February 11th , 2014

"Good morning," Taylor said to Ryan as he opened his eyes late Monday morning.

"Hey," he said back to her, groggily.

"So," he began, "anything exciting happening today?"

"Not really, today is probably my least busy day until the wedding; I just have an appointment with the hotel at noon to make sure everyone knows what's going on as far as décor, time, and staff and such."

"So we have, what," Ryan began, looking at the clock over Taylor's head, "five hours to relax?"

Taylor smiled and pressed her lips to Ryan's, their heads both still perched on their pillows.

"Seth and Summer are coming home today," Ryan said.

"Oh yeah! What time?"

"I have no idea actually."

"Hmm, well we should go out to dinner or something," Taylor proposed.

"Sure."

Ryan began to softly kiss her once again, placing his hands on her bare waist beneath the sheets and pulling her closer to him.

"Hey Ryan," Taylor said, pulling away from him.

"Yes."

"Just out of curiosity, why do you live with Seth and Summer?"

"You're thinking about Seth and Summer right now?" He teased.

Taylor rolled her eyes. "It's just, I know you make good money and could afford a place of your own, and Seth probably does too, so why do all three of you live together. Not that it's bad or anything, I was just wondering."

"Well, lets see, Summer decided to stick with GEORGE for two years, not just one, so when Seth graduated his art school, which was a three year program, Summer still had three years left of school. She basically broke it off with him, telling him to go back to California. So he did, he lived with his Sandy and Kirsten for a year while working odd jobs, then when I graduated school the Cohen's went in on this house with us so we both paid about a quarter of the payment while they paid the rest, I didn't want to but they insisted. After about a year and a half of working, luckily for Nick so I really never struggled to find work, I probably could have moved out and found my own place, but Seth couldn't have. He was still taking odd jobs, but worked on his comic most of the time. Finally, I think… two Novembers ago Seth finally hit it big. We talked a little bit about both finding our own place, just little studio places in the city or something, but then on Christmas Eve Summer shows up on our doorstep."

At that there was a little gasp from Taylor, Ryan just smiled at her.

"Seth wasn't home at the time, and I just let her in and she told me how she had just finished school, having already done that one semester before she got kicked out. She said she got offered a number of jobs from people who knew her in her GEORGE years, the lowest paying coming from San Francisco, but she was here for two weeks to see if she liked the job and to see if she could find a place, because, after all, she told me, she had to at least know if Seth and her were over. I know she still really hoped that they could be together, that he still loved her, so she had to try. She told me not to tell him that this job was the lowest paying, and to this day I haven't. He came home and when he saw her he was ecstatic. He offered to let her stay here but she refused, she stayed in a hotel her father was paying for, telling him she wanted to get the feel of the city and the job before she committed to it."

"But really she just wanted to see if she and Seth were still in love."

"I guess. She was here two weeks or so, and they spend every waking hour together, I don't know if she even went to see what the job she would be doing was. At the end of the two weeks they were just as in love as ever, and since the job she would be taking paid very little Seth asked me if it was okay if she stayed here. Of course I didn't care. Her job still doesn't pay practically anything, and it's only been really recently that Seth has been able to make real money doing what he does and doesn't have to take on odd jobs. I think he wants to propose, he talked to me about it a while ago, and he wants to save up and buy them a house to move into after the wedding, whenever that might be. So until then we are just one big happy family."

"That's so exciting, Seth and Summer married!"

"Yeah, it's been bound to happen since sophomore year," Ryan said, rolling his eyes while a smiled remained on his face.

"I think it's nice, that you guys have always been there for each other."

"Yeah, God knows where I would be without the Cohen's, probably in prison," Ryan said, not meeting Taylor's eyes.

"Hey," Taylor said, resting a hand on Ryan's face. "You're not in prison, and you have a family, don't be sad."

He just smiled at her as they sat in silence for a moment.

"Hey, I could use a shower," she said to him with a sly smile splayed across her face.

"Well, I always have been one for good hygiene," Ryan said, grabbing Taylor around her waist and attacking her with kisses as she laughed hysterically.

Taylor sat at Ryan's kitchen table after their shower eating bowl of cereal as Ryan stood at the counter licking envelops to put out in the mail that day.

"Did you know," Taylor said after swallowing her last spoonful of Lucky Charms, "that every time you lick on of those envelops you're consuming 1/10 of a calorie?"

"No Taylor, I did not know that. I better start working out more often so my massive amount of envelop licking doesn't give me a beer belly."

They both began to laugh, but a second later their focus was directly elsewhere when the back door of the kitchen swung open to reveal a very happy Summer.

"Taylor!" she cried, "I'm so glad you here!"

Immediately Summer ran over to Taylor and shoved her left hand under Taylor's nose.

"Oh my God, Summer! Congratulations!" She squealed, wrapping her friend in a tight hug.

Ryan, who completely understood what was going on, turned around to find Seth behind him, brimming from ear to ear.

"You proposed?" Ryan asked jubilantly.

Seth just nodded as the two of them embraced in a brotherly hug.

"I didn't even know you want to," Ryan proclaimed. "Last time we talked you made it seem like you were going to in the near future, but not this near."

"I know, I know," Seth began as the girls still laughed happily behind Ryan. "But while Summer was in her meeting I was walking up and down this little street full of all these botiques, looking for something for her for Valentines day, when I spotted this little jewelry store. I was looking at necklaces and stuff when the engagement rings caught my eye, and I decided to go over and look, and there it was."

"The perfect ring?" Ryan guessed.

"Yes, Ryan, the perfect ring. I saw it and I knew more than ever that I wanted to marry her as soon as possible, that I wanted to spend the rest of my life with her. So I bought it, and I was going to wait to plan something out to propose, but then the moment presented itself, and well, I just popped the question."

"What was the moment?" Taylor asked, having overheard the entire conversation.

"Well, it wasn't a big romantic gesture or anything, but we have had plenty of those in our relationship," Summer began, going on to tell Ryan and Taylor the rest of the story.

Seth and Summer couldn't wait to celebrate their long awaited proposal with everyone, so that night Sandy, Kirsten, Seth, Summer, Ryan, Taylor, Sophie, Zoey, Nick, and Jordan all got together at a big family style restaurant to celebrate.

"So," Kirsten started, directing her question at Summer, "do you and Seth plan on having an engagement party?"

"We don't think so," Summer answered. "It's just another party to plan and throw, and we all know how Seth feels about parties."

"I think the wedding will be a big enough party," Seth claimed lightheartedly.

"And the rehearsal dinner," Summer added.

"Summer," Seth whined. "Do we have to have a rehearsal, how hard can a wedding be?"

"Actually I had a couple not do a rehearsal once; the wedding was an absolute disaster. I'll save you from the gory details."

"See, Taylor knows what she is talking about," Summer said smacking him on the arm.

"She better, she's planning my very expensive wedding." Jordan teased.

Seth just rolled his eyes, putting his arm around Summer and pulling her close to him.

"She's just so hard to please," he said jokingly.

"Cohen!" Summer scowled.

"Tell me Dad," Seth began, ignoring Summer's struggle to get out of Seth's grasp,
"how do you deal with such a difficult woman yourself."

"Hey," Kirsten said in protest, while everyone laughed.

"You two should have a wonderful happy life," Nick taunted.

"I feel bad for the kids," Ryan laughed.

"Hey, hey, hey!" Seth broke in, covering Summer's ears for emphasis, "Ryan do not put ideas in her head!"

Everyone just laughed.

Quietly, Taylor whispered something in Ryan's ear, which he nodded to, and she left the table.

Summer noticed there was something off in the way Taylor had laughed at Seth's joke, and she seemed upset when leaving the table. So she too quietly excused herself and went to follow Taylor.

When Summer made her way into the woman's restroom she found Taylor sitting on the edge of a pink loveseat, her head bent forward and resting in her hands.

Cautiously Summer sat beside Taylor, resting her hand on the small of Taylor's back.

"Hey," Summer said softly, "are you okay."

Taylor slowly lifted her head, and Summer could see the start of tears forming in her eyes.

"I'm sorry," Taylor said with a somewhat raspy voice. "I really am incredibly happy for you and Seth, you two have always been meant for each other."

"Thank you. But that doesn't explain why you're in here close to crying."

Taylor was silent for a moment, her eyes fixed on the white marble floor. Gradually she brought her eyes up to meet Summer's.

"I'm never going to have that," she said matter-of- factly.

"Have what? What Seth and I have?"

"Probably not," Taylor said rolling her eyes. "But what I meant was that," she indicated her hand to the direction their table was in. "I'm never going to have a family like that."

"Taylor," Summer said comfortingly, "you don't know that."

"Yes I do," she said sadly.

"Taylor…" Summer began.

"No. What I'm trying to say is that, those people out there, they are the only people who have ever mad me feel like a part of a family, not matter how short of a period it was that I was with Ryan."

"You will always welcome with the Cohen's, you know that." Summer assured her.

"But it's different; I don't live here and if I were to ever visit I would be a distant friend, not a part of their family. I know it's selfish of me but you know my mother, she doesn't exactly jump at the chance to see me, and I have no idea where my father even is, and none of my friends in Chicago are like you guys. I love them and everything but they aren't the type of people that are able to see friends as family and I know soon they are going to go off and start their own families and… God I'm over reacting."

"No, you're not," Summer reassured her.

"I'll be fine, I just need a minute."

Summer smiled, rubbing Taylor's back for a moment before standing up to leave.

"Hey Taylor," Summer said, stopping at the door before opening it.

"Yeah?" Taylor responded.

"What if you were a part of this family?"

"What do you mean?"

Summer stepped away from the door and back toward Taylor.

"I mean, you don't seem incredibly happy with Chicago, and you and Jordan are great friends, and there is me, and Seth, and," Summer paused, "and Ryan."

"Summer, I know what your saying but I have a wonderful life going for me in Chicago."

Summer looked at Taylor quizzically.

"Well," Taylor began to explain, "I have a wonderful reputation as a wedding planner, I have a waiting list a year long."

"Wow," Summer chimed in.

"I know, and my mom is close by, so on the rare occasion we do see each other it's not a big to-do. Plus, I do have good friends, and I love the city."

"I'm not trying to push you into anything, but you can build the same career here, anywhere for that matter. But here you will always have friends, a family even, you just need to do what makes you happy Taylor. There has been a lot in your life holding you back, you can hold yourself back too."

Taylor smiled, "when did you get so smart?"

Summer laughed. "You can thank my Ivy League Education."

Both girls smiled.

"Taylor," summer began again, "you and Ryan…"

"Are just having fun," Taylor interrupted.

Summer looked like she wanted to say something else, but stopped herself.

"I'll tell them you had to make a phone call," Summer said with an understanding smile.

Taylor nodded in thanks as Summer walked out the door.

"Everything okay," Ryan asked as Taylor came back to the table.

"Oh yeah, I just had to call someone."

"Nothing about bad about the wedding I hope," Jordan chimed in.

"Oh, no. Just my, um, mother," Taylor lied.

"Really?" Ryan asked.

"Yeah." It was all Taylor answered with.

The dinner went on with many laughs and good conversation, when everyone was done and was getting up to leave Ryan whispered in Taylor's ear.

"Do you need a ride to the, um, hotel?"

Taylor smiled and whispered back, "the hotel is out of your way, I could just take a cab."

"Or you could just come home with me," Ryan smirked.

"Well," Taylor said with mock thought, "that sure would help out the environment, not waste as much gas and everything."

"Summer would be proud," Ryan said with a smile.

As they walked out of the restaurant together and towards Ryan's car Taylor had an undeniable urge to clasp her hand in Ryan's.

She fought off the urge, however, and they two of them merely walked side by side.

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