Another High School Romance

thirty two

Six weeks later

"Yeah, I'm all packed up now." I sighed into my phone. 

"Oh you're going to love Kansas City darling." Mom sounded like she was smiling. "I'm so proud of you."

"I'll come visit all the time." I promised as I locked my apartment door and rested a hand on the knob for a moment before turning away. 

"You better." Mom chuckled. "I want to see my first grandchild grow." I smiled, taking my hand off the door and resting it on my stomach. 

After I'd told Travis I was pregnant, we'd gone to the doctor and found out that I was three weeks along, so I still wasn't really showing yet at nine weeks. But we were really excited to start this new part of our lives. Travis had signed for his dream job, I'd move to Kansas City with him, and we'd have the first of god knew how many babies. I'd thought about looking for a job, but it wouldn't be worth finding one only to take maternity leave almost immediately. Since we both had a lot of money saved up from over the years, Travis and I decided I wouldn't try to find a job until after the baby was born and we'd found them a daycare.

"Okay Mom, I gotta go." I sighed as I reached my car. "It's Travis' last game tonight."

"Okay darling, have fun. I love you so much." She sounded like she was smiling.

"I love you too." I smiled. "Bye."

When I got to school, the stands were pretty much full. Lots of people had heard that Travis was leaving and come to support his last game, which really warmed my heart. He'd be so missed here. 

"Hey, Miss Swift!" Someone called out.

"Hey Lucy." I smiled as she patted the space next to her. "Sure you want to hang out with your teacher?" I asked.

"Technically you're not my teacher anymore." She pointed out, so I sat down. "You're just a teacher who I happen to be friends with."

"Oh I'll miss you." I sighed. "You were always an interesting start to my day." Lucy laughed.

I spotted Travis and gave him a little wave, blushing as he blew me a kiss. He'd been so great these last few weeks, helping me move in with him since we were staying a few days longer but I'd already had to move on from my apartment. They'd already found a new renter. He'd gone to doctors appointments with me, gone to see Mom with me, everything. I knew I was lucky.

"Cute. Gross." Lucy teased. I rolled my eyes at her. 

Once the game was over, Travis was swept up in a crowd of his boys who clapped him on the back, hugged him, talked to him. No one left like they usually did right after the game, clapping and cheering for him. I laughed, tears welling up in my eyes as Travis came over, on the verge of tears too.

"You did it." I whispered as he pulled me close. "I'm so proud of you."

"Thank you for coming." Travis kissed my forehead. "I love you so much."

"I love you too." I touched his cheek. 

"Hey Miss Swift, could you take a picture of all of us?" One of the boys asked.

"Sure." I nodded.

"Here use mine." Travis handed me his phone.

All the boys crowded around Travis in front of the stands and I took a few steps back to get everyone in it. I raised the phone, turning it sideways and looking through to see when everyone was ready. I took a few photos, blinking away tears as I watched everyone through the camera.

Just as I was about to lower the phone, people on the stands started moving. I watched through the screen as four huge signs were lifted up, big red letters painted on them. My breath caught and I looked up at the real thing, watching as Travis came forwards, towards me.

"Travis." I whispered. "What the hell are you doing?"

"What does it look like?" Travis smiled, motioning at the stands. "You're an English teacher right, you can read?"

"That's not funny!" I laughed, placing his phone in my pocket and pressing my hands over my mouth. My gaze flickered back up to the signs.

Will you marry me?

"Beautiful." Travis stopped in front of me, taking my hands away from my face and squeezing them. "Everything about us was crazy from the start. I fell in love with you so damn quickly. You know you have me wrapped around those fingers of yours." He lifted one of my hands and kissed it lightly. "I'm so in love with you it hurts sometimes, but it's the best feeling in the world. And now we've got our beautiful baby, our life ahead of us, and I'm so excited. Taylor, god." Travis laughed. "It feels strange to call you by your name." I giggled. I could probably count on my hands the number of times he'd called me by my first name. He barely called me anything but beautiful. 

I swallowed, watching as Travis slowly sank down onto one knee in front of me. Was this really happening?

"I never thought being in love was like this, but it's like something straight out a cheesy rom-com with you." Travis said, and I smiled. "Now, I couldn't get any heart shaped fireworks, but I figured regular ones would do."

"You're such an idiot." I giggled. Travis winked at me.

"You're my beautiful girl, my best friend, the woman I'd lay my life down for if I had to. Beautiful, I love you more than I ever thought I could love anyone." Travis let go of my right hand, reaching into his pocket and taking out a little box. "What do you say beautiful? Will you marry me?"

"Well I wouldn't want your fireworks to go to waste." I murmured, and Travis smiled up at me. "I would love to marry you Travis Kelce."

Travis took the ring as I flattened out my fingers, gazing at him as he slipped it onto my finger. I didn't even look at the ring. I didn't have to. He could have proposed with a ring made of paper and I would have said yes.

"You're stuck with me now." I smiled.

"I wouldn't have it any other way beautiful." Travis stood up, sweeping me into a passionate kiss as the stands erupted into cheers behind him. "I love you, I love you so much." He whispered against my lips.

"I love you too." I mumbled, clutching him closer. My fiancé. Oh my god.

Then I heard a bang, and looked up to see fireworks going off. Bursting into laughter, I wrapped my arms around Travis' neck, pressing my cheek against his as I watched the sky explode into bursts of light. He'd done this, for me. I was loved, and I knew it. 

"They're perfect." I told Travis as he slipped a hand onto my waist, tucking it under my shirt to press against my skin. "Even if they're not heart shaped." 

Travis kissed my temple, slowly drawing a heart with his fingertip over my waist. I turned to look at him. Unable to stop smiling, I rested my forehead against his and sighed happily. My forever. The father of our baby.

Our life.