Taylor York?

5: Rewritting the Future

Part 5:

"Wait!" Jeremy exclaimed as he rose to his feet. "Your daughter?" Eyes as wide as tennis balls.

"Like you heard." Taylor shrunk down into the cushion.

"Taylor," Jeremy sat back down. "Do you realize how much that can change your life?"

Taylor sighed. "I do."

The room fell silent for a while. The game returned back into the 3rd quarter, but they were far too busy lost in their own thoughts to even care.

"Did she contact you?" Jeremy asked.

"Did who contact me?" Taylor asked in a volume just a bit higher than a whisper.

"Hayley." Jeremy shut the TV off all together. "Did Hayley call you?"

"No. I don't even know where she is." Taylor exhaled as he his head back in defeat.

"Then how do you know you're a fath-"

"Because Iliana found me!" Taylor cut him off. His shoulders stiff. His body boiling by this constant questioning that he had no idea how to answer. He exhaled. Relaxing his whole body. "Look Jeremy, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to flip out on you. I just don't know anything anymore. Not two days ago I was happy and married. Going to be a father for the first time. And then in a matter of seconds my whole world was shaken from beneath me. I find out that their is a slight possibility that I may already be a father. And if Illy is in fact my daughter, then I have failed her. I was never there for her. I'm a bad father. And now," he clenched his fists. "Now I feel like I will never be able to be good enough for fatherhood."

Taylor buried his face into his hands.
Jeremy sighed. "Look man," he gripped Taylor's shoulder. "You not knowing about your daughter is not your fault. How where you supposed to know that Hayley was pregnant. Let alone carrying your child."

Taylor rose his head. "I know. I know this was all out of my control. But I just really wish Hayley would have told me."

"Would that change anything after the way things went down between the two?" Jeremy sank back into his seat.

"Yes. It would have changed everything." He inhaled. "I would have married her. We could have been a family. I could have seen my baby girl grow. It would be her I was sharing a future with."

"Thought I'd surprise you with your favorite coffee." Baylie said from the doorway of the basement.

Both guys shot their head over that way.

Baylie's eyes did not leave Taylor's.

"But I guess I'm the one that was left surprise." She quickly turned on her feet and disappeared into her room. Tears rolling down her face.

"Shit." Taylor mumbled under his breath as he jumped the couch and ran up the stairs to find his wife.
Hearing the door to their bedroom slam, he fell onto then second stair and placed his head in his hands.

"Taylor?" He heard her sweet voice ask. Almost cautiously.

"Oh hey." He said a little out of breath. "How was shopping?" He smiled.

"Everything was great." She looked up the stairs. "Is Baylie alright?" She asked with concern in her voice.

"Everything is fine kiddo." He pulled Illy into a hug. "Everything will be fine."