KAliasGirl
Cadet
In The Arms of Fate
Chapter 4
At nine o'clock the next morning, Vaughn met Sydney outside her hotel
room. Sydney was very excited to be touring Paris with him,
especially after last night. She was very glad to not have to be
alone all of the time in a city that was new to her.
"Hey," Vaughn greeted her. "Ready to go?"
"Yeah. So where are we going?"
"I guess we can wander around and find all the tourist places."
"Sounds good to me."
Sydney and Michael were strolling around Paris enjoying the sites and
chatting about nothing and everything. They finally made it to the
base of the Eiffel tower.
"Want to go up, Syd?"
"Of course."
They made their way to the top and took in the beautiful view of the
whole Paris skyline in all is beauty. After a little while they decided
to see the Arc de Triomphe and admire the beauty of it. They walked
along the River Seine and saw Notre Dame in all its glory.
As they were winding down seeing the city they came upon a park.
"Would you like some ice-cream, Syd?"
"Sounds like heaven after walking all day."
"What flavor?"
"Coffee."
"Coming right up." Sydney went over to a bench and sat down and waited for
Michael. "Here you go, coffee ice-cream."
"Thanks."
"I love chocolate, myself."
"Coffee's better," she joked, feeling quite happy for the first time
in awhile. Michael smiled back at her.
They ate their ice cream in silence, both hungry and calmed by the
gentle rush of the river. Sydney's eyes scanned the park and settled
on a family walking down the path. A man and a woman, probably around
thirty years old and clearly in love, walked slowly while holding
hands with a young girl happily swinging between them. The scene
reminded Sydney of her family when she was younger, and how she used
to swing from her parent's arms as they went on a walk together.
Sydney lowered her spoon from her mouth as tears welled in her eyes.
Michael noticed this gesture and followed her gaze to the charming
family. He focused back on Sydney, seeing her watering eyes.
"Sydney, are you all right?"
"I'm... I'm fine, I just..."
Her lip began to quiver and Vaughn quickly wrapped his arm around her,
letting her lean in to cry on her shoulder. He didn't know why seeing
the family had caused Sydney to start crying, but he wanted to know.
"Sydney, what's going on? You can talk to me, I promise."
"I just miss my family."
"Why don't you call them? I'm sure they would love to hear from
you. I'm sure they miss you."
"I can't."
"Why?"
"They're the reason I'm here in Paris."
"Syd, I don't understand."
She took a few heavy breaths to compose herself before speaking.
"They were the only family I had growing up, and I loved them more
than anything. My mother, my father... They were everything to me.
I was on my senior class trip when my best friend broke the news to
me, that they... They had... There was an accident, and they didn't
survive.
"One minute I was enjoying being a graduate and enjoying London, and in a
flash I was on a plane back home to bury my family. After the funeral
I packed up, sold the house, and booked the next flight to Paris. I left
everything I had known to start fresh. It was too painful to stay in Los
Angeles.
"Oh Sydney, I'm so sorry. Nobody should have to go through that alone."
She was still crying on his shoulder he just let her cry. This
beautiful girl had been though so much in such a short time.
Michael's heart broke for her.
Then it finally clicked in Michael's head why she looked so sad at the museum.
"Sydney, when we meet at the museum and were looking at the painting I
saw the pain and feeling of loss in your eyes."
"That's because my mother and I had always planned to see the museum
together, and I was looking at her favorite painting wishing she was
there to share it with me."
Michael took her hand and rubbed it gently. He looked in her sad eyes
and felt her pain as if it happened to him.
"Sydney, I promise things will get better and I promise I will be here
for you, what ever you need. I am not going anywhere."
"Thank you, Michael, I feel like you are my guardian angel and that it
was fate that we met."
"I feel the same way."
End of Chapter 4
Chapter 4
At nine o'clock the next morning, Vaughn met Sydney outside her hotel
room. Sydney was very excited to be touring Paris with him,
especially after last night. She was very glad to not have to be
alone all of the time in a city that was new to her.
"Hey," Vaughn greeted her. "Ready to go?"
"Yeah. So where are we going?"
"I guess we can wander around and find all the tourist places."
"Sounds good to me."
Sydney and Michael were strolling around Paris enjoying the sites and
chatting about nothing and everything. They finally made it to the
base of the Eiffel tower.
"Want to go up, Syd?"
"Of course."
They made their way to the top and took in the beautiful view of the
whole Paris skyline in all is beauty. After a little while they decided
to see the Arc de Triomphe and admire the beauty of it. They walked
along the River Seine and saw Notre Dame in all its glory.
As they were winding down seeing the city they came upon a park.
"Would you like some ice-cream, Syd?"
"Sounds like heaven after walking all day."
"What flavor?"
"Coffee."
"Coming right up." Sydney went over to a bench and sat down and waited for
Michael. "Here you go, coffee ice-cream."
"Thanks."
"I love chocolate, myself."
"Coffee's better," she joked, feeling quite happy for the first time
in awhile. Michael smiled back at her.
They ate their ice cream in silence, both hungry and calmed by the
gentle rush of the river. Sydney's eyes scanned the park and settled
on a family walking down the path. A man and a woman, probably around
thirty years old and clearly in love, walked slowly while holding
hands with a young girl happily swinging between them. The scene
reminded Sydney of her family when she was younger, and how she used
to swing from her parent's arms as they went on a walk together.
Sydney lowered her spoon from her mouth as tears welled in her eyes.
Michael noticed this gesture and followed her gaze to the charming
family. He focused back on Sydney, seeing her watering eyes.
"Sydney, are you all right?"
"I'm... I'm fine, I just..."
Her lip began to quiver and Vaughn quickly wrapped his arm around her,
letting her lean in to cry on her shoulder. He didn't know why seeing
the family had caused Sydney to start crying, but he wanted to know.
"Sydney, what's going on? You can talk to me, I promise."
"I just miss my family."
"Why don't you call them? I'm sure they would love to hear from
you. I'm sure they miss you."
"I can't."
"Why?"
"They're the reason I'm here in Paris."
"Syd, I don't understand."
She took a few heavy breaths to compose herself before speaking.
"They were the only family I had growing up, and I loved them more
than anything. My mother, my father... They were everything to me.
I was on my senior class trip when my best friend broke the news to
me, that they... They had... There was an accident, and they didn't
survive.
"One minute I was enjoying being a graduate and enjoying London, and in a
flash I was on a plane back home to bury my family. After the funeral
I packed up, sold the house, and booked the next flight to Paris. I left
everything I had known to start fresh. It was too painful to stay in Los
Angeles.
"Oh Sydney, I'm so sorry. Nobody should have to go through that alone."
She was still crying on his shoulder he just let her cry. This
beautiful girl had been though so much in such a short time.
Michael's heart broke for her.
Then it finally clicked in Michael's head why she looked so sad at the museum.
"Sydney, when we meet at the museum and were looking at the painting I
saw the pain and feeling of loss in your eyes."
"That's because my mother and I had always planned to see the museum
together, and I was looking at her favorite painting wishing she was
there to share it with me."
Michael took her hand and rubbed it gently. He looked in her sad eyes
and felt her pain as if it happened to him.
"Sydney, I promise things will get better and I promise I will be here
for you, what ever you need. I am not going anywhere."
"Thank you, Michael, I feel like you are my guardian angel and that it
was fate that we met."
"I feel the same way."
End of Chapter 4
