right where you left me

four

⎯⎯ ୨ nyc ୧ ⎯⎯

"YOU LOOK BEAUTIFUL, LOVE." Joe complimented, standing behind Aurelia, his arms crossed as he leaned against the doorframe. He fiddled with the tie in his hand, making sure it looked perfect, and then tucked it into his suit neatly.

Aurelia hummed indecisively, her gaze drifting over her body in the mirror. She was wearing a sparkly, knee-length emerald green dress that was fitted down to her waist where it then flowed out. It was a gorgeous dress, but she couldn't stop the insecurities seeping through.

Joe had been nominated for multiple acting awards, and it was the night of the ceremony. He had chosen to bring Aurelia along as his plus one, reasoning that a night out of her usual social isolation could be good for her. She was a little more apprehensive, the idea of attending a formal event where she'll be surrounded by strangers, especially those who might recognize her or Joe only exacerbated her anxiety.

She wanted to support her father, and she was so proud of him, she really was, but the prospect of not being able to hold her emotions together and having a breakdown in front of all those people, all those cameras, seemed only too real. Still, she wanted to be there by his side to applaud him, so she pushed through.

They arrived at the venue, which was large, not nearly as large as the big events Taylor used to attend, like the Grammys, but filled with a sizeable amount of C and D-list celebrities nonetheless. For someone who had so rarely spoken to anyone outside of her father and therapist in weeks, it was overwhelming to say the least.

The first part was always the hardest- the pictures. There was nothing the media loved more than a father-daughter duo, especially now in the wake of his breakup with Taylor, which only drew even more attention to them. She'd been to many events like these over the years, and she knew what to do.

She waited until she was signalled, and then she joined Joe on the carpet in front of all the photographers. Her wrapped his arm around her shoulder, and she wrapped one around his middle, holding on for dear life. She kept her smile for as long as she could as the cameras flashed in her face and people shouted a million things at them.

Just as she was sure she was going to explode from all the commotion, Joe moved his hand to her back, guiding her off the carpet. Relief flooded her instantly, and she couldn't be more grateful to have a temporary break from the prying cameras.

She followed Joe through the well-dressed crowd, clutching onto his hand as to not get lost. Around the room, lights flashed, the talking was loud, and her head started to ache because of it. She breathed out a sigh of relief when they reached their table, and was thankful to find she was sitting between her father and his coworker, grateful not to be seated beside a complete stranger.

Eventually, the lights dimmed, the awkward and maybe slightly-drunken small talk quieted down, and the awards ceremony portion of the evening began. She wasn't very well-versed in the acting world, and didn't know of many besides the most famous A-listers and the people she had in her personal life.

As it went on, Aurelia only felt more and more out of place. Her anxiety was crawling over her entire body like a spider, and she channeled everything she had into keeping it together and making it through the night.

She was drawn out of her shame spiral by Joe's name being called for an award. She beamed instantly, genuinely proud of her father, and started to clap with the rest of the crowd. "Well done!" She smiled.

Joe beamed back, hugging Aurelia tightly before he went up on stage. Ever a private man, he politely accepted his award and began to make a small speech that Aurelia had heard him practice in the bathroom before they left.