✧ * 𝐒 𝐚 𝐟 𝐞 𝐚 𝐧 𝐝 𝐒 𝐨 𝐮 𝐧 𝐝 *✧

𝐖𝐨𝐧'𝐭 𝐭𝐞𝐥𝐥 𝐧𝐨 𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫

Taylors Pov:

"So, explain this to me again. How did you guys meet?" My mom asks me as I sit in my dressing room, fresh from having my hair styled and now applying my makeup. We are engaged in a discussion about Rain.

"Mom, I have told you this like 10 times!" I exclaim, a hint of playful annoyance in my voice as I carefully smooth the primer over my face, preparing for the makeup ahead. My mom chuckles slightly and admits, 

"I know, but every time you tell me, it's like hearing it for the first time!"

With a small grin, I begin to recount the familiar tale.

 "Alright, here we go again. I had just wrapped up a session at the studio in New York and was heading back home. It was late at night, the city was in darkness,  crazy rain pouring down. As I sat at a red light, I saw a small figure crouched by the roadside. People hurried past her, completely oblivious to her being there. I ws just like this poor girl, she had nobody visablly around her to help her. And so, I pulled over, stepping out into the wet, cold air."

The memory echoes vividly as I share it with my mom. "Approaching her, I found a young girl, tears streaming down her face, clearly in need of help and warmth. She wore nothing but a thin shirt and soaked pants, her vulnerability  was litterally tugging at my heart. Without hesitation, I guided her into. And that, Mom, is how our paths intertwined." I finished, smiling through the mirror at my mom. My mom nods in understanding.

"She really is something special," my mom says to me with a fond smile as I nod in agreement, our reflections overlaid in the mirror. She is, she really is.

"Actually, there was something I needed to talk to you about, Mom," I say, my hands deftly applying a light dusting of powder to my cheeks, the soft brush gliding effortlessly over my skin.

"Anything," my mom replies, her eyes reflecting warmth and openness. I reach into my makeup bag, fingers seeking out the familiar shapes of eyeshadow palettes and mascara tubes, before I gather my courage to broach a sensitive topic.

"Rain, she-she, well, the other night after we returned from her dance class," I falter slightly, the memory of Rain's distress weighing heavily on my heart, "she confided in me about some hurtful things her former best friend said. It was cruel and unjust - stuff about Rain's appearance and calling her a bitch for unloading her problembs.She wouldnt shower alone, but she wouldnt let me take her clothes off. She kept sayinf things like im too skinny. It was so hard, just to get her shirt off. I did what I could to comfort her, but the wounds cut deep. I had to tape a blanket to the mirror to block her from her own reflection, the mirror serving as a tool of self-critique instead of self-reflection. It tore me apart to witness her pain; Rain didn't deserve it. At all. She is nothing but a bunch of love and kindness."

"Oh my god, that must have been so tough for both of you," my mom gasps, her hand reaching out  on my shoulder in a comforting gesture. I offer a tight-lipped smile, grateful for her understanding.

———————————————————————-

Rains Pov:

Me and Austin are currently engaged in a clasified spy mission, closely monitoring Taylor's activities with the code name: Super Duper hot and sexy spies. The moniker was a collaborative effort, with me suggesting "super duper" and Austin contributing "hot and sexy." It's amusing how, despite being an adult, Austin retains a playful and lively nature instead of a more serious demeanor.

As we cautiously approach Taylor's dressing room, the urgency of our mission is emphasized by Austin teasingly critiquing my not-so-stealthy footsteps, humorously quipping,