the morning sun is just beginning to filter through the curtains when you slowly blink your eyes open. the room is quiet and still, the only sound the soft breathing of taylor beside you. for a moment, you just lie there, content to listen to the steady rhythm of her breaths, the warmth of her body curled up close to yours under the blankets.

it's her birthday today. the thought brings a smile to your face, and you turn your head slightly to look at her. taylor is still sound asleep, her expression peaceful, with her hair fanned out across the pillow. there's something so serene about the way she looks when she's sleeping—so beautiful, so calm. you can't help but feel a rush of affection as you take in the sight of her.

for a few minutes, you just watch her, soaking in the quiet moment. every now and then, you lean in to press a soft kiss to her forehead, her cheek, her nose—gentle touches that you know she won't wake up from, but that still make your heart swell with love. you trace your fingers lightly along the curve of her jaw, marveling at how lucky you are to be here, to be the one she wakes up next to on her birthday.

eventually, you know you have to get up, even though you'd love to stay in bed with her all morning. You have a plan, after all, and you're determined to make this birthday morning as special as possible for her. reluctantly, you slip out from under the covers, careful not to disturb her, and pad quietly out of the bedroom.

in the kitchen, you start to work on breakfast. you want everything to be perfect, so you take your time, preparing all of her favorites. pancakes, topped with fresh berries and a drizzle of maple syrup, scrambled eggs cooked just the way she likes them, and a side of crispy bacon. you even pour a glass of orange juice and brew a fresh cup of her favorite coffee. as you work, you can't help but smile, imagining the look on her face when she wakes up to the surprise.

once everything is ready, you arrange it all neatly on a tray, making sure it looks just right. you add a small vase with a single flower you picked from the garden outside, a little extra touch to show her how much you care. then, carefully balancing the tray, you make your way back to the bedroom.

taylor is still asleep when you enter the room, and you set the tray down gently on the nightstand before moving to her side of the bed. sitting down softly beside her, you take a moment just to look at her again, her face still relaxed in sleep. leaning in, you press a gentle kiss to her cheek, whispering her name softly.

"taylor... it's time to wake up, birthday girl," you murmur, your voice filled with affection as you stroke her hair lightly.

she stirs slightly, her brows knitting together in confusion as she slowly wakes up. you can see the moment her mind registers your voice, and a small smile tugs at the corners of her lips before she even opens her eyes.

"mmm... good morning," she murmurs sleepily, turning her head towards your voice, her eyes fluttering open to meet yours.

"good morning, birthday girl," you reply softly, leaning in to kiss her lips this time—a soft, lingering kiss that makes her smile wider as she wakes up fully.

when you pull back, her eyes drift to the tray on the nightstand, and her smile turns into one of pure delight. "did you make me breakfast?" she asks, her voice still a little raspy from sleep, but full of warmth and gratitude.

"of course i did," you say, your tone playful as you reach over to grab the tray and place it gently on her lap. "it's your special day, and you deserve to be pampered."

she looks down at the tray, her eyes lighting up at the sight of all her favorite foods. "this looks amazing," she says, a note of awe in her voice as she glances back up at you, her eyes shining. "thank you, baby... you're so sweet."

you smile, brushing a strand of hair out of her face. "anything for you, tay," you say softly. "i just want to make sure you have the best birthday ever."

she reaches out to take your hand, squeezing it gently as she gazes up at you with so much love in her eyes that it takes your breath away. "you're already making it perfect," she says, her voice sincere. "i don't need anything else... just you."

your heart swells with emotion, and you lean in to kiss her again, your lips lingering on hers as you pour all of your love into that simple touch. when you finally pull back, you can see the happiness in her eyes, the way she looks at you like you're the only thing that matters in the world.

"let's eat before it gets cold," you say with a smile, gently nudging her to start on the breakfast you made.

she nods, picking up a fork and taking a bite of the pancakes. her eyes close in bliss as she savors the taste, and you can't help but feel a sense of pride at how much she's enjoying it. you stay by her side, occasionally feeding her a bite or two, and she returns the favor, offering you a taste of everything.

as she eats, you talk quietly, reminiscing about past birthdays and sharing little jokes. the atmosphere is light, filled with love and warmth, and you can see the sadness that lingered in her eyes the night before is completely gone now.

when the food is mostly gone, taylor sets the tray aside and reaches for you, pulling you back into bed with her. you laugh as she wraps her arms around you, snuggling close.

"thank you for everything, yn," she whispers, her voice full of emotion as she presses a kiss to your forehead. "this is exactly what i needed."

you smile, holding her close as you run your fingers through her hair. "i'm just glad you're happy," you reply softly. "that's all that matters to me."

and as you lie there, wrapped up in each other, you know that this birthday morning is just the beginning of a day filled with love, happiness, and the simple joy of being together.

as you and taylor arrive back home after a lovely lunch, the air is thick with anticipation. you unlock the front door, feeling your heart race in your chest. taylor is still chatting happily, completely unaware of what awaits her just beyond the threshold.

the moment you step inside, you can barely contain your excitement. you turn to taylor, watching as she kicks off her shoes and starts heading toward the living room. but then, she stops dead in her tracks.

"surprise!" echoes through the room, and taylor's eyes go wide with shock.

standing before her, with the biggest smiles on their faces, are her mom andrea, her dad scott, and her brother austin. they're holding up signs that read 'happy birthday, taylor' and the love in the room is almost palpable.

taylor's hands fly to her mouth, tears instantly welling up in her eyes as she stares at her family. her gaze flickers to you, filled with disbelief and overwhelming emotion.

"you... you did this?" she whispers, her voice trembling as she looks between you and her family.

you nod, a soft smile playing on your lips as you take her hand. "i did. i know how much you wanted to be with them today, so... i made it happen."

taylor looks like she's about to speak but then stops, overcome by emotion. she steps forward, enveloping her mom in a hug, her shoulders shaking as the tears finally spill over. andrea holds her close, whispering something in her ear that you can't hear, but it only makes taylor cry harder.

after hugging her mom, taylor moves to scott, who wraps her in a warm, fatherly embrace. you can see the love in his eyes as he holds his daughter close. finally, taylor turns to austin, who doesn't hesitate to lift her off the ground in a bear hug that makes her laugh through her tears.

as she steps back, wiping her eyes, taylor turns to you, shaking her head in disbelief. "how did you even...? i didn't think this was possible."

you grin, unable to hold back your excitement any longer. "i had a little help. do you remember that time a few weeks ago when Tree borrowed your phone for a minute?"

taylor nods slowly, her brows furrowing as she tries to remember. "yeah... she said something about checking your contact details. wait, was that—?"

you chuckle, taking both of her hands in yours. "that was my doing. i asked tree to get your mom's number for me. she's the one who stole it from your phone and then sent it to me."

taylor's eyes widen, a smile breaking through her tears. "tree? She was in on this?"

"of course," you say with a laugh. "she was more than happy to help. once i had your mom's number, we worked together to plan everything. i knew how sad you were about not being able to go to nashville, so i figured... why not bring nashville to you?"

taylorms tears start again, but this time they're mixed with laughter. "you're incredible," she whispers, her voice full of awe and gratitude. "i can't believe you went through all that trouble just for me."

"anything for you, tay," you say, your voice soft. "i just wanted to make you happy."

taylor steps closer, her hand cupping your cheek as she looks at you with so much love that it takes your breath away. "you've done so much more than that. you've made me feel so loved, yn."

you lean in, kissing her softly on the lips, savoring the warmth and tenderness of the moment. when you pull back, taylor gives you a radiant smile, and you know that every bit of planning, every secret phone call, and every stolen moment of preparation was worth it.

after you and taylor finished talking about how you'd orchestrated the surprise with tree's help, taylor couldn't wipe the smile off her face. she still looked a bit misty-eyed as she turned toward her family, her hand still tightly holding yours.

"dad," taylor began, her voice filled with a mix of pride and affection, "i want you to meet yn. she's... well, she's the one who made all this happen."

scott swift turned from where he'd been chatting with andrea and austin, his eyes lighting up as he met your gaze. he stepped forward, extending his hand with a warm smile. "so, you're the one behind this incredible surprise."

you shook his hand, feeling a little surge of nerves. "yes, sir. i just wanted to make sure taylor had the best birthday possible, even if she couldn't go to nashville."

scott nodded, his grip firm but friendly. "well, you certainly pulled it off. thank you for doing this. it means a lot to all of us that you went to such lengths for her."

you smiled, feeling some of the tension ease out of you. "taylor means everything to me. i just wanted her to be happy."

scott's eyes softened at your words, his smile deepening. "she seems very happy," he said, glancing over at taylor, who was beaming beside you. "we've heard a lot about you, yn. i'm glad to finally put a face to the name."

you couldn't help but feel a sense of relief at his kind words. "it's really nice to meet you too, mr. swift."

"call me scott," he insisted, a hint of amusement in his voice as he released your hand. "and don't worry, i won't bite... much."

you laughed nervously, not entirely sure if he was joking. scott seemed to catch on to your nerves because he patted your shoulder reassuringly. "i'm just glad to see my daughter so happy. we all are."

taylor smiled, squeezing your hand. "yn's been amazing, dad. she's... well, she's the best."

scott chuckled, his eyes twinkling as he looked between the two of you. "i can see that. but you know, i have to ask—what exactly are your intentions with my daughter?"

"dad!" taylor exclaimed, her cheeks turning a shade pinker as she swatted his arm. "you promised you wouldn't interrogate her."

scott held up his hands in mock surrender, a grin on his face. "alright, alright. i'm just teasing. but seriously, i'm looking forward to getting to know you better, yn."

you nodded, trying to keep your nerves in check. "i'd like that too, scott."

before scott could continue, taylor looped her arm through yours and playfully pulled you closer. "okay, dad, enough grilling for now. you'll have plenty of time to get to know yn later."

scott chuckled, nodding in agreement. "fair enough, tay. i'll save my questions for another time."

taylor rolled her eyes affectionately and turned back to you, her expression softening. "don't worry," she whispered, leaning in close. "ee's harmless. mostly."

you couldn't help but smile, some of your anxiety melting away under her reassuring gaze. "i think i can handle it," you whispered back, feeling a little more at ease.

the day continued to unfold in a whirlwind of laughter, games, and good food, filling taylor's home with the warmth of family and love. after everyone had a chance to catch up and enjoy the surprise, you suggested bringing out the board games, an idea that was met with enthusiasm from both taylor's parents and austin.

you and taylor pulled out a few classics—monopoly, scrabble, and a deck of cards for a game of uno—each one promising to bring out the competitive side in everyone.

the first game of the day was Scrabble. It started off quietly enough, with everyone carefully arranging their tiles and trying to come up with the best words. you teamed up with Taylor, while austin joined forces with andrea. scott decided to sit this one out, content to watch and offer commentary from the sidelines.

as the game progressed, the atmosphere became more playful. andrea was surprisingly good at the game, placing high-scoring words like "quartz" and "jovial," much to everyone's surprise. taylor and you managed to hold your own, in fact you won, but austin kept throwing in words that, while technically correct, had everyone questioning their legitimacy.

"really, austin? 'za' is not a word," you challenged with a raised eyebrow, leaning over to get a closer look at the board.

austin grinned, not missing a beat. "actually, it is. short for pizza. check the dictionary."

you narrowed your eyes at him playfully. "i'm checking it next time."

taylor nudged you with her elbow, laughing. "just let him have it. we'll crush him anyway."

after a few rounds of scrabble, during which andrea and austin always lost but andrea always carrying the team, like taylor for your team, everyone decided it was time for something with a little more energy. that's when you brought out the deck of uno cards.

the uno game quickly became intense. it didn't take long before the competition heated up, especially between you and austin. the two of you seemed to be on a mission to sabotage each other, stacking up +2 and +4 cards every chance you got. the tension was palpable, but in the best possible way.

"draw four," you said with a mischievous grin, laying down the card with satisfaction.

austin shot you a look of mock outrage, holding up his hand in protest. "again? are you serious?"

"dead serious," you replied, your grin widening. "you've been hitting me with +2s all game, so consider this payback."

austin groaned dramatically, drawing the four cards as ordered. "this is sabotage. i'm calling foul play!"

taylor and andrea laughed, clearly enjoying the playful banter between you two. scott, still observing from his comfortable seat on the couch, chuckled as well. "looks like you've met your match, austin."

"oh, don't worry, dad. i'm just getting started," austin replied, giving you a teasing glare before plotting his next move.

the game continued with everyone trying their best to outdo each other, but the rivalry between you and austin became the main event. at one point, austin threw down a reverse card with a smug look, sending the play back in your direction just when you thought you were off the hook.

"not so fast," he said, leaning back with a satisfied grin. "let's see you get out of this one."

you narrowed your eyes, flipping through your remaining cards. "oh, i'll get out of it, alright. just wait."

taylor, meanwhile, was caught between laughing at the two of you and trying to figure out her own strategy. she didn't seem to mind that the spotlight had shifted from her birthday to the playful war brewing between you and her brother. in fact, she seemed delighted to see you getting along so well with her family.

the game eventually ended with andrea taking the win, much to everyone's surprise. "guess i've still got it," she said with a wink, earning applause from everyone around the table.

next up was monopoly, a game known for turning even the best of friends into bitter rivals. this time, you and austin were playing solo, and it quickly became clear that monopoly was going to be just as competitive as uno, if not more so.

within the first few rounds, austin had already started accumulating properties, securing a few key locations and getting dangerously close to building hotels. you, on the other hand, were playing the long game, carefully buying up properties in a way that wouldn't immediately draw attention.

but austin wasn't fooled. "i see what you're doing," he said, narrowing his eyes at you as you quietly purchased a third property in the same color group. "you're trying to sneak up on me."

you gave him a sly smile. "i have no idea what you're talking about. just playing the game."

"uh-huh, sure," he replied, clearly not buying it. "we'll see who's laughing when you land on boardwalk with a hotel."

taylor, who was watching the two of you with amusement, leaned over and whispered in your ear, "he's ruthless in monopoly. watch out."

"i can handle him," you whispered back, though you weren't entirely sure. austin was proving to be a formidable opponent.

as the game went on, the banter between you and austin grew more animated. you managed to avoid his most dangerous properties, much to his frustration, while you started building up your own little empire on the other side of the board.

"this is war," austin declared after you bankrupted him with a well-timed hotel on park place.

you just laughed, holding up your hands in a mock-surrender. "hey, you started it. i'm just finishing it."

taylor couldn't stop laughing at the two of you, clearly loving every minute of it. by the time the game finally wound down, everyone was tired but in high spirits. it was the perfect way to spend the day, filled with laughter, competition, and the joy of being surrounded by loved ones.

as the afternoon sun began to dip lower in the sky, casting a warm glow over the room, you found yourself feeling more connected to taylor's family than ever before. the nerves you'd felt earlier had completely melted away, replaced by a sense of belonging. taylor's family was warm and welcoming, and it was clear how much they loved her—and how much they already liked you, too.

after the last game, you found yourself sitting next to austin, who gave you a friendly nudge. "you're alright, you know that?"

you smiled, nudging him back. "you're not so bad yourself, austin. but next time, i'm taking you down in uno."

he grinned, already planning his next move. "we'll see about that. but hey, you did good today. thanks for making her birthday special."

your heart swelled at his words, and you glanced over at taylor, who was chatting happily with her mom. "she's worth it," you said softly, feeling a deep sense of contentment.

austin just smiled, giving you a knowing look. "yeah, she is."

"you are acting already like siblings, from fighting to love each other in a second" andrea commented and everyone agreed.

At one point, while taylor was engrossed in a conversation with her mom again, scott leaned in close to you and said quietly, "you've made quite an impression today, yn. i can