Ivy - A Kaylor AU

Chapter 1

Taylor

Warm summer air filled my lungs as I made the short trek down the road from my front porch to the local grocery store. The weekly shopping list in my hand fluttered in the breeze, and I skimmed the neatly organized calligraphy as I walked, making my best effort to familiarize myself. The more familiar I was, the easier and more efficient this trip would be.

My sandals clacked steadily along the pavement, and my wild blonde curls bounced with every step. The route was familiar. Once I exited the end of my property, the road to town was straight as an arrow.

First, I passed the neighborhood where I had grown up. The traditional craftsman homes still stood the test of time, and the perfectly manicured lawns were bright green this time of year. The house where I had been raised wasn't quite visible from the road, nestled in the back of the neighborhood at a cul de sac.
Next, I came up on the small school I had graduated from some time ago. The golden bell that hung atop the building was something out of a storybook and still rang every morning and afternoon to signal the beginning and end of the school day. Even though school was out for the summer, the joyous squeals of children playing on the colorful equipment outside filled my ears as I passed by.

City Hall was home to everything a small municipality might need. A place to file clerical paperwork, send off letters, get married, and even a tiny banquet hall where many large gatherings were held. For being the largest building in the town, its parking lot was always relatively empty despite the two cop cars that seemed permanently stationed outside.

When I reached the local market, the cool air inside the red brick building was more than welcome to ward off the heat outside. I quickly set to work on shopping my list in a timely manner, expertly weaving up and down the aisles and grabbing the necessary items from the white metal shelves. As I approached the last aisle where I needed items, my body collided with something cold and hard, sending me and my list cascading to the floor.

"Oh my gosh, I am so sorry!" The other person quickly spat out as they rushed to help me up from the floor.

The second I looked up, I could only think about the forest-green eyes I was staring into. They looked familiar, but I couldn't quite place where I knew them from. The emerald color sparkled under the incandescent lighting, highlighted by the mauve blouse the other woman was wearing.

Finally, I realized the woman had her hand stretched out towards me, and I hesitantly accepted the offer of help. The caramel-haired woman pulled me to my feet with ease, and I dusted off my legs as I steadied on my feet.

"Mommy," a small voice behind the other woman whined. I glanced behind the other woman to see the cart I had collided with had a rosy-cheeked toddler whose hair was pulled into a half pony. The girl's chubby hands quickly opened and closed towards the other woman.

She rushed back to the other end of the cart and picked up the brown-haired girl, whose eyes resembled those of her mother's. The woman quickly wiped away the toddler's tears and bounced her steadily on her hip.

"I am so sorry that I ran into you, ma'am. I was totally distracted by this little one and getting in and out of here as fast as possible since it's getting close to N-A-P time," the other woman apologized again.

"It's okay, I'm okay," I quickly replied, wanting to appease the other woman's guilty conscience. I couldn't imagine that shopping with a toddler was a pleasant task.

She placed the now calm child back into the basket and ripped open a packet of fruit snacks to occupy the child.

"Good, I'm glad I didn't seriously injure someone with my poor cart-driving skills."

A small smile played on my lips at her joke. "I won't report you to Officer Bieber this time, but I make no promises for future incidents," I respond, referring to one of the two town cops, who were about as useful as a white crayon.

She let out a chuckle in response and threw both hands up in surrender. "Fair enough," she laughed.

I glanced at the time on my watch before looking back up at the other woman. "Well, it was great running into you..." I trailed off, not knowing the woman's name while beginning to walk around the cart.

"Karlie," she finished. "And the pleasure was probably all mine."

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I softly closed the door behind me, the two large brown paper bags in hand.  I set them on the bench in the doorway and slipped the black sandals off before tucking them away on the rack. As I made my way to the kitchen, I saw his sandy blonde hair peeking over the top of the recliner, a soccer match blaring on the television. 

The rustling of the bags as I gently placed them on the counter caused him to turn his head towards me.  "Babe, where have you been? I've been home for nearly thirty minutes?" He chides, standing up to meet me at the kitchen island.

"I ran a little late at the store. I'm sorry," I reply meekly, lowering my gaze to the floor as I fidget with the top of the bag of carrots in my hand.

He gently places one hand on top of mine to stop the fidgeting and uses the other to lift my chin. His slightly chapped lips meet mine in a soft, reaffirming kiss, his small smattering of facial hair tickling my cheeks. I kiss him back, returning the soft disposition. He takes this as an invitation to snake his hand into my hair at the base of my neck and deepen the kiss, his tongue asking for entrance.

The bag of carrots falls from my hands, and I use this as an opportunity to break the kiss, quickly picking up the dropped item and placing it in the refrigerator where it belongs. I catch him in the corner of my eye, dragging both hands down his face in frustration.

"Did you at least get the pastries I asked for?" He questions, rifling through the grocery bags.  He piles items onto the counter but makes no effort to put them in their rightful place.

"Fuck.  I'm sorry, Joe, I was already running late, and then this woman bumped into me with her cart. I dropped my list, and I wanted to be here when you got home," I quickly explained, fidgeting with my fingers.

He quickly stopped moving around the items, his hands coming to rest at his sides.  I noticed the tightness that overtook his body and the slight clenching of his fist.  He let out a deep sigh.

"I asked you to get one thing, Taylor," he said, the disappointment laced in his voice.  His eyes quickly changed from a light sky blue to a deeper, stormy ocean color.  I again drop my gaze downwards, mindlessly spinning the large diamond ring on my finger.

I hear rustling by the counter, and the next thing I know, a bag of potato chips is flying towards the wall behind me, causing me to flinch. The bag makes contact and slides to the floor. I look up to see Joe pacing around the island before he pauses, gripping the counter's edge tightly. He lets out a loud, ragged breath.

"After you make dinner, I want you to return to the store," Joe starts calmly. "And this time, don't forget the bloody pastries."