Love, Taylor | TS

Twenty-Seven

Dear Rory,
The first single from my album is out!
I'm kind of terrified of people absolutely hating it. It's always so scary to start fresh. I don't want to fail. Especially after fighting my label so hard to let me rebrand. But I also have to like shape-shift every time to stay relevant in this industry.
It is what it is.
Love, Taylor

———

On the thirteenth of December, I am very aware of the fact that it is Taylor's birthday.

I've been aware of it pretty much every single year since her fourteenth birthday. I haven't thought much about it in the past fifteen years, though it did linger in the very back of my mind. But this year is different.

It wouldn't have been had we not run into each other this past summer. But now, we've been texting practically nonstop. We chat about our day. We catch up. We make some jokes. We don't mention the past.

I'm not sure if she's actually being friendly or if she's just being Taylor.

Taylor is someone who is incredibly easy to talk to about anything. She's attentive. She's empathetic. She makes sure you're comfortable and she makes jokes to get you to laugh. She's always been easy to talk to. Conversations have always flowed naturally between us and it's really nice.

The box of postcards sitting in the back of my closet makes its presence known to me, though. I could disregard it easily before, only ever thinking about it when I received a new one, but now, with Taylor and I bonding again, I feel the urge to explain why I never responded to any of her cards, why I never even told her to stop sending them if I was never going to respond. The thing is, though, I don't have an answer. I just know that I never wanted her to stop.

Besides, she doesn't even know I have them. I'm not sure if she thinks Nana has been keeping them from me or if they were going straight to the bin when I did get them, but she never stopped. I kind of respect the commitment.

I'm not sure broaching that subject would do anyone any good.

She sends me pictures of her cats sometimes, other times, it's the back of Jack's head while she's at the studio.

It's no different today, except for some reason, there's a double bass behind her.

Rory: You're still working today?

Taylor: It's Tuesday. those albums aren't going to rerecord themselves!!

I can't help but roll my eyes at her tone. She doesn't mention her birthday. I'm not sure if she thinks I've forgotten or if she just doesn't care.

Rory: So, you're just going to be hauled up all day in that studio working today?

Taylor: Pretty much, yeah 🤷‍♀️