She's Gotta Listen to Her Heart

It’s 10 am. She’s cleaning dirty tables in the diner, already wondering what is going to happen when she comes home tonight. What if he’s drunk? What if he’s in a bad mood? The simple thought about it sucks. The flowers he bought a week ago are still blossoming. It’s that smell of old perfume, cigarette dust, and lilies that she loves - the smell that she just can’t escape from.

Then she looks into the window, observing her reflection. The jukebox is playing “Listen to Her Heart” by “Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers”. She smiles at herself, wondering why she’s still here. Life is crazy, isn’t it? She pulls off her work t-shirt and throws it in the bin. She walks outside the door with more confidence than she ever thought she could have.

She drives away, turns up the volume and sings along to the songs that always kept her alive. The wind tickles in her hair, as she pulls down the window and lits a cigarette. She realizes that she just gotta do what really matters before it’s too late.

And then she finds herself in front of the camera, being able to express herself. Finally being able to just be herself. And in that moment, she listens to her heart. It’s telling her that she belongs to herself. Only to herself, before she gives a part of that to anyone else.

Photographer: Sean Pham @seanxpham

Model: Laura Taaffe @laurabethtaaffe

Makeup:  Vickie Nguyen @vickienguyen_hmua

Location: Perth, Western Australia