Is It Too Late?: Chapter 2
Written: June - July 2010
Status: Completed
Starring: Taylor
Number of Chapters: 7 + prologue and epilogue
Super star Taylor Hanson had it all: fame, fortune, good looks and any woman he wanted. But he wasn't happy. One night after drinking, he passes out and wakes up a husband and a father in the town he grew up in. Lost in some world between real and imaginary, Taylor is forced to decide which world he wants to be a part of. But will it be too late by the time he figures out what he really wants?
Chapter 2
Sunday: 5:30am
It was dark outside when Taylor woke up and for a brief second he thought that it had all really been a dream, but that flew out of his mind when he felt a body press against his own and opened his eyes to find himself on a queen-sized bed that he didn’t remember climbing into.
He used the mental excuse that the alarm clock was on her side of the bed to sneak a peek at the sleeping woman beside him. Her face was more beautiful than he remembered; the years had certainly been kind to her. Even in her sleep, she wore a big smile and he couldn’t help but wonder what she was dreaming of.
Dangerous idea, his brain warned.
When the more dangerous thought of looking below the blankets to see how the years and two “pregnancies” had treated her body sent chills down his spin and made his loins stir, Taylor decided it was time to get up.
Pushing the blankets off, he pulled himself out of bed and blindly made his to the bedroom door. He managed to only run into a couple things, silently cursing himself each time. As soon as he escaped the bedroom, he leaned against the closed door and let out a sigh of relief. He had made it this far, could he make the rest of his escape?
“Morning daddy.”
His heart leapt into his throat as he turned and found the little girl-Chrissy, he vaguely recalled Tabitha calling her-standing in the doorway behind him.
“Will you make me panacakes?” She asked, smiling up at him with his blue eyes. -No. Not his, just the same color as his. “Please, daddy?”
He started to open his mouth to tell her she’d have to wait until her mother got up, but snapped his mouth shut when she ran over and wrapped her arms around his waist. She certainly had Tabitha’s fearless attitude.
“I love you, daddy,” she said. “Forever and ever.”
Instead of the usual panic that filled his head when he was around kids, Taylor felt a warm sensation in his heart and the image of the Grinch’s growing heart popped into his head.
“Sure,” he found himself saying, before he realized it.
“Yeah!” Chrissy gave him big smile, a feature she had no doubt inherited from her mother. “Can we make chocolate chip panacakes? They’re my favorite.”
She chattered constantly as they made their way downstairs and while he was making pancakes, something he hadn’t done since he’d left home years ago. It wasn’t until he had placed a steaming plate of pancakes in front of her that the kitchen became silent, though only momentarily.
“Daddy can you get me some milk?” Chrissy asked with a mouth full of pancake.
“Yeah, hold on,” Taylor replied. He opened a couple cupboards before he found a stash of kiddy cups and grabbed a pink one. He filled the cup with milk then set it in front of her, noticing for the first time that her nose looked similar to his own, which caused panic to sink in again. “I’m going to- I’ll be right back.”
His heart was racing as he escaped to the living room. This whole situation was getting out of hand. He didn’t belong here. This wasn’t his family. There was no way in hell that little girl could have his nose. He wasn’t her father.
Then he saw them.
Crossing the room, Taylor stopped and stared at the photos on the mantle. The center picture showcased the four of them dressed in blue jeans and white t-shirts from a few years back, judging by the kids’ appearances. Still in shock, his eyes moved to more recent pictures of the kids, possibly from school.
His heart was already thundering in his ears when his eyes reached a photo of himself in a black tux and Tabitha in a wedding dress. In the photo, they both looked happy-dare he say in love-and about 19, the age they had been when they had moved to LA together. There was no way that was real. Right?
“Are you looking at pictures, daddy?” A voice came out of nowhere.
“Christ,” Taylor cursed, spinning around to find the curly haired girl standing next to him. “Stop sneaking up on me, Chrissy.”
“I’m sorry,” her lower lip trembled, making him feel guilty for snapping at her.
“No, I’m sorry,” Taylor said, not wanting to deal with a crying child, especially since he didn’t have a clue as to how to handle the situation. “You just surprised me.“
“Can we look at the family book?” Chrissy asked, turning on her blue eyes on him again. How many times had he given that exact look to his parents growing up?
Taylor felt himself cave, much like his parents had when he was a kid. He sat down on the couch while she grabbed a large scrapbook, entitled Our Family, then joined him.
Once again, Chrissy did all the talking as they looked at the pages that Tabitha had expertly arranged. The first section of the book held pictures Taylor recognized as his and Tabitha’s early years, their dates, birthdays and parties. Then came the engagement and wedding photos, but everyone knew how easy those were to photoshop.
With each page he turned and Chrissy narrated, Taylor got to experience the moments he had missed: the weddings, the births, the birthdays, the anniversaries and all the other occasions that were deemed worthy for photos.
While he still believed some pictures, like those of him with his brothers were photoshopped, he was becoming more and more confused. If this wasn’t a dream, how could someone have gotten a hold of so many family photos? Sure, he wasn’t entirely sure the children in the photos were actually his nieces and nephew, but he knew his mother and there was no way in hell she would have allowed a stranger to use photos of her grandchildren.
With each picture that he saw, he felt less and less sure that this was all some sort of hoax. All the images seemed too real to have been photoshopped.
It wasn’t until he closed the book that Taylor noticed how quiet it had gotten. He looked down at the little blonde leaning against him and couldn’t fight the smile that crossed his face when he realized she had fallen asleep.
He carefully set the book on the coffee table; then, unsure of what propelled him to do so, he laid back on the couch and pulled the sleeping child so her head was resting on his chest. He ignored the voice in his head telling him to get away as fast as he could and closed his eyes.
Masterpost
Status: Completed
Starring: Taylor
Number of Chapters: 7 + prologue and epilogue
Super star Taylor Hanson had it all: fame, fortune, good looks and any woman he wanted. But he wasn't happy. One night after drinking, he passes out and wakes up a husband and a father in the town he grew up in. Lost in some world between real and imaginary, Taylor is forced to decide which world he wants to be a part of. But will it be too late by the time he figures out what he really wants?
Chapter 2
Sunday: 5:30am
It was dark outside when Taylor woke up and for a brief second he thought that it had all really been a dream, but that flew out of his mind when he felt a body press against his own and opened his eyes to find himself on a queen-sized bed that he didn’t remember climbing into.
He used the mental excuse that the alarm clock was on her side of the bed to sneak a peek at the sleeping woman beside him. Her face was more beautiful than he remembered; the years had certainly been kind to her. Even in her sleep, she wore a big smile and he couldn’t help but wonder what she was dreaming of.
Dangerous idea, his brain warned.
When the more dangerous thought of looking below the blankets to see how the years and two “pregnancies” had treated her body sent chills down his spin and made his loins stir, Taylor decided it was time to get up.
Pushing the blankets off, he pulled himself out of bed and blindly made his to the bedroom door. He managed to only run into a couple things, silently cursing himself each time. As soon as he escaped the bedroom, he leaned against the closed door and let out a sigh of relief. He had made it this far, could he make the rest of his escape?
“Morning daddy.”
His heart leapt into his throat as he turned and found the little girl-Chrissy, he vaguely recalled Tabitha calling her-standing in the doorway behind him.
“Will you make me panacakes?” She asked, smiling up at him with his blue eyes. -No. Not his, just the same color as his. “Please, daddy?”
He started to open his mouth to tell her she’d have to wait until her mother got up, but snapped his mouth shut when she ran over and wrapped her arms around his waist. She certainly had Tabitha’s fearless attitude.
“I love you, daddy,” she said. “Forever and ever.”
Instead of the usual panic that filled his head when he was around kids, Taylor felt a warm sensation in his heart and the image of the Grinch’s growing heart popped into his head.
“Sure,” he found himself saying, before he realized it.
“Yeah!” Chrissy gave him big smile, a feature she had no doubt inherited from her mother. “Can we make chocolate chip panacakes? They’re my favorite.”
She chattered constantly as they made their way downstairs and while he was making pancakes, something he hadn’t done since he’d left home years ago. It wasn’t until he had placed a steaming plate of pancakes in front of her that the kitchen became silent, though only momentarily.
“Daddy can you get me some milk?” Chrissy asked with a mouth full of pancake.
“Yeah, hold on,” Taylor replied. He opened a couple cupboards before he found a stash of kiddy cups and grabbed a pink one. He filled the cup with milk then set it in front of her, noticing for the first time that her nose looked similar to his own, which caused panic to sink in again. “I’m going to- I’ll be right back.”
His heart was racing as he escaped to the living room. This whole situation was getting out of hand. He didn’t belong here. This wasn’t his family. There was no way in hell that little girl could have his nose. He wasn’t her father.
Then he saw them.
Crossing the room, Taylor stopped and stared at the photos on the mantle. The center picture showcased the four of them dressed in blue jeans and white t-shirts from a few years back, judging by the kids’ appearances. Still in shock, his eyes moved to more recent pictures of the kids, possibly from school.
His heart was already thundering in his ears when his eyes reached a photo of himself in a black tux and Tabitha in a wedding dress. In the photo, they both looked happy-dare he say in love-and about 19, the age they had been when they had moved to LA together. There was no way that was real. Right?
“Are you looking at pictures, daddy?” A voice came out of nowhere.
“Christ,” Taylor cursed, spinning around to find the curly haired girl standing next to him. “Stop sneaking up on me, Chrissy.”
“I’m sorry,” her lower lip trembled, making him feel guilty for snapping at her.
“No, I’m sorry,” Taylor said, not wanting to deal with a crying child, especially since he didn’t have a clue as to how to handle the situation. “You just surprised me.“
“Can we look at the family book?” Chrissy asked, turning on her blue eyes on him again. How many times had he given that exact look to his parents growing up?
Taylor felt himself cave, much like his parents had when he was a kid. He sat down on the couch while she grabbed a large scrapbook, entitled Our Family, then joined him.
Once again, Chrissy did all the talking as they looked at the pages that Tabitha had expertly arranged. The first section of the book held pictures Taylor recognized as his and Tabitha’s early years, their dates, birthdays and parties. Then came the engagement and wedding photos, but everyone knew how easy those were to photoshop.
With each page he turned and Chrissy narrated, Taylor got to experience the moments he had missed: the weddings, the births, the birthdays, the anniversaries and all the other occasions that were deemed worthy for photos.
While he still believed some pictures, like those of him with his brothers were photoshopped, he was becoming more and more confused. If this wasn’t a dream, how could someone have gotten a hold of so many family photos? Sure, he wasn’t entirely sure the children in the photos were actually his nieces and nephew, but he knew his mother and there was no way in hell she would have allowed a stranger to use photos of her grandchildren.
With each picture that he saw, he felt less and less sure that this was all some sort of hoax. All the images seemed too real to have been photoshopped.
It wasn’t until he closed the book that Taylor noticed how quiet it had gotten. He looked down at the little blonde leaning against him and couldn’t fight the smile that crossed his face when he realized she had fallen asleep.
He carefully set the book on the coffee table; then, unsure of what propelled him to do so, he laid back on the couch and pulled the sleeping child so her head was resting on his chest. He ignored the voice in his head telling him to get away as fast as he could and closed his eyes.
Masterpost