I Hate California

seven

"Honey, what are you doing back so fast?" Joe asks Sage who is still staring at Taylor with wide eyes.

"We forgot her bag of snacks and we'll get going." Elizabeth says trying to get Sage away from the room, but Sage runs over to Taylor. 

Taylor looks stunned as Sage runs towards her and gives the biggest smile, "I was at your concert! Do you remember me?" Sage asks.

Taylor lets out a soft laugh and nods her head, "Of course I remember, how could a forget a cute girl like you?"

Sage's face goes red from the compliment, "Daddy why is she here?" She continues to ask.

Joe stands up from his chair and picks Sage up smothering her little face in kisses and Taylor watches them jealously. 

"It's a part of Daddy's work baby, it came up all of the sudden, but don't you and Gramma and Grampapa have somewhere to be?" Joe asks her and Sage looks at him with a funny face. 

"Lets go! Lets go!" Sage yells running towards the door and her grandparents follow, leaving Joe with a concerned look. 

Joe watches as they drive out the driveway and looks back at Taylor who has silent tears falling down her face. He races over to her, "I'm sorry, I didn't think they'd be back." Joe exclaims as he rubs Taylors shoulder. 

Taylor shakes her head and wipes her tears, "No, no, it's okay. I'm just overwhelmed, I wanted to just hold her so badly Joe. You don't understand." Taylor tells him. 

"I don't understand? Taylor, you were the one that left us. Left your daughter to cry in her crib as you walked out the door!" Joe confronts her, not believing what he just heard. 

He remembers that night like it was just yesterday. Taylor was overwhelmed, feeling like the whole entire world was against her as she read everything on social media and everyone called her to tell her about it. No matter how much Joe tried to take her attention away from it, she'd find it again. 

Sage was crying for hours which ended up to Taylor crying with her as she tried to rock her baby back to sleep, but felt like Sage hated her no matter how much she tried to soothe her. 

Taylor had finally gotten Sage to fall asleep when Joe came out of the office and tried to comfort Taylor, who lashed out and began blaming everything on her, for Sage's constant cries, and Joe's stress with work, she couldn't handle it anymore. 

The yelling resulted in Sage waking up again with loud cries and Taylor walked out the door, no matter how much Joe yelled at her to come back, she took her car and drove out their driveway. That was the last time Taylor was a mother to Sage and Joe was never going to forget that. 

"I know I messed up, I know I did, but now I can't change what I did, but I want to be in her life. I want to be the Mother that she didn't have growing up. Joe, I'm better now, please." She begs looking at him.

Joe paced around the table, he didn't want to let her into Sage's life. Sage was his whole world, and Taylor just couldn't understand that. 

"Are you forgetting that I never gave up custody? She's still my daughter Joe and if you won't let me, I don't want to take other actions." She tells him angrily. 

"Hah, and do what? Should we explain to them how you left your baby crying?" Joe tells her with a chuckle. 

Taylor sighs and stands up from her chair walking next to Joe. 

"Kiss me." She demands looking at him. 

Joe takes a step back, "What? Taylor, no. You have a boyfriend." He tells her.

She shakes her head, "I do have a boyfriend, but I want you to kiss me. This doesn't mean anything."

Joe rubs his forehead, "I think you need to leave." He tells her and she looks at him with sad eyes. 

Without even noticing, Taylor leaned up and kissed his lips, leaving him stunned as he stared at her face so close to hers. He had forgotten how soft her lips were until now, he didn't realize it, but he ended up kissing her back and pulled her into a hug. 

"Okay, stop it." He tells her as he pulls back. 

"I'm going to be late, I'm texting you later tonight, you better answer me." She tells him with a stern face and heads out the door leaving Joe just confused with everything that happened. 

-

"What was she doing here?" Elizabeth asks as they watch from the playroom door. 

"She told me she just wanted to talk, and then we started talking about Sage. Mom it was so awkward, I was mad one second and then confused the next, "Joe tells her as he shakes his head. 

"And then she kissed me..." He says. 

She looks at him with wide eyes, "She did what?"

Joe nods, "She asked me to kiss her, she has a whole boyfriend, but when I said no, she ended up just coming up to me and kissing me." He explains to her.

Elizabeth not knowing what to say, just watches as Sage tries to stuff Piggy into her play house, but failing to do so and chuckles. 

"I can't believe that." She says.

After knowing that Sage was content, the two walked back into the kitchen and Elizabeth started putting away the dishes. 

"Listen son, I know Taylor's a good person. You and I both know that, she did do something wrong, but that's in the past. Sage grew up with a loving family and if Taylor wants to be in her life now, let her. Don't take Sage's Mother away from her. What are you planning on doing? Telling Sage when she's a teenager? That'll be harder." She tells him and he nods. 

"I know, I just can't seem to think straight, I love Taylor, I trust her, but I love Sage even more. I'm scared for her." He tells his Mother who nods understanding.

Elizabeth walks over to his son with a soft smile. "Let Sage meet Taylor, properly."