22 - a tayvis adaption story

Chapter 4 - Don't forget to look before you fall

Taylor's POV

When the case worker left I grabbed my laptop from the kitchen,

"So, at the moment your room is just a generic guest room, is there anything you want?"

She looked at me with tears in her eyes,

I closed the lid of my laptop and put it on the coffee table,

"Come here," I said pulling her into a hug and holding her close to me, "I'm here, You're okay," I whispered softly, my arms wrapped securely around her trembling frame. Her sobs echoed in the room, and I could feel her heart racing against mine. I held her tighter, trying to convey all the reassurance and comfort I could offer in that embrace.

"It's alright, take your time," I murmured, gently rubbing her back. The weight of her emotions lingered in the air, heavy and palpable. I stayed there, holding her, allowing her to release the emotions she had been holding back.

After a while, her sobs softened into quiet sniffles. She pulled back slightly, her eyes still shimmering with unshed tears. I reached out, brushing away a stray tear from her cheek.

"Do you want to talk about it?" I asked softly, giving her space to open up if she felt ready.

She nodded, taking a deep breath to steady herself. "It's just... overwhelming, you know? Everything feels so uncertain," she admitted, her voice wavering slightly.

I nodded in understanding. "I can only imagine. But you're not alone in this. We'll figure it out together," I assured her, trying to offer some semblance of hope amid the chaos she was experiencing.

She managed a small, grateful smile, her eyes reflecting a mix of gratitude and vulnerability. "Thank you," she whispered, her voice filled with emotion.

I squeezed her hand gently. "Anytime. You're safe here. And we'll make this room your own, however, you want it to be," I said, offering a glimmer of control in a situation that seemed overwhelmingly out of her hands.

Together, we started discussing ideas for her room. Colours, decorations, layouts—anything that could make the space feel like her sanctuary. Slowly, the atmosphere shifted from heavy with emotion to one of hope and anticipation. As we talked, I saw a spark in her eyes, a glimpse of excitement for the possibility of creating a space that reflected her personality and brought her comfort.

Although her room was still almost empty she took solace in her space, I gave her an old laptop to use and she had already put stickers on it, she had put that laptop and her notebooks on the desk, I had gotten my mom to go to target and get some bed covers with her, she also got some other small things to decorate her space,

"Hey, can you pass me that notebook?" I asked as I pointed to the one lying next to Travis as he shifted on the couch. He handed it over, glancing at the clock on the wall. It had been a few days since she arrived, and slowly but surely, she seemed to be finding her footing.

"Yeah, she seems to be settling in," I replied, watching as Travis flipped through the TV channels trying to find something to watch.

Travis nodded, before switching to Netflix and putting the new season of The Crown on. He leaned back, and I put my AirPods in, I leaned down and rested my head on his lap. My knees holding my notebook up. I laid there jotting down and editing lyrics

Suddenly, a gentle knock on the door interrupted our quiet evening. I removed an earbud, glancing at Travis as he raised an eyebrow in curiosity. We exchanged a quick look before he got up to answer the door.

I could hear murmured voices from the hallway, and then Travis returned with a small package. "For her," he said, handing it to me.

I took the package, noting the handwritten label. "It's from Abi," I said, recognizing the handwriting immediately. Abigail, Had been one of my best friends since we were 14, We were not as close as we had been as kids but we still spoke a lot and she and Travis got along, he would update her on a lot of my personal life when I didn't have time to talk. He had told her about Alexia the day we decided to let her stay with us, he had called her while I was filling out the paperwork and talking to Tree.

I took the box off him and made my way to her room, softly knocking on the door before entering. She was sitting on her bed, the laptop open in front of her. She looked up, a hint of surprise and curiosity in her eyes as she saw the package in my hand.

"Hey, One of my friends Abi sent this for you," I said, offering her the package.

Her eyes lit up with excitement as she took it from me, carefully tearing the wrapping paper. Inside was a beautifully bound journal with a note attached. She read the note silently, a smile spreading across her face.

"Wow, this is so sweet," she murmured, tracing her fingers over the cover of the journal. "I'll have to thank her properly."

"Definitely," I agreed, happy to see her smile. "Take your time. We'll be in the living room if you need anything."

Back in the living room, Travis and I resumed our positions. I laid back down on him and grabbed my notebook off the coffee table.

"What was it?" Travis asked as I lay down,

"A journal, We had the same ones when we were teenagers, She always said if I had a kid she would get them one, It is more sentimental for me and her than anything, but she seemed to like it," I said flicking to the page I was working on.

As I scribbled some ideas on the page, Travis scrolled through his phone, occasionally commenting on the show playing on the TV. The evening settled into a comfortable rhythm, the soft glow of the living room lamps casting a cosy ambience.

A familiar melody started playing in the background, and I found myself humming along, my mind drifting between the lyrics and the thought of her in the other room, hopefully finding solace in the thoughtful gift from my friend.

Travis glanced at me, noticing my absent-minded humming. "Working on a new tune?"

"Yeah, just sorting through some ideas," I replied, tapping the pen against the notebook.

He nodded, his gaze turning back to the screen. The quietness of the evening enveloped us once more, broken only by the occasional sound from the TV.

After a while, I found myself lost in the rhythm of my writing, each stroke of the pen bringing me closer to a coherent verse. Travis seemed engrossed in his phone, occasionally chuckling at something he found amusing online.

The clock on the wall chimed softly, marking the passing hours. It was getting late, but the peacefulness of the moment made it feel like time had slowed down.

There was a small knock on the wall to get our attention,

"Hey, sorry to interrupt. Um, thank you for the journal. It's really special," she said, holding the journal in her hands as if it were a cherished treasure.

I smiled warmly. "Don't be sorry love, You're welcome. Abi always had a way of finding meaningful gifts."

She nodded, a grateful gleam in her eyes. "I'll write in it tonight. Just wanted to say thank you."

"Of course, take your time. It's yours to fill," I reassured her. "You know, when me and Abi were about 15 she got us matching journals that looked just like that, I still have mine somewhere, She brought 2 extras and when neither of us used them she said that if I ever have kids they can have them,"

She nodded again, retreating back to her room, leaving us to our evening once more.

Travis glanced at me, a knowing expression on his face. "You okay?"

"Yeah, just thinking," I replied, my mind drifting to the whirlwind of the past few days and the adjustments we were all making.

"It's going to be fine, everything is going to work out great" Travis said softly, offering a reassuring smile.