till forever falls apart | Taylor Swift

72

September, 2020

real life

August couldn't fall asleep. She kept tossing and turning in bed, so much so that even Phoebe got frustrated and jumped down to curl up in her own dog bed.

She was anxious. Her album was set to be released in two months. She had a lot of time to perfect it. In fact, all twelve songs she had recorded were already set and ready to be released. The last song was just done being produced and mixed earlier that same afternoon.

And yet, it didn't feel ready yet. The record felt like it was missing an important chapter. She had started calling each one of her songs on the album a chapter seeing as the whole thing was one big story. She felt like there was a major chapter she had forgotten to write.

With a frustrated huff, she pushed the blankets off her legs and got out of bed, phone and AirPods in hand. In only her worn-out oversized t-shirt, she padded out into the hall and to the kitchen. Phoebe wizzed past her as fast as her tiny legs allowed her, probably thinking she was going to get some food. August rolled her eyes, smiling amusedly at her dog. She grabbed a mug and a teabag and poured some water into the kettle. As it boiled, she grabbed her phone and opened the file she had been emailed earlier of all the songs that were ready.

She listened to them one by one, in the order of the track listing. The songs merged into one another perfectly, and it was pretty satisfying to listen to. She listened to the eleventh track, Je te laisserai des mots. And the very last piano note transitioned into the crackle of a record player before the intro chords of the very last song, Home, started playing.

When she had listened to all twelve songs and had a whole cup of tea, she started it again. Fifty-four minutes and thirty-one seconds later, she looped it again. And again.

The record told her story. Meeting her best friends, making a life for herself in New York. all her new opportunities in life with music in the centre. Falling in love. Falling out of love. Meeting someone new... Finding a home.

There was a theme to it. A theme of growth, and passage of time, and sitting back and reminiscing.

But there was still something missing. The story ended right. It was a full circle. Moving from 'Till Forever falls apart, to Home. It sounded like the story got the closure it needed. But August couldn't feel it. To her, every single time she listened to the record, there was a large gaping hole in the middle that kept growing.

It was only when she had looked at the wallpaper on her phone of three children riding around on bicycles did she realise there was one important person in her life whose story she hadn't told yet.

Ryne.

With a small shaky breath, August pulled the earphones out and placed them in their case. She tapped her fingers absentmindedly on the cold counter, chewing on her bottom lip.

She needed to tell Ryne's story. That's what the record was missing.

She didn't care that it was three in the morning. She quickly pulled her phone out and texted Jack.

August: We need another song!

Not so much to her surprise, Jack replied in a matter of minutes. By that time, she had already made herself another cup of tea and settled at the piano in the main room.