**BARELY KEEPING IT COOL**

Sweet with just enough sass,
I planned about twelve fucking dates
Before the week had passed.

**I'm keeping it casual,**
**I'm keeping it cool,**
That's what I keep telling myself
While acting like a fool.

Antiques? Yep.
Dinner? Sure.
A show? Why not?
I've got seventeen more.

She says, “Joe, I've got homework.”
Right.
Of course.
Be normal.

*...So Thursday?*

She's raising little humans,
Going to school at night,
Trying to build a better life
And somehow doing it right.

She's got a million things to juggle,
Still checks to see if I'm okay.
Meanwhile one cute text from Taylor
Can derail my fucking day.

**I'm keeping it casual,**
**I'm playing it slow,**
I've only checked my phone
Four hundred times or so.

No pressure.
No labels.
No expectations here.

I just researched every antique store
Within the fucking hemisphere.

She likes her Dr Pepper,
She laughs at stupid shit,
She's funny in that weird-ass way
That somehow perfectly fits.

She can overthink a sentence.
I can overthink one too.
So between the two of us,
A “K” could take an afternoon.

“Is she mad?”
“Was that weird?”
“Should I text?”
“Maybe wait.”

...three minutes.

Fuck it.

“Hey.”

She'll tell me she's imperfect,
Like that's supposed to scare me off.
She's got quirks and little habits—
That's the shit I actually want.

Because anybody can look pretty,
And, Jesus Christ, she does.
But pretty doesn't make me miss somebody
Just because they're fucking busy.

It's the mom who puts her kids first,
The woman working toward her degree,
The one who's been through enough bullshit
And still somehow stays sweet.

So, yeah—

**I'm keeping it casual,**
**I'm keeping it light,**
I definitely haven't imagined
Swooping you up tonight.

Not kidnapping.

Important distinction.

More of a romantic
cartoon getaway situation.

Very legal.

Probably.

So take your time, Miss Taylor.
You don't owe me anything.
Handle school, handle the kiddos,
Handle every damn thing.

I'll be over here behaving,
Giving you your space...

...and absolutely not smiling
Every time your name pops up on my fucking screen.

**I'm keeping it casual,**
At least that's what I claim.

Then I went and wrote a song for you...

So I'm doing a **fucking terrible job**
of playing this game.

And maybe that's the punchline—
After everything we've been through,
I wasn't looking for all this shit...

Then I fucking found **you.** ❤️