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

Chapter 4

Later that afternoon, Taylor and Travis were busy straightening up the house in preparation for the social worker to arrive. She had called them earlier in the day, while they were on their way to the unexpected visit to the pediatrician's office, to confirm a time for the meeting. When Taylor mentioned that they were interested in becoming Avery's legal guardians, she informed them that she would need to come see their home to ensure it was suitable for a child.

Andrea was also on her way, with a flight scheduled to land later that evening. She wanted to be there to help with this huge transition for both Taylor and Avery, as well as to be with family as she processed her sister's death. Taylor was grateful that she would be there to keep Avery company while she and Travis met with the social worker, hoping to spare her from being present for any more difficult discussions about her future.

Avery was very quiet once they arrived at the house, asking quietly if she could watch a movie while they got everything ready for the social worker. Taylor made her a quick snack while Travis got her set up on the couch and taught her how to work the remote. She quickly picked a movie and got comfortable, smiling a little when Benji plopped down on her lap. Taylor returned from the kitchen a few minutes later with a small bowl of popcorn and the cheat sheet the pediatrician had given them to help them learn how to work her pump. She had also helped them to link her blood sugar monitor to their phones, so they could see how her levels are even if she's not with them. Taylor quickly plugged in the numbers, sending a quiet thank you into the universe that Avery had fairly advanced devices that did most of the work for them.

When Andrea arrived, she joined Avery on the couch, holding her close as they shared a moment of grief. Taylor felt bad leaving them, but the social worker had pulled into the driveway just minutes after Andrea. Andrea promised that they would be okay, urging Taylor to go join Travis in the office where they had gotten everything set up for the meeting.

The next hour was a blur of discussions about Avery's future and how Taylor and Travis would fit into it. Susan, the social worker, explained that it would be easiest for Taylor to seek emergency guardianship of Avery, since they were blood relatives. Then, in the future, she and Travis could petition to adopt her together if they wanted. Things were made slightly more complicated by the fact that Avery's father, who had walked out when she was less than a week old, was listed on her birth certificate. This meant that they would need to try to track him down and get him to sign away his parental rights before they could adopt her, but that was a hurdle they could cross down the road.

Taylor and Travis agreed that this all sounded like a solid plan, and Taylor's legal team agreed so she went ahead and signed the paperwork. Susan informed them that she would bring everything to the court on their behalf, and they would have a response within 24 hours. The last thing she needed to do was tour the home, taking photos of a few key places such as the kitchen, the guestroom they were planning to turn into Avery's bedroom, the water heater, and the pool.

Just as they were about to lead her outside to see the yard and pool, both Taylor and Travis's phones started to alarm, informing them that Avery's blood sugar was dropping rapidly. The pediatrician had warned them that although she usually had pretty good control of her levels, the stress she was going through right now might make things harder, so they were prepared. Taylor quickly apologized to Susan before racing to the kitchen to grab the juiceboxes they had picked up earlier, bringing one to Avery right away. Travis was already at her side, following the instructions from the doctor to make sure her pump was paused until she was back in range.

"Travis? I don't feel good," Avery mumbled.

"I know, girlie. Don't worry, I've got you," he reassured her, taking the juice from Taylor and bringing the straw up to Avery's mouth, "Can you take some sips for me?"

Avery quickly sucked down the juicebox, much to everyone's relief. Within a few minutes, she started to seem more like herself, and a quick glance at the dexcom app revealed that her sugar was already coming back into range. Once they were sure she was okay, Taylor and Travis made their way back to the backyard where Susan was just finishing up with her photos of the pool.

"Sorry about that, we're still trying to figure out the whole diabetes thing," Taylor admitted.

"Nonsense! It seems like you two are doing a great job given the circumstances. Avery is certainly lucky to have you," she smiled, "Well, I think that's everything I need from you. I'll be in touch soon once we hear back from the court and we can take it from there."

Later that evening, Andrea and Taylor were busy in the kitchen making dinner, leaving Travis and Avery in the living room. He had set up his old Wii for her, and they were currently in the middle of a very heated round of Mario Kart. Taylor couldn't help but smile as she watched them together, the vegetables she was chopping for the salad long forgotten.

"Sweetie, how's that salad coming along?" Andrea laughed, bringing her attention back to the kitchen.

"Sorry, Mom," Taylor said sheepishly, "I just can't help it. Look at them."

"He's really good with her. You found a good man, Taylor, I'm happy for you," Andrea said, making Taylor blush.

"He's the best," she giggled, "I could never do this without him."

"You two make a good team," Andrea agreed, "Avery is so lucky to have you both."

After dinner, everyone gathered in the living room to play games and spend time together. It turned out Avery was quite good at Mario Kart, beating everyone on even the hardest courses. At one point, she let out a big belly laugh when Travis threw the controller down on the couch in frustration after driving off the side of the course yet again.

"It's okay, Travis. Rainbow Road might just be too hard for a rookie like you," she giggled.

"Rematch. Just you and me. Loser has to do the dishes," he suggested.

"You're on, dude," Avery agreed, starting the game.