A new year.
2023 had been the most amazing, confusing, fun, emotional rollercoaster of a year, with unbelievable highs and excruciating lows.
Thinking back to this time last year, Taylor can't help but sigh. She believed she was happy then, but deep down, she knew it was over. The distance between her and Joe had begun weeks - if not months - earlier, and the fact that she was in bed on New Year's Eve at 10pm without even a kiss to ring in 2023 should have told her everything she needed to know. It really was over, only a few weeks later on a rainy afternoon in London, the city she thought had mended her, and her heart was truly broken for the first time in years.
The Eras Tour, when it started, was a refuge: being back on stage helped to heal her heart and made her stronger, helped her to overcome the break up. And as it went on - and she had that little rebound - she worked it out of her system, realised she had allowed herself to change, to fit into someone else's idea of her, and she wanted to reclaim her. To be truly authentic, truly herself, and it was refreshing to realise she was at a stage in her life that she could do that and not care what other people thought of her.
And then... along came Travis. She wasn't looking for him, but as he reminds her all the time, he was looking for her. He came into her life in a whirlwind of secret meetings, kisses and sweeping her off her feet with his kindness, laughter and love. She can't ever remember feeling this happy, free and loved, living life with someone Blake described as her 'twin flame'. It felt so different this time, and that's why it felt so right.
The week after Christmas had been so much fun, holed up with Travis in KC. Her family were there for Christmas Day, expertly distracting Travis from the unfortunate result against the Raiders, but when they left that evening to fly back to Nashville it was the first time they had been truly alone in ages. It was refreshing, to just hang out together, no expectations from either of them about what they wanted to do. They filled the time with movies, popcorn, dog walking and talking - boy, could they talk. From what cat liked Travis best (it was definitely Benjamin); to where they saw themselves in five years; back to what ice cream they wanted after dinner. It was never ending but it was fun, and so effortless.
They had celebrated Lindsay's birthday on the Friday, and when Travis left for the team hotel on Saturday, the house was empty except for Taylor and the cats. Deciding on an early night ahead of New Year's Eve fun, she headed to bed to be greeted by a present box, with the label reading:
Tay Tay,
One last present to ring in the new year. I thought we should match.
Love you, princess.
Trav
She opened it eagerly, pulling out the match of his Chiefs jacket he had worn last week, and that she had bought for him as part of his birthday presents back in October. She smiled as she ran her hand over it, appreciating the thought that went into ordering what seemed to be a custom piece, before noticing the 'Tay-Tay' stitched into the pocket.
Tears sprang up, laughter as well, as she thought of Travis - the big, 6 foot 5 football player - picking up the phone to order a jacket with her nickname on it, just so they could match. The nickname had been something of an inside joke at the start, born from his niece hearing him talk of 'Tay' on the phone and proceeding to only talk about 'Tay Tay, Uncle Travvy's friend' every time she came up in conversation. Now, among his many other names for her - baby, princess, my girl - Tay Tay had seemed to stick, and she'd even noticed he'd changed her contact name in his phone to it as well.
Looking at the time, she knew it was before curfew and that he'd still have his phone on. Clicking on FaceTime, the dial tone started, and she set the phone down to try on the jacket. When she picked it up again he had just accepted the call, and his face split into a grin when he realised what she was wearing.
