Song of Hope

Song of Hope - Chapter 2

This chapter has two songs in it. I will post one here, and the other one I will post on chapter 3 after the next upload. (You can search it on YouTube if you would like.)

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Chapter 2


Austin opened the door to the fellowship hall for Sydney, thinking that there was no way this beautiful woman could ever be embarrassed by anything. Twenty minutes later, he was wiping the tears of laughter from his eyes as he watched Sydney perform two songs.

The first song Sydney sang started out sweet and tender, it was her rendition of “Somebody to Love.” What caught his attention though was the couple on the dance floor twirling around each other. When the song started, Millie and Paul were on opposite sides of the room talking to people. Then without warning, they began stutter stepping towards the middle of the floor looking directly at each other without breaking eye contact.

Finally when they were within a few feet of each other, Millie ran and Paul caught her by the waist and twirled her around during the chorus. When the second verse began, they broke apart and began dancing in circles around the dance floor coming within a hairs breath of each other without touching. They were joined on the dance floor by the other members of the wedding party doing a small version of a flash mob dance. Each person’s steps had been synchronized to the music and the other dancers.

Then finally at the conclusion of the song Millie and Paul untied on the dance floor surrounded by the wedding party in a burst of rowdy applause from everyone in attendance.

It was really a site to see and if Austin knew Millie, it really took a lot for her to be the center of  attention where people would be looking at her so intently.

Suddenly when everyone was settling back down into their seats, and picking up the conversations they had abandoned -- some even had new conversations about the dance that just took place -- the beat changed and Sydney began singing “Son of a Preacher Man” while Paul sat in a chair and Millie danced around him. By the end of the song, Millie was sitting in Paul’s lap and the crowd was again on their feet applauding and laughing at his stunning cousin and Sydney who did the rendition beautifully.

Moments later, Austin had been sitting at a back table that had been quiet and away from everyone. It was Lacey’s bedtime so he wanted to call her and tell her goodnight. He was almost finished with his call when he felt, rather than saw, someone sit down next to him. Looking over he noticed Sydney had just sat down and when she saw he was on the phone started to leave. He reached out and grabbed her hand without thinking to pull her back into her chair letting her know it was okay for her to stay.

“I love you too Lacey Bean. Now be good for Mawmaw and Poppie and I will see you tomorrow.” Austin smiled and said, “Yes, I love Sonny too.” He sent her a kiss and a hug.

“Yeah, Tuck, I will be back around lunch tomorrow. I know there is no hurry, but I miss her. Yeah, and her fever’s gone?  Okay, I will see you tomorrow. Hey, give her a real hug from me please. I know. Bye.”

“I’m sorry, I didn’t realize you were on the phone when I sat down.” Sydney said with a smile.

Austin put the phone away and smiled, “Her bedtime.”

“Oh, I understand completely. I didn’t mean to listen in, but I heard you say she had a fever, I hope she is OK.”

“Yeah, she was just getting over an ear infection, she is at the age where she gets them quite often. I was suppose to bring her with me, but didn’t want a crying three year old in the car for six hours! I tried to cancel, but Aunt Mary had a fit that I missed Alexis’ wedding and so I really couldn’t miss this one since it wasn’t anything serious.” Austin shrugged.

“That’s too bad.” Sydney offered, “maybe next time when you bring her down I can meet her, she sounds amazing.”

“We don’t get down as much as I would like. Tucker and Emma Sue are her grandparents, and I work for Tuck, so he tries to keep me busy and they help out so much. I think they were afraid after Sonya died that I would move away and take her away from them.”

“I’m really sorry. If you want to talk about it, I’m a pretty good listener.” Sydney offered.

“I don’t want to depress you,” Austin said with a half smile that Sydney could tell he was faking. “You have a really beautiful voice by the way.”

“Thanks. I normally don’t get asked to sing "Son of a Preacher Man”...but hey, gotta do what your friends want at their wedding.” Sydney said with a smile.

“Do you sing professionally?” Austin asked as he leaned his arms on the table and smiled over at Sydney. He figured she would have to, she sounded like a trained singer that he would gladly pay to listen to her any day of the week.

Suddenly, the photographer came up to them and told them to get together for a picture. Austin leaned over and put his arm on the back of Sydney’s chair. They both looked up and locked eyes and without warning the photographer snapped the picture. “That was really great you guys. You’re a cute couple.” He said before he walked off.

Both Sydney and Austin laughed, “Sorry about that.” Sydney said then she added, “I guess you could say that I’m a professional.” Sydney said with a smile. “I do sing every Sunday.”

“Really? Where at?”

“Here.” Sydney said with a smile, “I’m the Minister of Music.”

“Oh.” Austin said. He wasn’t sure what to make of it. He had given up on God when Sonya died. She had been his life and God had taken her away from him. Tucker and Emma Sue picked Lacey up every Sunday without fail to take her with them to church. Though Austin had promised Sonya that Lacey would grow up in church, he would not go anymore. Why should he love a God that let his wife suffer?

“Are you okay?” Sydney asked, she could see him zoning out.

“Yeah, just long day I guess. I’m sorry.”

“It’s OK. Look, I desperately need a good cup of coffee. I know this place if you would like to go with me. They also have the best sweets around.” Sydney stood up, “It’s the least you can do after ruining my dress.” She said with a smile. “Besides, if I stay here much longer, I will be roped into working and cleaning up. Do these heels look like I should be vacuuming in them?”

Austin looked at her offered shoe, which was attached to the most beautiful calf he had ever seen. He laughed and stood up to leave with her. “No, I guess they don’t. I rode with my parents, do you mind giving me a ride to their house afterwards? It’s in Roswell.”

“No problem at all.” Sydney said with a smile.



They settled into a booth at Sydney’s favorite diner and took a big bite of her chocolate turtle cheesecake. She said with a somewhat full mouth, “You know, some guys try to give girls flowers and jewels, all any man needs to do is give me chocolate and coffee and I will be his for life.”

“Really?” Austin said with a raised eyebrow. “Are you hinting?” He knew he shouldn’t but Austin was enjoying watching the smile on her face every time he flirted with her. He found himself flirting just to see that smile. While a part of his mind and heart kept telling him he could not do this... not to himself, but especially not to her. This could go nowhere. There was only one woman for him and she died a year and a half ago. Now the only female he should care about was Lacey. Yet, he still sat here smiling at this woman he met only a few hours ago.

“Oh no!” Sydney said scrunching up her brow and shaking her head, “I mean, don’t get me wrong, you seem like a great guy, a wonderful father, but,” Sydney paused and looked at him, took a sip of her coffee and squinted her eyes like she was piercing in to him to get a good look at what he was truly made of, “please don’t take this the wrong way, but you are still hung up on your wife. And I would never come between a man and his wife.”

Austin smiled, “You are very perceptive,” taking a deep breath he added, “I am not ready for anything. I loved Sonya and don’t see myself ever falling in love again, she was the love of my life.” He took a bite of his chocolate brownie, “This is really good.”

“I told you!” Sydney said with a smile. “Best sweets and coffee in town.”

“So, since you seem to know me so well, can I ask you a question?”

“I’m an open book. Or so my Daddy and Paul always tell me.” Sydney said with a smile.

Austin looked away not wanting to make eye contact on this personal question. “So, why aren’t you married?” Once the words were out, Austin couldn’t help but be drawn to those beautiful blue eyes.

“Well, I have only ever loved one man in my entire life.” Sydney sighed, “and he just got married.”

“Paul?” Austin was shocked, sure Paul looked like a great guy and he guessed girls would find him attractive, Millie obviously did, but Sydney too?

“Yep. I was in love with him for almost a decade.”

“So you dated before he and Millie got together?” Austin sat there still somewhat in shock.

“Well, not exactly. We’ve known each other since college, and I finally confessed that I liked him about a year and a half ago, before he met Millie in person. We went out once and kissed once and it was enough for us to realize there was no chemistry there. So, I am happy for him and Millie, she is really great for him, but yeah, we did go out once in those ten years. But, he is still my best friend. And...” Sydney trailed off.

“And still enough to make you cry at the reception and depress you into eating a whole cheesecake after the wedding.” Austin said with a knowing smile.

Sydney couldn’t help but smile back, “You saw that? Sorry! And maybe not a whole cheesecake, but yeah close enough.”

Austin reached across the table with his fork and took a bite of her cheesecake, “Now no one can say that you ate the whole thing!”

Smiling up at him, Sydney said, “Well, what a gentleman.”

“I aim to please,” putting the cheesecake in his mouth he said, “Wow! This is really good!”

“I know! I told you, best in the Metro Atlanta area.” Sydney said as she tried to guard her plate from Austin’s fork as he tried to swipe another bite.

“Okay, okay!” Austin said laying his fork down next to his coffee cup. “So, tell me something about you.” He crossed his arms and leaned forward resting them on the table that sat between them.

Sydney copied his position and said, “Well, I love to sing.”

Austin chuckled and Sydney loved seeing the sparkle in his eyes, something she had not noticed before. “Well, that is kind of obvious! Why do you like to sing? I mean what about singing makes you love it, because you are obviously very good at it.”

“Well thanks,” Sydney said as she cocked her head to the side and said, “I guess I like connecting with God. I mean on Sunday mornings when I sing I feel closer to God than any other time. And I like the way that I feel when I am close to him.”

“Oh.” Austin said and looked down at his hands. He really did not want to talk about God, and that answer was the last thing he was expecting. “Well, you have a beautiful voice.”

“Thanks. So, can I ask?” Austin nodded taking a bite of his brownie. “What did you wish for?”

Austin smiled knowing she was talking about his wish at the fountain, “Same thing I always wish for. For Lacey to have a wonderful life and to find true happiness in everything she does.” Looking at Sydney, he realized her eyes were so big and beautiful reminding Austin of the crystal clear beaches of the Caribbean where he took Sonya for their honeymoon.

“Awww, that’s sweet.” Sydney said picking up her coffee cup. “What about you? Do you ever make a wish for you to have true happiness?” She took a sip of her coffee as saw the cloud of depression move across Austin’s face.

“No. My true happiness died with Sonya. Every dream I had was attached to her and they are now buried with her. Everything I do now is for Lacey.” His pain was etched on his face.

Sydney blinked for a moment, not knowing what to say, then she squinted looking dead into his eyes and said, “Don’t you think Lacey’s wonderful life will depend on her Daddy’s happiness, too? I mean, how can a child be happy if her parent isn’t? I would hate to grow up in a house where my parents were sad all the time.”

“I’m not sad all the time. She makes me happy.”

“Even worse. Can you imagine the pressure on her as she grows up knowing all your happiness depends on her?”

Austin did not know what to say! Was he really putting all this pressure on a three year old? No.

“Just promise me,” Sydney said with a smile, “instead of putting money aside for college, you might want to set up a Therapy Fund! She might need that more.”

“Now wait. I would never do anythi...” Austin was paused by Sydney’s upheld hand.

“No, you would not INTENTIONALLY hurt her or do anything purposefully. Yet, by your own admission, your only happiness is found in your daughter. I’m just saying that she has a lot of pressure on her.”

“Thanks for the advice.” Austin said. Sydney could read the silent words that were written across his face letting her know that he did NOT ask for her advice.

“Um, I really should get back to my parents, I have a long drive ahead of me tomorrow.” Austin said laying money on the table, more than enough to cover the check and a nice tip.


On the drive to his parents, Austin was quiet and Sydney knew she spoke out of turn and should not have said those things. As they approached Roswell, she knew she would never see him again and figured she had nothing to lose, “Look, I’m sorry if I upset you.” She took a deep breath and did not dare to look over at him. “You seem like a nice guy, your daughter is very lucky to have you as her Daddy.”

“Thanks, and I am sorry. I don’t know, I’m just not ready for this.” Austin said in a low voice.

“Well, I don’t know what you think this is, but I was just trying to be a friend. Maybe a little too opinionated for my own good, but a friend nonetheless. Let me know if you ever want that.”

She pulled her car to a stop at the house he pointed to and before he opened the door he said, “Sydney, you are a great person, beautiful, talented, funny. Any man would be lucky to have you in their lives. Don’t give up yet, he’s out there.”

Austin didn’t know what came over him but he found himself leaning across the car and kissing Sydney on the cheek. As he pulled away he said, “I really did have a great time. And I am serious, please send me the dry cleaning bill.”

“Thanks, me too.” Sydney said as he opened the door.

When the front door closed and Sydney was on her way home she prayed, “God, why would you tempt me like that? He seems like a great guy, if he isn’t for me why did you practically drop him in my lap today of all days?”