Or, Five Times Taylor and Travis Talked About Having Children and One Time They Didn't.
A request.
1
The first time the topic of kids came up, they'd only been dating for about two weeks.
It shouldn't have surprised him; he already felt as though he'd known her forever. There was that immediate sense of comfort, the "click" that happened if you were lucky enough and no topic was off limits.
He also kind of figured that when you were nearly in your mid-thirties, conversations about what you wanted in the future probably came up a lot faster than they tended to in your twenties. No one wanted to waste their time if their views on certain topics didn't align.
In those early days, Travis tended to tread carefully. He loved talking to her...they could talk for hours on end and not get bored, but he was always aware of making certain he didn't say something that would inadvertently hurt her. He knew how badly her last relationship had ended, the way words wounded her to the point she hadn't been sure she even wanted to date again, so he vowed never to violate her trust.
She'd accompanied him to physical therapy that afternoon and then they'd grabbed burgers to take back to his house, eating them standing up and then settling in to watch television, but mostly, they ignored the screen and chatted instead.
The topic of conversation turned to family and excitedly, he'd mentioned his nieces.
"They're the best. Wyatt is so smart and funny... Ellie's got this spunky little personality...she's gonna give my brother and Ky a run for their money, that's for sure. Bennett's just a baby, but she's happy, always trying to smile. Jason's a great dad, too. He's really hands on."
Taylor smiled, a hand on his thigh. "They sound sweet. You must really miss them."
"Yeah. Try to see them as often as I can, but with my schedule during the season and Jase's...it's not easy. Do you wanna see some pictures?"
"I'd love to."
She tucked her feet underneath her, leaning in as he brought up a few on his phone.
"Oh, my goodness, Travis, they're absolutely beautiful! Wyatt looks just like Jason and Ellie could be your twin. It's uncanny."
He grinned. "That's just what my mom says."
"I can't tell who Bennett looks like yet," she squinted, tapping her pinky against the side of her mouth, "but my money's on Jason right now. Those Kelce genes are strong."
Travis laughed. "Ky always shakes her head and says she did the hard part and then they're all copy and paste versions of Jason."
In return, she smiled, exposing her teeth. "I get it. Either way, though, they're gorgeous. And obviously very lucky to have you."
"They're actually big fans of yours," he ducked his head shyly, "they dance to your music all the time."
"Oh!" Her face lit up, "that's so sweet! Do you think they'd like it if I sent them some merchandise? Like...shirts or something, or is that too much?"
He shook his head. "Nope. I think they'll love it."
They kissed and her fingers danced on his kneecap, a clear indication she wanted to say something.
"Do you want kids someday?" She asked thoughtfully.
There was nothing in her voice or her body language that indicated any sort of judgement either way and he found himself being completely honest.
