The Seven Husbands of Taylor Swift

29

TAYLOR SWIFT
I walked back into the apartment from my OB/GYN appointment, the weight of uncertainty heavy on my shoulders. The smell of garlic and onions sautéing filled the air, a comforting scent that usually put me at ease, but today it just added to the knot in my stomach. Joe was at the kitchen counter, focused on chopping vegetables for dinner, and I hesitated for a moment, wondering how to break the news to him. I'd told him he didn't need to come with me, convincing both him and myself that it would be a simple procedure, nothing more. I didn't think I needed his support, but now, standing there, I wasn't so sure.

"Hey, how are you feeling?" he asked, his tone light and casual as he continued slicing.

I didn't answer right away, the words I needed to say catching in my throat. I knew I couldn't sugarcoat it, couldn't ease him into it. I had to just say it, rip the bandaid off. "I didn't get the abortion." The words tumbled out, blunt and unvarnished, as I let my purse slip from my hand, landing with a dull thud on the floor.

Joe froze, his hand pausing mid-air, the knife hovering over the cutting board. His eyes snapped up to meet mine, wide with shock. "What?"

"I didn't go through with it," I repeated, my voice quieter this time, more uncertain. "I told the doctor I needed more time to think about it." I looked away, unable to hold his gaze, afraid of what I might see there.

He set the knife down, his fingers curling into a fist on the counter. "I'm not trying to tell you what to do, but I thought we agreed—no kids." His voice was tight, controlled, but I could hear the strain beneath it.

"I know, Joe, I know. But I got to hear it today... I heard the baby's heartbeat." The memory of that sound brought a small, involuntary smile to my lips, though it was tinged with a deep sense of confusion.

His eyes softened for a brief moment before his expression hardened again. "Taylor, that's where the problem is starting. You're calling it a baby now. You're getting too attached. You need to go back to 'fetus' or 'clump of cells.' Call it whatever you want, just stop humanizing it." His tone was firm, almost like he was giving an order, trying to pull me back to the plan we'd agreed on.

"But they're not just that," I whispered, almost to myself. "They have a heartbeat." The thought kept echoing in my mind, no matter how hard I tried to push it away.

"So do octopuses!" Joe shot back, his voice rising. "In fact, they have three heartbeats, but I don't care about them! I actually kinda hate them! Those bloody things are terrifying!"

I blinked, caught off guard by the sudden shift in the conversation. "What is it with you and sea creatures?" I asked, a small, incredulous laugh escaping me despite the tension. Joe had always had a weird thing about them, a fear that bordered on the irrational. I remembered once tossing a minnow at him when we were by the pond, and he'd practically jumped out of his skin, falling into the water. And that was just a minnow, not even a real sea creature.

"Taylor, please get some common sense knocked into your brain," he said, exasperation coloring his words. "Three hours ago, you didn't want to be a mum."

"Joe, can you please calm down?" I pleaded, my voice trembling as tears welled in my eyes. "I'm really scared, and I don't know what to do."

His face softened at my words, and he sighed, running a hand through his hair. "I'm sorry. I'm just a little scared right now too. You know my stance, but don't let what I want change what you do."

I hesitated, the question I'd been dreading bubbling up to the surface. "Would you leave me if I kept the baby?"

His eyes widened in surprise, and he quickly shook his head. "No. I would never leave you, Taylor." He took a step closer, his voice earnest and reassuring. "If I had to do it, I would. To be with you, I would do it. I'd figure out how to be a father. I'd change diapers, tuck them in at night if I had to. I'd take them to football practice or soccer, whatever you call it. I'd attend every game, even if all they do is sit in the grass and pick flowers. If I had to, I'd help them with their maths homework until two in the morning if it meant I got to keep you. I'd do anything for you."