Summer 2022
'Maddie, daddy is going to be here soon, have you packed your bag?', Taylor calls out to her six-year-old daughter, currently brooding while sitting at the kitchen island, holding her iPad.
She continues cleaning up the kitchen counter, but with no response, she turns to Madison, who is refusing to look up. 'Maddie, did you hear me? Daddy will be here in 5 minutes. Do you have your things?'
'I got my bag, mama', her two-year-old, Gracie, informs her, dragging the Barbie backpack behind her, her favourite pink bunny rabbit the only contents.
'Good job, baby girl', Taylor praises her youngest, picking her up and placing her on her hip, turning back towards Maddie. Still greeted with silence, she lifts the iPad away, resulting in a scowl so reminiscent of her father taking residence on Madison's face. 'Hey! I was watching that'.
'And I was speaking to you, Madison', Taylor replies, taking a deep breath in an attempt to keep her cool. 'Dad will be here soon. Do you have your things together that you want to take?'
'No. Because I don't want to go', Maddie replies quietly, but gives her mother a determined look, her brunette curls falling over her face.
'Maddie, we've been over this. You have to go sweetie, daddy wants to spend time with you'.
'But I don't want to see him. And I especially don't want to see stupid Laura', she replies dramatically, pushing herself off the stool she's balanced on and stomping off to the living room, the TV flicking to life moments later.
Sighing, Taylor runs her free hand over her face, the argument the same one she had with her daughter last night, too. She and Travis had been separated for nearly two years by now, and co-parenting hadn't always been easy, but they'd managed, settling into a routine for the sake of their daughters. They'd actually - somehow - developed a good friendship with each other, fighting less than they ever did when they were together, getting along better than ever before, and spending time together again for the sake of the girls.
It hadn't been an ugly breakup, by any means, but more a case of them growing apart, prioritising things other than their relationship, resulting in building resentment and anger, frustration at each other spilling into every minute of every day. It had boiled over 2 summers ago, when Gracie was a baby, and Taylor had told him to leave their home in Kansas City.
It had been tough, figuring out a schedule for the girls when she was touring and Travis had football, but they'd made it work. The first six months were the hardest, and Maddie cried almost every night, but they'd both agreed their home base would be KC, since it was all the girls had ever known. The rest, they worked out based on their work schedules, and as time wore on they all settled into a new groove.
That was, until Travis told Taylor one Sunday evening three months ago that he was in a new relationship, and he wanted to introduce the girls to his new girlfriend, Laura. He'd brought her by that Wednesday when he was picking Maddie up for gymnastics and introduced her to Taylor first, before Maddie and then Gracie. She seemed perfectly lovely to Taylor, polite and kind, armed with small gifts for the girls and asking all the right questions - sports for Maddie, Bluey and Paw Patrol for Gracie. But Maddie had never warmed to her, always resistant to spending time with Travis and his new girlfriend, resulting in growing hesitancy and the argument last night between Taylor and her six year old. It had also stirred up Taylor's own feelings, ones she'd thought were long dead, and she found herself dancing an emotional dance around Travis and the topic of his new girlfriend.
Deciding not to hash over the same words again and again, Taylor puts Gracie down on the couch beside her sister and heads upstairs, quickly pulling out clothes for her daughter for the weekend, including an outfit for her to wear to the season opener for the Chiefs on Sunday. It was the first year the girls were going without her, and while she wouldn't be at Arrowhead, she'd still be cheering Travis on from the TV.
