a sound she hadn't heard before

twenty-eight.

Joe greets Taylor at their second workshop with a big hug. "Are you doing better, love?" he asks.

"I'm just trying to think everything over," she admits. "My head is in a clearer space than it was yesterday, but it's still really hard. I can't believe that this came up this week, of all times."

Joe sighs. "Please, if there's anything I can do for you, let me know."

"Just focus on your performance. That's more important right now," Taylor replies with a sad smile. "I'm going to go speak with Ben and Levi about the approved guests for the next few days."

Taylor walks away from her boyfriend at that point, knowing that he needs to start getting ready for the show anyway, and to the other room, where Ben and Levi are conferencing, finalizing the notes that they want to give out to actors before today's performance.

"Taylor," Ben says, looking up from his computer, "is everything okay?"

"No, but it's getting worked out," she sighs. "I'm really sorry about all of this."

"No apologizing," Levi says. "If I may ask, though, who was that man?"

"That was Ayla's father. The man who I once thought was the love of my life, until I never wanted to see him again."

Ben and Levi frown. "I'm really sorry," Levi finally says.

"I just... I wanted to look at the list of people who we know are coming over the next few days to make sure he won't be coming back," Taylor says. That's one benefit of a workshop- entrance is by invitation only, so they are able to know and control every person who enters that room.

"Of course, let me just bring up the document," Ben says. He types on his computer for a moment, then flips it around so that Taylor can see the screen. "Do what you need to do."

Taylor searches through the document, looking for any instances of Adam Wiles, but she can't find anything. To be extra sure, she then searches for Calvin Harris. Still nothing.

"I really do want Ayla to be able to come back and watch the show. She's been begging," Taylor sighs. "I just really want to make sure she's safe."

"Taylor," Ben says, placing his hand on her arm, "we all coped without you yesterday, and we can do it again. Bring her on Friday. You can sit with her in the audience, okay?" Ben pauses. "This job is important, but your job as a mom is more important. Who would I be, writing a show about what it means to be a family, if I didn't acknowledge that? Put your daughter before your job. Of course, she likes to see a show, but what she really wants is to be with and support her mommy. You've been putting a lot of time into this show over the past few months. It's been a big change in her life. You don't worry about us, okay?"

Taylor's eyes meet Ben's as she looks up from the laptop screen. "Are you sure?"

"Absolutely."

"Okay... Thank you. That really means a lot to me."

"It's the least we can do," Levi nods. "Now, I think that there's a certain actor... British, blonde... who might be looking to speak with the woman he loves for a moment before the show. How about you go and find him?"

Taylor feels her face heat up upon hearing those words. "You mean..." she pauses. "It was that obvious?"

"We've known for a while, hon," Ben laughs. "We're happy for you two, but you're not subtle at all."

Taylor can't help but laugh a little bit at that. She can't help but feel a bit of relief, not having to hide the relationship anymore- even though she was apparently never any good at it in the first place. And if they've all known for a good amount of time already, then if somebody in the company was going to leak the news to the press, it would've already happened by now.