A love for the ages.

Serendipity

Joe walked into this kitchen of his parents' home with a smile on his face. Taylor had landed in London a little earlier in the day and she was getting settled at the house she was renting before coming to his parents' house for dinner. It would be the first time they had all met and the first time they would realise that this 'American girl who's a singer' who had been making their son so happy over the past few months was in fact one of the biggest artists in the world. It wasn't on purpose that they didn't know it...just never came up, especially as Joe had been in the USA for a large amount of time and busy with work.

"Darling, is your friend still coming to dinner tonight?" his mum said, making him look up from his phone and smile.

"Yeah. That's still okay, isn't it?" He asked, hoping she wouldn't turn around and change her mind.

"Of course, it is! I can't wait to meet her!" She said reassuringly, "And since it's Friday, your brother doesn't have school in the morning so we can eat later and enjoy it more."

"Okay! Thanks mum!" Joe replied, just as the front door opened and closed and footsteps were heard trudging into the kitchen, before the thud of a bag being dropped was heard. "Hey P! You look like you've had a great day!" Joe teased his little brother as he crossed his arms on the table and lay on top of them.

"Shut up." Patrick replied, looking up and glaring at his brother.

"Okay, okay...sorry. What's up little brother?" Joe asked, sitting next to his brother at the table as their mum started cooking dinner.

Patrick looked up sceptically at his brother before shrugging and telling him what had happened.

"Basically, our English teacher wants us to analyse the meaning of a song or poem in pairs, and I got paired with Margot." He started to explain as Joe nodded, knowing full well that Margot was the popular girl his brother fancied at school. "But since I was off sick yesterday when the pairs were allocated and she already chose a song! I really want to impress her but have no idea what to do. You know I'm better at the maths-y stuff! And it's a girls' song! It's just... like one shot at something and I know I'm going to fail." Patrick finished saying before burying his head in his arms on the table and sighing.

Joe smirked slightly, "Well, aren't you lucky to have a big brother who studied English at uni then. I can give you a hand. What's the song?"

"brankysotace" Patrick mumbled into his arms.

"Pardon?" Joe said, making his brother look up and roll his eyes.

"Blank Space. Her favourite singer is Taylor Swift and she knows EVERYTHING -and I mean everything- about her and the songs." Patrick explained.

Joe pursed his lips slightly and tried not to smirk at the irony.

"Okay, how about I help you later?" He offered.

"But your girlfriend will be here. And then you said you weren't going to be around this weekend." Patrick said, smirking slightly.

"Patrick, go upstairs and get changed please." Their mother asked him, making him stand up and leave the room, but not without turning to get Joe's answer.

"Promise. She can help too. We'll all do it tonight." Joe said, smiling as Patrick left, "Oh the irony..." He said to himself, smirking slightly at the serendipity of the whole situation.

Later that evening

As the doorbell rings, Joe jumps up to answer it, immediately enveloping Taylor in a hug.

"Hello." He said, pulling away slightly and smiling at her as she smiled back.

"Hi." She replied, smiling but looking anxious.