"END GAME" - ᴍᴀʜᴏᴍᴇs.

051. we shouldn't

Kylie's eyes glistened with unshed tears as she stepped through the weathered iron gates of the cemetery.
Taylor had left to go to the next stop of her tour, only with kylie promising to take care of herself, to which she said she would go and stay in philadelphia.
The soft crunch of gravel beneath her steps echoed in the cool stillness of the afternoon. She made her way down the path, the names etched into the headstones all blurring together until eventually, she reached the stone marked 'Willa Grace McGraw'. She paused, taking a deep breath before kneeling at the small, white marble tombstone. Her fingers traced the delicate letters of her daughter's name, remembering the tiny hands that had once grasped hers so fiercely. Willa's birth, premature and fragile, had filled Kylie's teenage heart with both joy and terror. Now, at twenty-six, those memories felt like a lifetime ago. Kylie sat back on her heels, the setting sun cast long shadows across the gravestones. she closed her eyes, the weight of the past pressing down on her shoulders. Ten years ago, just four months after celebrating her sixteenth birthday, Kylie had received two life-altering pieces of news within mere weeks of each other. First came the call informing her that her father had passed away unexpectedly from a heart attack, and the world seemed to tilt off its axis as Kylie struggled to process the sudden loss of her best friend. Then, the day after his funeral, Kylie had sat alone in her bathroom, staring at the two pink lines that would forever change the course of her young life. Pregnant. At sixteen. The news was both a miracle and a tragedy in the wake of her father's passing.
Now, as she knelt before Willa's grave, kylie wondered how different things might have been if Tim were still here.

A soft rustling sound caught Kylie's attention, and she turned to see Joe standing a few feet away. His tall frame cast a shadow over her as he approached hesitantly. Memories of their high school romance flooded back - stolen kisses under the bleachers, whispers shared during late-night phone calls, dreams of a future together. But life had taken them down separate paths, culminating in that devastating day when they had said goodbye to Willa for the final time.
"Hey," Kylie murmured, brushing away a stray tear. She patted the space beside her, offering Joe a sad smile. He accepted her invitation and settled onto the grass, his presence a familiar comfort despite the fact they hadn't talked in almost a year.
They sat in silence for a moment, letting the breeze carry the scent of fresh-cut flowers from nearby arrangements.
Joe's gaze landed on kylies hand. he reached out tentatively, gently holding Kylie's bandaged hand in his own.
"What happened?" he asked softly, his thumb tracing the outline of the dressing.
"stupid mistake." kylie murmered "I got mad, smashed a vase, and cut myself cleaning it up."
Joe's brow furrowed with concern as he studied her face. "Did you... did you do it on purpose?"
Kylie barked out a harsh chuckle, squeezing his hand in response.
"Not this time," she assured him, though the dark shadows under her eyes hinted at deeper struggles.
She looked away, focusing on the neatly trimmed grass surrounding Willa's resting place.
"how have you been anyway? i havent seen you in a while"
Joe sighed deeply, raking a hand through his hair.
"It's been... rough," he admitted quietly, looking down at his feet. "Liv broke up with me."
Kylie's heart clenched at the pain etched into his features.
"Why?" she questioned, instinctively reaching out to touch his arm reassuringly. Her fingers lingered on his skin, feeling the tension coiled tightly within him.
"I told her I wasn't ready to have another baby yet," Joe confessed, finally meeting Kylie's gaze. His blue eyes shimmered with unshed tears, mirroring the grief she'd carried for years.
The words hung heavily between them, a stark reminder of the child they'd lost and the lives that had been forever altered.
"Oh, Joey..." Kylie breathed, her voice heavy with empathy. She shifted closer, wrapping an arm around his shoulders and pulling him into a gentle embrace. Joe leaned into her warmth, the comfort of her touch erasing the months that had kept them apart.
As they separated, Joe's gaze fell to Kylie's midsection, a flicker of surprise crossing his features.
"Wait... are you...?" He trailed off, unable to finish the question.
Kylie nodded slowly, a wistful smile playing at the corners of her mouth. "Yeah, I am. It's still kind of early, but... I'm trying to stay hopeful."
Joe reached out, placing a tentative hand on her stomach.
"That's amazing, Ky. I'm happy for you." He hesitated, a shadow of doubt clouding his expression. "How are things with Pat?"
Tears pricked at the corners of Kylie's eyes, her chest tightening at the memory of Patrick's face when she'd broken the news.
"We broke up," she murmured, her voice barely above a whisper. Joe squeezed her hand sympathetically.
He glanced down at her belly again, then back into her eyes.
"Where are you moving to now then?" he asked, genuine curiosity mingled with a hint of disbelief. Kylie laughed softly, a bitter sound that echoed through the quiet cemetery.
"You know me too well," she teased lightly, even as the tears threatened to spill over. Despite everything, there was something comforting about Joe's presence, a familiarity that never faded no matter how much time passed. Kylie took a deep breath, steeling herself for the confession.
"I haven't decided yet," she admitted, glancing down at the bandaged hand resting in her lap. "Maine or Louisiana, maybe. Somewhere far enough away that I can start over without the constant reminders of everything that's gone wrong in kc."
Joe listened intently, his grip on her hand never wavering. "Louisiana could be nice," he mused thoughtfully. "Warm weather, good food, too..."
"But Maine has the ocean," Kylie countered with a wistful sigh. "And fewer people, which seems appealing right now." Her voice cracked slightly on the last word, emotion raw and exposed. Kylie rolled her eyes playfully, a smirk tugging at the corner of her mouth. "Maybe I should just move to somewhere in Europe," she quipped, arching one eyebrow teasingly. "No NFL quarterbacks to complicate shit over there."
Joe feigned a wounded look, pressing a hand dramatically over his heart. "Ouch! That hurts, Ky. Here I thought we were friends." He chuckled, shaking his head in mock disapproval.
"Soon-to-be former friend," Kylie shot back with a grin, nudging him with her elbow. The banter felt natural, like slipping into a well-worn pair of jeans. Even after all these years, they still knew how to push each other's buttons in the best possible way.
Joe's gaze drifted toward Willa's grave, a poignant stillness settling over him. "Do you ever wonder what our lives would be like if... everything had worked out?" he asked softly, his words carrying a melancholy weight.
Kylie swallowed hard, her mind instantly flashing back to those blissful months before fate had torn them apart. She closed her eyes, reliving the laughter, the dreams, the promises they'd made.
"I think about it sometimes," she admitted, her voice barely audible over the rustling leaves. "Imagine us raising her together, getting all old and wrinkly..." A shaky breath escaped her lips as she opened her eyes, meeting Joe's mournful gaze. He inhaled sharply, a pang of loss striking him square in the chest. Memories flooded back - the fear, the devastation, the soul-crushing agony of losing two precious children. one that would never live to take their first breaths.
"We might have had two little girls running around now," he said hoarsely, blinking back the sting of sudden tears. "I always imagined they'd have your hair and eyes, hopefully your laugh, too..." His voice trailed off, the words lodged in his throat like shards of glass.
Beside him, Kylie nodded solemnly, a tear sliding down her cheek. "It could have been a boy," she whispered, imagining the son they'd never meet. "Your smile, my stubbornness, giving us gray hairs from day one."
A humorless chuckle escaped Joe's lips, his grip tightening on Kylie's hand.
"I miss her so much, Joey," she confessed, the raw ache in her heart seeping into every syllable. Her fingers traced the gravestone, etching the familiar curves and edges into her memory.
"me too." Joe's gaze remained fixed on the spot where Willa lay, a silent vigil shared by both of them. "Every day," he murmured, his voice thick with sorrow. "Every damn day."
The silence that followed was filled only with the soft rustle of leaves and the distant hum of traffic.
Kylie shifted nervously, fidgeting with the hem of her shirt. "I... I wrote a song about her," she admitted quietly, stealing a glance at Joe's profile. "It helped me process some of the pain, you know? Like writing letters.but with melody instead."
Her heart raced as she awaited his reaction, unsure how he would feel about sharing their daughter's story with the world. "If I wanted to release it someday, I... I would understand if you weren't comfortable with that. It might bring up questions we don't want to answer, especially with the media involved..."
To her surprise, Joe's lips curved into a gentle smile. He turned to face her fully, his expression filled with warmth and pride.
"Ky, I'm happy for you," he said sincerely. "Releasing this song, even with its connection to Willa, feels like a step towards healing for you," Joe continued, his voice filled with understanding. "And if that's what you need, then I support you wholeheartedly."
Kylie's relief washed over her like a soothing balm, easing the tension that had coiled within her.
"Thank you, Joey," she breathed, a single tear tracing down her cheek. "That means more to me than you know."