A Place In This World - Adopted By Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce

Chapter 3

Somewhere around 3am, Avery finally fell asleep, much to Taylor and Travis's surprise. They had both figured she would be too upset to sleep, so they gave her the option to cuddle on the couch and watch a movie instead of going back to bed. Avery had agreed that a movie would be a good idea, picking some Disney fairy movie Taylor had never heard of before. About halfway through the movie, she had asked Travis to hold her, and he was more than happy to do whatever he could to make that little girl smile.

Taylor knew that Avery was small for her age, but seeing her curled up against Travis's much larger frame, her little head resting on his chest as her eyes fluttered closed, she seemed so small and fragile. She was way too young to have to process the death of her mother, and Taylor knew she would do anything she could to take some of her pain away. Travis was gently rubbing her back, glad to see her having some brief moments of peace amid her grief.

"How are you holding up?" he asked her softly.

"I... I don't even know," Taylor admitted.

"What's going on in that pretty little mind of yours?" Travis questioned, hoping he could get Taylor to open up.

"I'm just trying to think of what's best for Avery. Like longterm," Taylor whispered.

Travis just nodded, encouraging Taylor to keep talking.

"Because a big part of me just wants to scoop her right up and keep her safe and give her the best life possible," Taylor admitted, "But then that little nagging voice in the back of my head comes back and tells me that that's a horrible idea and she doesn't deserve all the chaos that would come along with my life. And I just don't know what to do, Trav."

"It's a big decision. But you don't need to make a choice right now. Talk with the social worker this afternoon and get some more information about the options. And Taylor? I'll support you 100% in whatever decision you want to make. The ball is in your court here," Travis reassured her.

Taylor couldn't hold back her smile at the sight of him holding Avery. He was so good with kids, something that had stood out to her when she first met his nieces a few months ago. Interacting with kids seemed to come natural to him, truly a testament to his kindness and humor. Taylor knew he would make an amazing father, a thought that sent nervous waves to her stomach if she thought about it too long. The idea of starting a family with him was definitely something she wanted, but she had figured that would be at least a few years down the road. But to hear that he was all-in if she decided to raise Avery filled her with nervous excitement at the possibiliteies for their future together.

"I can see your thoughts racing, Tay," Travis whispered, being careful not to wake Avery, "Try to get some rest. We can talk about our plan once we've both gotten some sleep."

Taylor woke up a few hours later to sunlight streaming in the living room windows. She panicked for a moment, not recognizing her surroundings, before remembering where she was and what had happened. Travis and Avery were no longer in the room with her, but she could hear voices coming from down the hall that she assumed must be them. She followed the sound, finding them both in the kitchen. Travis was busy making breakfast, stirring what looked like pancake batter while Avery showed him where different things were around the kitchen.

"Good morning, sleepyhead," Travis laughed as she entered the kitchen.

"You should have woken me when she got up," Taylor mumbled, "I would have made her breakfast."

"You needed the rest. Last night was hard on you. Besides, we're a team, remember?" Travis reassured her, kissing her gently on the cheek before returning to the stove to start cooking the pancakes.

"How are you doing this morning, Aves?" Taylor asked.

"I'm okay," Avery said quietly, "Taylor? What's going to happen to me now?"

"Well, that's what we wanted to talk to you about today. We have to talk it over with the social worker, but we were thinking you could come live with me and Travis. What would you think about that?" Taylor asked gently, sitting down next to the younger girl.

"I... I think I would like that," Avery said, sniffling a little, "So you guys would take care of me?"

"We would. We'll be our own little family. Does that sound okay to you?" Travis asked, bringing over a plate of pancakes.

"That sounds really good," Avery said, "I'm still a little scared though. Is that okay?"

"Of course that's okay, honey," Travis reassured her, "But it's our job to help you feel less scared, okay? So if there's anything you need, you can just ask us and we'll do everything we can."

"Oh okay. Umm... can you help me with my pump so I can eat? I don't know what numbers to put in," Avery asked, gesturing to her insulin pump.

"Shit," Taylor whispered, glancing nervously at Travis.

In all the chaos last night, it had completely slipped her mind that Avery is a type 1 diabetic. She had no idea how to work her pump or check her blood sugar. She could feel herself starting to panic until Travis put his hand gently on her back.

"There was a note for the sitter on the fridge. I think the pediatrician's number was on it. I'm sure they can help us," he offered.

"Okay, can you call them? I need to call Tree and let her know what's going on before this gets out. I want to make sure we have a plan to protect Avery's privacy."

They both set off to make their phone calls while Avery watched the rest of her movie, hopeful that they could get some answers and a plan in place to get this new adventure off to a successful start.