A Place In This World - Adopted By Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce

Chapter 5

Avery woke up in a panic in the middle of the night. It took her a few minutes to recognize where she was, which certainly didn't help the way her heart felt like it was beating out of her chest. The clock on her nightstand revealed that it was just after 2:30, far too early to be awake for the day. She tried to slow her breathing, remembering the techniques her mother had taught her when she was younger. She slipped her headphones back onto her head, opening her favorite playlist and hitting shuffle. As she took a few slow, shaky breaths, the panicked feeling in her stomach continued.

Finally admitting defeat, she quietly got out of bed, tiptoeing down the hallway towards Taylor and Travis's bedroom. They had reassured her before she went to bed that she could come and get them at any time if she needed anything, but she still couldn't help but feel bad about waking them up in the middle of the night. The door was slightly open, just like they had promised, so she slowly made her way over to Taylor's side of the bed.

"Taylor?" she whispered, her voice wavering.

Taylor stirred slightly in her sleep. Avery started to worry that she was unnecessarily burdening them, turning to head back to her bedroom. Just as she was about to walk back through the door, she stumbled over the edge of the rug, landing on the floor with a thud. Her tears immediately started to flow, the dull ache where her back hit the floor the icing on the cake of this horrible night.

"Aves?" Travis grumbled, getting out of the bed and making his way to where she was sitting on the floor, "What's wrong, sweetheart?"

"I... I had a nightmare," Avery sniffled, "And then I tripped."

"C'mere honey," he said, pulling Avery into a hug, "I've got you, you're safe."

Avery relaxed into his embrace, letting herself cry as he gently rubbed her back. Taylor woke up, hearing the commotion in the room. She was confused when she realized that Travis wasn't in the bed next to her, but her confusion quickly turned to concern when she saw him comforting Avery. He was sitting on the floor by the door with Avery curled up at his side, and it was clear that she was on the verge of a breakdown. Taylor quickly made her way over to them, sitting down on Avery's other side and wrapping an arm around her.

"Are you doing okay, honey?" Taylor asked.

"I'm okay now. Travis helped me feel a little better," Avery mumbled.

"How are you feeling after that fall? Is anything hurting?" Travis asked.

"My back hurts a little still," she admitted.

"Do you need some ice for it? Or some Tylenol?" Taylor asked.

"I think it's okay. I didn't hit it very hard," Avery replied.

"Alright. Let us know if it isn't feeling better by the morning though, okay?" Taylor requested.

"Deal," Avery replied, "Umm... Taylor?"

"What's up, sweetie?" Taylor responded.

"Could I uhhh... could I maybe sleep in here with you tonight?" Avery asked, avoiding looking directly at Taylor or Travis.

"Of course! Anything you need, honey."

The three of them crawled into bed, Avery settling in between Taylor and Travis. Taylor couldn't help but wrap a protective arm around her, wanting to do anything in her power to protect this sweet little girl from any more pain. Avery very quickly fell back asleep, her soft snores filling the room. Taylor looked over at Travis, seeing the way he relaxed when he realized Avery was asleep.

"You were really good with her tonight," she whispered, "She seems to trust you a lot."

"She's a great kid," he whispered, "I'm just glad she seems comfortable with us already."

"Me too," Taylor agreed, rubbing her back softly, "I just hope we can make everything official soon."