The Seven Husbands of Taylor Swift

36

TAYLOR SWIFT
I should've known from the start that Travis was the one. London somehow had a knack for sensing toxic people, like my god, did he hate Matty. It was as if he could feel the negativity radiating off him. But with Travis, it was different. From the very moment they met, London took to him instantly, his laughter brightening up the room.

I remember watching their first interaction like it was yesterday. London, with his wide eyes and contagious smile, instantly warmed up to Travis, unlike any other adult he'd met. It was a relief and a joy to see my son so comfortable with someone, and it felt right.

Now, London calls him his dad. I never imagined that word would resonate so strongly, especially after everything we had been through. But it does. Every time I hear him say it, my heart swells. It's like a confirmation that I made the right choice; we made the right choice. Travis didn't just fill a void; he is a real part of our family.

Our first date? Now that was an utter disaster. After the football game, a couple of months later, Travis asked me out to dinner. I was reluctant to accept at first, still so guarded and unsure if I was ready to even entertain the idea of dating again. But something about him just kept pulling me in, so I gave in and said yes.

He took me to one of those Korean BBQ places where you cook your own food. I remember sitting there, watching him with this enormous grin on my face because, honestly, it was like he had never cooked a single thing in his life. All he had to do was put the meat on the grill and flip it over, but watching him concentrate like he was handling some gourmet dish was hilarious.

He was fumbling with the tongs, trying to look like he knew what he was doing, but failing miserably. I offered to help at one point, and he just gave me this sheepish smile, admitting he was "more of an eater than a chef."

The food ended up being charred to a crisp, and we both laughed so hard that I had to wipe away tears. Even though the meal was a disaster, it was the first time I realized how much fun I could have with him, how easy things felt. It wasn't perfect, but it was real, and that's what made it so memorable.

The most memorable part, though? Oh God, I'll never forget it. I leaned over the table to grab something, and just as I did, my hair swung forward and—whoosh—caught on fire from the grill. I froze for a second, wide-eyed, feeling the heat before realizing what had happened.

Travis's face went from shock to full panic in the blink of an eye. He grabbed the nearest glass of water and, in a split second, dumped it over my head. There I was, sitting in this fancy Korean BBQ restaurant, soaked and mortified, while Travis was frantically patting down the singed ends of my hair.

We both sat there in stunned silence for a beat, and then the laughter came. I mean, full-blown, can't-breathe, tears-streaming laughter.

"Well," I said between gasps, "this is one way to break the ice."

From that moment on, the tension between us evaporated. I wasn't some guarded, skeptical woman anymore. I was just me, with my slightly charred hair, laughing like an idiot. And that was the night it was over for me. I was falling in love with this stupid tall idiot.

After that disastrous but hilarious first date, something shifted between us. Travis saw me at my most vulnerable, sitting there soaked and embarrassed, yet he didn't make me feel awkward about it. Instead, he laughed with me. For the first time in a long while, I let my guard down completely.

I remember thinking, this guy is different. There was no pretense, no expectations. Travis wasn't trying to be anything other than himself—charming, goofy, and so down-to-earth that it caught me off guard.

By the end of the night, I wasn't thinking about my image or how the media might spin things. I wasn't worrying about the complicated mess I usually felt trapped in. It was just easy. Effortless. As if we'd known each other for years.