When Emma Falls in Love (Taylor Swift x OC)

Reminiscing in London

AN: This chapter talks quite a bit about Emma's past and talks about topics like anxiety, depression, and domestic violence, especially towards the end of the chapter. Just wanted to give a heads up for anyone who is sensitive to any of those things.

November 24, 2016.

Seven - Emma

Emma's flight landed late that night. She didn't make it back to her mum's house until close to four that morning but it didn't bother her much, it wasn't like she had anything to do for the day. Her mothers house was a small brick home on the outskirts of London. If it wasn't for the winter temperatures, the house would be covered in flowers of every imaginable color. It was dark but the abundance of Christmas lights made up for the lack of street lamps.

When Emma keyed in the code to her mothers house she was surprised to find her mum still up. She was sitting on the couch in a dressing gown holding a steaming mug. When she saw Emma she immediately put the mug down on the coffee table, almost spilling it but not caring in the slightest as she made her way to wrap her arms around her daughter.

"You didn't have to wait up for me."

"Of course I did, honey. I missed you. I've been counting down the days since Halloween."

"I missed you too but I am exhausted. Let's go to bed, yeah?" Her mother nodded and finally released Emma from an organ crushing hug. Her mother walked her towards the guest bedroom and sat one of the bags on the floor by the closet.

Emma hugged her mother again and kissed her on the cheek. "I love you mum."

"I love you more, Emma bear." Emma rolled her eyes at the childhood nickname before letting her mother go. "Sleep well my love."

Emma woke up later that afternoon to find her mother making dinner. She stood in the doorway for a second, comforted by the smell of her mothers cooking. It had been far too long since she had been home.

The house that had felt like a jail cell when she was a teenager now held an air of freedom to it. Her life in New York was chaotic day in and day out. The streets were always too cramped to move and driving was a nightmare.

When she was younger it had been her dream to move to a place like New York. Somewhere she was always within walking distance of whatever she needed: a grocery store, a restaurant, a drug store. Somewhere there would be enough people to make it impossible for her not to find where she belonged.

The only things within walking distance of her childhood home were two other houses scattered on the road and a few sheep and horses that lived in the fields behind them.

She felt like she could breathe for the first time in years and it wasn't just because of the fresh air.

Her mother saw her standing in the doorway lost in thought. "Good morning honey, did you sleep alright?" Emma nodded. "I know you said we didn't have to do anything for Thanksgiving but I made a pie."

Emma looked around the kitchen to see exactly what her mum had meant by pie. There was a basket of bread sitting on the table, sweetcorn and green beans in separate bowls. There were two different pies, one pumpkin and one chocolate, the two creating a heavenly aroma. From the smell of it there was also a honey ham somewhere... possibly in the oven. Emma looked at her mom with a big smile on her face, thankful to have a home cooked meal for the first time in a long time.

"Pie?" Emma said the word as a question, raising one eyebrow to her mother.

"Well, along with some other things. I had the time, and I figured you must be starving after your flight." The oven let off three consecutive beeps and her mother had grabbed two oven mitts to pull out the steaming ham.