"Why don't you move this line here and then it would flow better here?"
Rayna chewed her lip as she ran through the changes Deacon suggested in her mind. Scratching out the words and reinserting them up higher, Rayna tapped the page in front of her as she contemplated the rest of the song. "I think if l change this….and….ye, um I think that will work."
Looking into his eyes for confirmation, Rayna smiled at the amusement she saw reflected there. This was how they wrote so many of their best songs. It was always a collaboration between them, each bringing their own strength to the process. She couldn't count the amount of times that song writing ended up with them disregarding writing all together in favour of an afternoon spent in bed. Of course once she was married to Teddy, song writing with Deacon usually ended up in them yelling at each in frustration. Emotions were brought to the surface as they put into song what they wouldn't express to each other. Song writing was a passionate endeavour for them, whether they were together or not. Capturing his lips she gave him a quick kiss, before tapping the page again and declaring the song finished. Deacon began playing the opening cords and they rapidly found themselves lost in the feelings expressed in the lyrics.
Deacon's voice waivered as the truth behind the words struck him.
"You haunt me when I fall asleep
You are in every breath I breathe
I still hear your footsteps down the hall"
Rayna's voice was thick as she struggled the knowledge of what the hurt of their past and lost opportunities had cost them.
"And I keep trying to pretend this ache for you is gonna end
But I know better than that now"
So baby please
Tell me
Why don't we
Take this time we wasted
And don't hold back let's face it
I need you
And baby you need me
We're all we've been missing
If we could just stop resisting
And give in to what's supposed to be"
Lifting her eyes from the words in front of her, Rayna gazed over at Deacon. The moment their eyes locked, Deacon could feel the familiar tug on his heart. Singing the lyrics she had written about their time apart, Deacon could feel the emotion coming through in his voice. His voice was warm with love for the woman next to him, as he caressed every word that flowed out of his mouth.
"I hear you whisper in the air at night
You are in every single song I write
And every melody I play
It doesn't matter where I run
I come back to where I'm running from
Your face is everywhere I turn"
While they were able to suppress their feelings towards each other off the stage, the truth about their love was plainly out there for all to hear. They were always able to express their feelings for each other through their music, their lyrics expressing everything they were unable to say in person. Even when they were separated, they still managed to let each other know how they felt. Rayna was always a bit resentful towards Teddy when he forced her to stop playing certain songs. She knew logically why he disliked her playing them, especially with Deacon but it didn't stop the bitterness she felt towards him. No one really understood that her feelings were so firmly tangled and entrenched in those songs, that ceasing to play them was akin to physically cutting off a part of her. Teddy had accused her of having an emotional affair with Deacon, and looking back now he was right. She had subconsciously always felt an element of guilt playing those songs with Deacon, but she couldn't help herself, especially in the first couple of years of her marriage. She knew she had hurt Deacon, just as he had hurt her and playing those songs helped them both cope with their situation. It had certainly helped her survive the long nights when the enormity of keeping Maddie a secret overwhelmed her.
Pacing up and down in front of the house, she tried to assure Bob, her editor, that she would have the article completed by this afternoon's deadline. "I'm just about to interview Deacon Claybourne and once I've finished here I will complete the article and submit it. Don't worry Bob, I will have it done in time."
Pulling the phone away from her ear as his volume increased in reaction to hearing about her last minute interview. She sighed as he proceeded to tell her about freelance writers being unreliable, how the last couple had failed to turn in their articles in time, he concluded with a demand that he wanted to see her in the office straight away to discuss her article. Candy knew that she had been guilty in the past of the kind of behaviour Bob was talking about, but she also knew that once she had a few quotes from Deacon she would be able to finish up the article and submit it. Candy assured him that she would have the article submitted on time that she didn't need to come into the office, but Bob wasn't buying it.
Storming back to the car she continued to argue with him, explaining that he was making her look unprofessional as she would now have to cancel the interview with Deacon. Candy decided that Bob didn't need to know that she hadn't actually made an appointment with Deacon, nor did he need to know that her plan was to get a more 'intimate' interview than previous journalists had.
Their voices harmonised, expressing the healing of their fractured souls and voicing their longing for each other. Each word they sang was a vow to the other, a reconfirmation of their commitment to each other and to their love.
"And I'll surrender to you
If you surrender to me
I'll surrender to you
If you surrender to me"
Their voices were a whisper, with a hushed tone they sang the final words together, allowing the words to express everything they meant to each other. The guitar cord echoed through the quiet house as they struggled to contain their feelings. Reaching out Rayna gripped Deacon's hand and squeezed it, before lifting it and kissing it. He tugged her closer to him and kissed her. Pulling back he stared deep into her eyes. Smiling warmly at her, he cupped her cheek and teased her bottom lip with his thumb before whispering softly, "I love you."
Rayna could feel her eyes welling up at his words. Wrapping her arms around him, she climbed into his lap and whispered against his ear "I love you Deacon," her voice was thick with emotion as she fought to stop tears from falling, "so much that it hurts sometimes." Her arms tightened around his neck as she sought the familiar comfort his warmth brought her. Deacon rubbed her back and buried his nose in her hair, finding his own comfort in her arms. Releasing her grip on him, her lips gently kissed along his features before she nibbled at his lips. They both sighed at the feeling of their lips against each other. They deepened the kiss as they embraced the knowledge that their hearts were whole once again. Deacon groaned as he brought her body closer to his before lying them down on the couch. The crinkle of paper accompanied their heavy breathing, their bodies crushing the pages of music that held their next hit.
'Surrender' has been reproduced without permission from ABC and the Nashville TV. No offense is meant and I am grateful not only to the brilliant actors who bring the characters to life, but to the amazing songwriters who capture their feelings so beautifully in the songs.