Protecting Leah

Home Again

Taylor's P.O.V

Landing in Nashville at 3.00am had a bittersweet taste to it. For starters it was the middle of winter and so I knew it would be cold and possibly snowing when we landed. My mom was bringing my car around in the morning so we used the security guys to get Leah and I home. Carrying my angel from the plane was easy. She is very light and makes it easier by cuddling into me. Ten minutes later we arrive home and the security men drop us at the door and put the luggage inside the foyer for me, I thank them then they leave for their wives, children and beds. I lock the door after them and balance Leah on my hip. I move towards the kitchen and turn on lights because I will be back down before I go to bed randomly checking the fridge and seeing it fully stocked I sigh and mentally thanked my mom. Leah then began to squirm so I moved towards the stairs and started to climb, she mumbled into my neck. "I love you mommy." My heart literally stopped; staring at her I kissed her forehead before saying "I love you to the moon and back." I put her into bed mentally cheering that I changed her on the plane to make this easier. She rolled over and cuddled into Brownie so I switched on her princess night light and went downstairs to begin sorting laundry for the morning. Tossing and turning for almost an hour it was nearly 4.30am before I even got to sleep but I was woken up at 8.46am by Leah and Meredith playing on my bed.

Glancing around I saw Leah with Brownie perched on the edge of the bed playing with Meredith and watching her tail flick around when she rolled over. Leah must have heard me though because before I could even sit up she launched herself into my arms shouting "Mommy you're up.""Yes princess, mommy's awake. When did you get up?" I rubbed the sleep from my eyes and looked at her, she was fuzzy because my contacts weren't in so I reached for my glasses from the nightstand. "8.27am mommy was that too early?" "No babe that's great. Guess who is coming to visit today?" I watch her think for a minute then say in a hopeful voice, "Is Uncle Austy, Nana and Granddad coming mommy?" "Yes baby at 9.30am so we better go shower. Let's bath you first. How is your arm today?" "Good thanks mommy, can we take the purple thing off now?" I laughed at her and said in a firm voice, "No we can't honey another few weeks then it can come off okay?"

Leah's P.O.V

I always watched mommy in fascination as she made my bath, made my snacks or just played her guitar. It had occurred to me when we were in Apple that everyone loved my mom, but when we weren't home or at nana and granddad's she wasn't just my mom she was the Taylor Swift. Country Superstar who sold many albums so when I got to watch her from the couch as I was currently doing it was cool. "What are you looking at missy?" Came mommy's voice from the doorway. I didn't realise I had stared that hard but I just smiled and cuddled down onto the couch. "Nothing mommy..." but I knew she didn't believe me because she came over and sat next to me, reaching her arms out towards me she tickled me and she wouldn't stop. "Argh mommy please, it tickles..." "That's the whole point little lady, am I that cool that you have to stare at me?" Sitting up and leaping at mommy and she easily caught me I stated the obvious. "No I was watching Taylor Swift; she was picking up my toys." Mommy grinned at me and said, "Yes I was, but I know you and Austin will mess them up when they arrive." Smiling at her I wriggled out of her lap to the floor and ran towards the kitchen, but I forgot about my arm and banged it into the wall which made me lose my balance and I fall over. The shock of it hit me and I burst into tears. Then I felt two hands lifting me up and onto their hip so I turned and sobbed harder.

Taylor's P.O.V

I let Leah slide from my lap and watched her as she went to leave the lounge in a hurry, she got to the doorway but she must have forgotten about her arm being in plaster from her breaking it and she banged it into the doorway. The dull 'thunk' echoed around the living room as I stood up she went flying to the ground and as if on principle the tears arrived. Moving towards her I picked her up as she sobbed into my shirt. Her little body heaved as she cried and cried. Then as if to make things worse my parents and Austin arrived.

'DING DONG' went the doorbell, facing Leah I went to put her down but she wrapped her legs around my waist indicating she wasn't done with cuddling yet so I pulled her back up and she settled back into my neck. Opening the door Austin practically fell in since he was leaning on it while mom and dad hung back with snacks. Austin immediately stood up again and reached for Leah who was still buried in my shoulder and even with coaxing she wasn't letting me go at all, I could tell Austin was disappointed so instead of being in the kitchen we went to the lounge where the large 'L' shaped couch allowed us to all sit and talk freely. Leah straddled my hips and stayed in my shoulder as I re-told the story about why she was upset. They all understood and Leah was being extremely clingy. We had been talking for about an hour when Leah started to doze off. Pretty soon after they decided to leave and catch up nearer Thanksgiving in a week. I smiled and agreed then they let themselves out while I went and put Leah in bed. Watching her cuddle into Brownie and her pillow I kissed her forehead and left the door open and went down to the kitchen to begin baking cookies.

Half an hour later my phone began to ring and I saw that it was Abigail. Balancing the phone next to my ear and placing the cookies into the oven I answered with a casual, "Hey Abigail. What's up?" "Hey Tay, nothing just checking on my best friend and niece. Where is the little munchkin I can't hear her?" I smiled and glanced to the stairs as I situated myself on the couch. "Oh she's in bed, today was a bad day..." then I explained how she broke her arm and then ran into the doorway today. Abigail was sympathetic and after talking for an hour she let me go. The cookies had long since beeped and had been removed from the oven while Leah continued to sleep. I placed my phone down after checking text messages from my mom to get Leah to video chat them later to which I said I would. Hearing movement on the stairs Leah came into the living room holding Brownie. She immediately sought out my lap and straddled it burying her face into my neck while I sat there and moved my hands up and down her back, soothingly. "Hi there miss Leah, guess who I talked to while you were asleep?" "Who mommy?" she questioned as she stared up at me. "Oh just Aunt Abi, she wants to come see you before Christmas, is that okay?" I watched as Leah nodded her head and started grinning like a mad-woman. It was easy to see who her favourite auntie was and she had so many to choose from it wasn't funny.