'He's beautiful, Abs. Thanks for letting me come over, I know he's so little'.
'Well, you're Auntie Tay. Plus, I know you'll fly up to KC in the next 24 hours, so we had to sneak into your schedule anyway we could'.
Taylor blushes at her best friend's teasing, still cradling a very little, very new Bennett in her arms on Abigail's couch, her friend sitting across from her. She giggles a little at her words, but bites her lip, unable to retort. After all, she was right - she was getting out of dodge in just a few hours.
She'd arrived back in Nashville last night - home for the day, to pick up the cats and meet Abigail's beautiful new baby, but tonight she was flying home. Home - not New York, or LA, or even, as it had long been, Nashville. But she was going home, to Kansas City.
It wasn't necessarily the city, even though she loved it too. The people were friendly, accommodating, they protected her like one of their own. But no. It was the man waiting for her that was her home, the reason she was running back. It was the fact that Travis was there. Waiting for her. In their house.
Just thinking of him makes her smile, and Abigail begins to laugh across the room. 'You're really cute when you're sickeningly in love, you know that girl? Like, it's insane. But I love that for you'.
Taylor laughs, finally lifting her eyes from a sleeping Bennett to look at her. She's suddenly emotional, locking eyes with her oldest friend, seeing her smile directed at her. She swallows down the sudden lump of emotion and ducks her head back to Bennett, stroking a finger across his cheek. 'Thanks, Abs', she says quietly, a treacherous tear making its way down her face.
'Hey hey now, you're not the hormonal mess. What's with the tears?', Abigail senses her emotions almost immediately and rises, sitting down again beside her, pulling Taylor close into her side, her other hand resting on her baby boy. 'Tay, talk to me'.
'Oh god, I am just the worst friend. First I come see you after you've just had a baby, and now I'm blubbering like the baby', she laughs through her tears, turning to rest her head on Abigail's shoulder.
'Tay, it's just me. Just tell me what's going on before you cry all over Bennett', she laughs, gently rubbing Taylor's shoulder, before the blonde sniffs, straightening up to look at her.
'I'm so happy for you, Abs. And I'm really happy, I promise. I guess it just felt a little emotional. Like, we both made it, you know? You have Charles, and this gorgeous baby boy. And just thinking about Travis makes me smile so hard. It's been a long road. But we both made it'.
'So you're telling me these are happy tears?'
'Happy tears, yes. Exhausted tears, definitely. I don't know, I guess. I'm so emotional. All over the place. I'm so tired, my boobs hurt, I think I'm meant to get my period any day now. I'm a mess, I haven't seen Travis in nearly six weeks and I could cry every time I think about him. I think I need to sleep for a week'.
'Taylor'.
'Yeah?', she responds, a curious look on her face as she looks up once again to her best friend.
'Tay', Abigail prompts, a smug look on her face as she takes her in, her hand unconsciously patting Bennett's bottom as he sleeps soundly in her arms.
'What, Abigail?'
'Taylor Alison Swift, the day I rang you because I thought I was pregnant. What did I tell you?'
'That your boobs hurt and you kept crying all the time. But I don't see... why are you asking me that?'
'Taylor, I think you might be pregnant'.
Taylor starts to laugh, covering her mouth, but as she stares at Abigail's serious face, unchanging, her mind begins to race and put the pieces together. It was certainly possible... but no. Surely not?
