Are You Okay?

I stepped off the stage in Melbourne after playing to another sold out crowd. My biggest yet in my career. I have no idea how many people were there. I heard somewhere in the range of 96,000 but I wasn't totally sure. I went into my dressing room to change into my sweatpants and custom designed chiefs hoodie. Kristen had outdone herself with this one. After the coat she had designed for me to wear to the game against the dolphins back in January, I had asked her to design a few casual pieces that I could take with me on tour. I walked in to find my publicist, Tree sitting in my dressing room.

"Hey, Tree."

"Taylor, I have some news."

"Okay... why do I get the feeling it's something bad?"

"Because it is."

"What happened?"

"There was a shooting at the parade in Kansas City."
"What?"

"I don't know the full extent of the damage yet. That's all I know."

"Are Travis and Donna okay?"

"I don't know. What I've told you is all the information I have."

"Phone, phone, phone."

"What?"

"I need my phone!" I yelled "Where is it!?"

"Here." She pointed to the table where I had left my phone. I snatched it off of the table and dialed Travis. I got his voicemail. I tried again. No answer. I tried Donna. Still no answer.

"Brittney!" I said out loud. I called Britt and she picked up on the first ring.

"Hey, T."

"Britt! Thank God you picked up! I just got off stage. I heard about the shooting and Trav's not answering his phone and neither is Donna and I'm really worried. Is everyone okay?"

"Taylor. Calm down. Yes. Everyone's fine. Travis is at the children's hospital with Pat which is probably why he didn't answer his phone. Donna missed her flight in all the chaos so she's at Trav's house, probably baking cookies for the hospital which is probably why she didn't answer. The whole team got out safely. They rushed them over to the stadium. Isabelle was there and she sent a text in the WAG chat that they were headed to the stadium. We all raced down there and most of us were there before the guys. I saw Trav. He was drunk and a bit shaken up but otherwise fine."

"Oh thank God! You said something about a children's hospital. Why are they there?"

"A lot of the victims were kids. Trav and Pat are there visiting the ones that got hurt in the incident."

"Oh, God. Hang on a sec Britt." I turned to Tree

"Have they released a list of the names of the victims yet?"

"Not yet but I'll let you know when they do."

"Thanks Tree. I want to do what I can to help."

"Of course." I slipped back into my conversation with Britt.

"Okay, keep me posted. I'm gonna sit here and wait for Trav to call me back."

"Okay. Don't stress too much."

"I'll try not to but I don't think I'll believe that he's okay until I hear his voice. God I hate being this far away from him. Having him with me through the off season is going to be so nice so that we don't have to be so far apart."

"I feel you. Call me if you need anything."

"Will do. Thanks Britt."

"Anytime. Talk to you later?"