Our Invisible String (Complete Version)

41 (Travis Version)

Andy seemed delighted and we organized a date and time to meet up, on one of the days I didn't have work next week. Taylor was so supportive, and I was sure we could at least try to work something out with this. I would be okay if it didn't work and things stayed how they were, but I couldn't let this opportunity go knowing I didn't try.

I spent a little while organizing a short trip to Kansas City, leaving room for Taylor to come with me if she wanted to. It would be hard if we both went, because we might take Abby, but then again Andrea could look after her for a day or two. I needed to talk to Taylor first.

Speaking of, where was Taylor? It had been over half an hour since she'd gone to put Abby to bed, and since I didn't hear the toddler fussing I assumed she was already asleep. Why hadn't Taylor come down yet?

Getting to my feet, I left the bedroom and went down to Abby's room. When I cracked the door open I saw that Taylor wasn't in there, so I went to look in the laundry, and then the kitchen, and then the living room. She wasn't anywhere. Then my eyes landed on the hooks on the wall by the door where we hung our car keys, landed on the empty hook that hadn't been empty before. Taylor had taken her car somewhere.

Before I could start to wonder what the hell was going on, my phone started to ring from the bedroom. Frowning to myself, I went back and picked it up to see an unknown number. I stared down at it for a second before I answered, holding it up to my ear.

"Hello?"

"Hi, is this Travis Kelce?"

"Yeah." I said warily.

"Good evening, Mr Kelce, I'm calling to let you know that your girlfriend's been in a car accident and she's been admitted to hospital. You're listed as her emergency contact."

"Oh my god." I breathed. Taylor was hurt. In the hospital after getting in a crash when I hadn't even known she'd gone out. Why had she gone out? "Is she okay?"

"Would you like to talk to her?"

"Yes!" I said, a little too loudly. "Yes, please."

I closed my eyes, trying to fight tears as the person on the other end paused, and I heard shuffling. My beautiful Taylor was in hospital, when minutes ago she'd been cradling her daughter, dare I say our daughter in her arms and smiling happily. Maybe she'd gone out to get something we needed, but why hadn't she told me first? She'd just left and I didn't understand.

"Travis." Taylor's voice croaked down the phone.

"Oh princess, Taylor, beautiful." I almost sobbed. "Princess what happened? Why were you out?"

"It's okay Travis." She whispered. "There's nothing holding you back here now. You don't have to do this."

"Taylor what are you talking about?" I begged, my head spinning.

"I heard you." Taylor sniffed. "And it's okay. I should have known it was too good to be true. So maybe you're happy about this, because I'm losing the baby, so there's nothing keeping you here anymore. You don't see Abby as yours, you don't see me as worth keeping, so just go."

The phone went dead and I stayed frozen, staring into space. I tried to wrap my head around everything that had just happened, confused and hurt and worried beyond belief. Taking a deep breath, I went through everything I knew.

First, Taylor was in the hospital. She'd been in a car crash. She was having a miscarriage, and my heart was tearing itself apart at the thought, crumbling with grief. She thought I didn't care about Abby, and she thought I didn't care about her. What the hell had happened?

Then I was moving. Moving over to the nightstand on my side of the bed, yanking it open and shoving my hand into the back to grab the ring box I'd put there a few days ago. Putting it into my pocket, I spun around and rushed down to Abby's room. I didn't want to wake her up, but I didn't have any choice, since I couldn't leave her here alone.

"Twavis." She mumbled, confused, as I lifted her out of bed.

"I know sweetheart, I'm so sorry, but Mommy is a little more important than sleep right now." I murmured to her as I grabbed her blanket and rested it around her so she wouldn't get cold, rushing to the door and shoving my feet into the first shoes I could find. I got Abby into the car and drove away, my heart pounding.

Terrified at the thought that Taylor had been in a crash, I drove slowly and carefully all the way to the hospital. When I got there, I held Abby close and she rested her head against my neck, yawning. She wasn't awake enough to care what was going on, and I quickly gave Taylor's name at a desk and begged to see her. I was given a room number and looked around, finding the elevator.

My heart thumped as I went up to the third floor and then walked slowly down the bare white halls. Finding Taylor's room, I pushed the door open and then stopped.

Taylor was sitting up in bed, her stomach exposed as a nurse ran an ultrasound wand over her skin. The ultrasound machine was emitting a soft, fluttery heartbeat, and Taylor's face was flushed with relief. The baby was okay. Our baby was okay. Then her eyes flickered over to me.

"Travis." Taylor's breath caught. "Travis what are you doing here?"

Without a word, I rushed across the room to her. The nurse wiped Taylor's stomach clean of gel and quickly moved back as Taylor automatically reached out her arms, and I handed Abby over. Taylor cuddled her daughter close, still staring at me, confused. Staring at her, I sank down onto one knee beside the bed.

"What the hell are you doing?" Taylor whispered, shaking her head at me.

"Taylor I love you." I told her. "I do see Abby as my own daughter, and I'm so in love with you it kills me to even think about not being with you. I want this baby with you more than anything, and I love you so damn much." I took the ring box out and opened it. "So marry me. Will you marry me?"

Taylor's eyes dripped tears as she stared at me, clutching Abby close and rubbing her back. I could see a cut on her lip and a bruise forming on her arm, but aside from that she looked uninjured, no injuries that I'd been able to see from the door. My words hung heavy in the air as Taylor sat there still, but then she moved to shake her head.

"No." She breathed.