Page 3 of Taylor

“So, you mentioned knowing the artist. Are you an artist as well?”

“No, I work for a realtor, but I enjoy art. I like to make things. I made these,” she said, pointing to her dangling star earrings she’d made with glitter and resin and small crystals. “But I’m not like an actual artist or anything. I’d love to be, but... I’m sorry, I’m rambling.” She looked away from him.

“Your earrings are beautiful.”

“Oh,” she said, peering up at him. “Thank you.”

“What other kinds of art do you like to do?”

“I love to draw and paint, but it’s just a hobby, really.”

She was trying not to get lost in the kindness in his eyes and the sweetness of this song. She was someone who got carried away with her feelings easily, and this romantic moment threatened to give her a lifelong crush on an unattainable man. Something she’d done more than once in her life.

“I’d love to see your art. I bet it’s colorful,” he said as he toyed with the end of her hair as the other pulled her closer.

She nodded because her art was definitely colorful, but she couldn’t have properly articulated words if she tried.

The music came to an end, but they stood there on the dance floor, taking each other in.

“Hey, Taylor, come here for a minute,” called a voice.

“Excuse me,” he said. He gave her hand a small squeeze before dropping it.

She nodded and watched as he walked away. She could stay, maybe she should stay. It was still early. But she decided she would end the night on a positive note before too much damage was done and slipped out into the night.

1

TAYLOR

Eight months later

Taylor double-checked the airport board to make sure he was right. There, in red letters, it readFlight 492 Minneapolis to Halifax canceled. Traveling around the holidays was a crap shoot in Canada, but he had been hoping the winter storm hitting the East Coast wouldn’t have made it all the way up the coast to Nova Scotia.

He was flying home from Minnesota because they had just played them before their break. Some of the guys took the plane back to Glendale, while others left from Minnesota to spend the holiday with their families.

He pulled his phone from his pocket and called his mom.

“Hi, honey. How’s it going?” his mother answered.

“My flight just got canceled.”

“Awww, what a bummer. I was worried about that.”

“I’ll get on the next flight.”

“Why don’t you book a flight to Florida?”

Her cheerfulness sounded a bit more forced.

His eyebrows crinkled. He did not like surprises. Why did he feel like he was in for one?

“Honey, I need you to have an open mind, but Mitch booked a trip for the kids to Disney for Christmas. We’d be leaving the day after you got here. I think it could be fun?—”

“Why wouldn’t you tell me that?”

“I just found out. It was a surprise for me, too. This is our first Christmas as a married couple, and I think he was trying to do something nice.”

Over the summer, his mom had remarried. Taylor was happy for her. He was a good guy and liked the way he took care of his mom... but just didn’t like the way things kept changing.

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