LABYRINTH | kaylor

TWO

"Alright, girlies, it's time for bed," Taylor said, walking into Rivers-Kate and Everleigh's room. "Did you both brush your teeth with Mama?"

Her response was two blonde heads nodding, as the girls' pigtails brushed against their ears. Taylor sat down on Rivers' bed first, beckoning her daughter to sit down on the floor so Taylor could neatly comb and braid her hair for bed. All three of the triplets had inherited some form of Taylor's curls, although Rivers-Kate and Everleigh had more loose ringlets, while Brooklynn's curls were as tight as Taylor's were when she was a teenager. Luckily, Taylor had years of experience with upkeep of her curly hair, and made it a point to keep her daughters' hair in pristine condition as well.

"Mommy?" Rivers-Kate asked as Taylor sprayed her long curls with water. "When are they gonna get here?"

"I don't know, babe, but probably sometime after you're asleep," Taylor said.  "They have a long drive and will probably be tired."

"Will we get to see them tomorrow?" Rivers-Kate asked.

"Maybe not before school, because they might be sleeping still, but you'll definitely be able to see them after school," Taylor said. "And remember what we talked about, RK, we need to be respectful and give them some time."

"I know," Rivers replied as Taylor tied off her braid and patted her daughter's back.

"There you go, babe. Good night."

"Night, Mommy," Rivers-Kate grinned as Taylor wrapped her into a tight hug. "I love you."

"I love you too, baby," Taylor gave her daughter an extra little squeeze before letting go. "Lay down, now, okay? You need to be up early for school tomorrow."

"We have art tomorrow at school, Mommy," Everleigh said as Taylor sat down on her bed. Much like Taylor, Everleigh was the sister that was most creatively inclined, and Taylor could sense that she had a passion for making art of some sort. Everleigh and Kaydence had always been most infatuated with the idea of Taylor being a singer, and Taylor knew that it was only a matter of time before her girls would want to explore it themselves.

"That's great, Ev," Taylor smiled. "Are you still working on that masterpiece of yours?"

Everleigh had been talking about the painting project that her class had been doing for a few weeks, and Taylor loved hearing about all of her kids' adventures during school. "Ms. Thompson said that we're gonna finish it this week, so I can bring it home to put up on the wall tomorrow."

"Well, I can't wait to see it," Taylor said as she ran a brush through Everleigh's curls. The room filled with a quiet, and after glancing over at her oldest triplet, Taylor saw that Rivers-Kate was sleeping soundly.

"Mommy?" Everleigh asked as Taylor parted her hair into three sections to begin the braid.

"Yes, baby?" Taylor prompted as she began to gingerly braid Everleigh's hair.

Everleigh hesitated, but looked back up at Taylor again with wide blue eyes. "Are you sure they're gonna come tonight?"

"Yes, baby, I'm sure," Taylor nodded. "You'll go to bed tonight, and when you wake up tomorrow, they'll be here. Okay?"

"But what if they don't come?" Everleigh asked.

Taylor could sense that Everleigh's anxiety was starting to get the best of her, which wasn't going to end well for the five-year-old, especially right before bed. Everleigh had always been a little bit more reserved than her three sisters, but it wasn't until right before her fifth birthday that she was diagnosed with anxiety. Taylor and Karlie had been trying to find a good therapist for her, but it was proving to be a challenge; there weren't many therapists that specialized with working with children in the first place, and finding one that Everleigh was comfortable with was a whole other story.