Chapter Text
“She’s precious,” Taylor whispered, her eyes fixed on the sleeping infant nestled in her arms.
The baby was so small, swaddled in a green blanket with full pink cheeks and a wispy blonde curl falling over her forehead. Taylor traced the strand of hair with her finger, then looked up and found Travis watching her, smiling.
“She looks so much like Jason,” Taylor said quietly, trying not to disturb Finn.
Travis nodded. “She does. They all do.”
Kylie, reclined on the couch, let out a snort. “Crazy how that works, since I am the one who carried her for almost ten months.”
Jason, sitting in a chair beside her, threw up his hands. “Hey, I put in some work too.”
“Ten seconds doesn’t count as work,” Kylie replied dryly.
Travis laughed, and Taylor did too, holding Finn a little closer.
“She’s so tiny,” she said softly.
“She’s boring,” Wyatt chimed in, arms crossed as she walked back in from the playroom.
“She’s a baby,” Kylie reminded, her voice amused and exhausted.
“Come play with us again, Auntie Tay!” Elliotte pleaded, running into the room with Bennett toddling behind her.
“Girls, let her hold sissy!” Jason said, but Taylor was already moving.
“It’s fine,” she said with a smile, and then looked back over at Travis. “Trav, you want to hold her?”
He nodded, moving closer with his arms out. She placed Finn gently in his arms, and he moved her against his chest. Taylor’s heart clenched.
“C’mon Tay Tay,” Wyatt demanded, tugging at her hand.
“I’m coming,” she said, looking once more over her shoulder at Travis.
Jason caught her arm as she passed. “You’re a saint.”
She laughed, walking towards the playroom.
Taylor picked at the scraps of food still littering her plate. She had just wolfed down so much french toast (and a few soggy handfuls of blueberries that Bennett kept bringing over to her) that her stomach felt bloated. She sat back in her seat, looking around the table at the rest of her family.
They ended up making it to brunch late. The girls had wrangled Travis into the playroom as well, putting clip-on bows in his hair and spreading bright pink lip gloss across his mouth. He frowned the entire time as Taylor took pictures on her phone. Donna had shown up and done the same, and they had to wait while Taylor helped Travis untangle the clips from his hair and wipe his face.
As they sat in the restaurant, she stared as Jason wiped sticky maple syrup off Elliotte’s hands. Kylie was busy feeding Finn, who started to get cranky the longer they sat in the restaurant. Kylie’s mom and dad were busy entertaining Wyatt, whose personality only grew stronger and more commanding by the day. Donna was talking to Travis, who sat just beside her with a now sleeping Bennett on his chest.
She couldn’t believe this was her life. A room full of people who adored her and she went right back to them. As she looked around at the other women in the room, all mothers, she felt her heart ache. She thought that was where she would be by now. Years ago, when she was just a bright eyed and bushy tailed young adult, looking so hard for her place in an unforgiving world. She thought then that nearing her late thirties she would be married with a few children of her own.
She eyed Travis, who was patting softly on Bennett’s back as she drooled onto his shoulder. Travis was a good man, really a perfect man, and she knew she wanted everything with him. She didn’t doubt that he wanted it with her either. He told her almost daily that he couldn’t wait to slip a ring on her finger, call her his wife, and raise children together.
They’ve had conversations about the timing. She had been functioning on having her life planned out at least a year in advance since she was in her early twenties. Major life events, especially when those life events involved bringing an entire human into the world, definitely required some extensive conversations.
She knew all of that was just on the horizon for them, and she was totally fine with that. Or, maybe she wasn’t. Sometimes she just wanted to speed everything up, but then there were little moments, like this one. Watching Travis hold his sleeping niece in the middle of the loud private room they got for Mother’s Day brunch, where she just wanted to sit in it and appreciate it all.
“You good honey?” Donna asked, pulling her out of her thoughts.
Taylor looked up and nodded. “I’m stuffed,” she said, patting her stomach jokingly.
“Understandably. I am too.” Donna laughed before her eyes softened. “Thank you again for my Mother’s Day gift.”
“You’re welcome,” Taylor responded.
“We wanted you to have a good Mother’s Day, Mama,” Travis said, joining the conversation.
“Just getting to see my sons and daughters and grandbabies was enough,” Donna stated. “But this necklace is stunning.” Taylor watched as Donna touched the charm at the middle of the silver chain.
“That’s all Taylor,” Travis said with a smile before rocking Bennett, who started to rouse from her nap, in his arms to calm her.
“That’s why she’s my favorite.” Donna teased.
“Oh so we’ve all been replaced?” Jason cut in, turning in his chair away from Elliotte, whose face was smeared in syrup and pancake crumbs.
“No,” Donna said, softly smacking Jason’s shoulder before turning back to Taylor and Travis. “Taylor and Kylie are tied for number one.”
Taylor giggled and then looked around the room again. Kylie was multitasking with Finn in one arm and holding Wyatt’s hand with the other. Donna had turned to start talking to Kylie’s parents again. Jason was passing Elliotte a napkin. Travis, right beside her, was cooing down at Bennett, her blonde hair sticking up from where she had been laying against him.
Taylor reached her hand out to smooth down the hair and Bennett smiled in her direction. Taylor felt her heart melt in her chest, and she glanced up to meet Travis’s eyes. She swore she could see forever in them.
Just a few days earlier, Taylor hosted her mother in New York for an early Mother’s Day lunch. Austin had come too, never wanting to be left out of plans of celebrating their mother.
Travis had been working, doing a shoot of some sorts, before he went to the gym. She had sent him off with a kiss and some homemade Pop Tarts that morning, telling him to get home as quick as he could.
She had just been in the middle of making her basil and garlic pasta, chatting with her mother and Austin, when Travis walked through the door.
She turned and smiled in his direction as he walked into the kitchen. “Hi baby,” she greeted him. She could see that he had his hands behind his back, and tried to peek around him to see what he was hiding.
“Hey darlin’,” he replied. Then, he turned to her mother and pulled out a gorgeous bouquet of flowers from behind him. “Happy early Mother’s Day.”
“Oh, Travis, you shouldn’t have,” Andrea said, her hand that wasn’t holding the bouquet pressed over her chest.
“Yeah, you really shouldn’t have,” Austin said with a snort. “Trying to beat me in the best son competition, I see.”
“Am I winning?” Travis asked cockily.
“To be determined,” Austin muttered.
She caught Travis rolling his eyes before he looked over at her. “Couldn’t forget about my girl,” Travis said, handing Taylor her own bouquet of flowers. Her face flushed and she smiled.
“Thank you,” she said, puckering her lips for a kiss that he happily gave her. She could hear Austin fake a gag, but when she turned back around, she saw her mom looking at them with such a warm expression that it nearly brought tears to her eyes.
“Lunch almost ready?” Travis asked, going over to the sink to wash his hands as Taylor pulled out two vases to put the flowers in, filling them with water.
She nodded in response, watching as Travis went to grab four plates and sets of cutlery, placing them on the table as she finished arranging the flowers in their vases.
They finally sat down, digging into the pasta and garlic bread that Taylor made. She sat back and watched as Travis, Austin, and her mom led the conversation.
There was something so sweet and calming about watching him interact with her family, like he had always been part of it. That was a rarity in her relationships. While her parents and brother had always been welcoming, her partners had never been incredibly close with her family. Travis wasn’t like that though.
He loved her family like his own, talked to them even when she wasn’t around. She caught him on the phone with Austin one night a few weeks ago, and when she asked what they were talking about, he said they were just catching up as usual. She knew that he texted back and forth with her father, and on more than one occasion, checked in with her mother as well.
She watched as her mother laughed at a joke Travis made, Austin joining in the laughter, and she grinned to herself, looking over at her boyfriend. He was so much a part of her family now, something she didn’t even know she wanted until it happened. He truly belonged here, in all the traditions, birthdays, and lunches. She could see that in her brother’s teasing and her mother’s smile. One day, she hoped to see it in the eyes of a baby who looked a little like her and a little like him.
It was already pushing 95 degrees when Travis finished his last set and walked out the doors of the gym. He had just come out of a long and early training session, his arms sore and sweat beading his forehead as he walked out to the car and drove back to his rental home. The Florida heat didn’t mess around, and the slight breeze felt more suffocating than refreshing. He was used to sweating through his shirt by 10am this time of year. Plus, he had to get home quickly. He had a standing date with his favorite person.
When he pulled up the driveway, there she was, waiting on the porch in shorts and one of his old ProBowl t-shirts, sunglasses tipped down her noses, a glass of water in one hand and a towel in another. She smiled when he parked and got out of the car, holding the towel out in front of her.
Once he reached the porch, he took the towel from her gratefully, bending slightly to press a kiss to her lips while thanking her.
“You smell like the gym,” she said as he slung the towel around his neck. She extended out the glass of water in front of her and he took it, taking a large gulp as they started to walk back into the house. The cold punch of the air conditioning hit him, and he sighed in relief.
“It was all for the grind baby. I gotta get in that training time,” he said before downing the rest of the water.
“Well, we are meeting my dad in an hour, so go rinse off.”
Scott Swift was already there when they arrived. Ever the early bird, he was seated at the private table they reserved at a restaurant in Boca. Her father had taken the trip from Tampa to see them for Father's Day. Travis had to fly into France for a quick appearance on Monday before flying back the following day to Kansas City for minicamp. Still, he insisted they make time to see her father together before things picked up again.
“Well, look what the cat dragged in,” Scott said as they walked over to him. “Happy Father’s Day to me.”
Taylor grinned, leaned down to hug her father tight. “You’re the best, you know that?”
“I do know that, actually,” Scott said. “But I don’t get tired of hearing it.”
Travis stepped forward and handed him his gift, a nice bottle of Scotch. “Heard you were getting soft, figured this might toughen you up.”
Scott raised an eyebrow. “You’re wearing a printed shirt and calling me soft?”
Taylor nearly spit out the cup of water that was already on the table for them.
“Low blow, Papa Swift,” Travis said, hand over his heart. “You wound me.”
“Good,” Scott said with a shrug. “Builds character.”
The three of them got into an easy conversation as they waited for their food. Taylor had moved her chair even closer to Travis’s, and he rubbed his thumb over her shoulder as Scott told stories from Taylor’s childhood.
“She organized a concert for us in the backyard when she was ten,” Scott said, munching on a french fry. “She charged me five bucks for a front row seat, and made her mother sit on the lawn. She made Austin run her ‘merch booth.’”
“I gave him a cut,” Taylor said. “One dollar.”
Travis laughed, shaking his head. “She was a businesswoman in the making.”
“She certainly was. A visionary, even that young,” Scott said. “She was also my little girl. Still is.”
Something about that made Travis start thinking. He looked over at Taylor, the natural light from the restaurant’s windows beaming down on her skin. She smiled at something else her dad said, before glancing over at him and squeezing his hand. Travis swore his heart did that stupid flip thing it always did when she looked at him like that.
He loved her so much.
Something about watching her and her dad made him realize that he wanted that. He didn’t want to just be someone’s partner, but he also wanted to be someone’s parent. He wanted to tell stories and tease, but also talk with kindness and pride. He found himself thinking about someone with her eyes and his smile and a little voice that called him dad.
Later that night, when they got back to the house, just before Travis had to take off for the airport, he stepped out on the balcony with a cold beer and his phone. Taylor was inside on the couch with a blanket over her lap and a book in her hands.
“Tell your dad I said hi,” she called out behind him as he walked out. He gave her a thumbs up, already pressing the call button.
The phone rang twice before the deep voice of his father came through. “What’s up son?”
“Happy Father’s Day, old man.”
Ed laughed on the other end. “Appreciate that. You finally calling to thank me for putting up with your ass all these years?”
“I call you every year and thank you,” Travis said, rolling his eyes. “You’re lucky I like you.”
“I am lucky,” Ed said. “What are you up to?”
“Had dinner with Tay’s dad at some steakhouse.”
“Sounds like a good time,” Ed said.
“It was.”
There was a short break in the conversation as Travis took a sip of his beer then leaned forward, elbows on the balcony railing, and asked, “You ever think back to those early days when you first had Jase and I?”
“Hell yeah,” Ed said. “Think about them all the time. Mostly the good stuff. I try to forget about all the diapers and noise. But even on the worst days, I wouldn’t trade a damn second.”
Travis swallowed. “Did you know you were ready?”
“Nope,” Ed laughed. “Didn’t know a thing. I just loved your mom, and I knew I wanted to build something with her. The rest came later.”
Travis nodded even though his father couldn’t see. “I’m not saying we’re planning anything, but I’ve been thinking about the future more lately. About what kind of dad I would be.”
“You would be a good one,” Ed responded.
“You think?”
“Yeah. You’ve always had that in you. You know, big heart. Kids don’t need perfect, they just need to be loved like crazy,” Ed explained. “This from hanging out with the nieces a few weeks ago?”
Travis laughed quietly. “Yeah.”
“That’s how you know,” Ed said. “When everything stops being a fantasy and starts feeling real.”
That was it. It wasn’t a fantasy anymore. It wasn’t a wild, far off idea. It was very real. He could see it all the time. Taylor with a baby on her hip, little laughs coming down the hall, the sound of footsteps running toward him when he walked through the door. He wanted it soon.
“I love her so much,” Travis murmured.
“I know you do.”
“I want all of it with her.”
“You’re on the right path. It’ll lead you where you’re meant to go if you follow it.”
“Yeah,” Travis agreed. “I think it will.”
They talked a bit longer about training and Jason and what Ed himself was doing before they said their goodbyes. He stayed on the balcony for a few minutes after that, watching the sunset with his beer bottle in hand.
It didn’t really hit him until much later, back in Kansas City. It was the last day of minicamp, and he and Taylor would be flying back to Florida tomorrow. Right now though, Taylor was lying in bed beside him, her hair tangled against his chest, one leg thrown over his. She was out cold, breathing in deep with her lips slightly parted.
Travis, though, was wide awake. He looked at the spinning ceiling fan, thinking back to something Jason said a while ago. They had just started recording an episode of New Heights when Elliotte started having a meltdown upstairs. Jason had excused himself for about ten minutes until he returned, sitting down in front of the camera.
“I love those girls more than anything,” Jason said, running a hand over the scruff of his beard and sighing. “But no one tells you how being a father just breaks you open.”
Travis had kind of chuckled then, like yeah, dude, I can see that, but now he was thinking about it differently. Jason didn’t say it like it was a complaint. He said it like it was the best kind of broken, like his entire life had been rearranged and he wouldn’t go back for anything.
Travis couldn’t stop thinking about that. He couldn’t stop thinking about her handing Finn over to him a few weeks ago before running off to play with the girls.
“Thank you for coming early,” Kylie said tiredly that day. “Tell Tay thank you too.”
“You don’t have to thank us,” Travis said, rocking Finn. “We love the girlies, and we weren’t missing the chance to meet our new niece.”
Jason leaned back, arms folded behind his head. “Yeah, well, when you and Tay have kids, don’t have four.”
“Jason—” Travis began.
“I love them, but I’d like to sleep again someday. And I’m tired of wiping butts.”
“Like you’re doing that full-time,” Kylie muttered.
Jason just grinned. “Anyway, the girls aren’t getting more siblings, so we’re counting on you two for cousins.”
“Tay and I aren’t even engaged yet.”
Jason raised a brow. “And why’s that? You’ve got the ring.”
“Keep your voice down,” Travis whispered. “We’re just enjoying this time. It's the first time in our relationship where things feel slow.”
Jason looked thoughtful for once. “That’s smart, but don’t wait too long.”
Travis thought about how later that day, before they headed back to New York, Taylor sat on the rug in the playroom with Elliotte in her lap while Bennett played with her hair. He could see that Bennett wasn’t gentle, afterall, her fine motor skills weren’t entirely developed, but Taylor didn’t even flinch.
He thought about how they read the girls bedtime stories over FaceTime, the two of them taking turns making up voices for every character.
He loved how she talked to the girls like they were people, never babying them but not being pushy either.
The girls adored her, not even because she was famous or glamorous or whatever the hell else, but because she made them feel safe. The crazy part was she didn’t even know she was doing it. It’s just who she is.
There had been a lot of moments over the course of their relationship that made him realize how deep in he really was and how he loved her so much he didn’t even know what to do with it all. This was the kind of love that made him want more.
He wanted little versions of her running around, creating messes and throwing tantrums and having birthday parties in the backyard. He wasn’t even trying to think about it, it just appeared in his mind. He couldn’t unsee it.
She was already becoming something he wanted more than anything, and that was the mother of his children. She would be so good at it. She would be funny and soft and strong, his perfect partner. He knew he loved her, but he could see the picture so clearly now. He wants to make a life with her. He wants to make people with her.
He looked down at her, still knocked out and breathing hard against his chest, and felt something stupidly overwhelming in his heart.
Neither of them said anything until they were back in New York. They had just come back from dinner, and Taylor was taking off her jewelry when he got a text from Jason.
He opened the message to see a picture of Wyatt with the Squishmallow plush that Travis and Taylor got her a few weeks back stuffed in her arms. He smiled down at his phone, walking over to where Taylor was now removing her makeup in the bathroom.
He came behind her, wrapping his arms around her so he could hold the phone in front of them. “She’s still obsessed,” he muttered.
Taylor looked down at the photo with a smile. “Aw, she is so cute.”
“She is adorable,” Travis agreed, turning off his phone and setting it on the counter, moving Taylor’s hair over so he could kiss her shoulder. He looked up in the mirror as she continued to remove her makeup before she suddenly stopped, dropping the wipe into the sink and turning around to look at him with a sudden serious expression.
“What’s wrong babe?” he asked at her quick change in expression.
“I have to tell you something,” she said.
That was never a good start. He immediately stiffened, preparing himself for whatever she had to say.
“It’s nothing bad,” she tried to assure, reaching for his hand. “At least I hope you don’t think it’s bad.”
Travis rubbed his thumb over her knuckles. “Just tell me baby.”
“How would you feel about us having a baby, say in the next year and a half?” She posed the question hesitantly, biting into her lip.
“Oh, thank god, Tay.” Travis let out a breath of relief. “I thought you were going to tell me something crazy.”
She laughed. “You don’t think I’m crazy for suggesting we have a baby soon?”
“Hell no,” he said as his nerves completely disappeared. “Girl, I’ve been thinking the same thing.”
Meanwhile, Taylor felt like her heart might leap out of her chest. “Really?”
He nodded. “Yeah. I mean, we sort of gave ourselves like a small timeline, but we hadn’t really put a real date on anything. I didn’t want to pressure you.”
“I didn’t want to scare you by suggesting it! I know you wanted to wait until you retired and with that being sort of up in the air, I didn’t know if it was the right time,” she admitted.
He tugged her closer to his chest. “Baby, the right time is whenever we are ready.”
“Are you?” she asked.
“I am. Are you?”
She gave him another serious look. “Um, yeah. I mean, every time I look at you now I can only think ‘put a baby in me.’”
He almost swallowed his tongue. “Hey, chill out.”
“I’m serious,” Taylor said, giggling. “I’m so happy right now. Like, think about it. Two years from now we could be holding our own baby.”
“I know,” he said. “I’ve been thinking about it every day.”
She reached up to brush her thumb over his cheek. “I still want to get married first.”
“Oh I guess that means I need to get on that soon,” he said jokingly.
“You better,” she warned.
He smiled down at her. “A family of our own, huh?”
She grinned back. “A family of our own.”