1 (jaylor) wisteria hearts and caged folk songs

chapter twenty two.

The Lakes seemed like a distant memory as they drove away. Taylor was so sad to see it dissolve into nothing but a memory. She couldn't have imagined how perfect those ten days had been. Even with Adam and that drama, it had been exactly the thing she needed.
"I haven't seen my family in almost a year," Joe said as he drove them. He wouldn't let Taylor drive because she'd been feeling exhausted. She thought that everything that had happened in the past three years was finally catching up with her because she felt so tired. Usually, she was the sort to just push through those feelings and head onwards towards the next thing she had to do. But this time, she felt too tired to even focus on that. "Thank you so much for this, Taylor." Joe smiled at her. "Are you feeling better today?" He'd been worried sick about her, because the last two days of their trip, they'd just stayed in bed, occasionally straying for a walk along the lakeside.
She nodded. "I think that I'm just exhausted - I mean, well, it's all exhausting. I am trying so hard to keep eating because I know that's good for me and it's what I'm supposed to do, but when I get tired like this... it's easier to fall backwards." She told him honestly. She loved being honest to him now. She didn't feel like there was anything she had to hide anymore. She'd knocked down those walls and they were staying on the ground, a mess of crumbled bricks and torn thorns. She wasn't going to build it back up again. Not if she could help it. "And it's taking up a lot of energy trying to fight the voices that tell me bad things."
"You're doing so, so well, Taylor. Don't lose sight of that, not for a single moment."

They had to drive for just under six hours to get to Joe's family home. Taylor felt better the closer they got. Joe was so excited about this moment, there was no way she was going to ruin it by feeling unwell.
They pulled up outside a lovely house. "It's like I never left," Joe said as he took her hand. He kissed her on the cheek, as two men walked out of the front door.
"Well." One of them said. "It's been a long time, Joe. And I didn't expect that the first time you come back to visit from the bright lights of New York City - you'd bring a woman."
Taylor felt a smile appear on her face.
"Shut up, Thomas." Joe cursed underneath his breath.
"Mum said you'd have bags that you'd need help with." They had Joe's smile, but neither of them had his eyes. "Taylor," One of them said, and she was so glad that they didn't make it a big deal. "I expect you've been in the car with my brother for long enough - if you would like, you can come in while we sort out the bags. Oh, and my name is Patrick." He held out his hand. The Alwyn family seemed to all share contagious smiles. "I'm the best Alwyn you'll ever meet."
Taylor shook his hand, laughing. He didn't avoid her eyes like most people when she met them, didn't seem overwhelmed by her. She couldn't explain how happy she was that they treated her like she was just a random girl.
"Hi Patrick. I'm Taylor... but you already know that." Taylor scrunched up her nose in embarrassment. She'd already made a fool of herself.
But Patrick only smiled. "That's my brother Thomas, and that's Joe, but I'm sure you already knew that too." Taylor laughed at his joke. Joe laid a hand across her back. She knew that she was going to have a lot of fun with Joe's brother. 
"Shall we go inside?" Joe asked her as he kissed her cheek. She could already tell how lovely his family were going to be, and she was so happy that Joe seemed to be enjoying himself.

Not once did anyone ask her about her job, or her life. They talked to her about things she enjoyed doing herself, her hobbies and, the dreaded question of how both of them met. She had been stupid, she thought, to think that maybe they won't ask that question. Because clearly they'd want to know. They talked about how crazy it was that she had one of Joe's paintings, that she'd figured it out. That she'd been the only one outside of their family that had realised. Taylor blushed when they asked her about where they'd run into each other, looking down at the floor.
"Well," Joe took her hand. "It's a rather long and boring story." Taylor felt herself take a deep breath when she realised that he wasn't going to tell them all of the stuff in her past. "We met at the Met Gala a few years ago but bumped into each other at a cafe. The rest is history."
Joe's mom, Elizabeth, was beaming. She watched the two of them with glowing eyes.
Anyone could tell that they were truly in love, it was something about them that hung in the air. She loved being here, in this slightly cramped house with Joe's family. They were so welcoming and kind.