Timeless: Tayvis Oneshots

how do i say goodbye?

So how do I say goodbye
To someone who's been with me for my whole damn life?
You gave me my name and the color of your eyes
I see your face when I look at mine
So how do I, how do I, how do I say goodbye?

Taylor's POV
Grammy's 2025

"Got those moves Tay!" Margaret laughed at me as she spun me around, my hair flying out in all directions as I joined in her laughter. I felt lighter than air, like I was radiating happiness in my little red dress, with my love's initial on my thigh.

I couldn't give less of a shit I hadn't won any of my nominations tonight, and I didn't care that I knew I wasn't going to win anything at all. Other people deserved it more, and it didn't make my music any less than it was. I knew what it meant to me and what it meant to everyone else. I didn't need a Grammy to justify that. I was just having fun. 

"Okay, I need a breath." Margaret sighed, dropping back into her seat as the set that was playing ended. I smiled, running a hand through my hair as I watched the lights come back up, pulling a deep puff of air into my lungs and blowing it out.

"Taylor." A familiar hand touched my arm, and I glanced over my shoulder to see my publicist appearing out of nowhere, a distressed look on her face. I assessed her expression, trying to decide whether I should panic too. It wasn't easy to rattle Tree, so if she looked like this, something was wrong. 

"What?" I breathed, trying to not make it look like there was anything out of place. This place was full of cameras. Tree looked around, shifting closer.

"Just sit down okay honey, something's happened." She told me. 

My world condensed and I swallowed, taking a careful step back towards the table and sinking into my chair. If Tree was telling me to sit down, it was because she thought whatever new she was about to tell me would make me crumble. I could already feel the tears looming, because this was going to break me. She would only tell me in the middle of something like this if it was important, otherwise it would be saved until afterwards.

"Okay" Tree crouched down, taking one of my hands and giving it a gentle squeeze. "I...got a call from a hospital in New York."

New York. So it wasn't Travis. Who was it then? One of my friends, my parents. Oh God, my parents.

"What?" I breathed, my body locking itself down in fear. 

"I want you to remember that we're going to do all we can okay?" My publicist said and I nodded, wanting her to just rip the band aid off already. "It's...it's your mom Taylor. She's had...a stroke."

No. No.

My throat was clogged up so much I couldn't speak, but my lips moved like they hadn't got the message not to try. I could feel my eyes wide and burning but they didn't move, just staring into the sympathetic, sad gaze looking back up at me. Tree squeezed my hand, but I could barely feel her.

"No." I choked out, and then I was crying.

"Oh honey, honey I know." Tree pulled me close and hugged me tightly, and I knew she was also hiding my face from the cameras for me in the moment. "I'm so sorry Taylor, but I knew I had to tell you now."

I just nodded, clinging to the safety of her arms. I could hear Margaret and Jack catching onto the fact that something was wrong behind me, and then they were moving closer, shielding me even more from prying eyes. I appreciated that so fucking much. I just cried as Jack draped his jacket over my shoulders and Margaret put an arm around me. They didn't know what was wrong, and I knew they weren't going to ask. They were just there for me.