hits different - Taylor Swift and Travis kelce

media

-Taylors pov-

My phone has been going off all morning, but I've ignored it in favor of getting the kids off to school on time. now that Travis has taken them there before going to the stadium, I have the time to deal with whatever is going on.

Looking at my phone I see it's tree and I know something has happened. Because of Elena and Jacob, I've taken a break from the public eye for now, so she wouldn't call unannounced unless it was important.

"good morning, Taylor," she says when I pick up at her next ring. "good morning tree. What's up?" I ask her right away. No need to beat around the bush, something is going on.

"questions are being raised in the media about the two kids you and Travis have been seen with. People are wondering if they are related to you and if you have taken in someone. There are pictures of you dropping the kids off at school yesterday" I knew it was a risk for me to take them to school, a risk of being spotted and having questions directed my way. But I want to be able to do normal parenting stuff like that. it's normal to take your kids to school and I want to do it.

It's a tricky situation because I don't want to put the kids In the media's blast zone, but I also don't want to deny they are family at the same time. they don't deserve to have their faces plastered all over magazines, but if I deny that they are ours what will that do to their feeling of belonging in our family. I can't do that to them, pretend they aren't mine. I refuse to do that. even if they wouldn't find out about it right now it would come back to bite me in the ass at a later time, things like this always does.

"I don't know what to say tree" I say and rub my temple. Is there a right way to handle this? I don't know this time. their situation is also more sensitive than the twins because they have a hard background behind them, something that they deserve to keep private from the public.

"the question is if you want to say anything, make a statement of sorts. Or if we are just going to leave it as it is and have people deal with your silence" she puts the options out there and I kind of already know what I want to do. I don't want to add fuel to the fire at all if I can help it.

"I think I want to keep my mouth shut, at least for now. drawing attention to this will only make things harder for the kids now and in the future" I decide. Maybe I will change my mind after talking to Travis later, but for now, I think keeping shut is the right decision. It's not just mine to make on my own though, we are two parents in this.

*****

I'm in my office signing CD inserts for a new drop on the website of signed things when Travis walks in. "hi beautiful" he comes over and kisses me softly. "hi" I sigh. We haven't talked since he left this morning, so he doesn't know about the media stuff yet. Now is the time to tell him though, no need to drag it out further.

"tree called," I say as he lifts me from the chair and sits down with me in his lap. "oh, is something wrong?" he asks, and I shrug. "depends on how you look at it I guess."

I tell him everything that tree told me about what people are saying and what the headlines are. I haven't seen them myself because I don't make it a habit to look at anything myself, for my own sanity's sake. "so I told her that we wouldn't be commenting on it. keeping things quiet, but I'm not sure it's the right thing to do. do we say something after all? Or will that make things harder for the kids? I don't know Travis."

He takes a second to take in what I say "I think we should keep our mouths shut too. without the adoption finalized I think we need to be careful with what we put out there, especially about them. I'm not saying we can't do the normal things we do, but I think that we should be mindful about the rest of it."

Of course, he is right. There is a balance to be found there. We can't stop doing normal things like taking them to practice and school, but that doesn't mean we owe the public an explanation either. Being out in public and owing the public an explanation are two different things that don't need to coexist.

Sighing I lean further into his arms, basking in the heat from his body. "have I told you how much I love you today" I mumble making him shake as he chuckles. "no I don't think so" he teases, and I punch him lightly.

"smartass" I laugh along with him.

**

Travis is putting the kids to bed today, so I sneak into the bathroom and pull up my shirt, revealing the part under my armpit. It used to be just one bruise, but the first one has faded as it multiplied. Now there are several bruises. And there is a bump. It's tiny but it's there. It's probably nothing, just a sweat whatever that's clogged? I don't know. I shouldn't worry, but I can't help obsessing over seeing the progression.

Have I told Travis it's getting worse? No, I haven't. it's not that I'm hiding it per se, but I just don't know what to tell him when I don't know what it is. It's going to go away on its own, I know it will. I'm just clumsy and bump into things a lot, that's all this is.