I Can Fix Him (No Really I Can) - A Tayvis Story

After The Drought

(21st Feb)

When Taylor finally returned to the hospital, she was greeted with a bone-crushing hug from Tree. "You will be the death of me, Tay," Tree said, half-jokingly, half-serious.

Taylor chuckled weakly, patting Tree on the back. "I hope not. Who would handle my schedule then?"

Tree laughed, then pulled back to look at her with concern. "You okay?"

Taylor took a moment before answering. "I don't know about okay, but I'm definitely better than before."

"That's good—progress," Tree said with a supportive smile. "I've kept your schedule lighter today. You'll have time to ease back into things."

As Tree briefed her on the day's events, Taylor's heart skipped a beat when she heard the last item on her schedule. "And then your last session before heading home is with Travis."

The mention of his name brought a mix of emotions to the surface. Taylor hadn't realized it before, but as the time for their session approached, she found herself dreading the thought of facing him after what had happened. The vulnerability she had shown, the intensity of that moment—it made her feel exposed, raw.

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When the time finally came, Taylor steeled herself before entering Travis's room. "Hey, Travis. How are you doing?" she asked, her expression carefully neutral.

Travis could sense that she didn't want to talk about what had happened, so he let it go. "Fine," he replied, matching her tone.

"Let's get started," Taylor said, trying to push aside the tension she felt.

The atmosphere was tense as they worked through the exercises, but to Taylor's surprise, Travis didn't resist. He did everything she asked without snapping or causing any interruptions. It was almost too easy, and Taylor found herself finishing the session sooner than expected.

Feeling a need to break the tension, Taylor suggested, "How about we go to the bridge for a bit?"

Travis hesitated but then nodded. "Sure."

As Taylor and Travis sat by the bridge, the quiet hum of the river below filled the air. The late afternoon sun cast a golden hue over everything, and for a moment, they just sat in silence, taking in the peaceful surroundings. But beneath that silence, both were wrestling with their own thoughts, neither knowing quite how to start the conversation they both knew they needed to have.

Finally, Travis broke the silence, his voice subdued. "So... how are you doing, Taylor? Really?"

The question caught Taylor off guard. It was a simple inquiry, but there was a depth to it that made her pause. She considered brushing it off, giving him the same curt response she'd given earlier, but something in his tone made her hesitate. There was a sincerity in his eyes, a concern that went beyond mere politeness.

She sighed softly, looking out at the water. "I'm fine," she replied, though the words felt hollow even to her own ears.

Travis wasn't convinced, and his gaze lingered on her, as if searching for the truth behind her words. But he didn't push her, sensing that she wasn't ready to open up just yet. Instead, he shifted slightly, his gaze falling to the ground.

Taylor hesitated, searching for the right words. "I'm... I'm sorry about what happened the other day. I didn't mean to bring all that... baggage into our session. I—"

But Travis cut her off, shaking his head. "You don't need to apologize, Taylor. I've been carrying around a lot of my own baggage, and I think... I think I've been using it as an excuse."

Taylor looked at him, a mix of surprise and curiosity in her eyes. "An excuse for what?"

"For not facing my own demons," he admitted, his voice tinged with regret. "For a long time, I've been angry. Angry at myself, at the world, at the people I care about... but I never really stopped to think about why."

Taylor could see the vulnerability in his eyes, the way he was struggling to articulate feelings he'd kept buried for so long. She remained silent, letting him take his time.

"I guess," Travis continued after a moment, "I've been so caught up in my own pain that I didn't even realize how much I was hurting the people around me. I was just... surviving. Going through the motions. I kept telling myself that if I could just get back on the field, everything would be okay. But..."

"But?" Taylor prompted gently, sensing there was more he needed to say.

"But deep down, I knew that wasn't true. I knew that even if I did get back on the field, it wouldn't fix what was broken inside me." He finally looked at her, his eyes filled with a mix of sadness and clarity. "I didn't realize it until... until you."

Taylor's heart skipped a beat, a mix of emotions swirling inside her. "Me?"

Travis nodded, his voice softening. "You've been so patient with me, Taylor. Even when I was snapping at you, pushing you away, you didn't give up on me. You made me realize that the real battle wasn't with my leg... it was with myself."

Taylor felt her throat tighten, emotions welling up inside her. "Travis, I—"

"I was wrong," he interrupted, his voice cracking slightly. "I was wrong to think that after Kayla cheated on me, getting back on the field would make everything okay. I was wrong to think that I could just ignore the pain, push it down, and keep going. I kept pushing myself on the field, trying to forget what she did. But the more I pushed, the more I fell apart. I started making mistakes, losing focus. I let that anger eat away at me until it wasn't just about her anymore—it was about everything.Then the injury happened. And... it wasn't just a physical blow. It was like life finally caught up to me. My body couldn't keep up with the punishment I was putting it through. I couldn't escape the pain anymore. Since then, I've been so afraid to face the truth... because the truth is, I'm scared. I'm scared of what happens if I can't play again. I'm scared of what happens if I'm not the person I thought I was. I'm scared of losing everything that matters to me."

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So, it's been a while which is like 5 days haha, man deciding the title is not an easy task.

Is it only me or anyone else excited for Princess Diaries 3 coz I loved p1 and p2 so, so much and people have been saying it's in works since a decade but finally it's officialllll.

Hope you liked the chapter, gonna put the next one tomorrow.

Pl vote and comment:)