Disclaimer: In this story, Taylor is an only child and her Dad is not Scott but a man called Jack.  (I didn’t want to drag Scott into this ;)).
Taylor
It was Christmas Eve, and Taylor had made the long drive back to her childhood home. She had seen her mother on Thanksgiving but Taylor was a big family person and missed her mom all the time, which is why she was really excited to finally come home for the festivities. The house was decorated with all the usual trimmings—garlands, stockings hung by the fireplace, and the faint scent of pine lingering in the air. It was perfect, just like every year. Taylor’s parents had been divorced for five years now and as much as Taylor was fine with that most of the time, she missed the Christmasses of her childhood when her parents had been together. Taylor usually spent Christmas Eve and Christmas morning with her mom and her grandparents and went to her Dad’s house for dinner which gave her a way to spend her favorite holiday with both of them in some way. Luckily, her parents still got along quite well and Taylor was really thankful for that.
Just as every year, Taylor’s mom and her cooked themselves a comfort dinner and watched “A Christmas Carol” on the sofa and updated each other on their lives. Taylor enjoyed it a lot as her usual life was a lot more stressful and didn’t gave her the chance to hang out with her mom as much as she wanted to. “I always love that movie. Couldn’t go without this tradition.”, Taylor said to her mom when the movie was over and the credits were shown. “You were always so mad when I wanted to watch something else.”, Andrea, Taylor’s mom, laughed and they both got a little sentimental at the thought of Taylor’s childhood. “Evie’s family always watches ‘Christmas with the Kranks”. And she has never seen ‘A Christmas Carol’ before. Isn’t that crazy?”, Taylor said and thought of Evie. She missed her a lot and couldn’t wait to see her for New Year’s Eve, a day that still seemed ages away. They texted each other regularly but that wasn’t as good as seeing her face and being close to her. Her mom knew who Eve was but she had no clue what Evie really meant to Taylor. She had actually wanted to tell her mom about her feelings for her but she didn’t really know how and when. It was one thing to tell her mom about someone in her life who she really adored, but another to come out to her at the same time. Taylor had only realized herself that we was into women, or at least Evie, and her mom had no idea what was going on inside her head. She decided to tell her someday, but she didn’t feel ready on that day.
Two days later, Taylor was still at her dad’s house where she had spent the evening and stayed over. Her father had a new girlfriend now who had moved into his house a year before. Taylor liked her and was happy that she went along with her so easily as she had worried about that before she had met her for the first time. She was also happy to see her father in love again, something she wished for her mom as well.
After breakfast, Jack’s girlfriend Samantha went to her yoga class and left Taylor and Jack to themselves. They sat in the living room and enjoyed the slow morning with each a cup of tea and things to catch up on. Jack told her about Taylor’s cousin and her husband who planned to get married the following year. Her father, Jack, had always been more traditional. And since she’d been single for over a year, he’d always made it clear that he thought she needed to “settle down” as well.
“So, Tay, when are you going to bring a boyfriend home?” Jack asked, his voice laced with curiosity, but also a subtle pressure. He took a slow sip of his tea as he waited for her response. She had expected this. She usually loved spending time with her dad but it often ended up with the same conversation. “I’m just not focused on that right now, Dad. I’ve been busy with work. I don’t need a boyfriend.” Jack raised an eyebrow, clearly unconvinced. “Come on, Tay. You’re not getting any younger. You’ve been single for how long now? Over a year?” He leaned forward slightly, fixing her with an expectant look. “You can’t tell me you don’t want someone by your side, a good guy who’ll support you, make your life easier, bring you joy outside of work.” Taylor shifted uncomfortably in her seat, her hands fidgeting in her lap. She didn’t want to get into this. Not now. But her father wasn’t letting up. “I just don’t need someone, Dad. I’m fine on my own,” she replied, trying to keep the frustration out of her voice. Jack’s expression hardened, his gaze more insistent. “But that’s not enough, is it? I want you to be happy, Tay. And you can’t be happy all alone, especially with the way you throw yourself into work. You deserve more than that. A good man, someone who’s going to be there for you, who can share your life with you.” He shook his head. “You’re always focused on your career, but you need to find balance. You need love, too.”
Taylor felt a flash of irritation. She loved her work, yes, but she didn’t need a man to validate her. “Dad, I’m fine. I don’t want to just settle down with anyone for the sake of it,” she said, her tone a little sharper than she intended. But Jack wasn’t finished. “I don’t get it, Tay. You’ve got everything going for you—your career, your fame—but what about your personal life? I just want to see you happy. Don’t you want that?” The pressure was building, and Taylor’s patience was wearing thin. She could feel the familiar panic rising in her chest. She loved her dad, but he didn’t understand. A deep breath. Just ignore this, Taylor thought to herself. She tried to swallow the nervous lump in her throat. “I am happy, Dad. I’m happy with my life as it is,” she said, her voice soft but firm. Jack sighed, exasperated. “You don’t really want to end up alone, do you?”
For a moment, Taylor just stared at him. The words lingered in the air, suffocating her. She felt like she was backed into a corner. She hated how her father thought she wasn’t complete unless she had a man in her life. The longer the silence stretched, the more her anxiety rose. She knew this conversation wasn’t going to end well, but it felt like she had no choice now.
“Okay, fine,” Taylor said, finally giving in. “And what if that someone isn’t a man, Dad?” Her voice was quiet but direct, and for a second, she didn’t even know if she could keep going. Jack blinked, not fully understanding. “What do you mean?” he asked, narrowing his eyes. She hesitated. She wasn’t sure how to say it, how to put it into words. “What if I’m dating a woman?” she finally blurted out, her heart hammering in her chest. The words felt foreign, but they were the truth. Jack’s face froze. The silence between them was thick and heavy. It was like the entire room had held its breath. “Wait,” Jack said, the confusion evident in his voice. “You’re dating… a woman?” He sounded incredulous, like he couldn’t fathom it. “Who is it?”, he asked again when he noticed that Taylor was not going to answer and only starred at the floor. She knew that it was a surprise to him but she had not expected him to look as if she had just confessed a murder. “Its Evie…my friend from the tour. I told you about her.” For a moment, her father only stared at her and didn’t say a thing. It was really uncomfortable for Taylor and she was relieved when he finally broke the silence. “But—how? You’ve never been with a woman before.”
Taylor’s throat tightened. This wasn’t the reaction she had hoped for. “I’ve never been with anyone else, no,” she said, her voice trembling a little. “But that’s it, Dad. I like her?”. It sounded more like a question from Taylor as she was suddenly really insecure. Jack stared at her like he was seeing a stranger. “I just don’t understand. You’ve been with men all your life. Why her? Why a woman? What do you see in her?” The judgment in his voice stung, and Taylor felt herself shrink, just a little. She could feel her face flush with embarrassment, but she forced herself to hold his gaze. “Evie is kind. She’s funny, she’s smart. We’ve been friends for a while, and it just happened.” Her voice faltered, but she pressed on. “Dad, I care about her deeply.” Her father’s face twisted in discomfort. “But this is… this is different, Tay. I don’t understand why you can’t just be friends with her, just how you are with your other female friends. Why does it have to be anything more than that?” Taylor’s heart ached, but she wouldn’t back down. “Because, Dad, that’s what it’s like when you like someone. You don’t just want to be friends. You want to be with them. I don’t choose who I’m attracted to.” Her voice shook with a mix of frustration and sadness. “I’ve never felt this way about a woman before, but I do about Evie. It’s not something I can control.”
Jack’s face flushed red. “I just don’t understand it. Two women? How could you even… I mean, how does that work, Taylor? How do two women even sleep together?” His tone was filled with revulsion, and the words hung in the air like poison. Taylor’s stomach churned with anger. She could feel her pulse quicken, and she stood up, unable to sit still any longer. “What’s so hard to understand, Dad? You love someone, you’re intimate with them. But it’s also none of your business.” Her father shook his head, clearly unable to accept what she was saying. “It’s just not how things are supposed to be. You deserve a good man by your side, not some… woman. You don’t even know what you’re doing to yourself. It’s disgusting. This isn’t how you were raised.”
Taylor blinked back tears. Disgusting. The words stung, but she had heard them before—just never from her own father. Without another word, Taylor grabbed her coat from the hook by the door and stormed outside. The cold air hit her like a slap to the face, but it was a welcome relief. As she walked down the familiar streets, the sound of her father’s harsh words echoing in her mind, she thought to herself that this Christmas wasn’t the one she had imagined. She was deeply hurt. And she needed to see her mom…
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