Ooltewah junior tennis player Sarah Hudson poses for a portrait at the school Wednesday, April 20, 2016, in Ooltewah, Tenn. Hudson's father passed away two years ago, and she works to honor his memory by playing tennis, which he taught her, and working as an artist.The gold band, a symbol of unending love, dangles from a necklace that Sarah Hudson wears nearly every day. Sometimes during her tennis matches, when a little extra effort is needed, the Ooltewah junior will run her fingers over the band.
Even without her father's wedding band, there is rarely a moment when he is not in her thoughts.
"I was definitely close to my dad - a daddy's girl," Sarah said. "We did everything together. He was an athlete in school and taught me to play tennis. We would stop at Krystal for a chicken biscuit on our way to a big match, and he had the same song he would play in the car.
"He loved to talk and tell stories, and he was just always there for me, always supporting me whatever I did."
Two years ago, on one of those early-March Saturdays when you can just feel spring hugging the air, the Hudson family - Jon, his wife Ellen and their teenage kids Josh and Sarah - decided to spend the day together. They played tennis, and the kids won and got to choose where the family would eat lunch.
After returning home, Jon and Ellen began to work in the yard. But soon after telling his wife he didn't feel well, Jon went inside to lie down. An ambulance was called but Jon, only 52 at the time, died on the way to the hospital, leaving a hole in the family, and especially in his daughter's heart.
"He was my hero. I always wanted to make him proud of me," Sarah said. "It would've been a lot harder if I hadn't spent so much time with him that day. To have that memory of him, and us as a family, that means everything."
Looking for an outlet, something beyond tennis or the laundry list of school clubs she already was a part of, Sarah signed up for an art class her freshman year. Before long art became her sanctuary and her passion. And her teacher, Andrea McGuirt, discovered that Sarah had a rare talent.
As she allowed herself to escape in art, Sarah showed a remarkable flair once the class began to study the Impressionists - particularly French painter Edgar Degas, whose description of his own work as trying to "capture the fleeting moments in the flow of modern life" seemed to connect with the feelings Sarah was trying to express.
"She nailed everything," McGuirt said. "What she does in anything is put 100 percent into it. She has so much natural ability plus she has a desire to learn as much as possible, which puts her over the top.
"What I noticed about her that semester is how strong she is. There were times when I could tell she was having a rough morning and she would tell me, 'I really miss him today.' But you look at how she responded: Her grades never slipped; she continued to excel in everything she did. She did not let this defining life moment destroy her.
"I've watched her live out her dad's purpose by how she carries herself. She's completing what he set her up for by carrying on with purpose, and I love seeing that."
Sarah's other great escape, and one of the places she feels closest to her father, is on the tennis court. She is Ooltewah's No. 2 singles player and is part of the No. 1 doubles team.
"Tennis and art are both very therapeutic," Sarah said. "It's great sometimes to not have to think about things happening in life or stress from school. It's the same with tennis. I know he's not there in person, but I believe my dad is still watching me - not just in tennis, but whatever I'm doing.
"That's what motivates me in how I treat other people and always trying to carry myself in a way that would make him proud."
She is the first junior to become the captain of the girls' team in Ken Buchanan's 29 years as coach, as much for her on-the-court ability as her leadership and the maturity she's shown by also balancing a 20-hour-per-week job at a local clothing store.
"She stepped up and become the leader of our entire team," Buchanan said. "She's very supportive of all of her teammates, is very mature on and off the court and is just someone I trust to get things done for our team.
"I admire her for the way she's carried herself on the court, and how she's handled a heartbreaking situation in her own life. I couldn't think of a better example of a role model for all the younger players."
Contact Stephen Hargis at shargis@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6293. Follow him on Twitter @StephenHargis.