The following Sunday

"I just don't wanna go" Taylor went and sat on the couch in comfy clothes.

"Oh." Joe was confused, he thought she was getting dressed for Sunday dinner.

"Sorry, I'm just too tired and have cramps, you can still go though?" She said.

"You sure?"

"Yeah."

"Alright…" he watched her mannerisms before he left.

"Is there something else wrong?"

"No. Just me in my head."

"About what?" He walked back over to her.

"It's dumb I don't even wanna talk about it."

"Well I do, what's wrong?"

"Huh. It's just, I feel extremely awkward now that we live together."

"What? Why?!" Joe was confused.

"Joe c'mon, mine as well write it on our foreheads- we have sex-." She explained.

"Who's to say they didn't already know that before we moved in together?"

"Cause that's a grey area."

"Okay well I'm telling you right now…Danny, Jamie, Eddie, and Erin all for sure knew already." He said.

"How!?"

"Just different things have came up…trust me."

"Joe! Now it's even worse!" She was surprised.

"Taylor stop, it's sex, everyone has sex!"

"I know but ugh I just feel judged." She said.

"Seriously? Why though?"

"Um maybe because your family is very traditional! Do you really think your grandfather would support this?"

"It doesn't matter what they think. If I don't care then you shouldn't care. Danny's the one that suggested it, I know Jamie and Eddie were living together before they got married. We're not the odd ones out." He told her.

"Yeah and what about Erin?"

"I don't know, but it doesn't matter Taylor. It's our life we can do whatever we want."

"I know."

"So what? Your just not gonna see my family ever again or?"

"This is why I didn't even wanna tell you, of course not."

"So what about next week? You'll come?"

"I don't know. Maybe."

"Taylor this isn't gonna work if you don't want my family in your life."

"I never said I didn't want them in my life. I love them, I don't have any family!" She reminded him.

"Okay well now you do. So treat them like it and they'll do the same for you. At least that's what I've learned." He told her.

"Okay. I will. But just please give me a pass for today. I promise next Sunday I will go." She said.

"Okay." He wasn't very happy about her decision but decided to bite his tongue before he made it worse. And headed for the door.

"Okay bye…love you?" She said annoyed watching him leave without even saying a word.

"I don't know when I'll be home." He said not looking back at her before he shut the door.

"Hey!" She yelled down the hall.

"What?" He asked.

"If you love me say it back!" She demanded, he walked back to her, and gave her a kiss.

"I love you." He said, she was content and then he left again.

——

At dinner

"Where's Taylor?"

"Huh." Joe shook his head.

"Oh boy." Erin said. And Joe sat down with everyone.

"We can say Grace first." He said opening his napkin. The family was ready to hear all about it.

When they were done they passed the food and made small talk before Eddie and Erin were ready to hear about Taylor.

"So you guys know, we moved into her place this past week…" Joe made sure everyone understood that fact before continuing

"Yeah so, she got all freaked out you guys would judge her or us for it because your all traditional." He said looking towards Frank and Henry.

"Oh stop it." Henry said.

"What!?" Danny asked.

"I don't like that, none of these guys were traditional, if you will." Frank said about his kids.

"I know. I told her that."

"Maybe I could talk to her, I was in her shoes before." Eddie said and everyone looked at her confused, did she feel judged?

"Really babe?" Jamie put his hand on her back.

"You guys are very intimidating…" Eddie said shrugging.

"They are but, I don't know. I tried to tell her, and she said it was just for this week but we'll see." Joe told them.

"Well for what it's worth, I've seen the way you two bat eyes at each other, you'll be engaged and married in no time anyway." Henry said, everyone laughed and nodded.

"That's the goal." Joe said back.

"So don't let us impact that. We don't care. Swear." Frank said.

"Hell I'm the one who told you to save your money and live together already." Danny said eating.

"Oh but I can't be out past midnight with a girl?" Sean interjected.

"That's different." Jamie said pointing his fork.

"Very different." Danny added.

"Dude I'm 27." Joe defended and everyone laughed.

That was the end of the conversation, he knew that's what they'd all say. Which was good, when he got home he'd tell Taylor and hopefully she'd be better about it.

—

When Joe got home he announced he was home. When she didn't reply he went to find her.

"You okay baby?" He was confused to see her sitting on the bathroom floor.

"My stomach, it hurts so bad."

"Are you sick?"

"No but I feel like I'm going to be." She said

"Is it your period?" He wondered.

"No this is bad. I don't know what this is." She laid down on the bathroom mat.

"Well why don't you come lay on the couch?" He asked her.

"I can't get up it- oww!" She winced in pain.

"Where's it hurt babe? Show me." He pulled her shirt up as if he was gonna see the source of pain. She rested her hand on the right side of her stomach.

"Does it hurt if I-"

"Don't touch it!" She yelled at him.

"I won't, It's probably your appendix or ever have kidney stones?" He asked trying to think.

"Huh I don't know, fucking hurts like hell!"

"Okay…well it doesn't seem like it's your stomach, especially if you feel it in your side more." He figured.

"Yeah I don't know, Ow!" She was crying hysterically in pain.

"Okay no, We're not messing around with this." Joe pulled out his phone.

"What are you doing?" She asked and tried to sit up.

"I'm calling 9-1-1" he told her.

"No! Don't do all that."

"Over my dead body." He ignored her command and talked to the 9-1-1 dispatcher.

After he hung up, he unlocked the apartment door and sat on the floor with her while they waited. Taylor started throwing up violently, Joe was very calm and knew everything would be okay once they got her to the hospital.

"Something's wrong, this isn't normal" she said catching her breath, the pain was still bad, throwing up didn't relieve it.

"I know, they'll be here any minute." He moved the hair from her face, he did not like seeing her like this.

A few minutes later the Emts came and Joe let them in, they got Taylor up and out into the ambulance quick. Joe told them all he knew on the way and she talked as much as she could. They were guessing something with her appendix.

——

Yikes, guess living together will pay off after all! If she'd of been alone who knows how long she'd of waited to go to the hospital. And do you think her feelings about feeling judged are valid or is she overthinking it? Leave your thoughts.