Chapter 9

The speed of my car forces me back against my seat as it races through the streets of New York. I hear heavy breathing through my phone, and I want to cry but I can't. He just said the words I thought I would never hear from him again. He loves me. After being apart for three years, Taylor still loves me. As my breath quickens and becomes a lot heavier from the overflow of emotions coursing through my body, I tell myself that he needs to know. I've never stopped loving him. Even after he left me. The whole three years we were apart and while he was still with Amy. I still loved him. I'll always love him. These thoughts grow into words as I speak into the phone.

"Tay, I-" but I don't hear him anymore. I look down to see that the line cut. Tears run down my cheek as I think about Taylor and my daughter and I tilt my head toward the window facing the crowded, chaotic streets of the city.

"I love you too."

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I don't even allow Robert enough time to stop the car before opening the door. I jump out while it's still moving but I don't care. My mind is focused on Ava and how I need to get to her and hold her tight. How I need to tell her how sorry I am for having forced her to go to school today and how stupid I am for not seeing something like this coming.

It looks like the paps already beat us here. Flashes of cameras and microphones are being shoved in my face. I run through them without bothering to answer or pose. Suddenly, through the chaotic crowd, a hand grabs my arm tight, making me jump in fear. A quick glance behind me and I find him there. Taylor. He wraps his arm around my waist and pulls me through the crowd of disrespectful fucks trying to get the best shots of me that they possibly can. Despite the stress from the huge crowd and our daughter in the hospital, I kinda feel like I did when we first met in that moment. I've missed his touch. But I haven't forgotten what it feels like.

Once we're past the crowd we run inside and through the second set of doors looking for an elevator or a receptionist or something. We find a woman sitting at a reception desk and we rush to her.

"Ava Marie Kinney. What room is she in?"

"No one's allowed to see the patient except for family." Immediately I lose it with her.

"I'M HER MOTHER," I shout at her.

"Absolutely not. Her mother just came in with her an hour ago," she answers rudely. I'm about to rage, obviously this woman doesn't know her ass from her head. Practically everyone in fucking Manhattan knows I adopted Ava. But before I could say anything else Taylor pulls me back a second and talks to her.

"Listen, I'm her father. Whoever the hell came in with my kid and called herself her mother is lying to you now what room is she in?"

The woman at the desk slips Taylor a note with the room number on it, obviously not wanting me to know, but he doesn't care. Taylor takes my hand and walks with me to the elevator. I'm still so confused as to what the fuck that receptionist was talking about. Why the hell would someone come into the hospital with my daughter and pose as her mom? I look at my ex as the elevator moves up. He looks so nervous but angry at the same time and I don't understand why.

"Taylor? Are you okay?"

He begins to shake.

"I think I know who came in with Ava. And I'm scared that I might be right," he answers, his voice cracking at the end of his sentence. I've only seen Taylor cry three times in my life. The night I sang Gypsy in San Diego, the night before we adopted Ava when he opened up to me about his fear of being a bad father, and now, as a tear slips from the corner of his left eye. As I hear what he says, anxiety takes on a greater part of me.

The elevator comes to a stop on Ava's floor. The second the doors open he runs out with me closely following behind him. My heart continues to race from panic. Who can he possibly be talking about? We reach the end of the hallway. 1043. My baby's room. We turn out heads into the room to find her there, almost lifeless in her assigned bed. IVs and monitors are hooked to her left and right. Her beautiful face is spotted with blue, green and purple bruises and cuts along her small fingers and hands are covered in tiny white bandages. My heart is severed. I close my eyes trying to keep strong but I grow weak as I know my lip is quivering and tears are packed in my eye sockets, ready to come pouring down like rainfall. So I just let myself go. I've had enough of holding my tears back in front of people.

Out of nowhere a pair of arms swings around my body and grasps me tight, but rather than feeling afraid I feel comfort and warmth, and as my eye only opens a little, I see the color of Taylor's shirt through my tears. But he looks frozen. I open them further and look up, ceasing my heavy sobs but tears still coming out. And once my eyes see his face I notice he's facing Ava's bed, showing no other expression aside from shock. Curious I follow his gaze and right then and there, front and center, was the answer to the question that pondered in my mind. Who came in with Ava and posed as her mother? Instantly my jaw drops and my eyes widen like never before, as my reaction becomes my next phrase.

"A-Amy?"

DUN DUN DUN! :PI know it's short but I'd rather post a short chapter than nothing at all. Plus I feel like I went as far as I can in terms of describing and narrating this part of the story. Hope everyone had an amazing Christmas. Hope it was filled with fun and happiness and family and friends. Not to mention presents because hey, we all love presents. And JUST IN CASE there happen to be some Canadians reading this: Happy Boxing Day! Enjoy for those of you who go out for the cray cray sales. For those who usually stay home on Boxing Day, like me, may it be a relaxing one.I'm still workin on that Christmas prompt but I'm extremely tired. I've been running around this holiday like a chicken with no head I've barely had time to write, so please forgive my tardiness.Thanks for all the support and the reads. You guys mean the world to me.