Beautiful things - jaylor story (peace book 4)

all around the world

** monday march 14th, 2033**

-taylors pov-

Today the press starts for the new album that dropped at midnight last night, and its exiting. Ellie and I stayed up until midnight and were on a joint zoom call with joe and the producers of the record, jack and Aaron. I've been working with those boys for years now and we have made many records together. Jack I've been working with since 1989 and he has been working on every single album since then so that's 8 albums, and Aaron I've been working with since folklore, so that's six albums. They are really close with joe and I and we are practically family at this point. They always have my back and I always have theirs.

Ellie and I are on our way to jimmy Fallon right now after I've done a few radio interviews this morning. She is being so patient and going around with me to everything, she just brings her computer so she can do schoolwork while I do my thing. We made sure that she had plenty of work to do before we left Nashville. It's not that she will fall behind, she is gifted and well beyond her years, but it's still important to do the schoolwork. We want the kids to understand that it doesn't matter how smart you are, schoolwork is important, and it comes before dance or gymnastics.

After dropping off our stuff in the dressing room Ellie follows me to the stage because I'm singing one of the songs from the album while I play the piano so sound check is needed. "Mom, can I play?" she asks, and I nod.

Hesitantly she sits down on the velvet chair and let her fingers wander over the keys and I recognize the song immediately.

"Never be so kind, you forget to be clever
Never be so clever, you forget to be kind"

I'm almost in tears as she sings softly and play the tune like she has been playing it all her life.

"I should've asked you questions
I should've asked you how to be
Asked you to write it down for me
Should've kept every grocery store receipt
'Cause every scrap of you would be taken from me
Watched as you signed your name Marjorie
All your closets of backlogged dreams
And how you left them all to me"

I wrote this song about my grandmother that died when I was really young. I wish she could see me now; I wish that she could have seen me grown up from a girl to a woman and I wish that she could meet my children.

"You're alive, so alive
And if I didn't know better
I'd think you were singing to me now
If I didn't know better
I'd think you were still around
I know better
But I still feel you all around
I know better
But you're still around"

She finishes out playing the outro and before I can say anything there is clapping from the whole room that stopped in their tracks to listen to her. "Oh my god. That was so good" jimmy says and come over to us and wipe away his tears.

Ellie blushes and stands up from the bench and come back over to me "thank you. It's nothing special, I just love to play" she says, and I caress her back. She has loved the piano since she was a little girl, but mainly plays classical music because that's what she dances too in ballet.

"You for sure got your mothers talent Elliana" he says, and she blushes again and thank him. "I was coming out here to listen to your mom rehearse and then this happened and blew me away" he says and Ellie giggles.

Now it's my turn and I play through the song I'm singing while jimmy stands with Ellie and watches. I don't really need to practice it other than making sure they have the mic adjusted to the right volume. So it only takes as long as the song is, 3 minutes and 20 seconds.

"You know what would be cool?" jimmy asks after I'm done and go back to join them, and I wait for what he is going to suggest. "I know that you're really private about your kids, and I don't want to intrude, so if you don't feel like it's a good idea just ignore me. But it would be cool if she came out for the second half of the interview since she is here with you on the press tour anyway" he suggests.