a sound she hadn't heard before

five.

After the show, the girls head back to the parking garage and say goodbye with the promise of a playdate soon. When Taylor and Ayla are in the car back to New Jersey, Taylor decides that it might be a good time to bring up what she has been needing to talk to her daughter about.

"Ayla, can we have a big girl talk? It's nothing bad, I promise."

"Yes Momma."

"Do you know how we just saw a Broadway show? Do you know that there are a bunch of Broadway shows out there, and they all have different stories?"

"Really? Can we see more of them?"

Taylor laughs. "Of course we can, sweetheart."

"Yay!"

"Well, I wanted to ask you something. You know that Mommy writes songs right?"

Ayla nods.

"A few days ago, a man approached me and asked if I could write him some songs for his Broadway show that he's writing. He wants me to be really involved in the process, so I said that I needed to ask if you'd be okay with it first."

"Really Mommy?"

"Yeah. He wants me to go to rehearsals, which would mean that I would have to pick you up from school and bring you into the city for a few hours every day. I wasn't sure if you'd want that or not."

"No Mommy, I love going to the city!"

"I wasn't sure if you'd want to go to my practices, though. I won't be able to pay very much attention to you, but I can bring your iPad and your books and whatever toys you'd like me to to keep you busy. Sometimes when I'm done, we can go out for fun dinners in Midtown if you'd like that."

"Mommy, I think you should write the songs. You're the bestest songwriter ever."

"Sweetie," Taylor laughs, "that's very nice of you to say. But are you mega sure that you're okay with this? You don't really know what it's like to have a mommy who has a job, and it'll be a big change for you. I'm going to try really really hard to still be able to drop you off and pick you up from school every single day, but I can't promise that. I might have to send Blake or Ryan to get you sometimes, and I might have to be gone some evenings, and-"

"Mommy," Ayla cuts Taylor off, "it's okay. I love you no matter what. I pinky promise."

Taylor feels tears welling up in her eyes. Her daughter is so kind and compassionate, always. "We are going to make this work, then? Together?"

"Yep. Like always."

Taylor is taken aback by that statement, but as she keeps driving, she realizes just how true it is. There has never been an obstacle that Taylor and Ayla haven't been able to overcome together.

"Okay then. I'm going to call and accept the position when we get back home."

"Alright. Mommy?"

"Yes?"

"Can we have chicken nuggies for dinner?"

Taylor can't help but laugh. The little girl hasn't developed mature priorities yet. "Of course we can have chicken nuggies, sweetheart."

At home, Taylor heats up some frozen nuggets for the two of them, and they sit down at their table, just like they do every evening.

"What was your favorite part of the show today?" Taylor asks her daughter.

Ayla thinks for a minute. "I liked the puppets. Like Pumbaa." She giggles a little bit. "He was silly."

"He was, wasn't he?" Taylor smiles. "Did you like seeing the girls too?"