Everything Has Changed

Black Swan

July 20th 2025
Kansas City, Missouri

Things in the household were tense. Now so, more than ever. Ever since Kayla had come and wormed her way back into their lives, Travis had been forced to watch as the woman he loved spiralled further and further down a rabbit hole.

He sat and watched her sleep. The only time she loved somewhat peaceful. The steady rise and fall of her chest as she clung onto him like a koala. He sought comfort in the fact that even in her darkest hours, she still seemed to derive comfort and want in Travis. There was still something there, and he was going to pursue it. Even if it was the last thing he would ever do.

Travis glanced over at the clock. It read 3:38am. He sighed.

What was he going to do?

Everything was wrong, but he couldn't call anyone for help. The second that Travis attempted to call for help, Taylor seemed like she would jump. Their ship was on the rocks, and he couldn't have her jumping out now. Not now, or ever. But he had to do something. She was so much different now, but in hindsight, it had been a long time coming. Kayla hadn't helped the situation, and Travis cursed himself every minute of every day that passed since that incident for letting things get the way that they had. Was it his fault she had turned out the way she had? or was it some biological disposition... an imbalance they say, that it was an inevitable gamble they had entered when they decided to have a baby together. Something, or moreover someone, whom they could never regret.

He moved ever so slightly in the bed. Not enough to disturb Taylor but enough to make himself more comfortable. As Luna now passed slowly through the third month of her life, her routine was beginning to become more set and followed and Travis knew that she wouldn't be awake for another feed for a while. He hadn't been feeding her much the past two days. For one, he had training camp the day before and so most of the heavier duty parenting work had naturally fallen onto Taylor's shoulders. But there was a lack of trust that hadn't been there before. Taylor suddenly seemed to believe that she couldn't trust anyone anymore, not even Travis. She wasn't leaving the house very much and when she was, it wasn't for long. She had taken a few trips with him and on her own to Brittany's house and out and about in Kansas City since they had gotten back. But since all of the rumours and gossip with Kayla had broken out, to the fans she was dead to the world. Never to be seen again. And it was doing nothing good for either of them, funding and feeling the lumber mill his ex-girlfriend had built in revenge and destruction.

Sleep didn't come back easily to him but he managed to squeeze out a few more hours until he heard the painful sound of his alarm ringing in his ear. Turning over, he slammed a couple of buttons until it quietened into a silence. He sighed, yawning a little before pulling himself up in the bed to go through his phone as he normally would. He had training camp that morning and he knew that Taylor also had meetings that morning too. She had purposely scheduled them in the morning to match up with his training camp times in an effort to ensure they could spend some quality time together as a family. This had been before things had gone down hill. Could you say it was rock bottom, when there is no more water left in the sea. And there is nowhere else left to float to, or go.

She wasn't awake when he left that morning, still dead to the world sprawled out across their bed: one hand clothed to the pillow, the other reaching out into Luna's bassinet to grasp her hand.

"Oi Trav" Travis heard his name called out from somewhere behind him but not before he felt the pain of a football slamming into the side of his head.

"Ow!" Travis replied, nursing the spot where the football had collided with his skull. Turning around, he noticed Patrick running towards him and guessed that it was none other than his best friend and fellow teammate who had been behind it. "What was that for exactly?"