The Vacation Of Reconnecting

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Taylor walked down the plane stairs as fast as her legs would take her, bending down as soon as she reached the bottom to collide with Poppy whom she hadn't seen in almost 3 weeks now. The pair had decided it would be easier for her to stay with Travis for part of what should've been Taylor's week instead of sending her back to Taylor's for a few days before having to leave again and just disrupting her life when it could be prevented.

"Hi.. I missed you baby." Taylor whispered into Poppy's ear, standing up with her now in her arms.

"Missed you too Mommy" Poppy giggled, wiggling till her mum let her back onto the ground which allowed her to grab her hand and pull Taylor along to travis.

"Time to go home!" Poppy shouted taking one of each of her parents hands in each of her own, dragging them to the car.

Taylor got in the back with Poppy whereas Travis got into the drivers seat, he'd offered to let her stay the night in the guest room so it'd be easier to set off for their flight at 2 in the upcoming morning.

The next morning, the alarm went off at an ungodly hour, and the house was a flurry of activity. Taylor quickly dressed in comfortable travel clothes and helped Poppy into her favorite hoodie, still heavy with sleep. Travis was already downstairs, loading the last of the bags into the car.

"Do you want me to carry you to the car baby?" Taylor asked softly, brushing through Poppy's knotted hair. She got a nod in response before Poppy turned around and wrapped her arms around Taylor's neck, hugging her legs around her waist at the same time.

Once everything was packed, they all piled into the car. The drive to the airport was quiet, the early morning stillness only broken by the hum of the engine and the occasional streetlight passing by. Poppy dozed off again, her head resting on the side of her car seat in the backseat, hand holding onto Taylor's in a tight grip. Whilst Taylor absentmindedly rubbed Poppy's hand as if she were soothing her, watching as the unfamiliar streets of Kansas City slipped past them, giving way to the highway.

Taylor glanced up at the rearview mirror, catching Travis's eyes for a brief moment. They exchanged a small, tired smile—an unspoken acknowledgment of the early hour and the long week that was ahead of them.

"She's so excited for this," Taylor whispered, not wanting to wake Poppy.

Travis nodded, his eyes back on the road. "Yeah, she's been talking about the beach non-stop. I think she's more excited about the sandcastles than anything else."

Taylor smiled, imagining Poppy's joy at seeing the ocean again. This trip was supposed to be a way to show Poppy that, even though things were different now, they could still have good times together. But as the airport came into view, Taylor felt a knot of anxiety in her stomach.

At the airport, they went straight to the separate terminal for private flying. Despite the early hour, Poppy was wide awake now that it was becoming real, her excitement returning as she chattered about all the things she wanted to do on the beach. Travis handled most of the logistics, letting Taylor focus on keeping Poppy entertained.

Finally, they boarded the plane. Poppy insisted on sitting by the window, and Taylor took the seat next to her. Travis sat across from them at the other window, giving Poppy a reassuring smile as she buckled herself in.

As the plane taxied down the runway, Taylor felt Poppy's small hand slip into hers. "We're flying!" Poppy squealed as the plane lifted off the ground, her eyes wide with wonder.

The flight to Tulum was long, but Poppy kept herself busy with her coloring book and the movies Travis had downloaded for her on her ipad. Taylor found herself drifting in and out of sleep, lulled by the steady drone of the plane. Every now and then, she'd glance across at Travis, who was reading a book, his face calm and focused. It was a strange sort of peace, being together like this after everything they'd been through.