Forever Almost

Prologue - Travis

The cold, sterile walls of Crestview Hospital had been Travis Kelce's second home for as long as he could remember. But to Travis, it felt more like a prison. Born into a family steeped in the medical profession, his future had been mapped out before he even knew how to spell "doctor." His father, Ed, ran the hospital with a firm hand, and his mother, Donna, had once been the heart of their home—until she wasn't.

Travis's earliest memories were of loud arguments echoing through their house, his father's harsh words lashing out at his mother, no matter how hard she tried to please him. The fights were relentless, and the love in their home slowly withered away. Then, one day, Donna was gone. She took Travis's older brother, Jason, and left, abandoning him to face his father's wrath alone. Travis never understood why she left him behind. All he had left of her were the songs she had recorded—melodies that were his only comfort in the dark, lonely nights.

Growing up, Travis found solace in those songs. Whenever the weight of his father's expectations became too much, he would escape into the world of music, his mother's voice guiding him through the pain. He dreamed of becoming a chef, of creating something beautiful out of the chaos that surrounded him. But his father had different plans. The Kelce name was synonymous with medicine, and there was no room for culinary ambitions.

Travis buried his dreams and threw himself into his studies, becoming the brilliant surgeon his father had always demanded. But he never forgot the life he wanted, and he never forgave the life he was forced to live. Relationships were out of the question—he had seen what marriage did to his parents, and he wanted no part of it. Instead, he kept things simple, enjoying fleeting encounters with women who were drawn to his charm and skill, but never letting anyone get too close. He would take them to bed once and never turn back to the same woman again! That was how he preferred it. No complications, no emotions, no risk of getting hurt.

But then, everything changed.

It was a day like any other at Crestview. Travis was making his rounds, his mind on autopilot as he moved from one patient to the next. As he passed by the interview room, something made him stop. A sound—soft, melodic, familiar yet foreign—caught his attention. He turned his head, listening closely, and then it hit him.

A voice.

It wasn't just any voice. It was a voice that seemed to reach into the very core of his being, pulling him back to a time when things weren't so broken. It was the kind of voice that made the world stop, that made everything else fade away.

Travis stood frozen, listening as the voice filled the air. It wasn't his mother's voice, but it carried the same warmth, the same power to soothe his troubled soul. For a moment, he was that little boy again, hiding under the covers with his earphones in, blocking out the noise of his parents' fighting.

Travis took a step toward the door, then stopped himself. He didn't know who was singing, and he wasn't sure if he wanted to know. But one thing was certain—something inside him had shifted. Maybe it was hope. Maybe it was something else. But whatever it was, he couldn't ignore it.

And as the voice continued to sing, Travis knew that his life was about to change. Whether he was ready for it or not.