It's All Part of the Story

I woke up just in time, now I wake up by your side

"I love you too, mom."

"In the meantime, we can just make sure that she has a good day here, with us," Tracey says picking up her needles and resuming her knitting.

Later that night, it's almost midnight and Taylor cannot sleep, can't switch her mind off for long enough to drift off. She turns on the lamp beside Karlie's bed and picks up one of her college textbooks hoping that reading about the history of computer science will be enough to set her off but she can't concentrate on the words either.

Taylor huffs in defeat, before carefully disentangling herself from Karlie's grasp and slipping her pillow into the space she has just vacated, smiling when Karlie doesn't waken.

Taylor ties her dressing gown tighter around her body as she walks into the living room and when she looks up with a small smile, she's surprised to find it occupied.

"Oh, I'm sorry," she says quickly before registering that it's Karlie's mom and relaxing softly.

"I was about to see if there's something on," Tracey says, pointing to her knitting needles and holding up the remote by way of explanation.

"Go ahead, I don't want to intrude on your alone time," Taylor says with a polite smile as she slides her hands into the pockets of her robe.

"You're not," Tracey says, pats the spot next to her on the couch as she scoots to the side. "Come sit with me, hon."

"Are you sure?" Taylor asks, hesitating by the edge of the couch.

"Sit," the woman commands playfully and Taylor smiles as she slides onto the couch next to Karlie's mom and curls her legs up under her.

"Why aren't you in bed?" Tracey asks softly as she turns on the television.

"Why aren't you?" Taylor shoots back before she realises who she's talking to and her eyes widen, horrified. "Oh god, I'm so sorry, I—"

"Stop, Taylor," Tracey says with a quick laugh, patting Taylor's thigh softly to soothe her. "You don't have to apologise," she explains and Taylor softens even if she doesn't look entirely convinced, so Tracey rubs the blonde's leg again and says, "I've always been a night owl. It was the only time when the girls were younger that I could get any peace."

Taylor smiles softly and Tracey leans sideways to bump Taylor's shoulder with her own.

"Your turn."

"I've been having trouble sleeping," Taylor says with a nonchalant shrug. "If I stay in bed, I just toss and turn and then Karlie wakes up and she worries and then neither of us gets much sleep, so..." Taylor gestures towards the living room and Tracey nods in understanding.

They're quiet as Tracey clicks through the channels, looking for something to watch, and settles on a re-run of Jeopardy. The room is still as they watch, Taylor occasionally mumbling an answer under her breath.

"I'm sorry for how crazy things have been for the last few months," Taylor starts slowly. "I really thought that I was over caring what people thought of me."

Tracey's heart breaks when she hears how completely devastated Taylor sounds and she tries her best to comfort her. "You don't have anything to apologise for sweetie."

"I didn't ever think that things could get this bad and as horrible as it has been, it has made me realise what's really important to me. And maybe what I want for my life besides my career."

Tracey just nods, she can tell that Taylor's bracing herself for something, that she's gathering up the courage to say something so Tracey stays quiet and waits for it.