Song of Hope

Song of Hope - Chapter 4

Chapter 4

The Tuesday after Paul and Millie returned from their honeymoon could not come soon enough for Sydney. She and Austin had begun a routine online. Almost every night they emailed or chatted with each other. Sometimes about nothing at all, just a presence online that made Sydney smile and laugh and forget that she was alone in the world.

Nightly at about ten o’clock she would get the instant message from Austin, and for the next two hours she was not so lonely. One night after signing off, she lay in bed wondering if this was how Millie and Paul were in the beginning of their relationship. She didn’t have a relationship she often reminded herself, only a friendship. Was this how they felt as online friends?

Tuesday morning, she called Paul and asked him if Millie would be picking him up today, this had become their routine before the wedding. Millie would often run various errands during the staff meeting and then join the group for lunch afterwards. When he said yes, she told him that she needed to speak to Millie today. “Please make sure she knows to come inside. I really, really need to talk to her... alone!”

“What about?” Paul asked. He knew Millie and Sydney had become friends, but Sydney had never kept any secrets from him, well except that she had a crush on him for nearly ten years.

“Girl stuff! Mr. Nosey!” Sydney replied with a certain air to her tone. No way was she going to tell Paul about Austin. He would read too much into this. No, she had to be careful what she told Millie as well, maybe even omitting the part about the chats they were having at night. Nope, this would be entirely a reconnaissance mission. Gather all the info she could about Austin and get out of Dodge as fast as possible.  

After the Tuesday staff meeting and the jokes about the honeymooners, Sydney was heading to her office as she saw Millie enter the building. She quickly ran towards her friend, hugged her neck and proceeded to pull Millie into her office.

“Millie,” Sydney said in hushed tones, “I have been dying to talk to you. First off, how was the honeymoon?” Not really wanting all the details, only wishing her friends to have a happy life together.

A slight red blush crept up Millie’s face “It was great, we really enjoyed the seclusion and I can’t believe I am saying this, I thought the no technology thing would kill me, but it really didn’t. The fall leaves were in full bloom. We would take strolls in the afternoon under the leaves. It was really beautiful.”

“That is great, I am glad you enjoyed it.” Sydney said with a smile knowing her friend was a little embarrassed at the conversation, being a new bride and all.

“Syd, what is so urgent that you needed to talk to me? I mean I am very intrigued.”

“Millie, if I tell you, you have to keep it a secret. I mean I don’t even want Paul knowing!” Sydney looked to her friend trying to see if she could keep her promise.

Millie shook her head, “I’m sorry Syd, but we don’t have any secrets, if he asks me, I will tell him. But he would be the only one I can’t keep it from. I would promise not to tell anyone else.”

Sydney sighed, could she let Paul know? They had never had any secrets before, he would be happy for her, trying to decide Sydney sat down in one of the chairs that sat in front of her desk. Millie sat down in the other. “Okay, Paul can know, but only if he asks you and he promises to keep quiet about this. I don’t want Daddy finding out yet.”

Millie nodded, she reached over and took her friends hand, “Syd, you have me worried here. What’s going on.”

“When you met Paul online, did you ever expect to meet him in real life?”