Is It Too Late?: Chapter 5
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 5
Wednesday: 5:30pm
After another day in the studio, Taylor was in a music-induced high as he drove himself, Tabitha and the kids to his parents’ house. Unlike the substance-induced highs he was used to, the music high made everything seem better: the sky was brighter, the grass was greener and he was happier than he had been in ten years of making music by himself.
“Are you sure you don’t want me to drive?” Tabitha asked as he drove in the slow lane on the freeway.
“Positive,” he assured her before stealing a glance into the backseat where Jordan and Chrissy sat. They were the reason he chose to drive the speed limit, letting all the speed demons pass him while waving their middle fingers in the air as they sped by. Taylor knew this world wasn’t real, but while it was his present, he was going to protect his kids.
Unlike the apprehension he had felt before going to the studio, Taylor was looking forward to seeing his parents and meeting the sister-in-laws, nieces and nephew that he had heard about in the letters his mom had sent to him over the years. Those letters had been the only communication he had had with his family during the ten years he had been gone.
Even though his father and brothers had made it clear that they wanted nothing to do with him, his mother had been diligent about keeping Taylor in the loop when it came to family things. Though, admittedly, the only reason he had even read the letters was because of the guilt he felt for disappointing her. At first, the letters had come monthly to a PO Box that only she knew about, but in the last few years, she had switched to writing him sporadic emails.
Most of the letters his mother sent him had been of the gossipy nature. She had been the one to tell him about Isaac meeting his second wife, Jennie, at the daycare Stephanie, and Jennie’s daughter, Kacie, both attended. Not surprisingly, no wedding invitation had ever been sent to him, but his mother had made sure he knew about it. Just as she had made sure that, fifteen months later, he knew he had two adorable nieces named Abigail and Annabelle.
In a similar fashion, his mother had narrated the story of how Zac met his wife Courtney while on a double date, with her casually seeing one of his friends, and them hitting it off so well that his friend had graciously stepped aside so they could be together. Once again it had been his mother who had told him about their wedding as well as the births of their daughter Rachel and, a couple years later, their son Benjamin.
“Uh, Taylor, you just missed your parents’ street,” Tabitha’s voice infiltrated his ears.
“I’m going a different way,” he lied as he turned onto the street just passed his parents’. He felt slightly unnerved at the fact that he had been so lost in his thoughts that he didn’t remember most of the drive.
Turning on to his parents’ long, winding driveway, a minute later, Taylor noticed that nothing had really changed since he’d left, save for the trees that lined the driveway being taller. He followed the driveway up to the house and had barely put the SUV in park before Chrissy and Jordan jumped out and ran for the house.
“Help me carry stuff?” Tabitha called over her shoulder as she climbed out of the passenger seat.
After climbing out of the vehicle, he met her at the trunk and let her load his arms with a bowl of potato salad and a bag of chips while Tabitha grabbed Rachel’s birthday present and her purse. He followed her through the side gate and into the backyard where the rest of the family had already gathered.
The first person that Taylor sought out, after putting stuff down, was his mother. He tried to sneak up on her, but she caught him and turned to face him, letting him see how she had aged in the ten years he had been away. Her face showed a few wrinkles, but it was her nearly white hair that caught him by surprise. The last time he had seen his mother she had had a full head of blonde hair and had dyed the grey ones.
“That is one nasty shiner,” his mother laughed after ending their hug. “Chrissy told me all about it when she called the other day.”
“She likes to talk,” Taylor shrugged, glancing around the backyard to find the little girl. He finally spotted her playing with a little girl with curly brunette hair, who he recognized from the scrapbook as Rachel.
“She also loves to sign,” Taylor heard Tabitha say from behind him. “She’s been practicing everyday so she can talk to Rachel.”
Taylor opened his mouth to ask Tabitha what she meant, but stopped and looked at the little girls again. Chrissy’s mouth was closed, but her hands were flying all over the place, though at a much slower pace than she could have spoken. His eyes moved to Rachel and watched as she signed something back to Chrissy that made them both laugh, though Chrissy’s was the only one that rang out for the rest of them to hear.
“Have Zac and Courtney heard back from the insurance company on whether they’ll pay for the Cochlear implants?” Tabitha asked his mother.
“The company refused,” his mother replied in a soft, somber voice. “Said it wasn’t a required surgery and that it wasn’t always successful, so they weren’t forking over any money, which is complete baloney if you ask me, but then I’m just her grandmother and they don’t care what I think.”
“We’ll figure out something,” Tabitha assured his mother. “Maybe we can do some fundraising or something.”
While Tabitha and his mother walked to where his sister-in-laws were sitting, Taylor surveyed the rest of the backyard, mentally matching the names he knew with the faces he had seen in the photos. His dad, brothers and only nephew-Benji, he vaguely recalled the nickname from scrapbook-where hanging out by the barbeque. Sitting a few feet away from them was his niece Stephanie, who he hadn’t seen since she was three years old. Now she was a teenager and like many a teenager, she had her cell phone in hand, mostly likely texting. In the corner of his parents’ large backyard, his remaining nieces, Kacie and the blonde twins Abbie and Annie were playing soccer with Jordan, with a soccer ball and nets that looked very similar to the ones that he and his brothers had played with growing up.
Despite the breakthrough he had had with his brothers the day before, he still felt like an outsider, especially after learning that his niece was deaf. Why hadn’t his mother mentioned it in her letters?
Because you’re a selfish idiot, his brain cursed. He couldn’t blame them for not telling him about Rachel, not after the way he had walked away from them all, especially Isaac and Stephanie, just days after they had buried Tasha. Maybe it was better that he hadn’t known, after all.
Feeling a tug on his pant leg, Taylor looked down and saw Rachel staring up at him. She motioned for him to kneel down and he did. Then she did something he wasn’t expecting; she made the ‘I Love You’ sign with her right hand and placed it over his heart, instantly making his heart beat quadruple.
As he stared in her brown eyes, he wondered how it was even remotely possible for a four-year-old, whose only form of communication was through sign language, to pick up what he was feeling when it seemed like nobody else had. Was it possible that she had a sixth sense when it came to people?
Then she gave him a look that he had seen many a time on Zac’s face, one that challenged him to do something with the knowledge he’d just gained. The look remained for a minute then she kissed his cheek and ran off to play with her cousins again, leaving him dazed.
What was he going to do now that his eyes had been opened to the secret his family had kept from him? He wanted to be mad at them, but the only person he was mad at was himself. His poor decisions had cost him his family and Tabitha, he realized.
Feeling tears come to his eyes, Taylor headed towards the house, not wanting anyone to see him cry. Once inside, he climbed the stairs and went into his old childhood bedroom. A feeling of comfort and belonging washed over him as he looked about his old room. Even though the furniture had changed from teenage-boy-style to guestroom-chic, it still felt like his.
Settling his eyes on the curtain covered window that looked over the front yard, Taylor felt the urge to climb out on to the roof like he had done many times while growing up. After opening the window, Taylor stepped out onto the sloped roof and felt a rush of adrenaline as he balanced himself. He breathed in the fresh air then settled down just outside the window, letting his thoughts gather.
There was no question that the last five days had been intense for him. From waking up after being hit in the head with a baseball to finding out he was married with kids to reconnecting with his brothers and parents. He was beginning to have trouble remembering what was real and what wasn’t.
Why had he woken up in this place? What was the point of opening old wounds that he had thought were completely healed? Was it to show him what mess he had made of his life? Or make him feel guilty for leaving everyone behind? Was he supposed to learn something from all the confusion?
Hearing a knock on the bedroom door, Taylor brushed the tears that had fallen from his face then looked inside in time to see Tabitha come into the room.
“I thought I’d find you up here,” she smiled warmly. He could tell, by the way she nervously played with the rings on her left hand, that the fact that he was sitting on the roof freaked her out; she had always been a chicken when it came to heights. “Whatcha doing?”
“Just thinking,” he replied as he turned and swung one leg back into the house, followed by the other.
He could tell the second she realized he had been crying, by the way her face softened, but instead of saying anything, she came to him and wrapped her arms around his waist and placed her head on his chest. They remained in the embrace for several minutes until they heard someone yell their names.
“I love you, Taylor Hanson,” Tabitha said, staring up at him. “Don’t you ever forget that.” She lifted herself to her tippy toes and placed a kiss on his lips. “Go wash your hands, dinner is ready.”
Maybe this was all just an opportunity to be with Tabitha again and his family was just along for the ride, Taylor thought as he washed his hands. But as he walked outside and saw his whole family gathered around a couple picnic tables, Taylor realized it was more than that.
With a plate piled high with food, Taylor joined his dad, brothers, son and nephew at the “guys” table. His realization that this was about getting a second chance with his family and Tabitha was the added perk, was only cemented when his dad made an off-hand comment about having his sons and grandsons all together.
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 5
Wednesday: 5:30pm
After another day in the studio, Taylor was in a music-induced high as he drove himself, Tabitha and the kids to his parents’ house. Unlike the substance-induced highs he was used to, the music high made everything seem better: the sky was brighter, the grass was greener and he was happier than he had been in ten years of making music by himself.
“Are you sure you don’t want me to drive?” Tabitha asked as he drove in the slow lane on the freeway.
“Positive,” he assured her before stealing a glance into the backseat where Jordan and Chrissy sat. They were the reason he chose to drive the speed limit, letting all the speed demons pass him while waving their middle fingers in the air as they sped by. Taylor knew this world wasn’t real, but while it was his present, he was going to protect his kids.
Unlike the apprehension he had felt before going to the studio, Taylor was looking forward to seeing his parents and meeting the sister-in-laws, nieces and nephew that he had heard about in the letters his mom had sent to him over the years. Those letters had been the only communication he had had with his family during the ten years he had been gone.
Even though his father and brothers had made it clear that they wanted nothing to do with him, his mother had been diligent about keeping Taylor in the loop when it came to family things. Though, admittedly, the only reason he had even read the letters was because of the guilt he felt for disappointing her. At first, the letters had come monthly to a PO Box that only she knew about, but in the last few years, she had switched to writing him sporadic emails.
Most of the letters his mother sent him had been of the gossipy nature. She had been the one to tell him about Isaac meeting his second wife, Jennie, at the daycare Stephanie, and Jennie’s daughter, Kacie, both attended. Not surprisingly, no wedding invitation had ever been sent to him, but his mother had made sure he knew about it. Just as she had made sure that, fifteen months later, he knew he had two adorable nieces named Abigail and Annabelle.
In a similar fashion, his mother had narrated the story of how Zac met his wife Courtney while on a double date, with her casually seeing one of his friends, and them hitting it off so well that his friend had graciously stepped aside so they could be together. Once again it had been his mother who had told him about their wedding as well as the births of their daughter Rachel and, a couple years later, their son Benjamin.
“Uh, Taylor, you just missed your parents’ street,” Tabitha’s voice infiltrated his ears.
“I’m going a different way,” he lied as he turned onto the street just passed his parents’. He felt slightly unnerved at the fact that he had been so lost in his thoughts that he didn’t remember most of the drive.
Turning on to his parents’ long, winding driveway, a minute later, Taylor noticed that nothing had really changed since he’d left, save for the trees that lined the driveway being taller. He followed the driveway up to the house and had barely put the SUV in park before Chrissy and Jordan jumped out and ran for the house.
“Help me carry stuff?” Tabitha called over her shoulder as she climbed out of the passenger seat.
After climbing out of the vehicle, he met her at the trunk and let her load his arms with a bowl of potato salad and a bag of chips while Tabitha grabbed Rachel’s birthday present and her purse. He followed her through the side gate and into the backyard where the rest of the family had already gathered.
The first person that Taylor sought out, after putting stuff down, was his mother. He tried to sneak up on her, but she caught him and turned to face him, letting him see how she had aged in the ten years he had been away. Her face showed a few wrinkles, but it was her nearly white hair that caught him by surprise. The last time he had seen his mother she had had a full head of blonde hair and had dyed the grey ones.
“That is one nasty shiner,” his mother laughed after ending their hug. “Chrissy told me all about it when she called the other day.”
“She likes to talk,” Taylor shrugged, glancing around the backyard to find the little girl. He finally spotted her playing with a little girl with curly brunette hair, who he recognized from the scrapbook as Rachel.
“She also loves to sign,” Taylor heard Tabitha say from behind him. “She’s been practicing everyday so she can talk to Rachel.”
Taylor opened his mouth to ask Tabitha what she meant, but stopped and looked at the little girls again. Chrissy’s mouth was closed, but her hands were flying all over the place, though at a much slower pace than she could have spoken. His eyes moved to Rachel and watched as she signed something back to Chrissy that made them both laugh, though Chrissy’s was the only one that rang out for the rest of them to hear.
“Have Zac and Courtney heard back from the insurance company on whether they’ll pay for the Cochlear implants?” Tabitha asked his mother.
“The company refused,” his mother replied in a soft, somber voice. “Said it wasn’t a required surgery and that it wasn’t always successful, so they weren’t forking over any money, which is complete baloney if you ask me, but then I’m just her grandmother and they don’t care what I think.”
“We’ll figure out something,” Tabitha assured his mother. “Maybe we can do some fundraising or something.”
While Tabitha and his mother walked to where his sister-in-laws were sitting, Taylor surveyed the rest of the backyard, mentally matching the names he knew with the faces he had seen in the photos. His dad, brothers and only nephew-Benji, he vaguely recalled the nickname from scrapbook-where hanging out by the barbeque. Sitting a few feet away from them was his niece Stephanie, who he hadn’t seen since she was three years old. Now she was a teenager and like many a teenager, she had her cell phone in hand, mostly likely texting. In the corner of his parents’ large backyard, his remaining nieces, Kacie and the blonde twins Abbie and Annie were playing soccer with Jordan, with a soccer ball and nets that looked very similar to the ones that he and his brothers had played with growing up.
Despite the breakthrough he had had with his brothers the day before, he still felt like an outsider, especially after learning that his niece was deaf. Why hadn’t his mother mentioned it in her letters?
Because you’re a selfish idiot, his brain cursed. He couldn’t blame them for not telling him about Rachel, not after the way he had walked away from them all, especially Isaac and Stephanie, just days after they had buried Tasha. Maybe it was better that he hadn’t known, after all.
Feeling a tug on his pant leg, Taylor looked down and saw Rachel staring up at him. She motioned for him to kneel down and he did. Then she did something he wasn’t expecting; she made the ‘I Love You’ sign with her right hand and placed it over his heart, instantly making his heart beat quadruple.
As he stared in her brown eyes, he wondered how it was even remotely possible for a four-year-old, whose only form of communication was through sign language, to pick up what he was feeling when it seemed like nobody else had. Was it possible that she had a sixth sense when it came to people?
Then she gave him a look that he had seen many a time on Zac’s face, one that challenged him to do something with the knowledge he’d just gained. The look remained for a minute then she kissed his cheek and ran off to play with her cousins again, leaving him dazed.
What was he going to do now that his eyes had been opened to the secret his family had kept from him? He wanted to be mad at them, but the only person he was mad at was himself. His poor decisions had cost him his family and Tabitha, he realized.
Feeling tears come to his eyes, Taylor headed towards the house, not wanting anyone to see him cry. Once inside, he climbed the stairs and went into his old childhood bedroom. A feeling of comfort and belonging washed over him as he looked about his old room. Even though the furniture had changed from teenage-boy-style to guestroom-chic, it still felt like his.
Settling his eyes on the curtain covered window that looked over the front yard, Taylor felt the urge to climb out on to the roof like he had done many times while growing up. After opening the window, Taylor stepped out onto the sloped roof and felt a rush of adrenaline as he balanced himself. He breathed in the fresh air then settled down just outside the window, letting his thoughts gather.
There was no question that the last five days had been intense for him. From waking up after being hit in the head with a baseball to finding out he was married with kids to reconnecting with his brothers and parents. He was beginning to have trouble remembering what was real and what wasn’t.
Why had he woken up in this place? What was the point of opening old wounds that he had thought were completely healed? Was it to show him what mess he had made of his life? Or make him feel guilty for leaving everyone behind? Was he supposed to learn something from all the confusion?
Hearing a knock on the bedroom door, Taylor brushed the tears that had fallen from his face then looked inside in time to see Tabitha come into the room.
“I thought I’d find you up here,” she smiled warmly. He could tell, by the way she nervously played with the rings on her left hand, that the fact that he was sitting on the roof freaked her out; she had always been a chicken when it came to heights. “Whatcha doing?”
“Just thinking,” he replied as he turned and swung one leg back into the house, followed by the other.
He could tell the second she realized he had been crying, by the way her face softened, but instead of saying anything, she came to him and wrapped her arms around his waist and placed her head on his chest. They remained in the embrace for several minutes until they heard someone yell their names.
“I love you, Taylor Hanson,” Tabitha said, staring up at him. “Don’t you ever forget that.” She lifted herself to her tippy toes and placed a kiss on his lips. “Go wash your hands, dinner is ready.”
Maybe this was all just an opportunity to be with Tabitha again and his family was just along for the ride, Taylor thought as he washed his hands. But as he walked outside and saw his whole family gathered around a couple picnic tables, Taylor realized it was more than that.
With a plate piled high with food, Taylor joined his dad, brothers, son and nephew at the “guys” table. His realization that this was about getting a second chance with his family and Tabitha was the added perk, was only cemented when his dad made an off-hand comment about having his sons and grandsons all together.
Masterpost