Adopted by Taylor Swift

Chapter 38: Lover Music Video

August 14, 2019
Elijah's Perspective

Today Taylor was making sure the music video for "Lover" was finished and watched it to make sure the VFX looked good and ready for its release in two days.

That meant that me and Astrid would be coming with her to the meeting.

We sat down on a giant couch in a screening room, the type that feels like it could swallow you whole if you sink too far into it. I also had a bowl of popcorn that I was definitely sharing. Well, mostly anyways. Astrid had her legs tucked underneath her and kept leaning over to whisper comments even though the video hadn't started yet.

Taylor sat up front with her laptop open, talking to a lot of the people in charge of the VFX, the editing, lighting, etc. Harry was leaning against a wall beside her - relaxed, but paying attention. He clearly knows what it's like to make a music video, being a famous pop star too. We all shifted our attention to the big screen like it was a movie premiere.

"Okay," Taylor said, clapping her hands softly. "Let's roll it from the top."

The lights dimmed.

The video began with a shot that zoomed in on a snow globe with a colourful house inside it. Then it transitioned into the Lover House - a house where each room represented an era of Taylor's career. Astrid nudged me when she recognized one of the rooms.

Then came a close-up of peering through the peephole of a door, transitioning into Taylor with the "lover" of the video - their silhouettes glowing in a room lit by Christmas lights, right as the first lyric started.

The whole room felt quiet and warm, like nobody wanted to break the moment.

When the video ended, the screen faded to black. Taylor leaned back in her chair, smiling - not the stage-smile, but the real one.

"I'm really happy with it," she said.

Everyone nodded. It was clear this was the final version.

Briefly after she wrapped everything up, Taylor opened her phone and laptop, that familiar mischievous look on her face.

"Time to tease," she said.

She zoomed in on a still from the snow globe scene, pointing out tiny details - colors, numbers, things fans would absolutely lose their minds over. Harry shook his head, laughing.

"You enjoy this way too much."

"I really do," she said, posting it. "Okay. Chaos activated."

---

The car ride back to the Tribeca duplex felt quieter than usual. Astrid was scrolling through comments on Taylor's phone, gasping every few seconds.

"They already noticed the heart window," she said. "And the numbers!"

"I told you," Taylor laughed. "They're good."

When we got home, the place felt extra cozy - sunlight coming in through the big windows, the city humming outside like background noise. It didn't feel like a pop star's home. It felt like ours.

Astrid kicked off her shoes and immediately grabbed her sketchbook, curling up on the couch. I followed her, flopping down dramatically.

"I'm tired," I announced.

"You sat for two hours," Harry said.

"It was emotional sitting."

Taylor laughed and went into the kitchen, starting on dinner. She hummed Lover under her breath while she cooked, like the song was already part of the house.

Astrid held up her sketchbook. She'd drawn the Lover House, but added something new - two extra rooms at the top.

"What are those?" I asked.

"Our rooms," she said simply. "Because we live there too."

Later, we all sat on the living room floor eating dinner, plates balanced on our knees. Taylor talked about the release schedule, Harry talked about tour stories, and Astrid and I mostly argued about whose turn it was to pick a movie.

Before bed, Taylor tucked us in like always.

"Two days," I said quietly as she turned off the light.

She smiled. "Two days."

As I stared at the ceiling, listening to the sounds of the city outside and the soft music playing somewhere downstairs, I thought about how everyone else would see the video soon.

But tonight - at the Tribeca duplex, with popcorn crumbs on the couch and sketches on the coffee table - it still felt like a secret.

And secrets are kind of my favorite thing.

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Chapter 38 is done.

Word Count: 712