Chapter 77
Now that Owen's mystery had been solved, I had been counting down the days until we flew to London to see Niall again.
If Owen was ever awake when I face timed Niall, I would make sure to bring Owen to the screen so he could see his dad.
He was crying less, and if he ever did start screaming, I knew exactly what to do.
I had decided to keep this little secret between Owen and I. Niall didn't have to know about it, because it would only make him feel worse.
Finally, the day came around when Owen and I were going to go to Taylor Swift's apartment for a visit.
I had spent so long fantasizing over what it would look like or if she would have any of her celebrity friends inside when I arrived. Now I would finally get to find out.
Just like how any fan prepares for a concert, I bought her entire discography on iTunes and got a better feel of what she was like. It was funny listening to her older songs and then comparing them to her newest songs.
I packed Owen's diaper bag and put it in the stroller. I prayed that Owen would be able to stay calm during the visit and didn't ruin it for the both of us.
I picked up some flowers in a pretty vase to bring to her as a hostess gift. I felt awkward walking in empty handed.
She texted me her address and she lived about twenty minutes away.
I promised myself I was going to do whatever it took not to bring Owen on a train- I didn't feel comfortable. So I decided to drive.
The thing with driving is that now I would have to find a place to park and I might have to pay and then I have to worry about getting Owen in and out...
Everyday was an adventure.
Lucky for me, Owen had a big poop before we left so I didn't have to worry about him exploding all over Taylor Swift's 20 million dollar apartment.
I pulled up to the curb that was right across from the address she gave me and looked around. There had to be security inside. I have had some bad experiences with security, and I was not going back to jail.
I also didn't want my car to get towed.
I sighed. I had nothing to worry about- Taylor was expecting me, wasn't she?
I pushed open the car door and pulled out Owen's carrier with the diaper bag, along with the flowers I kept in the cup holder. Before I went in, I looked at my reflection in the rear view mirror.
I had actually put some effort into my appearance today and had on a blue sundress with some makeup. I couldn't help but feeling a little bit hopeless knowing I was about to present myself to one of the world's fashion icons.
Walking across the street, I couldn't help but feel a bit nervous. I always felt nervous when I was meeting new people, and this was no exception. I also didn't want anything to go wrong or for me to embarrass myself.
I could see my reflection in the glass of the entrance door and took one last deep breath before pushing the door so I could go inside.
Just like I expected, there was a man dressed in black with a shiny badge sitting in a chair just inside the door.
He looked up at me and I lost my breath for a second.
"I'm Alyssa," I decided to say. "Taylor and I made plans for today."
I held my breath for a response. I didn't want to get kicked out now.
"She told me you were going to stop by," he said in a low New York accent. "I'll let her know you're here. The entrance door is to the left."
I sighed of relief.
"Thank you," I nodded my head, and began to walk to the left. There was a set of stairs, and I was glad that I didn't bring the stroller in. However, my arm was starting to get tired of holding the heavy carrier.
That was a lot easier than I thought.
I was glad I didn't get arrested.
Why couldn't somebody from One Direction notify security that day?
I climbed the set of stairs and looked across another long hallway. Dark wood paneled both sides of the walls, and there were some windows overlooking where I had just parked my car across the street.
It was so silent that I could hear my shoes clicking on the wood floor.
At the end of the hallway there was a grand wooden door that looked like it could lead to Narnia or something.
Without hesitation, I reached out and pressed the buzzer.
I took another deep breath and looked down at Owen, who was fast asleep in the carrier.
Those seconds I spent looking at the closed door were probably the most nerve-wracking moments of my life. I could feel my heart beating.
I could hear the door handle make a noise like it was being unlocked, and was basically holding my breath.
The door was opened to reveal a blonde-haired woman who towered over me, even though she was barefooted. She had a huge, glowing smile on her face and her eyes lit up when she saw Owen and I.
I could feel my lips curl into a smile when I saw her.
"Alyssa, It's so nice to meet you, come in!" She opened the door wider so I could walk in. I took slow steps inside, and then she stretched her arms out for a hug.
Even though she was dressed for comfort, she was always so stylish and stunning.
"Oh my, you're even more gorgeous in person!" Were the only words that I could think of while I was in shock.
"You're so sweet," she added. "Let's go sit down." I followed behind her as she led me through her huge kitchen into a sitting area, and her apartment was so amazing.
Her walls were paneled with dark wood that gave it kind of a relaxed rustic feel, but was still a bit modern. Everything about it screamed "billionaire".
"Do you want anything to eat or drink?" She politely asked as we walked.
"I'm fine right now, but thank you," I replied.
I recognized the kitchen from some of her Instagram pictures. I could only imagine how many famous celebrities and girl talk went on within these walls.
We made it to a room with comfy chairs and a couch next to windows draped with red curtains overlooking the city. It was breathtaking.
"I'm assuming this is Owen," Taylor said as I rested the carrier on the ground. It felt so weird hearing anybody outside my family call Owen by his name.
"You assumed right," I said with a laugh. "He's pretty calm right now, do you want to hold them?"
She was taken aback by the offer, like she wasn't expecting it.
"Only if it's okay with you," she responded, her eyes wide with wonder. I smiled and unbuckled Owen from his carrier and he began to squirm from the disturbance in his sleep.
I handed him over to Taylor's outstretched hands and she pulled him close to her chest so he could rest on her shoulder.
"He already looks bigger than he did in the pictures that Niall showed me," Taylor said, admiring the tiny baby.
I nodded. "He's been growing so fast," I admitted. "I have to make sure to enjoy every second of it, even when he's screaming his head off."
This made Taylor giggle a little. "I can't imagine this little guy screaming," she began. "He's so peaceful."
I almost gagged. "You better pray that he doesn't cry while he's here."
She hadn't taken her eyes off of Owen since he had been in her arms. That's the thing with babies, they bring out the innocence in the world. Something can only be that small for a short amount of time, so we had to analyze every inch of his undeveloped body.
"It must be so hard," she said, eyes still glued to Owen. "Keeping this little guy a secret. And your entire relationship."
I sighed. "You have no idea," I said. "In July, it will have been one year."
Taylor shook her head in disappointment. "Nobody should have to hide their love for someone."
I pressed my lips together, reflecting on all the time we spent hiding. There was nothing more that I wanted than to show the world how much I loved my family.
"It's just so unpredictable," I responded. "We have to remind ourselves that it's for the best. Owen deserves a few months to adjust to the world, and so do I. Time has flew by, and we're almost at the light at the end of the tunnel."
"I had no idea that Niall was hiding so much. In this industry, keeping secrets is impossible, and you two have kept it for so long," she drifted off. Her fingers traced Owen's cheeks. Her voice was so quiet and gentle.
I took my eyes off of them for a second, just to look out the window. I knew that if anybody were to understand, it would be her.
"Sometimes, I just worry about how everybody's going to react when we tell," I said.
Taylor's eyes moved up to look at me, and it was the first time she had looked away from Owen since she had been holding him in her arms.
"Will there be people who aren't too happy with this situation? There always are. You're never going to be able to please everybody. What matters is that you know the suffering and the love you have for your family, and nobody can take that away," there was a determination in her voice.
"There are also going to be people who will be supportive. As long as you explain yourself in a way that shows how much you've been through and the relief that you have now that you're getting this off of your chest, people would have to be literal Satan to hate you." Her eyes were glued to mine, and it made every word even more powerful.
I took a deep breath and began to nod my head.
"Everything's going to be just fine," she added. "And if you ever need somebody to talk to, you're welcome over anytime."
Her confidence made me feel so much better about myself, and I actually felt like things might actually go as planned for once.
"I bought all the ingredients to make cookies," she said. "How about a little baking and bonding sesh?" She asked, starting to get up.
I reached out to take Owen and put him back in the carrier for another nap.
"I've heard so much about your famous baking skills," I replied. "I would love to."
Taylor had a small giggle and then reached for my hand.
I had been nervous over nothing- Taylor was a sweetheart, and she had boosted my spirits.
A/N
In case you didn't notice, the picture that's attached is actually of Taylor Swift's apartment. I also put a link below that will take you through a tour of her New York house to get a better feel of the story (((:
Thank you for reading, voting, and commenting!
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http://www.instyle.com/celebrity/taylor-swift-new-york-city-apartment-photos