Daylight - Taylor Swift

Chapter 97

A chapter... that is the double the length of our normal chapters and has cute toddler moments. Happy Friday, thanks for being here <3

March 21st, 2021

"Might as well get comfy," Taylor said softly to Tom as he looked for a place to sit on the plane. They picked up some clothes and the pets from the Los Angeles house before heading to the airport where Jo had asked Charlie to sit up at the front with her.

In the time in took Charlotte and Tom to pack, Jo realized that in her attempt to hide things from her sister, she had screwed up royally. She couldn't lie to her, because in less than an hour they'd be in Nevada and Charlie would be expecting to go to a hospital to see their father and he wouldn't be in a room, he'd be in the morgue.

Jo wasn't processing well, there was no reason Billy should have had a stroke. He'd been active all his life, had no previous signs of cardiovascular issues. It wasn't fair, and all Jo was truly feeling was the looming sense of drowning that crept up on her last time, when she'd lost her mother and Charlie suddenly depended on her.

"What all did Melissa say?" Charlie asked after the pilot announced they'd be taking off then. Jo passed the younger girl over a blanket for comfort and sighed.

"I lied to you before," she gulped, "Dad's not at the hospital."

"He's- he's okay? What? Why are we going to Nevada if he's-" Charlie stuttered with confusion as she looked at Josephine quizzically.

"No," the brunette shook her head, pursing her lips together as she shakily inhaled through her nose, "I didn't know how to tell you that... again. I'm sorry."

"No," Charlie leant back in her seat, clutching the blanket as her eyes widened and filled with tears, "You're lying. You're lying to me."

"I wish I was," Jo replied just loud enough for it to be audible. Charlie shoved the blanket off her lap, pushing it towards Jo in an attempt to shoo her away. She wanted to scream, and she did. Her lungs let out the kind of scream that shatters souls, deep and full of pain.

Jo looked away, holding her breath as she steadied herself. She could feel later, she had to be strong for her little sister now.

"Get away from me!" Charlie sobbed. Her knees went up to her chest and she clenched her fists. Jo simply nodded, standing up without saying anything and going towards the back of the plane.

Tom and Taylor were quiet, Tom had asked Taylor what the commotion was about when he heard Charlie first raise her voice, and she had simply said that Billy had died. He didn't know what to say after that, looking at the ground.

"Should I go over there?" He asked the younger singer when she took a seat next to Taylor. He could see Charlie, facing the front of the plane. Taylor and Jo faced the back by the bed and bathrooms.

"No," Jo said calmly, "Give her time. She'll come to you if and when she wants you."

Taylor wordlessly rested her hand on the back of her fiancée's, trying not to listen to the gut wrenching sobs that came from the seats behind their backs.

Jo didn't cry, she didn't scream, she didn't speak. She held her breath, letting it out and taking more air in only when she absolutely had to. She didn't know when her breathing changed to manual, but she didn't seem to remember how to do it.

"Why don't you put some headphones in and go lay on the bed? I think you could use a few minutes to yourself," Taylor suggested as gently as she could, very delicately trying to tell Jo that she was worried about her.

"I'll be okay," the singer shook her head and inhaled again, only to let it out with a dramatic exhale that was too loud to not draw attention her way.

"I'm here," Taylor reminded the woman next to her. Jo nodded, moving to angle her body away slightly, not in the mood to speak.