A Place In This World - Adopted By Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce

Chapter 22

The next few days were a rollercoaster of emotions. Avery was finally starting to settle into the new routine when Andrea had to leave, putting the full stress of parenting back onto Taylor. Travis had developed an infection at his surgical site, which pushed his healing back even further and extended the time he would need to stay in the hospital. And with each passing day, it was becoming more and more clear that the nerve pain wasn't going away any time soon. He would definitely be out for the rest of the season, but he was trying to hold out hope that he would come back stronger next year.

Taylor was struggling to manage all of her responsibilities while also visiting Travis and staying active in his care decisions. With the possibility of a fourth surgery and at least another week or two in the hospital looming over them, Taylor decided to take Jason up on his offer to bring Avery home with him so she could spend some time with her cousins and have a break from the chaos of the hospital.

Avery was a bit nervous about being so far from home, but she was also excited to spend time with her cousins. She was also looking forward to the shopping trip Kylie had promised her, excited to help pick out some clothes and toys for her new little cousin who would be arriving in a few months.

She had carefully packed up everything she might need, knowing she would probably be there for a week or two until Travis came home from the hospital. Taylor came in to check on her as she was finishing up, bringing in the bag she had packed with all of her diabetes supplies.

"How's it going, sweetie?" Taylor asked gently.

"I think I'm pretty much packed. I just need to find my iPad charger," Avery replied, smiling when she saw that Taylor had brought it up.

"Are you excited to spend some time with the girls?" Taylor asked.

"Yeah! And Auntie Kylie said I can help her go shopping for clothes for the new baby too!" Avery said excitedly.

"That sounds like it'll be fun! I'm gonna miss you kiddo," Taylor said, pulling Avery in for a hug, "But hopefully when you get home Dad will be feeling better and we can have a family movie night."

Avery was pretty quiet on the flight to Philly, staring out the window and barely touching the food she had ordered. Jason tried to give her a little space, not wanting to make her feel worse. About halfway through the flight when she still hadn't perked up at all he moved to sit next to her, hoping she might be willing to talk.

"What's on your mind, girlie?" he asked gently.

"Sorry. Just thinking a lot," Avery replied quietly.

"Sometimes when you can't stop thinking about something, it's because you're worried about it. And talking about it with someone can make it a little less scary," Jason offered.

"I uhh... I heard the doctors talking to Mom and Dad the other day..." Avery began before stopping herself, not wanting to make Jason worry too.

"It's okay, Aves. You can tell me," Jason reassured.

"They said... they said they don't know if Dad's arm is gonna get better. They said he might not be able to play football anymore," Avery admitted, already feeling like a huge weight was off her chest as her tears began to flow.

"Oh, honey," Jason comforted, "That must have been really scary to hear. But your Dad has some of the best doctors taking care of him and that's why they're doing everything they can to get him back to normal, okay?"

"Will he still be able to play with me?" Avery sniffled.

"Of course he will, kiddo. It might take him a little while to heal and be back to running around outside and playing video games with you, but I know he's really excited for that."

"Thanks, Uncle Jason," Avery said, wrapping him in a tight hug.

Later that evening, Avery was starting to settle in at Jason and Kylie's house. Wyatt and Ellie were thrilled to have their cousin visiting and had given Avery a full tour of the house as soon as they arrived. While the girls were busy showing Avery their Barbies and dinosaurs, Kylie and Jason got her room ready, unpacking her bags so she could feel at home over the next few weeks instead of living out of a suitcase.

"Avery?" Kylie called as she entered the play room, "What kind of pizza do you like? We usually order pizza and watch a movie on Friday nights."

"Umm... I kind of like veggie pizza if that's okay with you..." Avery started.

"Of course, kiddo. And what do you like to drink? We have juice and water, or I can order soda."

"Water's fine, thanks. Mom showed you guys how to work my pump, right?" Avery asked.

"She sure did. And she sent us the little cheat sheet your Dad made too," Jason replied.

"Oh good! Then I'll have some juice!" Avery replied before going back to playing.