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Post by gapeach on Oct 7, 2014 7:48:32 GMT -5
Gonna be interesting to find out what they gave each other and also when Phillip tells Chloe he kicked them out!!
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Post by unavitasegreta on Oct 7, 2014 13:03:55 GMT -5
The tension lying just below the surface is so palpable! I can't wait to find out how and when Chloe learns the truth.
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Post by fluffysmom on Oct 7, 2014 13:12:55 GMT -5
I don't think Philip is going to be able to keep the truth from Chloe much longer. Looking forward to seeing the presents.
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Post by melly on Oct 7, 2014 18:09:00 GMT -5
Nice exchange....but Philip isn't getting out of this one.
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Post by unavitasegreta on Oct 7, 2014 19:32:36 GMT -5
I'm torn between whether Phillip will tell her himself or if he'll not be quick enough and she'll remember on her own. Can't wait to find out!
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Post by Kpatch on Oct 8, 2014 6:52:12 GMT -5
Chapter 6b
Philip smiled at Chloe with a twinkle in his eye, dimples on full display. Then he ripped open the shiny green wrapping paper, tearing it to shreds to get to the box beneath. He looked up at Chloe with parted lips. “Are you serious? A six string?”
Chloe shrugged. “Why? Is that a weird gift? Is it something you asked for?”
“Uh, no,” Philip answered as he gently removed the guitar from it’s casing. “This is exactly like the one I had as a teenager, the one I serenaded you with. Wow.”
“So you like it?”
Philip felt himself choking up. It was hard for him to put into words the way this gift made him feel. It was truly an homage to their history, but it was more than that, and he felt so sad that Chloe didn’t remember getting it for him.
About a year ago, Chloe mentioned wanting to teach Parker to appreciate music, so they bought him a little keyboard to play with. Philip figured she wanted Parker to cultivate an interest in opera, but she reminded Philip that he used to play guitar too, so he would definitely be contributing to their son’s music appreciation.
~~Flashback
“Check him out playing on his little keyboard. He’s a regular Elton John,” Philip quipped.
“Ugh. Please. Not Elton John. There’s nothing regular about him.”
“Well I always knew that Parker would take after you,” Philip commented. “He definitely has his mother’s musical gift.”
“Don’t sell yourself short there, Soldier. I seem to recall a certain dashing teenage heartthrob with a killer smile who played the guitar and sang to me under my window.”
“Oh man. I will never live that down.”
“Live it down? Really Philip? It’s one of the sweetest memories of my whole life,” Chloe confessed. “I honestly hope Parker has your musical gift and your romantic soul. Parker is so lucky to have a you as a role model. I hope he grows up to be just like his father.”
~~End of flashback
Philip swallowed the lump in his throat. “This is a great gift, Chloe.” He looked at her. “You’re a great gift to me. Thank you.”
He could see tears forming in her eyes. She set her gift down on the desk, and walked toward him. He put the guitar aside as he welcomed her embrace. She sat down on his lap and hugged his neck. “Hey,” he said, stroking her back. “Time to open your gift.” Chloe leaned away as Philip picked up the small, rectangular box and handed it to her again. “This is sort of a Gift of the Magi moment.”
Still seated on his lap, Chloe took the box from him. “I didn’t think you paid any attention in English lit,” she chuckled.
“You mean because I was constantly staring at you instead of the teacher? Actually, I thought O Henry was a pretty cool guy. So go ahead. Open it.”
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Post by gapeach on Oct 8, 2014 14:50:31 GMT -5
Loved this chapter. Can't wait to see what happens next.
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Post by unavitasegreta on Oct 8, 2014 14:56:04 GMT -5
That's so sweet! I can't wait to find out the other gift!!
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Post by melly on Oct 8, 2014 18:31:42 GMT -5
 ? Christmas suspense in the middle of October? Not nice, Kpatch. |
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Post by fluffysmom on Oct 8, 2014 20:36:46 GMT -5
What a perfect gift! I agree with Philip that it's sad Chloe doesn't remember choosing the guitar for Philip.
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Post by Kpatch on Oct 9, 2014 5:12:50 GMT -5
Chapter 7
Chloe carefully unwrapped Philip’s gift to her. The unwrapped box was small and blue and rectangular, the kind of box a fine piece of jewelry would come in. Chloe’s first thought was that it was a bracelet. She lifted the lid and no, it wasn’t a bracelet. It was an envelope holding what looked like theater tickets.
She set the box on the desk and opened the envelope. “Opera tickets! This is perfect.” She hugged Philip’s neck. “You know me so well!”
“Season tickets actually. But the gift of the magi part is that ... well, the season is over. It was last season.”
“Oh,” she said leaning back, clearly a little disappointed. She looked at the dates on the tickets. “Bet it was a great season. I feel bad you wasted so much money.”
“It’s not important, Chloe. Hey,” he said, tilting his head to get her to look at him. “It’s okay.”
Chloe got off his lap and walked to the other side of the desk. “I’ve missed so much.”
“I’ll make it up to you, okay?”
“I don’t just mean the tickets, Philip.”
“I know. Neither do I,” he said.
Chloe’s brow knit, wondering what he meant by that.
“What I mean is, okay, I’ll tell you. You asked me a little while ago, and I’ll tell you now. I’ll explain to you why we broke up.”
“Absolutely not,” Chloe snapped back, holding onto the top of a chair on the other side of the desk.
“But you said you wanted to know.”
“I changed my mind,” she stated. “Everything is fine just the way it is. You’ve been amazing ever since I got out of the Oaks. You put your life on hold for me and that’s my reality.”
Philip was quiet for a minute. He seemed unsure of what to do next. “So, are you saying that what happened in the past should stay there?”
“I guess that’s what I’m saying,” she agreed. “I just have a feeling that the past can only hurt us. So can we please just drop it?”
Philip took a long, deep breath, then finally he nodded. “If that’s what you want.”
“It’s what I want.”
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Post by melly on Oct 9, 2014 6:01:01 GMT -5
Nnnnnooooooooo!!!!!! Philip! You are from Salem! You KNOW someone will tell her! Better to tell her yourself and do it the way you want her to hear it....rather than from Victor...or Lucas....or Daniel...or Nancy....
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Post by unavitasegreta on Oct 9, 2014 8:36:54 GMT -5
Nnnnnooooooooo!!!!!! Philip! You are from Salem! You KNOW someone will tell her! Better to tell her yourself and do it the way you want her to hear it....rather than from Victor...or Lucas....or Daniel...or Nancy.... Listen to this advice, Phillip!! |
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Post by fluffysmom on Oct 9, 2014 20:25:48 GMT -5
I liked Philip's gift. It was very thoughtful. I think Philip was finally going to tell her what happened. Philip will always be wondering if/when the truth will come out.
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Post by Kpatch on Oct 10, 2014 5:16:15 GMT -5
Chapter 8a
She’d been sleeping in Parker’s room for weeks, since the day they got back to Chicago. There was a lovely guest room where she was supposed to sleep, but she preferred staying with Parker. She loved being close to him. He accepted her back into his life without hesitation and she wanted so badly to make up for lost time. Just listening to him breathe and watching him sleep usually gave her a sense of peace. But not tonight.
It was the middle of the night and Parker’s bed was a little small for a grown woman to sleep in comfortably. So she wandered into the living room of the dark apartment, the only light in the room was coming from the outside world, filtering through the terrace doors.
Tucking her legs underneath her, and lying on the cushions, she tried to get comfortable on the sofa, but her mind wouldn’t let her body feel comfortable. She still wrestled with her PNES, the anxiety attacks that led to her seizures. She often battled to stay calm and keep her demons at bay. She knew things were going pretty well, but something was making her feel uneasy tonight.
It was the fact that Philip was going to the office tomorrow and she was scared to be in the apartment without him there. Stupid, she knew. There was nothing to be scared of or anxious about. The apartment wasn’t a scary place, it was bright and beautiful and warm and welcoming. She felt ridiculous for feeling this way. She didn’t want to be sad or scared or lonely or anxious, so she decided to turn to the one person who knew how to make everything alright.
She stood over Philip’s bed and watched him sleeping. As quietly as she could, she climbed in bed next to him under the covers. She didn’t want to wake him, and yet she did want to wake him. As luck would have it, or perhaps the movement of the bed when she got in, he stirred.
“Chloe?”
She managed a smile. “Were you expecting someone else?”
Rubbing his eyes, he answered, “To be honest, I wasn’t expecting anyone, but I have to say, this is a pleasant surprise. ... Hey, you okay?”
Chloe shook her head. “Not really. Could you hold me? Just hold me?”
Half asleep, Philip mumbled, “It’s gonna be hard, but I’ll try,” he said. Chloe turned her back toward Philip and nestled into him, spoon style. His arms encircled her and drew her in close, his body heat blanketing her in warmth. Resting his head against her hair, Philip said quietly, “What’s wrong, sweetheart? Tell me.”
She felt silly revealing her real fears, so she brought up a different subject. “Do you ever wonder if we’re only together because of our history? Our high school romance?”
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? Christmas suspense in the middle of October? Not nice,