band-aids don't fix bullet holes

{38} a perfect morning in the middle of june

Taylor's POV:

My mom and I are staying up until the All Too Well-drop at midnight, before deciding it is time for bed, since she has to catch her plane early in the morning in order to return to Nashville.
I offered her the guest room so that's where she is headed after saying goodnight to me and making sure everything is cleaned up.

I'm still on the sofa, debating on whether it is worth it to go to sleep just yet, because Hailey has been tending to wake up at around 1am every night for the last four weeks.
With a yawn I grab my phone and try to kill the time by watching some TikToks, hoping to already catch some reactions to the 10-minute-version that just released.

At exactly 1:03am silent cries echo through the baby monitor next to me, forcing me to lift my tired body off the couch and prepare a bottle in the kitchen, before quietly walking up the stairs to Hailey's room.
We've found quite a good routine, since the baby only wakes up once, sometimes twice a night, and for the majority of the time due to being hungry.

"You all good now, sweetie?" I ask her after I put the empty bottle aside, the baby still in my arms.
I let her coax out any trapped air, before placing her back inside her crib and softly humming her back to sleep.
I switch off the lights and get ready for bed myself.

-

"Where the hell are you?!" Tree's firm, slightly pissed off voice comes through the phone after I picked up her call, while sitting on the patio in the morning sun, a freshly brewed coffee in front of me.

"What do you m-"

"The meeting, Taylor!"

"Oh fuuuuck!" I blurt out with wide eyes. "I totally forgot..."

"Yeah, obviously. You should've been here 15 minutes ago! Get your ass here as fast as possible! We're waiting!"

"I-I...can't. I have no one to watch Hailey. My mom had to leave early this morning..." I admit and nervously scratch the back of my neck, slightly glancing over to my smiling daughter, who is laying on her play-mat next to my feet, excitedly kicking her legs.

"Ughhh, can't you just ta-"

"No, I'm not taking her with me. You know how many paps are lurking in front of the studio? I'm not risking that." I interrupt her, knowing exactly what she was about to suggest.

"And now?"

"Just cancel, tell them I had something else come up, hell, tell them anything, I don't care but I'm not coming in today."

"You are truly impossible, Taylor Alison Swift." The redhead replies and I swear I can hear her roll her eyes through the phone.

"I know but you love me." I grin cheekily before ending the call.
"Mommy's the boss after all." I now whisper into Hailey's direction, a proud look on my face.

We spend the next half hour out on the patio, Hailey just enjoying herself by sticking her toes inside of her mouth over and over again and me sipping on my cup of coffee.
The house's lake, that's in perfect view from where I'm sitting, shimmers like a sheet of glass, reflecting the soft colors of the morning sky. Mist hovers above the lake, creating a dreamy haze that slowly fades with the warmth of the day. Some ducks glide smoothly across the water, leaving gentle trails behind them. The scene is calm and peaceful. A perfect summer morning in the middle of june. I wish I could stay out here forever but unfortunately I have work to do, which forces me to move inside and into my office.

"Come on, princess. We need to switch places."
I say to her, before lifting her up and grabbing the mat. Together we head upstairs and into the room I actually hate. There's nothing worse than answering emails or filling out paperwork.

"There you go." I put the baby back onto her play-mat after placing it on the wooden floor, but somehow she doesn't seem to be too impressed and immediately starts fussing.
"I know it was nicer outside. I'm sorry, honey."
I offer her her pacifier but she immediately spits it out again, continuing to whine.
"Alright, my lap it is then." I sigh and pick her up again, planting her on my lap, holding her steady with my left arm so I can get some things done with the other.

A/N: Okay this is definitely a filler chapter! I'm sorry I had a massive writer's block on this one and already started to write the next one, which is almost finished as well😂

I hope you at least enjoy these little mother-daughter moments 🤍