a sound she hadn't heard before

forty-eight.

After a long flight, Taylor, Joe, and Ayla land in London. It's nighttime by the time that they land. Since they don't have any furniture yet, they're going to be staying with Joe's parents for the night, then moving into their apartment tomorrow. Most of their boxes are going to be delivered straight there- only overnight suitcases will go with them to Elizabeth and Richard's house.

"My little brother Patrick can't wait to meet you," Joe tells Taylor as they're in the car after landing. "Mum just texted. He's home from University for the holidays still. His dog is home with him as well... I hope that's alright. He's a sweet pup."

"Oh, how fun," Taylor replies. "Ayla will love that." Taylor is a bit relieved that they decided to board the cats at a kennel for the night to ease the burden on Joe's parents, as the cats aren't too fond of dogs. "Where's he studying?"

"He's at Cambridge for Veterinary Medicine," Joe explains. "The two of us, we're quite different, but he's a lot of fun. He's been my buddy since the day he was born. He took it hard when I came to America, but that makes it that much better when I get to come home."

Taylor smiles. She can't wait to meet Joe's younger brother, who is clearly so important to him. She's so excited for this opportunity to get closer with Joe's family over the next few months.

It isn't long before the three arrive at the Alwyn household. Elizabeth warmly greets them, sharing that Richard and Patrick are out picking up some groceries for the evening, but will be back soon. She helps to get Ayla all settled into the guest bedroom, and Taylor and Joe into Joe's childhood room. Taylor can't help but giggle at the Spiderman poster on the closet door, still up after all these years. The dresser is lined with framed photos of a younger Joe, with his friends in high school, playing rugby with his brothers, and one of him seeing a West End show.

"That was my first time really falling in love with musical theatre," Joe says, upon noticing Taylor peering at the image. "I was... god, I think I was fourteen and it was right when Billy Elliot first premiered in the West End, so my dad took me to see it. My mum booked us the tickets because she was worried that I had been feeling like I wasn't getting enough attention since Pat was just a toddler and requiring a lot out of them. Really, I was a teenage boy and would take all of the lack of attention that I could get," Joe snorts. "I'd been doing some film auditions at that time, but I had never connected that I could sing too. I came out of the theatre asking for singing and dancing lessons after seeing those boys, who were all about my age... maybe even a bit younger... doing that on the stage."

"That's so cute," Taylor tells him, placing her hand on his shoulder. "I love all of these pictures of you."

"Here, this one's Pat and I... that was the day that I taught him how to kick a ball. It was really quite the process, but by the end of the day, he might've gotten a successful kick in there. He kept losing his balance and falling flat on his bum as soon as he would throw his little leg up in the air."

Taylor laughs. "Little kids love falling. When Ayla was two and three, I just to joke that I'd have to stick her in a padded room because she just be up and toddling about, and then she'd be down, just like that. She was always laughing though, so I pretty quickly figured out that she was doing it on purpose."

It isn't too long before Joe's phone buzzes, and he turns it on. "Mum says that Dad and Pat are back, so we can go down whenever we're ready. She's getting dinner started."

"I'll go get Ayla and then we can head down."

Taylor walks down the hallway to the room that Ayla is staying in, and pokes her head into the door. "Hey sweetie. Richard and Patrick are home, so we're going to go downstairs and say hi, okay?"