When the Sun Comes Out

Chapter 4 ~ Tae

As Taylor sat thinking of how to explain her story to Rhett, he sat patiently beside her.

Finally, deciding to start from the beginning, she explained how most of their income stopped when she was little.

"My dad was diagnosed with colon cancer, so he was no longer able to work, and then my mom couldn't work because she had to take care of him. I was twelve when we found out, and it took a toll on our family. When I was fifteen my mom died in a car crash coming back from the store where she'd gone to get Dad's medicine. I had to get a job and start taking care of my dad."

To Taylor's dismay, Rhett's eyes were full of sadness when he began talking. "I'm sorry for your loss, even if I didn't know her, I can tell she was a good woman."

His sentiment brought tears to her eyes, but she refused to cry. She had just started her story and there was so much more she had to get through before she broke down.

"Thank you," she said wearily.

She continued to tell him how she took care of her dad and worked two jobs until she graduated. He looked at her in wonder, and it gave her the confidence to continue on with her story.

"When I turned twenty, I came home to him passed away in his chair watching the rodeo," she said, her eyes filling with tears, "it was his favorite thing to do while I was gone."

He shook his head and moved to gather her up in a hug.

"You are a hell of a woman, Tae," he told her while she cried.

After a moment, she got herself together and continued her story.

"After that, I was on my own. I continued working my jobs at the diner and down at Rex's. I worked myself into oblivion. I even tried to take online classes for a little bit, but I wasn't making enough tips to pay for them, so I had to drop out. I couldn't keep up with the payments on the house and a car, so I sold the car, and grabbed another part-time job at the grocery mart."

He stared at her as if she had grown a third eye. "My god, you've literally been a big girl and taken care of yourself haven't you," he said, cracking a small smile.

She laughed thinking about how she'd said that to defend herself when he'd attempted to help her the day before.

"I find it hard letting people help me," she said, looking down at her hands.

She wasn't going to tell him about how hard it really was for her to trust people.

The last time she'd let someone help her out, she was in high school and she fancied herself in love with a boy who said he'd help her out. He ended up breaking up with her after he saw her first breakdown. She would never let someone try to take away all her problems again.

"How'd you go from busting your ass to this?" he asked her quietly.

"The bank took the house away and made me rent it. They bumped the price way up from what my parents were paying after they bought it. I couldn't keep up," she explained, "and then the economy crashed, and there wasn't enough business for everyone to need as many workers as they had. Lay-offs were hard. I was let go from the grocery mart, but they kept me at the diner and Rex's."

He cocked an eyebrow, waiting for her to continue.

"Rex's was doing well until Rex was diagnosed with leukemia. They let me go two months after. The diner couldn't pay people the way could before either, so they had to let more people go. Then, the fortunate ones that were left had to pull double shifts and crazy hours. I was one of the lucky ones," she said wryly.