Baby Love

Epilogue 2.0

Word Count: 6062

Welcome to the year 2023!

Taylor's POV

The penthouse was quiet, save for the soft hum of the refrigerator and the occasional honk of a car outside. I was in the kitchen, rinsing out a mug, when I heard it: a muffled sniffle from down the hall.

Setting the mug aside, I dried my hands and walked toward Averie's room. Her door was slightly ajar, and the dim glow of her bedside lamp spilled into the hallway.

I peeked inside to find her sitting cross-legged on her bed, clutching the stuffed monkey Joe had given her just before he left for London again. Her face was streaked with tears, and she wiped at them furiously when she saw me.

"Baby love?" I said softly, stepping inside. "What's wrong?"

She shook her head, biting her lip. "Nothing. I'm fine."

I sat down on the edge of her bed, reaching out to gently tug the bear from her hands. "You don't look fine, sweetheart. Talk to me."

Her shoulders slumped, and she buried her face in her hands. "I miss him," she mumbled.

My heart twisted, knowing exactly who she meant. "I know, baby. I miss him too."

Her head shot up, her eyes wide and glistening. "Then why can't you just get back together? If you both miss each other, why can't you make it work?"

I sighed, pulling her into my lap. "Oh, Averie. Sometimes love between two grown-ups isn't enough to make a relationship work. Your dad and I care about each other, but we realized we weren't making each other happy anymore. And when two people aren't happy, it's hard to be the best parents we can be."

"But it feels like everything's changing," she said, her voice trembling. "What if you stop loving me too?"

My breath hitched at her words, and I held her tighter. "That's never going to happen, Averie. I love you so much, just like Dad does. Our love doesn't go away. It's not like the kind of love your dad and I had for each other. Parental love is forever. It's unconditional. Do you know what that means?"

She shook her head, her cheek pressed against my chest.

"It means no matter what you do, no matter where you go, or how old you get, we will always love you. You could make mistakes, get mad at us, or even decide you need some space when you're older—but our love for you won't change. You're stuck with us," I said, stroking her hair.

Her voice was small. "Even if I mess up?"

"Especially if you mess up," I said, tilting her chin up so she could see the seriousness in my eyes. "Our job as your parents is to love you and help you, no matter what. We're a team, remember? You, me, and Dad—always a team, even if things look a little different now."

She sniffled, leaning back into me. "I don't want things to be different."

"I know, baby love. Change is hard. But you know what? Different doesn't mean bad. It just means new. And new things can be good too. Like pancakes for dinner or making our own Christmas traditions, just you and me. And when you see Dad, he'll have his own traditions with you. You'll have twice the love and twice the fun."

She was quiet for a moment, her breathing evening out. Then she whispered, "Do you think Dad misses me too?"

I smiled, pressing a kiss to her forehead. "I know he does. He probably talks about you all the time. You're his Nugget, remember? He loves you so much, Averie. Don't ever doubt that."

"Okay," she said softly, her fingers clutching my shirt. "But will you stay here tonight? Just until I fall asleep?"

"Of course," I whispered. I shifted us both under the covers, wrapping my arms around her as her breathing slowly steadied.