a sound she hadn't heard before

fifty.

Try as she might, Taylor can't seem to get a good sleep after her conversation with Ayla. Her mind is spinning.  How could she have not noticed all of these feelings bubbling up inside of her daughter for so long? She seemed so excited about coming to London... and Taylor really does think that she was. Probably arriving, actually being here, made everything suddenly feel a bit more real. As soon as Ayla was left alone with her thoughts, she wasn't able to hold it all any any longer. The anxieties surfaced and couldn't be pushed away.

Every single fear that Ayla expressed in the night was so valid. Things that Taylor should've seen coming. The worst part is that Taylor has absolutely no idea how to help Ayla. She's never dealt with those feelings herself, instead just pushing them down, which is something that she doesn't want for her daughter. She knows that she has set a terrible example. She also knows that anxiety can be genetic. She can't help but feel that this is entirely her fault.

Around 6:00 in the morning, Taylor finally decides to get out of bed. Maybe she can get outside for some fresh air. Anything to take her mind off of the situation at hand, really.

When she goes downstairs, Taylor is surprised to find Elizabeth in the kitchen, preparing water for a cup of tea.

"Taylor," she says with a warm smile, "good morning dear. You're an early riser today. Would you fancy a cuppa?"

"That would be lovely," Taylor smiles.

"Take a seat," Elizabeth says, motioning to the bar stools that are surrounding the kitchen island. Her motherly ways make Taylor feel safe in the kitchen. With the sun rising out the window, everything seems so still and quiet. The others in the house are still asleep, as is Bloke, who seemingly hasn't moved from the sofa since last night.

As Taylor sits, Elizabeth pours the boiling water into two mugs, then brings them over, setting one in front of Taylor and keeping one for herself. "What sort of tea do you like?"

"Whatever's good," Taylor replies. "I'm not a huge tea drinker so I don't know too much about the different types, but I usually like whatever I try."

"I'll just get you a classic English breakfast tea for your first morning here in the UK," she says, pulling two tea bags out of a jar on the counter. "Just let that steep in there for a few minutes, I'll let you know when it's ready to drink."

Taylor wraps her hands around the mug, feeling the warm porcelain on her skin. The stimulation from the temperature calms her.

Elizabeth and Taylor make small talk for the next few minutes, and the more that they do, the more that Taylor begins to feel comfortable around Elizabeth. It feels like they've known each other forever, in spite of having only a few interactions before.

"Elizabeth," she says eventually, "I was wondering... do you happen to know of a pediatrician that you could recommend here in London?"

"Oh, is everything okay with Ayla?"

Taylor sighs. "I think so, but I think she's been struggling with some anxiety lately and I want to talk to somebody about that... I think that she could benefit from some therapy. I'm not looking to medicate her, or even really get any sort of formal diagnosis... just to help her work through her feelings."

Elizabeth frowns. "The poor dear."

"I was up with her last night and she was just having an absolute meltdown over everything. I don't even know how it happened, but I woke up in the middle of the night with the feeling that something wasn't right, and I found her down here talking to Bloke. She didn't want me to know any of it. I feel just awful."

"Taylor, you're such a great mum," Elizabeth assures her. "I can tell that. The fact that you want to get her some help shows it. I'll have to think on the pediatrician, but one of my best friends is a child psychologist, and I'm sure that she'd be willing to meet with you, at least to see if you have something that could raise concerns with Ayla. I've been tutoring her son in maths, so she owes me a bit of a favor anyway. I can text her if you'd like."