“Blossoming.”
“Have they thought of a name yet?”
“Joe.” Her father said with a smile.
Sydney nodded. “Can’t go wrong with a name like that.” Jenny’s husband was named Joe. Obviously she’d gone along with the decision. Whatever Joe wanted was fine with her. They had a good marriage. So did Sydney’s parents.
On the whole, her mother went along with her dad, but there’d been moments in the past when she’d put her foot down. Very few of them however.
“Did I tell you our ladies group gave Jenny a new car seat and a stroller at her baby shower?”
“That’s nice, Mom.”
“Some of them are still working on a quilt for her.”
“What a lucky baby.”
While her parents enjoyed a second cup of coffee, Sydney got up and started clearing the table.
Her mother brought their empty coffee mugs to the sink. “Someday you’ll be married and have a husband and children of your own, too.”
Sydney had to tamp down her frustration. After taking several deep breaths, she swung around. “Maybe I won’t, Mom. Don’t count on it.”
Don’t count on my ever falling in love with anyone else.
Her father joined them at the sink. “Tell us what happened with that fellow Chip from Idaho. We thought he was the one.”
“I was never in love with him. That’s why it didn’t work.”
“All along there’s been someone else, hasn’t there?”
She couldn’t lie to her parents. “Yes.”
“Is he still in Cannon?” her mother questioned.
Sydney’s heart plunged to the floor. Her emotions were in too much chaos after driving there. Anything that involved Father Kendall made her almost physically ill. That’s how she felt right now. Especially not knowing how serious his condition was.
How many more years had to pass before the mere thought of him held no power over her? What if his illness was fatal?
Dear God.
“Honey?”
Sydney bowed her head. “Can we please change the subject?”
“You’ll feel better if you talk about it,” her father persisted. “Until you started teaching in Cannon, you were our happy girl.”
Her mother eyed her with concern. “Since you can’t discuss it with us, I think you ought to call Pastor Gregson and have a chat with him while you’re here.”
Sydney let out a frustrated cry. “I’m twenty-six, Mom, hardly a little girl anymore. Pastor Gregson is a stranger to me. In any event, he’d be the last person to understand.” Sydney could just imagine their conversation.
I’m in love with a priest, Pastor Gregson.
Then you must do everything to put that devil out of your mind, Sydney.
“Now, Sydney—”
“You know how I feel about church.” As far as Sydney was concerned, organized religion seemed to cause a lot more pain than it alleviated. But for it, she and Father Kendall—