"Richard Swift, if you don't come down right now, we're not getting McDonald's for lunch." Taylor called, looking at her watch as she had sent him to go get his shoes but he had been up there for ten minutes and she had been waiting on him so they could go get breakfast.
"Hold on, mommy, I can't find my shoes." The frustrated groan sounded through the house as Taylor sighed and rolled her eyes. She climbed up the stairs and into his room. The kid was just like his dad. At five years old, he was a stubborn little one indeed and gave a lot of work but Taylor didn't mind. He was her little angel and she couldn't be more thankful although he was a permanent reminder of his dad.
She found his shoes within seconds, spotting them under the bed. She reached for them and handed them to Richard, who was smiling cutely at her, probably embarrassed because he hadn't found them and she did.
"There you go. Are you ready now?" She kissed his head and he nodded, taking her hand and walking down the stairs. Once they were in the car, Taylor turned up the radio.
"It's your song, mommy." Richard yelled out as soon as he recognized the melody. He started singing along, belting out the lyrics as Taylor laughed at her son. His green eyes lit up as he danced along to the beat. She sometimes wished he would've ended up with her blue eyes instead. As much as she loved the color and the man who had the same eyes as Richard, she wished she didn't have to look at them and remember the past. But there were times, like this one, that she loved that he did, because his eyes light up like his dad's did and they shine just as beautifully if not more. It's still a reminder of pain but also the good things.
They were sitting down, eating pancakes, the little boy happy as ever with chocolate all over his face, Taylor felt grateful for having him in the middle of all the crazy in her life, he seemed the most normal of it all.
Richard was curiously looking at a family who was sitting on a table near them. The father was telling a joke as everyone laughed.
"Mommy, how come everyone has a daddy but I don't?" He asked and Taylor's breath caught in her throat. Every time he asked something like this, she was left speechless. Andrea, her mother, had told her that she should get in contact with Richard's dad and get them to meet but she never had the courage to.
"Well, your daddy doesn't live here. He had to go away." She answered, trying to brush it off but she knew that wouldn't work for Richard, he was too persistent.
"Is it the same place you go when you go away?" He wondered. Taylor spent as much time as she could in Nashville, where Richard lived. Nashville was a paparazzi free place and Taylor kept him away from her world. He usually stayed with her mom. She had brought him to LA a few times, as secretly as possible but Nashville was safe for him to be here. No one knew about him except for her friends and family. She, herself didn't know how she managed to keep him a secret but she was glad her son wasn't in the spotlight. When he was old enough, she would probably tell the world and she felt kind of guilty about not saying anything. She hated not being able to post a picture of him on her instagram or tweet about something funny he did but sacrifices had to be made in order for him to have a normal life.
"No, sweetie, it's a different place." She replied, shaking her head.
"Will I ever get to meet him?" He smiled innocently and Taylor gulped.
"Maybe one day but not now." Richard dropped the topic to talk about a movie that was about to come out that he wanted to see. Taylor was relived she didn't have to deal with more questions because she was sure she didn't want to answer them. They finished their breakfast and Taylor paid before starting to walk outside. Richard was walking ahead of her and he bumped into a tall man.
"Woah, be careful there, little one." The man laughed, helping Richard get up from the floor. "You okay there?" He asked.
"I'm so sorry for him. He's so clumsy." Taylor apologized but her eyes widened when she looked at the man's face. "Adam?"
"Taylor?" He gasped, looking at her.
"What are you doing in Nashville?" She inquired. She was trying to control her breathing as she hadn't talked to him in five years. She had seen him though, in awards shows or on the TV.
"I'm visiting a friend." He answered. "I haven't seen you in a long time." He commented, smiling softly at her.
"Yeah. How have you been?" She smiled, trying not to freak out as there was a five year old clinging onto her leg.
"Mommy, I want to go." Richard pouted, looking up at her and Adam's mouth opened in shock.
"We're going now, baby. Don't worry." She ruffled his head. "I have to go. It was nice seeing you. Bye." She rushed out of the café, taking in everything that had happened. Richard just met his dad for the first time. The last thing she thought would happen and the one thing Richard wanted most had happened but he doesn't know and neither does Adam.
