a sound she hadn't heard before

seventeen.

"So, tell me about yourself," Joe says, once they are seated. Taylor has shed her wig, sunglasses, and coat now that they are in their own private room in the back of an Italian restaurant in Hell's Kitchen. Joe feels like the luckiest man in the world as he looks at the woman before him. She's kind, funny, and of course, absolutely beautiful. He already knows all of that. He wants to get to know more, though. He wants to know her fears, her hopes, and her dreams. The side of her that isn't portrayed on the cover of gossip magazines.

"I don't know what there is to tell," Taylor admits. "Most of it can probably be found on Wikipedia."

"That's not the real you," Joe said. "That's the you that you just project to the world. Tell me about who you really are, deep down."

"Well," Taylor says, "I'm a mom. I guess you already know that. My little Ayla is the highlight of my life. I'm a songwriter; an artist. I think I'm happiest when it's just me, a blank piece of paper, and a guitar. I've been able to translate every formative experience I've ever had into a song..."

Taylor bites her lip. That's not true. All but one would be the truth. She has never figured out how to deal with what happened with Ayla's father. The last time that she saw him was a day that she has both been haunted by and managed to repress at the same time. She hasn't been able to translate that experience into something beautiful, and doesn't think she ever will be. Even her greatest coping mechanism of songwriting didn't help her with that one.

"I love spending time with my little girl," Taylor continues, changing the subject and pushing her thoughts away. "She's the best thing in my life, and it has always been the two of us, taking on the world together. She's so spunky, sweet, and creative. I'll never not be amazed by her. She reads so well and she likes to sing and dance around our living room without a care in the world. When I was at the peak of my fame, I'd forgotten what it was like to be so unapologetically blissful, but she just reminds me time and again."

Joe smiles. "She sounds incredible." He notices that Taylor is deflecting the conversation to talk about Ayla instead of herself, but he doesn't pry. She'll open up when she's ready.

"She is. It just kills me to have to leave her at home during these rehearsals, but after the pictures were leaked a little bit ago, my publicist recommended that I keep her from the city, and I knew that was what was best for her. Plus, she has so much fun with our sitter. I just don't get to spend very much time with her now, but we have the most fun on the weekends. We always find something to do. She has been absolutely loving watching my old concert videos recently. She just found out that they exist and thinks that they're the most magical things ever. We have a backyard pool that she loves to play in, too. She wasn't what I was expecting when I got pregnant, but she's the best thing that ever happened to me."

With every word that Taylor speaks, Joe can tell that not only does she adore the little girl, but that she is the absolute best mom.

"What about you? Tell me about your life," Taylor says.

"I'm not sure what there is to tell. Nothing very exciting," Joe laughs. "I was born and raised in London but chose to come here for Uni and loved it so much that I decided to stay. I still go home to visit my family about once a year, but for the most part, I'm entirely New York-based now. I love this city. I love being able to create art and being surrounded by people who do the same. That's what has been so incredible to me about this job. It's my first time ever originating a role and I've loved to get to make it my own."

"What other work have you done?" Taylor asks.

"Nothing much. Some summer stock productions and regional things, but nothing on a big scale or with a budget even half of the size of what we are getting for the show now."