2 years later
"Mama!" Tommy wailed, tossing and turning in his bed.
Taylor stumbled into his room, exhausted. "Yes sweetie..." It was five o’clock in the morning and she still had two hours to sleep before she woke up for school.
"bad dream.." he sniffled.
Taylor pulled the string of the lamp and the room was visible. Rain pounded on the roof and wind howled. She couldn't blame him for being scared. The clowns painted on his walls looked almost menacing in the early morning light and his music box had long since stopped. He could only sleep with music...
Padding across the thick blue carpet of his room, she crawled into the bed with him. His small body was shaking with the freshly new fear of his nightmare. She gathered him up and scooped him into her lap.
"Shhh baby don't be scared..." she murmured, running her hands through his strawberry blond curls, smelling the scent of baby shampoo.
"We can listen to my tape?" he questioned, the sleepiness slowly leaving his eyes. Taylor wanted him to go back to sleep so she could get her two hours in, but gave in when he looked at her with his big blue eyes.
"Just one song. What do you want to hear?"
"Long as you love me!" he squealed, bouncing with delight. Taylor sighed. It didn't look like he'd be going back to bed any time soon.
She put the CD in and flipped it to number two. Tommy sang along a couple measures behind.
"Who you are as long you love me... what you did... long you love me"
Tommy loved his Backstreet Boys CD. Taylor wouldn't tell him who his daddy was until he was much older, but it comforted her to know that he would hear his voice everyday. It was almost like Brian was with him. The song ended and Tommy was too wound up to go back to sleep. For the next two hours they listened to the Backstreet Boys, watched cartoons, and played with his toys. Taylor gave him his bath and she took her shower, hurriedly blowdrying her hair and applying a little makeup.
She looked at herself in the mirror. She was too young to be a mother, she thought. She almost still looked like a teenager. People were envious of her for getting her figure back. It took alot of work. However, she didn't regret having Tommy for one second. He raised her bills, kept her up in the middle of the night, and made constant messes. He was the best thing that ever happened to her.
She wished she had a man in her life, but Tommy was all she really needed. Hopes of seeing Brian again were long ago lost. It had been almost four years. She had managed to let him go. She only wished he could see Tommy...
Taylor dressed herself in one of her "teaching outfits.". She wore a long, knit, navy blue dress and slipped on brown platform sandals. She brushed her now half way down her back hair out of her face and pulled it halfway up into a clip. She still dressed with style, but left her clubbing clothes for the weekend. She needed to appear professional.
She dressed Tommy in a dark blue shirt and red shorts, his two favorite colors, and scrambled him an egg. As he was eating, she marveled at how he looked exactly like his father. The resemblance was remarkable. Everyone commented on how he looked like "one of those guys from that boy band." He not only had Brian's features, but shared the same expressions. He had the wide grin, the crinkling of his eyes when he laughed, he even furrowed his brow like his father had years ago.
After he was done with his breakfast, they left the apartment and slowly made their way down the many flights of stairs. She strapped him into his car seat and climbed into the Chevy Blazer. Taylor dropped him off at his preschool and headed to her school.
Sable Palm Elementary was located in a nice, upscale neighborhood in northern Tampa. The rain and winds had stopped and now a balmy breeze was blowing. She unlocked the door to her classroom and sat at her desk, just as the bell rang and the children came in. Kimberly, a little girl in the class, was wearing a Backstreet Boys shirt. She smiled.
For the next few hours the children painted a picture, watched a movie, and took a nap. As Taylor, or "Miss Kyndal" as the kids called her was reading a book to them, she didn't notice the man slip in the back. She didn't notice him standing at the back of the room, listening to her story until Kimberly shrieked.
"Kimberly, what is..." she started to say, then stared in shock as her eyes grew misty.
The kids started whispering, pointing to the man in the back. Kimberly was excitedly telling them that he was one of the "Boys" on her shirt. They all wanted his autograph, but were too scared to ask.
Taylor couldn't speak. Brian was here. In her classroom. She thought she was over him, that it was just a one night stand that gave her a baby. She was so wrong...
Brain slowly walked forward with a single rose in his hand. The kids were whispering and giggling. He was finally standing in front of Taylor. She looked up into his eyes, too shocked to say a thing.
Brian brushed a stray hair out of her face. His hand brushed her forehead and her skin tingled from his touch. "I told you I'd come for you" he whispered.
Taylor finally found some words. "But... such a long time...."
"Three years..."
Her eyes filled with tears. "You remembered me."
"I couldn't forget..."
"I saw you on TRL that one time after..."
"I know."
"How?" she asked confused, not too loud, not wanting to break the spell.
"I could feel it." he whispered. "Is it too late?"
"For what?"
"For a second chance... for me." Brian held his breath, waiting for her response.
Tears rolled down her cheeks. "No.."
He wiped them away with his thumbs. "You're even more beautiful than I remembered."
"Brian..."
He silenced her with a gentle kiss. His tongue caressed hers as he cupped her face with his hands. The kids giggled, groaned, and looked away, embarrassed. Taylor didn't care. Her prince had come for her.
