‹ Prequel: Stand By Me
Status: Active ♥
Hold My Hand
Eight
It was nearly noon, when Taylor rolled out of bed and went to the kitchen to grab some coffee. Kelly had already left for the boatyard, which meant that she was alone for a majority of the day and she had no idea what to do with herself. As if on cue, someone knocked on the door and she opened it to find Antonio on the other side. With a smile, she stepped aside and motioned for him to enter.
“I was just about to make some lunch; do you want something?” Taylor inquired as Antonio hugged her.
“I’m not going to turn down the offer of food,” Antonio replied, looking around and following her to the kitchen.
“Help yourself to coffee.”
Making them both a sandwich, Taylor pushed one of the plates across the island to him and took a bite of her own.
“So, what did you want to see me about?”
“Greg,” Taylor mumbled, “He’s angry about me setting him up and he won’t leave me alone, I was hoping that you’d have some advice on how to handle the situation.”
“I told Voight that it was a bad idea getting you involved,” Antonio stated with a hint of anger, “Leave it with me, I’ll deal with it... I promise.”
Taylor had known Antonio for a long time and over the years, he’d become more like a big brother to her. He stayed for a while, until he had to head back to work and dropped Taylor off at Mrs. Caswell’s house on the way.
She only stayed for a few hours, returning to find Kelly already home and she went to get ready for dinner with his mom. They soon arrived at the small, Italian restaurant and made their way inside where Jennifer was waiting.
“Kelly,” Jennifer greeted with a smile, pulling him into a tight hug and kissing his cheek, “I’m really glad that you could come.”
“Hi mom,” Kelly replied, hugging her back and shifting his attention to Taylor, “Mom, this is my girlfriend, Taylor... she works at the firehouse with me.”
“It’s nice to meet you,” Jennifer added with a warm smile that Taylor returned.
They had just started eating and were in the middle of a conversation, when Benny Severide approached their table. Kelly immediately tensed and Taylor placed her hand on his thigh, giving it a quick squeeze to show him that she was with him.
“Jennifer, what brings you to Chicago?” Benny asked, once the fake pleasantries had been exchanged and he’d pulled up a seat without invitation.
“I’m here for a couple of weeks on business, so I thought I’d grab the opportunity to have dinner with my son and his girlfriend... catch up a bit.”
“Girlfriend?” Benny repeated, looking over at Taylor and frowning, “What happened to that other girl... Renee, wasn’t it?”
“We broke up,” Kelly answered.
“Shame, she was a nice girl and successful too.”
“Was there something that you wanted, Benny?” Jennifer inquired with a glare, “If not, we were in the middle of dinner and our food is getting cold.”
“I needed to talk to Kelly about something actually.”
Watching as Kelly followed his dad outside, Taylor offered Jennifer a small smile and continued eating in silence. It was still pretty early when they left Jennifer and Kelly suggested getting ice cream, before they called it a night.
“That went well,” Kelly commented as they walked back towards the truck.
“It did,” Taylor agreed, looking up with a smile as Kelly wrapped his arm around her shoulders and snaking hers around his waist, “Your mom is great.”
“She is, although I wish she’d stop calling me Kelly.”
“Why... everyone else does?”
“It’s hard to explain, I guess the name has this weight behind it when she says it and I don’t feel that with everyone else.”
“I understand that.”
“I’m sorry about Benny.”
“You don’t need to apologize for him,” Taylor told him honestly, “The only person’s opinion that I care about is yours, I learned a long time ago that not everyone will like me and it doesn’t bother me as much as it used to.”
They soon reached the truck and Kelly dropped a kiss on her head as he opened the door, closing it once she had climbed in. Like he had said the night before, they were doing good and it would take more than a disapproving parent to change that, or so she hoped anyway.
“I was just about to make some lunch; do you want something?” Taylor inquired as Antonio hugged her.
“I’m not going to turn down the offer of food,” Antonio replied, looking around and following her to the kitchen.
“Help yourself to coffee.”
Making them both a sandwich, Taylor pushed one of the plates across the island to him and took a bite of her own.
“So, what did you want to see me about?”
“Greg,” Taylor mumbled, “He’s angry about me setting him up and he won’t leave me alone, I was hoping that you’d have some advice on how to handle the situation.”
“I told Voight that it was a bad idea getting you involved,” Antonio stated with a hint of anger, “Leave it with me, I’ll deal with it... I promise.”
Taylor had known Antonio for a long time and over the years, he’d become more like a big brother to her. He stayed for a while, until he had to head back to work and dropped Taylor off at Mrs. Caswell’s house on the way.
She only stayed for a few hours, returning to find Kelly already home and she went to get ready for dinner with his mom. They soon arrived at the small, Italian restaurant and made their way inside where Jennifer was waiting.
“Kelly,” Jennifer greeted with a smile, pulling him into a tight hug and kissing his cheek, “I’m really glad that you could come.”
“Hi mom,” Kelly replied, hugging her back and shifting his attention to Taylor, “Mom, this is my girlfriend, Taylor... she works at the firehouse with me.”
“It’s nice to meet you,” Jennifer added with a warm smile that Taylor returned.
They had just started eating and were in the middle of a conversation, when Benny Severide approached their table. Kelly immediately tensed and Taylor placed her hand on his thigh, giving it a quick squeeze to show him that she was with him.
“Jennifer, what brings you to Chicago?” Benny asked, once the fake pleasantries had been exchanged and he’d pulled up a seat without invitation.
“I’m here for a couple of weeks on business, so I thought I’d grab the opportunity to have dinner with my son and his girlfriend... catch up a bit.”
“Girlfriend?” Benny repeated, looking over at Taylor and frowning, “What happened to that other girl... Renee, wasn’t it?”
“We broke up,” Kelly answered.
“Shame, she was a nice girl and successful too.”
“Was there something that you wanted, Benny?” Jennifer inquired with a glare, “If not, we were in the middle of dinner and our food is getting cold.”
“I needed to talk to Kelly about something actually.”
Watching as Kelly followed his dad outside, Taylor offered Jennifer a small smile and continued eating in silence. It was still pretty early when they left Jennifer and Kelly suggested getting ice cream, before they called it a night.
“That went well,” Kelly commented as they walked back towards the truck.
“It did,” Taylor agreed, looking up with a smile as Kelly wrapped his arm around her shoulders and snaking hers around his waist, “Your mom is great.”
“She is, although I wish she’d stop calling me Kelly.”
“Why... everyone else does?”
“It’s hard to explain, I guess the name has this weight behind it when she says it and I don’t feel that with everyone else.”
“I understand that.”
“I’m sorry about Benny.”
“You don’t need to apologize for him,” Taylor told him honestly, “The only person’s opinion that I care about is yours, I learned a long time ago that not everyone will like me and it doesn’t bother me as much as it used to.”
They soon reached the truck and Kelly dropped a kiss on her head as he opened the door, closing it once she had climbed in. Like he had said the night before, they were doing good and it would take more than a disapproving parent to change that, or so she hoped anyway.
♠ ♠ ♠
Enjoy ♥Not everyone will like you or approve of your relationship with someone, but their opinion on the matter isn't one that should define the paths you choose to take.