handprints on my soul - jaylor oneshots

your eyes look like coming home

"Have an amazing first day at school, Brooke," Taylor said to her daughter. She was crouched on the floor to talk to the little six year old, who was about to begin first grade.

"Thanks, Mommy," Brooklyn said, smiling a bit.

"I've got to go now, but I'll be here right at three, okay?" Taylor said standing up.

"Okay. Bye, Mommy!" Brooklyn hugged her mom, Taylor hugging her back.

As Taylor walked out of the door, she saw a man walking who she assumed was his son into the room. He looked about her age, which was strange. She didn't often see other parents her age.

She made eye contact with him, and she was left feeling something she had never felt before. He smiled briefly at her before turning his attention back to the little boy he was with.

Taylor left the school feeling shaken, but not in a bad way. She wondered who that man was, what he was like, and if he was actually the parent of that little boy, or just an older brother.

She didn't want to really assume it was his brother, though, because it was always a bit annoying when people assumed Brooklyn was her sister, because they looked so similar and Taylor so young.

Taylor had been sixteen when she had gotten pregnant with Brooklyn. At first, she had been devastated. She was supposed to be putting out an album at the end of the year, not pushing out a baby. A baby meant she wouldn't be able to put out the album or tour or promote it, because a pregnant teenager certainly wasn't the image people wanted from country artists, and especially wasn't part of the good girl image she was trying to present. And it would mean that her whole career would be put on hold, because she would need to take care of the baby instead.

Now, Taylor had considered an abortion. She had even driven herself to the clinic. But when she was sitting outside, something stopped her. Of course, Taylor would never dream of judging anyone else for getting an abortion. Raising Brooklyn had been in no way easy, and she'd had to leave her dreams on hold for much longer than she thought, but she loved Brooklyn more than she ever thought she could love someone, and she would never regret having her.

The father, her boyfriend at the time, had left her house abruptly when she told him, muttering something about needing to pack for college, which he was leaving for in a week. She had never seen him again.

Her parents had cried with her when she told them, the night after she had gone to the clinic. She never told them about that bit. But her mom had hugged her tight and told her everything would be alright, and Taylor truly couldn't have done it without them.

-

Taylor grinned when she saw Brooklyn walking out of school that afternoon, her white dress that matched the one Taylor was wearing blowing in the breeze.

"How was your first day of school, Brookie?" Taylor asked as she wrapped her daughter in a tight hug.

"So fun!" Brooklyn replied. "I made a friend, his name is Jackson! We sat on the monkey bars and ate our sandwiches during recess."

Unable to hold back, Taylor grinned. Brooklyn was the only child she knew that would choose sitting on monkeys bars during recess over running around with all of the other kids. She was glad her daughter had found a companion in that sense.

"Which one is he?" Taylor asked, looking around at all of the little kids with their parents.

"That one," Brooklyn said, pointing eagerly.

When she saw who Brooklyn was pointing to, Taylor gasped. It was the little boy standing next to the man she had seen earlier, who had left her so wonder struck.