Wildest Dreams - A Taylor Swift Adoption Fanfiction

Chapter 21: Forever

Author's note: this was too much fun to write <3 Bear with me for the new updates, I'm struggling with ideas and I gotta imagine them in my head first to be able to write a realistic version haha but you're getting an extra long chapter here :) 

I notice things. It's a survival skill I picked up long before Taylor - watching, observing, cataloging changes. So when Taylor starts having whispered phone conversations that stop the moment I enter a room, I notice. When Tree's office light stays on even later than usual, stacks of papers turned face-down whenever I appear, I notice that too.

"Just contracts," Taylor says when I catch her shoving papers into a drawer. Her smile is too bright, too forced. "Boring music industry stuff."

But I've seen her deal with music contracts before. They don't make her hands shake like that.

Tree's been weird too. More typing than usual, if that's even possible. More hushed conversations with Taylor that end abruptly when I'm around. Even Sabrina's been acting strange - less chaotic, more careful with her words. Like they're all in on something I'm not supposed to know about.

I find myself cataloging the changes like I used to at St. Agnes, when new behaviors meant bad things are on their way:

Taylor stress baking more often to perfect some bullshit muffins

Tree's suspicious lack of commentary about my outfits

Extra long "errands" that Taylor's vague about

Whispered phone calls with words like "requirements" and "preparations"

Legal documents poorly hidden in Taylor's studio

"You're being paranoid," I tell my reflection. But paranoia kept me alive this long.

The signs are all there. The secret meetings. The paperwork. The careful way they're all treating me lately, like I'm made of glass. I've seen it before - foster families planning their exit strategy, trying to let me down easy.

I'm in Tree's office - technically forbidden territory when she's not here, but whatever - trying to find evidence of... whatever I need to find, when my phone buzzes.

Tree: Get out of my office

Tree: And stop catastrophizing

Tree: I can literally see you on the security cams

Me: stop spying on me

Me: its creepy

Tree: Stop breaking into my office

Tree: And whatever you're thinking

Tree: You're wrong

But I've gotten good at reading Tree too. Her texts are too careful, too measured. Usually she'd be threatening to install laser security by now.

Me: then why all the secrets?

Tree: What secrets?

Tree: There are no secrets

Tree: Everything's fine

Tree: Totally normal

Tree: Why are you even asking about secrets?

"Smooth, Tree," I mutter. "Real convincing."

I hear Taylor's voice in the hallway, another hushed phone conversation: "Yes, I understand... No, she doesn't know yet..."

My chest gets tight. I should've known better. Should've remembered that nothing good lasts. Not for kids like me.

The voices get closer and I scramble out of Tree's office, nearly colliding with Sabrina who appears out of nowhere.