New York Surprise!

Chapter Thirty Six

Karlie's P.O.V

Seeing Taylor and my mom bent over the kitchen table looking through every inch of the family photo albums that relates to me for some reason seems so normal. It's only been a few hours since Taylor and Aubree showed up here in St. Louis but I can already feel that I am feeling better than I have in months. It's almost like they are healing me, that their love that they have for each other and hopefully the love they have for me is helping me to feel better. I decide to leave my mom to spend time with Taylor and I head into the lounge and I see my dad sitting on the floor playing blocks with Aubree. For some reason they both had toys set aside for the time when Taylor would arrive, I was adamant that Taylor wouldn't turn up because I believed that Tree would cast my letter aside or better yet arrive and tell me to leave Taylor and Aubree alone. I look at my dad who looks up at me. "What's happening in there?"
"You don't want to know dad. It's all the old photos." I sigh as I plop down on the couch and watch Aubree play happily. I still can't get over how she's grown up so big. "Are you having fun with Taylor here now?" Dad questions, as he watches me gaze at Aubree. "Take over?" he questions and I look at him and then nod. "Sure, I don't mind. I'd love to." I gush sliding to the floor making Aubree look up at me and smile. I look at my dad. "I don't think she knows who I am." I state as he looks at me and smiles a sad smile, the same type of smile I've been receiving since I was told I had cancer. "I'm sure she will remember, but you don't exactly look like Karlie right now." He states gesturing to my beanie head. "I know, but I guess I just thought that she would know. You know, how babies know their mom's a mile away. I thought it would be the same. We've spent so much time together and I just...I don't know." I state looking away before I start to cry. I feel my dad sit down next to me and place his hand on my shoulder, "it's okay to be scared because they are here Karlie. I know that they mean a lot to you but this will be a period of adjustment at least for a few days, maybe longer. But you have to be patient, remember she has only just learned about this." I nod my head and look at him, I can feel the tears in my eyes though. "I know dad, but it's just hard."
"I know Karlie, but I know you love each other and I know that things will be okay." I look at him and nod before sitting back down and begin playing with Aubree.

I hear my dad leave as Aubree and I continue playing, Aubree soon gets bored of playing with the blocks and stands up with a little sway and I move towards her and we walk towards the stairs, she reaches for my hand and I take it and we slowly walk towards the stairs. "Where are you going missy?" I question as she turns and looks at me.
"Kar..." she squeals making me smile and laugh at her.
"Yeah baby. I'm Kar." I state as Aubree sits down and begins to crawl up the first few stairs and I follow behind her, my hands braced out ready to catch her if she falls. I watch and help her up the stairs and when we reach the top of the staircase I watch Aubree stand using the rail on the staircase. She turns and flashes me a smile as she walks along using the rail and feeling it. I notice when she begins to rub her eyes and I pick her up and she looks at me as I walk us into my room. As I settle down on the bed with Aubree on my lap I notice that her diaper is wet so without hesitating I place her down and shut the door so she can't get back out and I head over to Taylor's suitcase and grab a clean diaper and within two minutes she's clean and happy. I put the dirty nappy in the rubbish bin in the corner of my room in a plastic nappy bag and open the door to my room. I decide that it's time for Aubree to have a nap so I go to put her in the cot that my dad set up in my room the moment they got home and saw that Taylor was here. But the moment I go to put her down she refuses and begins to cry. I halt and she looks at me with big tears in her eyes so I settle back on the bed and let Aubree settle on me, she chooses to lie down on me resting her head on my exposed collarbone, it's Taylor's favourite place to lie too. Slowly and with the heat of Aubree's small body I feel myself slipping away and before I know it both of us are out to it.

Taylor's P.O.V

I couldn't believe the turn of events compared to the last time that I saw Tracy. Today we are sitting in the kitchen pouring over photos of Karlie from a young age and after discussing Karlie's cancer procedures with Tracy I know how hard it must have been for Karlie to have walked away and not told me. Tracy was telling me that Karlie has been extremely depressed, partly brought on from being away from me, well at least that's what Tracy claims. "Is she getting better?" I question Tracy as she hands me a cup of tea. "Yes, she has four sessions left so about two months. She goes in every two weeks and after the chemo she is going to be monitored for the next six months before we can really tell if the cancer is in remission." I nod at her, I do understand some of what she's saying but at the same time I'm limited to what I know from watching Grey's Anatomy. "How is she coping with it all?" I question as Tracy looks at me with a few tears in her eyes. "She's managing; I don't know exactly how she's been coping because she won't talk about it. I know that she's been having a tough time doing it alone and I'm hopeful that if you're here even for a few days that it can help and maybe give her a boost." I sigh and put my cup down. "I don't think that I can honestly go back on the road right now." I state as Tracy goes to argue I keep speaking, "I know that Karlie will be mad but I've already organized it. I only have to do the shows in Australia and do my video in New Zealand for Out of the Woods and then I'll be here for her. Where I should be." I say proudly as Tracy nods at me.
"I think that's just what Karlie needs right now." She states as I smile at her and then stand to place my cup in the sink. "I better go see what my little trouble maker is up too." I state walking into the lounge as Tracy laughs and follows me. We quickly find Kurt, Karlie's dad in the lounge watching old baseball games and I look around in confusion but Kurt catches on and says, "she went upstairs with Karlie." I nod and move towards the stairs but I pause and turn around. "Her rooms the second on the right," I nod and walk upstairs and after noticing the pictures on the walls I move towards Karlie's room. Stopping in the doorway a smile makes its way onto my face as I look at the picture in front of me. Aubree is fast asleep in Karlie's arms with her mouth open breathing deeply like she's been doing lately and Karlie has one hand protectively on Aubree's back and the other holding one of her hands and so I smile and without waiting a minute I move towards the bed and take up the only free space in the bed. Karlie groans a little and moves aside before opening one eye at me. "Tay..." she groans.
"Hey, hey, shush..." I coo cuddling into Karlie and allowing her to put her arm around me and hug me close as she falls back asleep. Slowly my eyes begin to get heavy and as I place a hand on top of Aubree's back too and I know that I am second from sleep and so I give in and as I do I realise that this is the most comfortable I've felt in a long time.