Stealing Home (Read 9,791 times)

[Kpatch]

Chapter 2


Resting her head on Philip’s shoulder, Chloe closed her eyes as they drove along Interstate 94 toward Chicago. She was at peace for the first time in ages. She felt like she was finally her own person instead of being someone who needed looking after. It was her decision to leave Salem, and making a decision on her own was a big deal to Chloe. It meant she was taking charge of her life and acting independently again.

Even so, she felt a little guilty leaving her father’s house so abruptly. She gave him no time to prepare emotionally and, being a parent herself, she could understand the tremendous void left when a child goes away, not to mention a grandchild too. She could see the distress on Craig’s face when Philip carried her suitcase down the stairs.

~~~~~

“What’s going on? What are you doing,” Craig demanded.

Setting the suitcase down, Philip answered, “We’re going home. To Chicago.”

“Absolutely not!” Craig raised his voice and pressed his index finger into Philip’s chest. “She is not ready and you know it.”

From the second floor landing, Chloe thought her father might hit Philip, so she hurried down the stairs carrying Parker in her arms. She put him down when she got to the foot of the staircase. “Yes, Dad, I am ready.”

Craig approached Chloe and held her shoulders, “Baby, I know it sounds romantic and exciting, but don’t let him talk you into this.”

“He’s not, Dad. It was my idea. Mine, not Philip’s.”

Craig took a step back, releasing Chloe from his grasp. He looked at Philip, who nodded, and then back at Chloe. “Your idea? Chloe, honey, it’s not the right time.”

Chloe shook her head vehemently. “It is exactly the right time, Dad, and I’d appreciate it if you didn’t try to talk me out of it. ... Don’t you understand?” She was practically pleading for his approval. “I need to get on with my life. I mean, it’s been a blast being here,” she said sarcastically, “but the party’s over.” She immediately regretted the sarcasm when she saw how hurt her father looked. Putting her arms around him, she whispered an apology. “I’m sorry Dad. I can never thank you for everything you did for me. You helped make me whole again.”

Craig leaned away. “Thank me? You’re my angel. Just like Parker is your angel. I’d do anything to help you.”

Chloe looked downward at Parker and then smiled at Craig. “I know you would. So there’s one more thing you can do.”

“Name it.”

“You can let me go.”

She watched his face fall, but she didn’t say anything else. She waited for him to speak. Craig thought for a few minutes before nodding. “I knew this day would come. I guess I just wasn’t prepared for it to happen this quickly. Listen sweetheart,” he said taking a step toward her and speaking quietly. “Your mother and I are always here for you, no matter what.” He glanced at Philip, then back at Chloe. “If he ever hurts you....”

“He won’t, Dad,” Chloe chuckled. “He couldn’t. I think you know that by now. We love each other. We’re a family.” She hugged Craig tightly.

Craig kissed the top of Chloe’s head. “So are we, baby. Don’t forget that.”

~~~~~

But she wasn’t a baby and her father had to realize that her stay in his home wasn’t going to last forever. Obviously, that didn’t stop him from being upset when she left. Neither did her promise to phone often.

The car hit a bump in the road, and Chloe lifted her head off Philip’s shoulder. She turned around to check on Parker and watched him stir a bit and change positions slightly without opening his eyes.

“Everything okay,” Philip asked.

Chloe smiled and squeezed Philip’s arm. “Everything is perfect.”

Philip met Chloe’s gaze and returned her smile before turning back to the road. “You look happy … content,” he said. “I haven’t seen you look this way in a very long time.”

“I’m glad it shows. I feel hopeful about the future and I haven’t felt that way in a very long time. … Philip?”

“Hmmm?”

“At Craig’s, when I told him that we’re a family, was that too much? I thought I saw you react.”

Philip’s brow knit. “If you saw me react, it was probably with pride,” Philip answered. “It meant the world to me that you told Craig we’re a family. That’s what we are.”

“I know,” Chloe said, resting her head on Philip’s shoulder again. “We are.” There was something so comforting about the word family. Yet, there was something so frightening about it, and Chloe knew exactly what that was. The more you have, the more you have to lose.

[gapeach]

Glad we get to see these little glimpses when Chloe, Parker & Phillip left Salem. Sure hope things continue to go well for them.

[melly]

Poor Craig... I don't blame him, though. Chloe still doesn't have her memory back, and she could still have effects from her time in the "hospital". Of course he doesn't want her to run off so quickly, if only for that reason. (Not that that's the only reason....)

[unavitasegreta]

OMG I sense drama is coming, but I can't wait! Loving it so far.

[fluffysmom]

I like the flashback to Chloe and Craig's goodbye. Her departure happened very suddenly. It's no wonder Craig wasn't ready for it.

[phloefansince2000]

What a great chapter I love my Phloe keep Em coming!

[Kpatch]

Chapter 3a


Chloe felt her heart beating faster and faster as Philip unlocked the door to the condo. She had a feeling that the apartment held the key to her past as well as her future and, even though she kept telling everyone that the past didn’t matter, she secretly hoped that her memories would come flooding back as soon as she stepped inside the last place she lived.

Parker squirmed out of her arms and ran from the living room, disappearing down an unseen hallway. “Parker!” Chloe looked at Philip. “What’s he doing?”

“Probably going to his room,” Philip replied, setting down the luggage. “It’s been a while since he’s been here. I think he knows he’s home.”

“Home,” Chloe nodded.

Gingerly, she walked around the apartment, running her fingertips along the furniture.

“It should be clean,” Philip said.

Chloe turned around and looked at Philip. “Sorry?”

“The furniture. I had a cleaning service come in a couple days ago so the place would be move-in ready, so to speak.”

Chloe gave Philip a small smile and resumed her exploration of the apartment, picking up photos and knickknacks and taking it all in, as if she was seeing it for the first time.

The apartment appeared as large as some houses she’d been in. It reminded her a little of the penthouse her friend Belle Black grew up in, except that it was all on one level, taking up the entire 19th floor.

The condo’s entranceway opened to the great room with high vaulted ceilings, crown moulding, floor to ceiling windows, a terrace. To the right, was a kitchen, which overlooked the dining room. The marble countertop that wrapped around the kitchen acted as a divider between the kitchen and the formal dining area. She wondered if they had many formal dinners there.

Out of the corner of her eye, she could see Philip watching her intently, looking like he wanted to say something, but he said nothing. Finally, she asked him, “What? What are you thinking?”

After pausing for a moment, he said, “Nothing. I ... I’m gonna put the suitcases in the other room and check on Parker. Be right back.” Then she watched Philip disappear down that same hallway Parker ran to.

That wasn’t what she thought he was going to say, although she wasn’t really sure what she was expecting. Maybe she was hoping that he’d give her a clue, tell her something that would unleash all those buried memories waiting just below the surface, ready to spill over. But no, they remained locked behind the dam, behind that damn wall that kept them from breaking through.

She looked out the window at the Chicago skyline. Unlocking the terrace door, she stepped outside onto the balcony to get a better view, the incredible vista courtesy of the Kiriakis fortune. The apartment was on the 19th floor and the screened-in balcony added a measure of safety, especially with a toddler running around the place. The traffic was bustling below but from this high up, they were unaffected by the noises of the city, protected from the world around them, similar to that wall around her psyche.

Chloe felt tears form in her eyes. Her memories weren’t flooding back. She thought Chicago would end up being the gateway to her past, the last best hope, that experiential treatment that would work, where all other courses of treatment had failed.

As much as Chloe wanted to remember everything she forgot, a knot twisted in her stomach every time she thought about it. Deep down, she was deathly afraid -- afraid she would find out something horrible, although, in truth, she didn’t know what could be scarier than the things she already knew about her life. She was married three times, but never to Philip. She drove one husband to drugs and another to alcohol. She cheated on two husbands, got pregnant as a result of an affair, got divorced three times, tried to commit suicide. Her one-time motherinlaw tried to destroy her again and again. She worked as a prostitute longer than she worked as an opera singer. What could possibly be worse?

She was startled when she felt a pair of arms encircle her from behind.

[gapeach]

I feel so bad for Chloe. She wants so much to remember her past but is so afraid! I have a feeling this is not going to be all roses for Phillip and Chloe, but I know that Kpatch will do it justice!!!

[melly]

So.....what WAS Philip thinking before he went to drop the suitcases? Hmmmm....

[fluffysmom]

I like hearing Chloe's thoughts as she explores the condo. I think her subconscious is keeping her memories locked away.

[phloefansince2000]

Awwww I feel for Chloe I really hope she gets her memories back! Anyway great chapter I'm so happy they made it to Chicago can't wait to read more!

[rahma2701]

Awwwww, wow nice summary poor Chloe no wonder I always rooted for her and always will, nicely done @kpatch I cant wait for more.xx

[Kpatch]

Oct 1, 2014 5:59:29 GMT -5 melly said:

So.....what WAS Philip thinking before he went to drop the suitcases? Hmmmm....

I believe he was having some memories too, thinking about the last time Chloe was in the apartment, and knowing Philip, feeling guilty about it.

[Kpatch]

Chapter 3b


She was startled when she felt a pair of arms encircle her from behind. “Oh my god, you scared me.”

“Sorry,” Philip said, nuzzling her cheek. “I thought you heard me come out.”

“I guess I was lost in thought.”

“About?”

“About the dichotomy of worlds here,” she said, not telling the whole truth. “We’re in the middle of a major city, and yet there’s something so peaceful up here.”

“This terrace was always one of your favorite places in the condo,” Philip said.

Chloe turned around to face Philip. There it was. A clue Chloe had been waiting for. “Really? Tell me more.”

“You used to sit out here for hours,” Philip said, taking a seat in the rocking chair. “You’d sit in this chair with your e-reader in one hand, cup of chamomile tea in the other. Or sometimes, you’d be holding our son in your arms, reading his favorite books to him for as long as he’d sit still.” Philip smiled and reached for Chloe, pulling her onto his lap. “You were both so content out here. Made me feel content too. Whenever I’d see the two of you out here like that, it was like everything was right with the world.”

Chloe smiled and nestled into Philip’s arms. She closed her eyes trying to picture the scene that Philip just painted with his words. Picking her head up off Philip’s shoulder, she looked at him. “Is Parker alright? Is he all settled?”

Philip ran his fingers through her hair. “He is. He’s getting reacquainted with his toy box. I ... um ... I started to unpack your things and then it occurred to me that....”

“What?”

“I ... I don’t want to make any assumptions. I want you to be comfortable here, Chloe.”

“I’m not following,” she admitted.

“I feel a little awkward bringing this up.”

“Please don’t,” Chloe pleaded. “I want you to feel like you can tell me anything. It would be awful to have to walk on eggshells around each other all the time.”

“You’re right.” Philip sighed and held her tighter. “Here goes. ... I want to share our room, share my bed with you.” He traced her lips with his finger. “I want to fall asleep holding you in my arms every night and wake up next to you every morning.” Philip searched Chloe’s face as he spoke. “But ... only if that’s what you want too.” He gripped the chair’s arms like he was trying to keep his emotions in check, so he wouldn’t pressure her further.

“Oh,” she said, studying Philip’s face for a long moment. He amazed her that he could always read her so well, like he was inside her head. She’d been thinking about this very subject on the drive to Chicago, wondering how to bring it up. The fact was, she hadn’t even seen the bedrooms yet, and she wasn’t sure she wanted to. Just the idea of going into the other rooms in the apartment made Chloe feel uneasy, and she wasn’t sure why.

Yes, she loved Philip, but sharing a bed like two married people intimidated her. It was one thing for them to steal moments at Craig’s house or in the stables, but it was another thing entirely for them to sleep in the same room every night. Because she had no memory of the last few years of her life, Chloe still felt like she was barely out of her teens. She wasn’t sure she was ready for such a grown-up step.

Her reason for wanting to return to Chicago really had little to do with solidifying her relationship with Philip. She already knew where she stood with him. No, coming to Chicago was her way of asserting her independence and hopefully regaining those lost memories.

But here they were, the elephant in the room standing between them, begging to be noticed. She didn’t want to hurt Philip and she could already see the distress her hesitation was causing him. But since he asked the question, she hoped he would understand. “Um. I’m not sure,” she lied, afraid to hurt his feelings when he’d been so kind and sensitive to hers. “Maybe not. I mean ... do I have to decide right now?”

Philip shook his head slowly. “No. You have all day.” He managed a forced smile. “Um. You hungry?”

Chloe was grateful for the change of subject. It was awkward enough being in a strange new place that she was supposed to feel at home in. Funny, she hadn’t really thought about food, but now that Philip mentioned it, she seized the new topic. “Starving!”

“Me too. Let’s go see what there is to eat.”

Chloe eased off Philip’s lap and they both stood up. Philip opened the terrace door and they reentered the apartment. Chloe started to follow him to the kitchen when Parker stopped her. Running into the living room, he called, “Mommy! Mommy! Look!”

Chloe kneeled down as Parker showed her a toy. “What’s that, angel?”

“Thomas Tank Engine,” Parker said excitedly.

From the kitchen, Philip beamed to see the glee on his son's face. “That’s his favorite toy.”

“Aw. Bet you missed that toy like crazy.” She put her arms around Parker and hugged him tight.

“Bad news from the kitchen,” Philip said leaning on the kitchen counter and facing Chloe and Parker. “No food.”

“Oh. ... Well since no one’s lived here for months, I guess we should have expected that.”

“But no worries. This isn’t a problem,” Philip reassured. “I’ll run over to Jewel Osco and pick up some groceries. You can stay here with Parker, finish unpacking if you want.”

“No!”

“No?”

Chloe felt her heart start to race. She didn’t want to stay in the apartment without Philip. What if a memory returned that she couldn’t handle? She glanced at Parker and lifted him into her arms. “We want to go with you.”

“I thought you’d want to relax after the long drive.”

Chloe thought fast. “I don’t remember ever seeing you shop for groceries before. This I’ve got to see!”

Philip chuckled and shrugged. “If you want to come, sure. Let’s go.”

[gapeach]

Oh uh! Isn't that the same store where Phillip had his heart to heart with the clerk on Christmas Eve??