2. mirrorball (a taylor swift au)

-chapter eight-

Derek was sitting in the car on the way to the supermarket when Taylor's text came through. He'd be lying if he said he wasn't the slightest bit disappointed about the fact that it was evident that Taylor truly didn't remember what she'd said last night. It was for the best - he didn't think he was ready to feel that way about someone just yet. It had been two years but it still felt like it was yesterday. Margot hadn't wanted to go to school this morning so that had been an effort. He'd stayed up last night talking to Taylor - everything had taken him so much longer because he had been busy talking to her. Mel had always been so great at encouraging Margot to go to school on the days where it was a bit of an effort - but Derek didn't have that special touch. It was nearing the end of the week and his daughter had been tired... but he'd needed today to do all of the things he had to do alone.
So here he was, getting up the energy to walk into the supermarket. He'd always had a dislike for the place, but seeing as it was something that Taylor never had the opportunity to do... he felt like he needed to appreciate it. Taylor didn't have the option to go out and do this. Grab a coffee from Starbucks on the way in, pull out a cart and head inside. Taylor didn't get to do that, and he'd found a new appreciation for the fact he could. Sure, he was pretty famous in the food industry - but the average person had no idea who he was. He'd only ever been asked if he was Derek Greene once in his whole career - and that had been right after he'd gotten his first Michelin star and there'd been a news headline in the paper.

Sending her a picture of the supermarket, he debated whether or not he admitted what she'd said to him in her drunken haze last night. Did he tell her? She couldn't remember what she'd said - but Derek also didn't want to have to spell it out because he didn't even know what to say.
Nothing you said was stupid, he started. Because that wasn't a lie. It wasn't - everything that Taylor had said had been valid. He certainly wouldn't call them stupid - but he also didn't want her to be embarrassed.
I'm just about to go grocery shopping, he decided that it'd be best if he changed the subject. Have you got much planned for your day?
He couldn't help but smile as he pressed send, even though the thought of it made him stressed. He did it anyway. There was something about her - he just didn't know what.

Ellie was having a picnic on the living room floor in front of the television. She'd brought down all of her soft toys and sat them up so they could watch Bluey with her. Her grandparents - which Taylor's Mom had been telling her she could call them all day and half of the morning - were sitting on the couch behind her. She'd loved getting to spend time with them - she missed seeing them on tour - but she was a little bit jealous that she wasn't getting to see Gracie. She knew her Mom needed to spend time with her friends on her own... but Ellie loved Gracie and it made her sad to think that the two grownups would be having fun without her. She'd see Gracie in a couple of weeks when they were going to New York to have the unveiling of Taylor's tour movie... but two weeks was a long time to a nine year old.
"Kiddo," her grandpa called from behind her. "What do you say we go for a walk?"
Ellie smiled. She didn't usually get to go for walks outside the house. That didn't bother her because the house had a loooot of property that her and Taylor could walk around... but sometimes she wondered if Taylor felt like she was missing out because she couldn't do things like that. She knew that Taylor liked going out and doing her grown up things, and she couldn't help but feel guilty that for the past nine months or so... she'd been stopping her from doing those things.
"Yes please!" She hopped up.
"What do you say we find some ice cream along the way too?" Her grandpa winked at her. Ellie giggled, already racing upstairs to put on her shoes.

She loved the life she had here so much. She didn't actually know how much she'd needed this life. Waking up and feeding the chickens, or Taylor helping her learn how to ride horses, or putting on dance performances in the barn. Playing in the creek, on her jungle gym. It was just... it was so unreal. Last night, she'd slept in her own bed. In her own room. She hadn't told her Mom yet because she wanted to tell her in person - but she'd done it! It had taken her hours to fall asleep,  but she'd survived. And she hadn't even had a bad dream - she was so proud. She still thought about her birth Mom, still felt guilt in her tummy every single time she thought about her. Her father's words - the last words that she'd ever heard come out of his mouth.
Ellie pulled on her shoes - they were bright pink sneakers with butterflies in them and they lit up with every step she took. She liked that.