The Kingdom Lights

3

May 5th, 2016

Taylor had been up since four in the morning preparing for Christopher's big day. It was a busy time of life for the two of them and he had school, but she'd be damned if his birthday wasn't special every single year. It wasn't his fault that he was born to a fifteen year old who had now become a massive musician. All he was was the son of a mother who loved him more than anything.

At six-thirty, Taylor finally made her way to her kid's room. She knocked on the door, knowing that his alarm had already gone off.

"Yeah?" He asked through the door. She heard some rustling and then the door was suddenly thrown open to reveal her newly eleven year old.

He was an absolute mess. His wet blonde hair was yet to be brushed, his uniform shirt was untucked, his vest wasn't even on yet, and his tie was still hanging off his desk chair. Poor kid had probably rushed to throw everything on when he heard her knock.

"What are you-"

"Happy birthday!" Taylor cut him off, rushing forward to scoop him up in her arms.

Still waking up, Christopher took a moment to comprehend what was happening, but as soon as he did, he fully reciprocated her affection.

Christopher had a good life, Taylor made sure of that. From the moment he was born, he became her whole world. Sure, there were some missteps and some things Taylor definitely should've done differently. She wished she had kept him away from the public completely instead of revealing that he existed when he was five. She had no idea how big she'd get and now everyone had all eyes on her which translated to all eyes on him. She couldn't even go to his lacrosse practices or games without someone following them.

But nevertheless, they were happy. Christopher was happy. How could he not be? He was the quieter of the two, but he was still almost a carbon copy of his mother. Like her, his favorite room in the house was the music room and he'd been playing whatever he could get his hands on for the last five years.

He hated most of her exes and her boyfriend, though. The only people he had ever actually warmed up to were Taylor and Harry, but the rest were dead to him.

He especially hated Adam, who just so happened to have spent the night. Christopher wasn't an idiot, he knew Adam treated his mother horribly, but he was just a little kid and he couldn't exactly do anything.

So he held tight to his mother. "Thanks mama."

Taylor pressed a kiss to his cheek. "I made you breakfast, so get your uniform on."

She left him to finish getting dressed. When they had lived in Nashville he went to public school like his mother had, but by the time they moved to New York City the paparazzi was becoming insufferable. Taylor made the decision to put in in a private school that other children of famous people and famous children themselves attended. That was two years ago.

Tie and vest firmly secured atop his still untucked shirt, Christopher rushed out to the kitchen.

The table held a couple small gifts from his mother and one from Adam and the counter was full of his favorite breakfast. There was a banner hanging up reading: Happy Birthday Christopher!

It almost made him cry.

Taylor wrapped him in her arms again. "There's my little man!"

He melted into the embrace, letting his mom be as extra as she wanted to for his birthday. It was just as much about her surviving another year of single parenthood as it was about him being alive for eleven years.

"Okay mama." He groaned after a while, trying to spit her bleached hair out of his mouth. "Can't breathe. Being choked by hair."

She pulled away from the young boy, pride all over her face. "Sorry, I just can't believe you're eleven! You're so big."