Never Grow Up (A Sequel)

Training Camp

'One last year, Tay. I'm ready for it this year. Can't believe I've made it this far, to be honest. I'm so ready to be done with camp, though'.

'I'm very ready for you to come home, Trav. 5 kids? On my own?', Taylor chuckles, scrunching her nose playfully at him on the phone screen. 'But I'm so proud of you. So proud of what you're achieving. It will be your best year yet, mark my words'.

Travis smiles gratefully at her, his ever-traditional training camp moustache curling up at the corners, before they bid each other goodnight, looking forward to tomorrow's family day and their first opportunity to be in each other's arms in over two weeks.

Taylor falls into a fitful sleep, pregnancy and a teething 10 month old making life more difficult, before deciding to ring in the morning at 6am, heading downstairs with Charlotte on her hip to make breakfast. It was a family tradition, on the last training camp family day of the season - pancakes, bacon and maple syrup for breakfast, before dressing up in the new season Chiefs gear and heading out in the sweltering heat to watch Travis in St Joe.

She places Charlotte in her high chair, the baby pacified with some fruit while Taylor gets to work making breakfast. All the kids eventually trail in to the kitchen and are around when she's finished: Melody noisily setting the table, Gracie pouring juice while reading her book, Maddie grumbling about getting up early; and Theo, whiny and grumpy, tugging on Taylor's pyjama bottoms to be picked up.

'Mommyyyyyyy', is all she can hear from her only son, and while it does warm her heart that he loves her (and sometimes, only her), so much, it was beginning to get on her nerves.

'Theo, buddy, please go and sit at the table. Mommy can't pick you up right now and you shouldn't be moany anyway. We're going to see daddy today and then he comes home at the weekend. Isn't that exciting, bud? Daddy coming home?'

Her attempts to cheer him up don't work, and the pacifier she's still trying to get him to part with wobbles in his mouth as his bottom lip juts out, tears beginning to stream down his face. Usually - and especially if Travis had been here - she would have given in to his tantrum for attention, but she was severely lacking patience and the only escalating noise in the kitchen was her final straw.

'Theodore Jason Kelce, go and sit down, I can't do this this morning. Maddie, stop moping about and being grumpy and help your brother in to his seat. Mel, please don't bang the plates like that, you'll break them. And Gracie - get your head out of the book, you're spilling juice everywhere. God, do I have to do everything in this house?'

Taylor's outburst makes all the kids stop, staring at their mother, before the silence is broken by Charlotte's sharp cry in her high chair, her own pacifier having fallen to the floor. Taylor sighs, bending down - slowly - to pick it up, before reaching for her baby, the brown haired, green eyed little girl curling her head into her mother's neck. Stroking through Charlotte's curls, Taylor audibly sighs before looking around, each child she'd previously admonished now sitting quietly at the table, everything in place. Even Theo was sitting, pacifier on the kitchen island (it's allotted place for the daytime), smiling up at her.

'Okay, look', Taylor begins, turning around to plate the pancakes, Charlotte still on her hip. 'I'm sorry for shouting at you all. Mommy shouldn't have done that. But I just want you all to understand that I'm only one person, and when daddy isn't here it doesn't work when you're all shouting, or in a mood. We all need to work together, okay? That includes you big girls helping me out. Especially when we go to camp, I need you all on your best behaviour, okay?'

She finishes her speech by setting her own plate of breakfast - the last one - on the table and sitting down, Charlotte still on her lap. She looks around the table, each child happily eating, and smiles, before Maddie reaches out to touch her arm. 'Sorry, mom. We'll help you out today, right G?', she nods towards her sister, who hums in agreement.