It's All Part of the Story

You'll get better soon, cause you have to

December 2018

When she gets to Andrea's Nashville house, Austin opens the door and they exchange a quick hug before he lets her in.

"She's on the back porch," he says and Karlie doesn't feel even a little guilty about unceremoniously dropping her stuff in the entryway and walking past the other rooms in the house straight to the back. She stands in front of the screen door, watches Taylor for a few seconds.

Her shoulders are slumped, and she has her legs up on the couch, arms wrapped around them as she stares off into the distance. Karlie doesn't have to follow her gaze to know she's not staring at anything in particular, and her heart breaks.

The screen door squeaks when she pushes it open and Taylor's shaken out of her reverie, looks to the side and smiling brokenly when she sees Karlie.

"Hey, love," Karlie says softly, carefully.

Taylor doesn't say anything, but her lower lip trembles and Karlie's in front of her in a flash, dropping to her knees in front of the couch and wrapping her arms around Taylor.

Taylor cries into her shoulder, hugs Karlie back, fingers digging into her sides as she clutches Karlie desperately.

"It's okay, baby, let it all out," Karlie coos, softly stroking her hand down Taylor's back.

They stay like that for a long while, Karlie's shirt becoming damp with Taylor's tears and she can't help but let out a few tears of her own at the sound of Taylor's heart wrenching sobs.

She's down to sniffling with the occasional hiccup and Karlie pulls away enough to sit on the couch next to her, pulling Taylor's body into her own so the blonde's legs are thrown over her own and she can wrap an arm around Taylor's shoulders.

"How did you get here so quickly?" Taylor asks through her tears. "You're supposed to be in New York."

Karlie just shakes her head and smiles softly at her. She runs her fingers in an idle pattern across Taylor's thighs to calm her.

"I called the pilot as soon as you called me," Karlie says with a shrug. "I wish I had gotten here sooner."

"It's okay," Taylor says, voice still shaky but she seems considerably more calm than before. "You're here now."

"Baby, there is nowhere else I'd rather be," Karlie says, pressing a soft kiss to Taylor's forehead.

"Was that your first cry?" Karlie asks, even though she knows the answer.

Taylor nods, heavily leans her head against Karlie's shoulder.

"How's your mom doing?"

Taylor shrugs, shaking her head softly. "She's being her usual stoic, practical self," Taylor says, voice cracking as a wave of emotion overtakes her again.

"That's to be expected."

"You didn't see her when you came in?" Taylor asks, sighs softly when Karlie reaches up to tug her hair free from its ponytail.

Karlie runs her fingers through Taylor's hair, slowly and soothingly as she feels the blonde relax against her.

"No, I only saw Austin before I came to find you" Karlie explains.

"You should really go say hi," Taylor chides gently, even though she makes no move to get away from Karlie, and if anything, she slumps even closer.

"I will," Karlie says, and she turns her head to see the ghost of a smile cross Taylor's face.

She presses her lips against Taylor's forehead, lingering there when Taylor sighs and slowly closes her eyes.