Ours - Taylor Swift WLW Romance Fanfiction

Chapter 15: Meeting the Parents

As the car pulled up to Taylor's childhood home, Taylor felt her nerves skyrocket. She glanced over at Ava, who seemed to be the picture of calm, gazing out the window at the quaint Nashville neighborhood.

"You ready for this?" Taylor asked, her voice slightly shaky.

Ava turned to her with a reassuring smile. "As I'll ever be. It's going to be fine, Tay. They're your parents. They love you."

Taylor nodded, trying to absorb some of Ava's steadiness. "I know. I just... I've never brought a girl home before. And with everything that happened with Joe, I'm just worried about how they'll react."

Ava reached over, giving Taylor's hand a comforting squeeze. "Hey, we're in this together, alright? No matter what happens."

Drawing strength from Ava's touch, Taylor took a deep breath and exited the car. Hand in hand, they made their way up the front path. Before they could even knock, the door swung open - Andrea Swift was ready to greet them.

"Taylor! Oh honey, it's so good to see you!" She pulled her daughter into a tight hug before turning her attention to Ava. "And you must be Ava. We've heard so much about you."

There was something in Andrea's tone, a slight undercurrent of uncertainty, that made Taylor's stomach clench. But Ava just grinned, extending a hand. "It's wonderful to meet you, Mrs. Swift. I've been looking forward to this."

Andrea shook her hand, her smile not quite reaching her eyes. "Please, call me Andrea. Come on in, you two. Your father's just in the living room."

As they stepped inside, Taylor felt Ava's hand slip into hers, a silent show of support. Scott Swift stood from his armchair as they entered, his expression unreadable.

"Dad," Taylor greeted, moving to hug him. "This is Ava, my... my girlfriend."

Scott's eyebrows shot up at the word 'girlfriend', but he quickly schooled his features into a polite smile. "Nice to meet you, Ava. We've certainly seen a lot about you on the news lately."

Taylor winced at the implication, but Ava remained unfazed. "Well, you know how the media can be. They love a good story."

An awkward silence fell upon them, broken only by Andrea's too-bright suggestion. "Why don't we all sit down? I'll go get some refreshments."

As they settled onto the couch, Taylor couldn't help but notice the space her parents put between themselves and Ava. Scott cleared his throat, leveling his daughter with a serious look.

"So, Taylor. Your mother and I have been... concerned, to say the least. This all seems very sudden. What happened with Joe?"

Taylor felt Ava tense beside her at the mention of her ex. She took a breath, trying to organize her thoughts. "Joe and I... we'd been growing apart for a while. I wasn't happy. Ava and I connected through our work and it just... it felt right. She makes me happy."

Andrea frowned, worry etched into her features. "But honey, you and Joe were together for six years. And you've never shown interest in women before. It's all so sudden, forgive me but I have to ask... Are you sure this isn't just a... a phase?"

"A phase?" Taylor repeated, incredulous. "Mom, I'm 33 years old. I think I know my own heart by now."

"It just seems like such a drastic shift," Scott added gently. "And with the age difference... Ava, you're what, 25? Taylor's in a very different stage of life."

Ava leaned forward, meeting Scott's gaze steadily. "With all due respect, Mr. Swift, I may be younger than Taylor, but I assure you, my feelings for her are very real and very serious. I care about your daughter deeply. Her happiness is the most important thing to me."