Page 48 of Taylor

Taylor: No

That was it. That one made her set the phone down and push it away again. She was so vulnerable, but she had to at least try.

Alice: Well I’ll be there if you change your mind.

The phone dinged, and this was it. Did she start her New Year, New Self with a hot hockey player boyfriend or was she flying it solo, trying to figure it all out?

Taylor: I hope you have a good time

Welp, that’s it. She had clearly read too much into it. She tried to push the tears from pooling. Fresh slate. Wiping at the tears streaming down her cheeks, she went to make a cup of tea. She had her plan: sit and wallow for an hour. Grieve what could have been, then get ready to go.

It was almost three, so she walked upstairs to her bathroom and opened the cabinet. It was time to get back to her natural color. She needed to get it right this time, needed to get her life figured out. New Year, New Alice, right?

She opened the boxes and got to work. Goodbye, colorful, cheerful hair... Hello, corporate-ready dishwater-blonde hair.

As she pulled up to the party, she gave her keys to the valet and made her way inside. Her sister was the first person she found. She was out on the dance floor with her husband. They looked like such grown-ups, which she supposed they were. Since they were the same age, it only made Alice feel even more behind in life. She caught her sister’s eye, and she smiled at her and headed to the dance floor.

“Alice,” she said, pulling her into a hug, “I missed you at Christmas.”

“I miss you guys, too.”

Her sister laced her arm through hers, and they made their way over to the bar.

“I can’t believe they had you out of town on Christmas. I think you should just move to the city and work for me. You could even live with us for a while. It would be great. You could help out with the girls and be closer to us.”

“That’s an . . . idea,” Alice said.

There was no way she was doing that.

“I just worry about our sweet little Alice,” she said, giving her shoulder a small squeeze and looking at her like she was a lost little puppy.

“No need to worry, Isabelle. I’m good.”

“I know you are,” she said, with condescension dripping from her voice.

Her sister meant well, but Alice always felt like a perpetual child in her eyes.

Later that night, she was sitting at the bar by herself. Her dad had been happy she came, but he was busy. And he was the only family member to accept her as she was.

“Alice?” her mom called.

“Hey, Mom.”

“We missed you at Christmas, baby. How was your trip? If they are using you over the holidays like that, you must be doing well.”

“Yeah... my project ended. So, I’ll have more free time?—”

“What are they going to put you on next?”

Alice was about to say she would look for another job, little white lies to get away from the shame of being fired... again.

“I’m not sure... I think I might be looking for a change of pace.”

Her mom gave her a look she knew all too well, one that indicated she was on to her.

“I’m sure we’ll figure it out.”

“What is it you’re doing at this new job?”

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