Requested by @foolishmeg
The kitchen air felt stifling, suffocating even, as Taylor stood by the counter, her hands gripping its cool surface like a lifeline. Her heart was pounding in her chest, the weight of the fight she and Travis had been having for the past hour weighing down on her just as much as the twin boys growing inside her. Her belly was heavy, her back ached, and her emotions were all over the place.
But right now, all she could feel was the hurt and frustration swirling inside her, threatening to boil over.
Travis stood on the opposite side of the kitchen, his tall frame stiff with tension. His arms were crossed over his chest, his face set in a hard line, but his eyes... his eyes looked tired. Exhausted, even. The kind of exhaustion that went beyond just a bad day—it was weeks of unspoken emotions, of both of them tiptoeing around each other, trying to keep the peace but always ending up in this same argument.
"You don't understand, Travis!" Taylor shouted, her voice cracking. Tears were stinging at the corners of her eyes, but she blinked them back, refusing to cry. She was too angry for tears. "I feel like I'm doing all of this alone! Like you're just going through the motions!"
Travis uncrossed his arms, running a hand through his messy hair. His jaw clenched as he tried to hold back his own frustration. "That's not fair, Taylor. I'm doing everything I can here. Between football, getting the house ready for the babies, and trying to make sure you're okay, I'm stretched thin. But you make it sound like I don't care!"
"I'm not saying you don't care, Travis," she snapped, her voice rising. "I'm saying that it feels like you're not *here*—not really. I'm scared, okay? I'm terrified, and I need you. But every time I try to tell you how I'm feeling, you just brush it off!"
Travis's eyes narrowed, his own frustration bubbling up. "I'm not brushing you off! I'm trying, Taylor! I'm here, I'm doing everything I can to support you, but you're acting like nothing I do is good enough!"
"Because it's *not*!" Taylor yelled, her voice echoing off the kitchen walls. She felt a sharp pang in her belly but ignored it, too caught up in the fight. "You don't get it. You're not the one who's been carrying this weight for months. You're not the one who's been up all night with cramps and back pain, barely able to sleep. And now, with the boys so close to being born, I feel like I'm completely falling apart, and you just... you're not *there*."
Travis's face softened slightly, but his frustration still simmered beneath the surface. "I know you're going through hell, Tay. I see it. But I'm trying to help you. I'm trying to be there. I'm doing everything I can, but you keep pushing me away."
"Because you don't understand what it's like!" Taylor snapped, her voice shaking with emotion. "You don't know what it's like to be this scared all the time. What if something goes wrong? What if I can't do this? I need you, Travis, but I feel like you're miles away!"
Travis opened his mouth to respond, but Taylor wasn't finished.
"And now, here we are, fighting again, and I can't do this anymore." Her voice trembled as she spoke, and her heart ached in a way that had nothing to do with her pregnancy.
Travis took a step toward her, his expression softening. "Tay, I'm trying. I really am. I don't want you to feel like you're alone in this. I'm here, I swear I am. But I don't know what to do. Tell me what you need."
"I need you to stop just going through the motions," Taylor whispered, her voice thick with emotion. "I need you to actually *be* here with me, not just physically, but emotionally. I need you to understand how scared I am and not just brush it off."
Travis's shoulders slumped, and for a moment, he looked like he was about to say something—something important—but then his phone buzzed on the counter. The sharp sound cut through the moment like a knife.
