Fame and fortune

Thirteen

"So Taylor, how have you been feeling lately?" My therapist asks me as I sit in front of her on the teal couch cushions fidgeting with my fingers. "Overwhelmed and overworked." I say. "What do you think brought that on?" She says. "Joe, and taking care of Hazel." I say. "A lot of mothers get overwhelmed. Especially while you're going through postpartum. How is Joe affecting you?" She asks.

"Just his beliefs and crap. I don't want to invalidate his feelings or anything, but I don't know why he feels this way." I say. "You have every right to feel that way Taylor, have you ever thought of expressing these words to him out loud, and not in a song?" She says. "Not really." I say. "I recommend you try it okay? That's the assignment I'm giving you. To validate what you feel with the person who is making you feel that way. No matter what it is." She says and I nod.

"How was she?" I say as I enter the house and my mom is standing in the kitchen holding Hazel while she cooks lunch. "An angel." She says. "And how are you? Feeling better?" She says and I nod. "Yes, I worked a lot of stuff out." I say and she nods patting my back. "Well good." She says and I smile. "Travis went out to get something, not really sure what. Tree called and said the lawyers are settling things, that you don't have to speak to him at all if you wouldn't like to." She says. "Actually I think I might would want to." I say. "I think it would be good for me." I say and she nods.

"I think that's a good idea. You know, when your father and I were going through the divorce yes I know it was civil. But I still made sure I expressed my thoughts and concerns and feelings about the whole thing. It made the process so much more healthier. It is part of why we are such good friends today." She says and I smile.

"I'm back!" I hear Travis say. "Where did you go?" I say. "Just went out to grab some things." He says and I nod as he places some bags in the counter. "How was therapy?" He asks. "Good." I say and he nods. "Well little miss Hazel and I have some things to do upstairs." My mom says scurrying out of the room and I laugh.

"How are you feeling? Everything go alright?" He says rubbing my back, and I sink into him my back relying on his chest for support as his arms sink to go around my waist. We still haven't talked about things yet and we are still just friends coparenting healthily. "Yeah, I feel better. It definitely cleared some things up for me." I say. "I have something I want to talk about to you later though." I say and he nods, resting his chin on top of my head.

"Do you think we could be us?" I say quietly, as the silence feels the room. "It depends what that means." He says pulling away to turn me to face him, resting his hands on my hips. "Like us." I say. "A couple?" He says and I nod. "I think, that if you think that's what you would want." He says. "I'd like that." He says and I smile. "So we're together?" I say. "We're together." He says.

"What was that you had mentioned to me earlier. Something you wanted to talk about." Travis says later that night as I sit on the couch beside him, resting in his arms with a cup of tea. "I think I need to go to England." I say. "Why?" He says. "To talk to Joe." I say. "Can I go with you?" He says. "No." I say. "I don't want you there alone." He says. "Fine." I say. "Good." He says.

Looks like it's a family trip to England.