing as I go.

Taylor's P.O.V

It's been so long since Karlie slept over and this morning when I woke up aware of someone next to me I began to fantasize what that would feel like all the time, where I didn't have to protect myself from who I was and I could be myself around her, tell her how much I like her and what she means to me but I couldn't. I'm just not brave enough to stand her telling me she just wants to be friends. Last night I got to experience first-hand what it could be like if we were together. Coming home late, feeding our children, putting them to bed, getting ready for bed together before falling asleep so close that you could reach out and drag them into your arms but that type of fantasy would never exist. Aubree had been such a gift to me and I couldn't bear for anything to happen to make her favourite person disappear from her life, I had to think long term with a baby, who would one day grow up, scream at me when she's so upset and run to the nearest person she could and tell them how awful I am. I want Karlie to be that person for Aubree, and if I attempt to start something that is only one sided then it will end badly. Maybe I just need to distance myself from Karlie for a while and see where it leads me. They say all roads lead home and hopefully I'll find that road soon.

While Aubree and I wait for Karlie to emerge from brushing her teeth I decide to change Aubree's diaper again and change her into a cute tights and t-shirt combination so Karlie can have more hugs before she leaves without having smeared pieces of fruit put all over her. Aubree is really coming along with her teeth these days, often gnawing on slightly harder foods like melon to help with her teeth and in between she sucks on a pacifier that I usually don't let her have but it provides relief and so I just let her. I've never allowed her to have them before now so it took a few days to teach her how to use one but now she's a pro. I taught her for Karlie's wedding that never happened. As Aubree and I come out of the nursery we met Karlie who Aubree leans over to and she is scooped up by. I don't even worry about it at this point as I focus on the fact that Karlie is leaving now. I busy myself with dishes as Karlie plays with Aubree only finishing up when Aubree falls asleep on the play mat. "She's out Tay," Karlie states from behind me, making me jump and drop a bottle back into the soapy water. "Okay, thanks for playing with her." I state as Karlie smiles wide.
"I love spending time with her Taylor, you know that." I nod but look away and state 'for now' as quietly as I can but not quietly enough. "What was that?" I turn back again,
"Nothing Karlie," I say but she looks at me and I relent. "Okay, I said for now, I added it onto the end because let's face it, you're leaving and I don't know when you'll be back." I watch Karlie nod like she understand what I'm saying. "Okay, but I'm still right here. Whenever you need me I'm here." She states moving towards me. I feel my heart palpitate as she moves in and stares at me. "Do you understand that Taylor, you need me then you call me." I nod barely moving my head as she moves in closer again until we are chest to chest making us laugh. "Is it strange that I don't want you to go?" I murmur as she looks down at me, her green eyes shining.
"Is it strange that I don't want to leave?" She questions still leaning closer as I lift my head up. Just as I swear we are about to kiss a horn sounds a few times causing us to leap backwards. "That'll be my taxi." She states as I nod and watch her go to leave. "Call me?" she questions as she stops to look at me and I nod. "Of course." I state following her out to the waiting taxi surrounded by my security that are checking him. "Come back soon." I state as we pause and hug in the doorway.
"I promise." She states stepping away from me but not leaving and as I look at her, I see a look cross her face the same look from the kitchen just minutes before hand. "What?" I question at her as she looks at me. "I'll miss you and Aubree." She whispers leaning in and placing a kiss on my cheek. A thousand fireworks explode but by the time I've come to my senses the taxi is pulling out of the driveway and the it hits me that I didn't even as her where she was going.

Aubree's onesie that Taylor changes her into at the start of this chapter.

Aubree's outfit she is wearing when she and Karlie are playing.