Final part I'm not gonna lie this one's my favorite part ☺️❤️
It had been a full year since Taylor began her journey to healing—mentally, physically, and emotionally. A year filled with ups and downs, breakthroughs and setbacks, but most importantly, it had been a year of rediscovery. Taylor had found parts of herself that had been hidden beneath layers of guilt and self-doubt, and though it wasn't easy, she was finally learning how to let those layers fall away.
Therapy had become a regular part of their routine, something that Taylor had embraced, though she never thought she would. She and Travis continued to go together, working through her struggles as a team. It wasn't always smooth—there were still tough days—but with Travis by her side, she knew she wasn't facing it alone. After every session, they had a tradition now—*ice cream*. Every single time, Travis would surprise her by finding a new ice cream parlor or returning to their favorite spot from the first time. It had become their special ritual, a little reminder that they could still find joy even in the midst of difficult conversations and healing.
On this particular evening, they had just finished another session, and Taylor felt lighter than usual. Therapy had gone well, and she had finally shared some of her deepest fears about her body image and how it had affected her over the years. The release was freeing, but the best part was that she didn't feel shame anymore—not like before. With Travis by her side, encouraging her at every step, she was beginning to feel more comfortable in her own skin.
As they sat outside the same little ice cream shop where their tradition had started, Taylor couldn't help but smile. "You know, I never thought I'd look forward to ice cream so much," she said, taking a small bite of her vanilla cone.
Travis chuckled, his arm draped around her shoulder. "It's the best part of therapy, right?" he teased, leaning in to nuzzle her cheek.
She laughed, nudging him playfully. "No, but it's close."
The past year had brought them closer than ever. They had weathered so many storms, but each one seemed to make their bond stronger. And now, Taylor felt... happy. It wasn't the fleeting kind of happiness she used to chase—it was deeper, steadier. She had worked for this feeling, and now, she was finally able to claim it as her own.
---
That weekend, Taylor stood beside Travis in their backyard, holding a hammer in her hand. The warm summer sun bathed everything in golden light as they stared down at the old, battered scale that had tormented her for far too long. Today was the day it would meet its end.
"You ready for this?" Travis asked, a grin on his face as he twirled his own hammer playfully in his hand.
Taylor took a deep breath, then smiled at him, feeling a surge of excitement rush through her. "More than ready."
Without another word, she lifted the hammer and brought it down on the scale with a satisfying *crash*. The glass cracked beneath the force, the numbers on the dial disappearing beneath a web of fractures. Travis followed suit, his hammer crashing down beside hers, and soon, they were laughing together as they smashed the scale into pieces. Each hit was cathartic, a symbol of letting go of the control that the numbers had held over her for so long.
When the scale was nothing more than a pile of shattered pieces, Taylor dropped the hammer and turned to Travis, breathless and beaming. "I feel... free."
Travis smiled, pulling her into his arms. "You are, Tay. You're free."
---
Later that month, Taylor and Travis found themselves at a Bruno Mars concert, one they had planned for months. The energy in the arena was electric, with the crowd dancing and singing along to every hit. Taylor felt alive, her heart pounding in time with the music, her hand intertwined with Travis's as they swayed together to the beat.
Then, the unmistakable opening chords of *Just The Way You Are* began to play, and the crowd erupted in cheers. Taylor froze for a moment, her heart skipping a beat. She turned to look at Travis, and when she saw the way he was watching her, her breath caught in her throat.
As Bruno Mars began to sing, Travis didn't take his eyes off her. He mouthed the words softly, his gaze locked on hers, and Taylor felt tears prick at the corners of her eyes.
"When I see your face, there's not a thing that I would change, 'cause you're amazing, just the way you are..."
Travis's voice, though quiet, was full of meaning as he sang the words directly to her, his hand tightening around hers. In that moment, Taylor knew—he meant every word. He always had.
Her heart swelled with emotion as she listened to the song, tears streaming down her face, but this time, they weren't tears of sadness or guilt. They were tears of joy, of gratitude. For the first time in a long time, she felt seen—*truly* seen—not just for what she looked like, but for who she was. And Travis had always been there, loving her through it all.
When the chorus hit again, Travis gently cupped her face in his hands, wiping away her tears with his thumbs. "Tay," he whispered, his voice thick with emotion, "you're everything to me. Just the way you are."
Taylor couldn't stop the sob that escaped her throat, but it was followed by laughter, the kind that came from pure, unfiltered happiness. She wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him close, burying her face in his chest as the song swelled around them.
"I love you," she whispered against him, her voice full of all the love and gratitude she felt in that moment.
Travis kissed the top of her head, his arms wrapping around her tightly. "I love you too, Tay. Always."
As they stood there, wrapped up in each other, surrounded by the music and the energy of the crowd, Taylor realized something important—something that had taken her a long time to truly believe.
She was never alone, and she never would be again. Travis had been her rock through it all, and together, they had built something unbreakable. They had created a love that was steady, strong, and unwavering. And for the first time, Taylor truly believed that she was enough—just the way she was.
The music played on, but in that moment, Taylor knew her heart had finally found peace. And she was going to hold on to it with everything she had.
Requests ~~~~~~~~~~~~~>
