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1.3k words c/w: this chapter covers the events of the 2023 rio shows, so death mention + a brief mention of vomit
Six Days Later, November 17th, 2023, Rio de Jeneiro
Mikah had to leave after the Argentina shows ended, some work commitments for finalization on her upcoming EP and moving some things into Taylor's house. She was supposed to be back by the third Rio show at the earliest, it was going to be fine.
It was supposed to be, at least.
And Taylor was going to be fine. She didn't need Mikah to survive. She had Tree, and her father. She was going to be fine.
The minute she touched down in Rio, though, she could feel it. Something was wrong.
"Looks like the heat is going to be pretty nasty nights one and two," Tree says once they settle into the car to the hotel, "supposed to rain by night three, though. Should be fine."
Taylor just nods in response, feeling herself start to dissociate a little bit. She's absolutely spent, emotionally and physically.
"You okay?"
"Yeah, just tired. Need to call Mikah."
"How are things going with you two? I know last week was weird."
Last week, the media attention on Taylor was probably at an all-time high, which is saying a lot. The Twitter reactions to the kiss were fifty-fifty, to say the least. Mostly positive, if you ignore the small amount of very vocal, very pissed off conservatives. There were quite a large amount of people who Tweeted "I KNEW THE WHOLE TIME!!"---Taylor wanted to respond to those the most, she told Mikah "wow, they figured it out before I did!"
But it's been really hard on Mikah. She's handling everything incredibly well, but it's just been so overwhelming, going back to New York for a few days was definitely the right call.
"We're great, just need to check in before she goes to bed."
Tree gives her a gentle smile, but she barely registers it. God, she's exhausted. She leans her head on the window, letting her eyes droop closed.
Her dad gently wakes her when they reach the hotel, letting her lean on him.
"Get some sleep, sweetie," he murmurs as they reach their rooms, "are you good to be alone? Tree or I could stay with you if you need it."
"I'll be okay, thank you, though."
"Alright. Love you, kiddo."
"Love you, too, dad."
The second the door closes, a pang of anxiety hits her in the stomach. She curls onto the bed, pulling her phone out to text Mikah.
