Invisible String

21

The next week brought something none of us were ready for - Mira's first cold. It hit midweek like a wrecking ball. One minute she was babbling on her play mat and kicking her legs; the next, she was red-faced, congested, and absolutely miserable.

It started with a little fussiness at night. I figured maybe she was teething or had a rough belly day, but by the second day, her nose was stuffy, she was clingy and refusing bottles, and every time she sneezed, it broke my heart a little.

I had her pressed against my chest in the carrier while I tried to keep up with Lily, who was also in a mood because the attention wasn't all on her anymore. Travis came home from practice to find me wearing Mira like a koala and Lily building a "hospital" out of pillows and every one of her stuffed animals.

"She's the baby doctor," I said, pointing at Lily, who was wrapping a Band-Aid around her teddy bear's entire head. "And I haven't peed alone in 36 hours."

Travis blinked. "So... takeout again?"

"Takeout again."

By Friday, things got a little better - Mira's fever broke, and Lily got her spark back. Travis took both girls on a short walk to let me shower *without an audience* for the first time all week.

When they came back, Lily had a bouquet of picked dandelions and Travis was balancing both her and Mira in his arms like some kind of worn-out superhero.

"She told every person we passed that her sister had 'nose juice' and needed flowers," he said.

And honestly, after the chaos of the week, it was the sweetest, silliest, most perfect ending.

---

It was a strange feeling-walking into the studio without Mira strapped to my chest or Lily hanging onto my leg. For the first time in what felt like forever, I was stepping back into myself, just me. Not mom-mode Taylor, but creative-mode Taylor.

Of course, I hadn't just left them behind. Travis had both girls for the day, armed with snacks, bottles, an activity list, and about three backup plans. He kissed me on the forehead and said, "Go be brilliant. We'll survive." I almost believed him.

The second I stepped through the doors of Electric Lady, that familiar scent of coffee, cables, and dust hit me like a warm wave. Gracie was already there, flipping through lyrics and humming into her phone mic.

"Hey, mama," she grinned. "Ready to get back to it?"

I smiled, setting down my bag. "Let's see if the magic's still in there."

It was slow at first-my fingers stumbled over chords I used to play in my sleep. My voice cracked. I second-guessed every line I scribbled into my notebook. But about two hours in, something clicked. The melodies started pouring out again, raw and honest.

Gracie glanced over and said, "This is some of your best stuff, Tay."

"It better be. I wrote it while Mira was screaming and Lily was asking me what rhymes with 'spaghetti.'"

By the end of the day, we had two solid demos and plans to come back twice a week. It felt good - exhausting, sure, but necessary. Like remembering who I was before the bottles, the diapers, the school sign-ups, and sleepless nights.

On the way home, I stopped to pick up dinner for the four of us. When I opened the door, I was met with chaos. Mira was in a bouncer, squealing happily. Lily ran at me full speed in socks, nearly knocking me over.

"Mama's home!" she shouted. "Did you write a song about ME?"

I scooped her up. "I might've."

Travis peeked out from the kitchen, looking disheveled but proud. "They were both fed, changed, and only cried... a little."