THE ESCAPE: A TAYVIS STORY

- Prologue -

it was the middle of the night when hazel felt her mom's gentle hand on her shoulder, softly shaking her awake. her eyes fluttered open, her mom's face was right above hers, eyes wide and urgent but her voice calm.

"hazel, sweetheart, we need to go to grandma's, okay?" taylor whispered, her voice a little shaky but still soft.

hazel sat up slowly, still groggy. "but it's night time," she mumbled, rubbing her eyes. "why aren't we going in the morning?"

taylor helped her slide out of bed, quickly pulling a jacket over her pajamas. "we just need to go now, sweetheart. no time to wait."

hazel's brow furrowed as she looked up at her mom, still confused. "where's daddy?" she asked, her voice a mix of sleepiness and worry.

taylor's lips pressed together, and she glanced away for a second before answering. "don't worry about daddy," she said softly, her tone firm but gentle.

hazel blinked up at her mom, a knot forming in her chest. "but daddy will get mad if we leave without him," she whispered, her small voice trembling a bit.

taylor's face tightened just slightly, but she bent down to pull hazel's shoes on, her hands steady. "no, baby. daddy won't be mad. it's just you and me tonight, okay?"

hazel nodded slowly, though it didn't make sense. going to grandma's in the middle of the night was strange, but she trusted her mom. taylor quickly dressed hazel in her jacket and shoes, her hands shaking a little more now as she worked.

they moved quietly through the house, the only sound the soft creak of the floor beneath them. hazel wanted to ask more, but something about the way her mom hurried them along made her feel like it wasn't the right time. when they reached the front door, hazel noticed her mom kept looking back, her face tense, like she was afraid of something.

outside, the cold air hit hazel's face, waking her up a little more. her mom helped her into the car, buckling her in gently. hazel watched her, waiting for more answers, but none came. taylor quickly got into the driver's seat, starting the car as quietly as she could.

as they pulled away from the house, hazel turned her head to look out the window, seeing her home disappear into the darkness. "mama?" she asked again, her voice soft. "is daddy coming too?"

taylor's hands tightened on the steering wheel, and for a moment, she didn't say anything. when she finally spoke, her voice was even softer than before. "not right now, baby. just us."

hazel wanted to ask more, but the way her mama's voice sounded made her stop. instead, she leaned back in her seat, watching the road ahead as they drove into the night.

hazel was quiet, but her small body stayed tense, curling up in the seat, unsure of what to make of it all. taylor glanced in the rearview mirror, seeing the worried look on her daughter's face. she wished she could explain more, but there were some things hazel didn't need to carry right now. not yet.

the car drove through the quiet streets, the sound of the engine humming softly. after a few minutes of silence, taylor's voice broke through, soft and familiar, as she started to singing to calm hazel.

"your little hands wrapped around my finger and it's so quiet in the world tonight..."

hazel's ears perked up, recognizing the lullaby. it was the song her mama always sang for her when things felt scary or confusing, the one she had always said was just for her.

"to you, everything's funny, you got nothing to regret..."

the sound of her mama's voice was like warm, comforting. hazel's breathing began to slow, her body relaxing bit by bit, even as her mind still buzzed with questions she didn't know how to ask.

taylor's voice stayed soft, calming, as she continued to sing.

"and i just realized everything i have is someday gonna be gone..."

hazel's eyelids grew heavier as her mama's song filled the quiet space around them, the soothing melody weaving through the tension in her chest, untangling the knots of worry. her small hand clutched the edge of her jacket as she curled up in the seat, her head resting against the door.

"so here i am in my new apartment, in a big city, they just dropped me off..."

the steady rhythm of the car and her mama's voice blurred together in hazel's mind, the weight of everything beginning to lift as sleep gently tugged at her.

"i hope you know how much i love you..."

by the time taylor reached the last verse, hazel's eyes were closed, her breathing soft and even. the worry that had clouded her little face had melted away, replaced by the peacefulness of sleep.

taylor glanced back at her, her heart full but heavy, watching her daughter finally drift off. she kept singing the last lines of the song softly, even though hazel was asleep now.

"never grow up, oh darling, don't you ever grow up..."

and as the night stretched on, with the road ahead and the past behind them, taylor kept driving, her quiet voice still filling the space around them like a lullaby.

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hope you like it:)