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

You Hold Me Tight

The next morning, Andrea woke up early, as she always did. She found Taylor's bags by the door and her daughter asleep in her room. Andrea smiled softly and decided to let her sleep a little longer. She and Scott had breakfast together, exchanging quiet words about how good it was to have Taylor home, even if just for a short while.

After some time had passed, Andrea decided to check on Taylor. She stepped into the room and saw Taylor still sound asleep. She knelt beside her daughter, gently brushing a few strands of hair away from her face. Taylor stirred, sighing in contentment before her eyes fluttered open.

"Hey, Mom," Taylor whispered, her voice thick with sleep but full of warmth.

Andrea smiled down at her, a familiar, motherly tenderness in her eyes. "How's my baby girl?"

Taylor sighed and shifted, placing her head in her mother's lap like she used to do as a child. "I've been better," she admitted softly, her voice heavy with emotions she hadn't fully processed yet.

Andrea raised an eyebrow, her tone teasing but gentle. "Does this have anything to do with a certain someone?"

Taylor groaned, a small smile tugging at her lips. "Mom, we're just friends! I told you that last time."

Andrea chuckled, running her hand through Taylor's hair. "Okay, okay. We'll talk about that later."

Taylor's smile faded as she stared up at the ceiling, the weight of the past few days settling back into her chest. "I went to the beach yesterday," she said after a long pause, her voice so quiet Andrea had to strain to hear her.

A flicker of understanding passed over Andrea's face. "Oh," she said softly, continuing to stroke Taylor's hair. "I see."

Taylor's eyes welled up, and she blinked rapidly, trying to keep the tears at bay. "I miss her, Mom," she whispered, her voice trembling. "I miss her so much."

Andrea's hand moved gently over her daughter's head, her own heart aching. "I know you do, sweetheart," she said softly. "It's a pain that doesn't go away easily. But she's still with you, Taylor. In your heart, in your memories. She'll always be with you."

The tears spilled over then, sliding down Taylor's cheeks. "But it still hurts so much. Why does it hurt this much?"

Andrea sighed, her voice steady and filled with the wisdom of a mother who had seen her children through both joy and heartbreak. "Because a mother's love never leaves, even when a child does. That bond is so deep, so powerful. Of course, it hurts."

Taylor choked back a sob, her voice breaking. "But I never even got to be her mother, not really. I didn't get the chance to raise her, to know her."

Andrea's eyes softened, and she cupped Taylor's face in her hands, forcing her to look up. "You were her mother from the moment she existed. That love—that connection—it was real from the start. And that makes you her mother, no matter how short her time here was."

Taylor broke then, tears streaming down her face as she buried her head in her mother's lap, clutching at her like a lifeline. "I missed you so much," she sobbed. "I needed you, Mom."

Andrea held her tighter, her own eyes misting with unshed tears. "I'm always here, Taylor. I'm always with you, no matter what. You don't have to carry this alone."

They stayed like that for a long while, Taylor finding comfort in the steady beat of her mother's heart, the warmth of her embrace. Eventually, Taylor pulled back, sniffling as she wiped her face. "I thought I could handle going to the beach after two years, but it just brought everything back. I wasn't ready."

Andrea nodded, her expression thoughtful. "Maybe going there is the one thing that can bring you closer to her. You stopped going there because of the pain, but it might be time to face it again. It might help you heal."