Forever and Always

Chapter 27 Part 2 - Live Like There's No Tomorrow

Taylor's POV

Although I got very little sleep last night, I woke up bright and early to start planning my project. I made myself a cup of hot chocolate, sat down on the couch and called my first person, Ed. I could barely contain my excitement.

"Taylor, you are up early. Too early to be calling me." Ed yawned as he spoke.

"I know. I'm sorry, but I had this great idea last night. I need your help to make it happen." I spoke with incredible speed.

"First, I need to know what the idea is."

"So, the holidays are supposed to be fun and exciting but instead kids are stuck in gloomy hospitals which remind them that they are sick. I want to give them one day to get out and have fun. Kayla wants to have a dance party. That is her wish. Other kids wish to meet me and other celebrities. What if we could have a dance party with celebrities and the kids?" I paused waiting for an answer.

"I think that is a great idea!" Ed exclaimed.

"Can you help me call people and ask if they want to perform at this event? I'm hoping to do it in three days on Christmas Eve."

"Three days?! How are we going to pull that off?" He wondered.

"Yeah, I know it is very last minute but tell people I will fly them out. If you call performers I can set up the venue and pass out flyers to the kids. I also want to fly any sick child out whose wish is to meet anyone that will be here."

"Okay captain. I'll just follow your orders." Ed joked.

"Thank you so much!" I was thrilled he was on board with this idea. I got to work right away. I emailed hundreds of kids and their families and I called several of my friends. Within hours we had several kids and parents reply. We also had celebrities from every profession lined up to come. We had singers, actors, comedians, artists, sports stars and many more. I was determined to make this the best night ever.

Our venue is the hospital where Kayla is being treated. I want everyone to be able to come and celebrate. Nurses will be there just in case of a medical emergency. We also want to thank them and let them enjoy the party.

Two days later, I was at the venue helping set up the lighting and speakers. Tomorrow is the big day! The best thing is that Kayla is unaware of this event. Many of my friends arrived early to help set up. By the time we were done the hospital looked like a winter wonderland. The dance floor looked like an ice rink. Tinsel and decorations covered the walls. We had a snack table set up and an autograph table. There would also be an area for the photobooth. I returned home smiling that night.

♡♡♡♡♡

The next morning, I waited anxiously for Kayla to wake up. My parents would be bringing Kayla and Owen to the party since I was going in early. I heard Owen moving around upstairs, so I went to check on him. I peeked in his room. He wasn't there. Kayla's door was slightly ajar. "Hey you two, what are you doing up so early?" I asked. Owen was sitting on Kayla's bed and they were playing with her stuffed animals. "I got hungry." Owen said.
"Well, we better fix that." I picked him up and carried him downstairs for breakfast. Kayla followed. I looked at my watch and realized that I didn't really have time to make anything. "Grandma will be over in a couple of minutes." I told them.
"Where are you going?" Asked Kayla.
"Well that's a surprise. You will find out later." I started to feel overwhelmed. There were still so many last minute things I needed to do. However, I was super excited.
"Good morning!" Called my mom as she entered the house. "I brought some yummy donuts!" I rolled my eyes as she walked past with the sweet treats. She just smiled at me. I suppose Grandma's are supposed to spoil their grandkids. Owen bounced up and down in his chair he was so excited. Once they all sat down to eat, I gave them a hug and hurried out the door.

I got Ed on my bluetooth speaker as soon as I got in my car. "Hey, it's me. I just left the house and am running a little behind schedule."

"Taylor, don't stress yourself out. This is supposed to be fun." Ed told me in a surprisingly calm voice.

"You are right. I need to chill. I just want this to be perfect."

"Everything you do is perfect." After he said that I blushed a little. Okay, maybe alot. It was a good thing he couldn't see me.

"I'm pulling into the parking lot now," I quickly said and hung up.

I grabbed my purse from the back seat and hurried into the building. When I got inside, all of the lights had already been turned on. The food tables were set up and people were milling around. The room glowed with all the Christmad lights. Most of my friends started arriving for sound checks. I put some finishing touches on my set and then watched other peoples'.

My mom brought Kayla and Owen around 3 pm. Everyone else was coming at 5. I grinned when I saw them come in. I bought Kayla a new a party dress for this event, and I got Owen a little suit and tie. They both looked so cute. Kayla looked around in awe of the decorations. The hospital looked like a new place. Owen started to dance in place while Selena did her sound check. His dancing is what you would expect from a toddler, wiggling his body and flapping his arms. He may not be able to hear the music, but he definately felt the drums and heavy beats. Selena saw him and started laughing. She picked Owen up and brought him on stage to dance. While Owen was under her supervision, I decided to explain to Kayla what this was all for. She was thrilled with my idea and couldn't wait for more people to come.

When the time finally came to open the doors, I had all of our guest celebrities hide in the back room. My parents helped check people in. The looks on the kids' faces were priceless. They were filled with pure joy and excitement. I made sure to greet each one of them individually. I had a playlist set up and playing for the time being. Once everyone was checked in, I got on the stage.

"Welcome everyone!" People started clapping. I had to laugh. Everyone seems to clap even when I don't say anything great. "I am so glad y'all could make it on such short notice. As many of you know, my daughter Kayla has recently been diagnosed with DIPG. Over the past few months, I have been doing alot of thinking and I realised that we only have one life and once chance to live it. We don't have time to be sad about what other people say, or be mad at your friends or family. The best thing you can do is 'shake it off.' So tonight, I want all of you to shake off cancer as if it is just a bad hair day because I know every single one of you can beat it! Do not let it define you!" Now people were screaming and applauding. "Cancer, you suck! Let's celebrate."

My band started playing and all of the celebrities came out of hiding. I gave people a moment to process what was happening before starting my song. I started with Shake it Off, of course. The kids and parents were having a blast dancing, listening to the live performances and hanging out with their favorite people. The night went on without a hitch. I autographed many things and went into the photo booth several times. At one point, I saw Kayla dancing with Ed. I am so blessed that I get the opprotunity to make people happy every day.

The last song of the night was "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas." It was incredible. I wished everyone a Happy Holidays on the way out. Once everyone left, the hospital looked big and empty. Tonight was a special night for very special kids. I hope that they will be able to remember this night forever.

Merry Christmas Eve everyone! Hope y'all enjoy the holidays ⛄