What Parker Wants (Read 5,111 times)

[unavitasegreta]

This is an 8 chapter story revolving around Parker's birthday, featuring Maggie, Victor, Chloe and Phillip. (No Daniel!)

CHAPTER ONE

“All right, my little man, close your eyes!” Maggie stated in an exaggerated tone, putting Parker’s hands over his eyes. “No peeking,” she warned, rising from the couch and circling around to the back. “Are you peeking?” she asked, bending down to pick up a box.

“Noooo!” Parker giggled, looking through his fingers as Maggie brought the box around the couch and put it in his lap. Though almost as wide around as his arms, the contents of the box weren’t heavy.

“Where’s Grandpa?” Parker asked.

Maggie sat down next to her grandson. “He’ll be home soon,” she assured him.

“Wait for him,” Parker suggested, wrapping his arms around the box in his lap.

“You don’t have to wait, sweetheart,” she stated, scooting closer to Parker, but he pushed her hands away.

“No, wait for Grandpa!” Parker insisted.

Running her hand through his fluffy hair, Maggie smiled down at her grandson and kissed his head. “Ok, we can wait. But what should we do with such a big box until he gets home?” Parker shrugged in response. “Why don’t we set this on the table?” she suggested.

Shaking his head, Parker held on to the box, his arms wrapped tightly around it.

Maggie laughed, relieved when she heard the front door opening. Hopefully Victor had returned from his meetings at the hospital.

Parker shimmied off the couch with the box in his arms, wobbling with it towards the double doors.

Maggie covered her mouth with her hands, stifling her laughter as Parker bonked into the doorframe a few times before finally getting through it with the box.

Closing the front door and sliding his keys into his pants pocket, Victor turned around to find his grandson holding a box that barely fit in his arms. “What do you have there, Parker?”

“I like presents!” Parker exclaimed.

“You have that in common with your grandmother,” Victor chuckled. “Do you need help with that?”

Parker nodded, allowing Victor to take the box. He then ran into the living room and crawled into his grandmother’s lap, his legs kicking excitedly. “Come on, Grandpa! Let’s open it!”

Victor put the box on the couch between them and sat down while Parker crawled out of Maggie’s lap. He began tearing into the box, throwing bubble wrap and foam peanuts all over the couch.

“It’s a guitar!” he exclaimed excitedly while Maggie and Victor watched with joy as he lifted the child-sized instrument out of the box.

While Parker pretended to be playing the guitar, Maggie started to put the packaging back into the box. “Are you excited for your birthday tomorrow?” she asked.

Parker nodded, fascinated by the sounds the guitar made.

“Are you excited to go to the aquarium?”

“And the planets area!” Parker lifted his head, “you coming too?”

“No, sweetheart, it’s your day with your Mommy.”

“And Phillip,” Parker added happily, thrumming the thick guitar strings with his whole hand.

“Mommy says you’re Phillip’s daddy,” Parker told Victor.

Maggie glanced at her husband, silently warning him to keep his extraneous comments to himself.

“I am,” Victor confirmed.

“You can come,” Parker invited.

Biting her lip, Maggie watched for her husband’s reaction.

“Pleeeeeeease!” he continued. “We can visit penguins. Daddy says they wear suits like you, Grandpa!”

Victor looked from Parker to his wife and then back to the little boy again. “I’m sorry, Parker, but I have to work tomorrow.”

Maggie frowned at her husband for deflating Parker’s happy mood. “You know, your grandpa is the boss. I bet he can take the day off if you ask him nicely,” Maggie prodded, seeing the crestfallen look on his face disappear.

Victor glared at her. “Tomorrow is his day with his mother.”

“Mommy and Phillip want you to come!”

“I doubt that,” Victor grumbled.

Parker pushed the guitar into Victor’s lap and slid off the couch. He ran over to the desk and grabbed Maggie’s purse.

“Don’t disappoint him,” Maggie whispered.

“Are you out of your mind? I am not spending the day with that woman!” he hissed.

“What are you-” she started, watching as Parker pulled her purse off the desk.

“Call Mommy,” Parker insisted, putting the handbag in her lap, before opening it to fish around for her cell phone.

Maggie watched in amusement. He knew exactly where to find it and handed her the cell phone. She was too stunned to do much more than dial the number and give the phone back to Parker. He took it and ran off as his grandparents stared after him.

“I can’t even find it half the time and yet he knows exactly where to find my phone,” Maggie mused, watching as he disappeared down the back hallway.

Victor grumbled something that she couldn’t understand as he put the guitar back into its box, plucking a few foam nuts from the couch and tossing them in the box. He then rose from the couch and moved over to the bar.

“Tomorrow won’t be so bad,” Maggie insisted.

“The things I do for you…” he shook his head, pouring himself a drink. He then turned to his wife with a scowl on his face. “You owe me, Maggie.”

“I owe you?” she scoffed.

“Grandpa is the boss. Ask him nicely,” Victor reminded her, downing his drink.

Maggie shrugged nonchalantly, rising from the couch and moving around the coffee table. “Come on, Victor,” she wrapped her arms around his waist, “it won’t be that bad.”

“What’s your definition of bad? Because spending the day with a bunch of loud, dirty children and their equally unkempt parents is my definition of a bad day. And that’s without Chloe!”

“You get to spend the day with your son,” she reminded him, straightening his tie absently.

“And his cheating whore of a girlfriend.”

“Don’t you dare think of saying anything like that around Parker tomorrow,” Maggie warned.

“You know I wouldn’t,” Victor frowned, irked by her insinuation.

“You might just have fun,” Maggie suggested, “if you let yourself.”

“We’ll see about that,” Victor insisted, looking down as they both realized Parker was trying to push them apart and get their attention.

“Mommy says you can come,” Parker smiled up at them.

“Great,” Victor grumbled.

Maggie smacked his arm before bending down to Parker. “How about we go pick out a movie to watch before bed time?”

“Captain America!” he yelled, racing out of the room. A few seconds later he ran back in and to the couch to get his guitar before disappearing again.

“You better hope he didn’t hear that cheating whore comment,” Maggie whispered.

“Grandma!” Parker called from the stairs.

“We will finish this later,” she promised, following after her grandson.

*

“This has to be a joke,” Chloe sighed, massaging her temples with her fingertips, her cell phone still clutched in her hand.

Phillip rounded the corner, walking into the living room. He stopped in his tracks after spotting Chloe bending over the back of the couch, trying not to hyperventilate.

“I can’t do this!” she mumbled over and over.

“Chloe … what’s wrong?” He quickly came up behind her.

Phillip’s hand on her back seemed to jolt her back to reality. “Is it the-“

“Parker invited your father to his birthday tomorrow!”

With a relieved laugh, Phillip pulled her into his arms. “Sweetheart, that’s nothing to worry about. My father would never spend the day at a museum full of children.”

“Oh, he’s coming,” she insisted, wrapping her arms around his waist.

“Trust me, I know my father.” Phillip patted her back reassuringly. “The only thing he ever did with me during my childhood was take me to work with him once when the nanny went into labor. He had to drive mom’s car because he didn’t even have a car seat in his. And then he left me with his secretary.”

“That was before Maggie,” Chloe argued.

“What does that have to do with anything?” Phillip asked.

“He’s trying to be a better person for her and all that crap,” Chloe frowned, pulling away from Phillip enough to make a few swipes on her phone. She then held the text up for him to see. “She just sent this.”

“I promise to keep him on his best behavior tomorrow,” Phillip read from the screen. “I don’t know if even Maggie is capable of doing that,” he sighed.

“We have a good routine going. When Joanna or Maggie can’t coordinate the exchanges, I take Parker to the front door and kiss him goodbye before Victor even opens the front door. By the time Parker bolts into the house, I’m halfway down the driveway.” Chloe started to pace. “I like that routine. It’s a good routine. Why does Victor have to change the routine?!”

Phillip observed her agitated state. “He’s my father. At some point you are going to have to spend extended amounts of time around him, especially after …”

Chloe spun around. “Are you saying you want to move back to Salem when-“

“No,” Phillip quickly replied, seeing the worried look in her eyes. “No, I don’t want to move back to Salem.”

“Ever? Because, Phillip, we talked about this. I told you I can’t live in that town.”

Grasping her upper arms, Phillip stopped her rambling. “If you don’t want to live in Salem, we won’t live in Salem. Ever,” he promised, looking in her eyes.

“But you said that we’d have to spend more time there after…”

“I just mean visits. He and Maggie came to Chicago a lot after Parker was born. Things weren’t so bad back then.”

“I’d forgotten about that,” she admitted. “But,” she added, looking up, “we weren’t in a relationship. We were just raising Parker together and you let me stay with you while I got my act together.”

“And look how things turned out,” he smiled down at her.

“Yeah, I went crazy and tried to get Daniel back like some nut job,” she sighed.

“I thought we agreed that we were done using the past to hurt each other or ourselves,” Phillip reminded her.

Chloe looked up at him and smiled, “you’re right. You’re always right.”

Phillip laughed softly, “that’s why this relationship works so well. You know just what to say to make a Kiriakis man happy.”

“So all I need to do is tell your father he’s right and he’ll be happy?” she teased.

“I wish it were that easy,” Phillip sighed.

[gapeach]

Love it! Can't wait to see Victor at the aquarium!!

[Kpatch]

This is great. You write so vividly unavitasegreta.

Love how Parker called the planetarium the "planets area." And Chloe's comment that “He’s trying to be a better person for her and all that crap” was priceless!

Thanks for posting this story. Looking forward to much more!

[kathyj]

Love the start to this story -- can't wait to read the rest.

I agree - you write so vividly and your characters are perfect.

[jc20886]

Sounds like a good phloe story will love reading it . Wondering what Philip means
when he says after the.

[gapeach]

Nov 11, 2014 10:38:09 GMT -5 jc20886 said:

Sounds like a good phloe story will love reading it . Wondering what Philip means
when he says after the.

Maybe they are having another baby!!!!

[unavitasegreta]

CHAPTER TWO

“What are you going to see first at the aquarium?” Maggie asked, unbuckling Parker from his booster seat.

“Shark tank!” he happily exclaimed. “Then sting rays. Then penguins. Then nemo fish.”

He continued to rattle on a list of fish as he climbed out of the car, heading towards the entrance to the museum. Turning around, he stopped at the edge of the curb and watched his grandparents as they walked towards him.

“Come on!” he excitedly instructed Victor, taking his hand to cross the street.

Maggie watched happily, lingering behind them for a moment to surreptitiously take a photograph of the pair with her phone’s camera. She’d have to share that with Daniel when they got back home.

After retrieving the passes Phillip had left for them at the membership desk, they entered the aquarium. It was full of loud, screaming children running in all directions.

Maggie wearily eyed her husband as he scowled at the scene before them of both big and little people covering nearly the entire common area of the atrium.

Parker tugged Victor with him towards the shark exhibit. “I see Mommy!”

Maggie picked up her pace, quickly siding up to her husband as he approached his son and Chloe. She tucked her arm around his, silently reminding him to behave.

“Hey Dad,” Phillip greeted, “Maggie.”

“Victor,” Chloe nodded to him before turning her attention to her son. The last thing she wanted to do on her son’s birthday was to spend the entire day with Phillip’s father, but she had to try and make the best of it for Parker.

Parker threw himself into his mother’s arms. “Grandpa’s gonna take me to pet string rays!” he eagerly announced.

“This is the first time I’ve seen her in pants in years,” Victor whispered to his wife, though Phillip heard the comment.

“I thought you wanted to see the sharks first,” Maggie reminded Parker, ignoring her husband.

Parker looked up at her as Chloe hugged him. “You stay with Phillip. Mommy and I are gonna take Grandpa to see sharks!”

“Don’t you want Grandma and Phillip to come too?” Chloe asked, still squatting down in front of Parker.

“No,” he shook his head, breaking away from her embrace. “Mommy and Grandpa only.” Parker exclaimed and ran over to look at one of the viewing windows.

Chloe followed behind him, but when he got to the glass he insisted that Victor come look with them. Though reluctant, Victor caught up with them as Parker prattled on about the creatures in the tank.

Phillip hung back a few paces with Maggie, wanting to respect Parker’s wishes but not willing to let them get too far out of earshot in case things went downhill.

“He really is trying. I hope you know that,” Maggie insisted, though her tone didn’t sound quite like she meant it.

Phillip crossed his arms and turned towards her. “Twenty bucks Dad doesn’t make it to lunch.” Maggie only raised an eyebrow in reply. “Come on. Look at him. He’s clearly not happy to be here.”

She shook her head disapprovingly. “Why would I take a bet that I know I’m going to lose?”

Finally cracking a smile, Phillip conceded with an exaggerated sigh, “I’m willing to go as late as two o’clock.”

“You’re on,” Maggie agreed, circling her arm around his.

“But,” Phillip added quickly, “the bet is up to one hundred bucks now.”

“Fine,” Maggie sighed in mock defeat, “I have faith in my husband.”

“You could never resist a lost cause,” Phillip teased, leading them over to his father and Chloe who were still getting a lecture from Parker about all the fish in the tank and which ones he liked the most.

Three hours later found them exiting the aquarium and heading for the planetarium. Victor had indeed petted a sting ray. He’d also been forced to help Parker design a multi-colored, glitter-covered polar bear poster that was in the back of the car to take home to Daniel.

Maggie was grateful that Parker was riding with his mother and Phillip as she could tell Victor needed a few moments of peace. Parker had been all over him and Chloe the entire time. Victor’s prolonged silence suggested that he was not in the best of moods. She wisely decided not to speak as he drove them the few miles to their next destination.

Parker, however, hadn’t stopped talking since Chloe had strapped him into his seat in the back of Phillip’s car.

“Can we watch the sky show now?” Parker asked, clutching a plush polar bear in his hands.

“We have to get to the planetarium first,” Chloe said, looking back at her son from the passenger’s seat.

“Then we watch it?” he asked.

“Of course!” Chloe answered, looking back at him with a happy smile.

“Can we lay on mats?”

“If you want,” she replied.

“Phillip too?”

“Sure, buddy!” Phillip agreed.

“Grandma?”

“I bet if you ask her, she will!”

“Grandpa?”

“It’s a little harder for Grandpa,” Phillip answered, surprised by how awkward it felt to refer to Victor as the boy’s grandfather even after it had turned out that Parker wasn’t his son.

“Phillip…” Chloe’s hand on his knee shook his from his reverie.

“What?” he asked, looking over at her.

“Parker wants to know if you’ve seen the sky show before.”

“Oh,” he replied, looking back at Parker in the rear view mirror. “No, I haven’t.”

“Are you okay?” Chloe asked, concerned.

“Yeah,” Phillip nodded, covering her hand with his as it rested on his leg.

“You sure this isn’t too much for you?” she asked.

“It’s fine,” Phillip assured her.

“One day you’ll be doing this with your son or daughter. But perhaps we should discuss number two a little later,” she suggested, patting her stomach, “when we don’t have eager little ears listening in.”

“Good idea,” Phillip replied, “wouldn’t want him spilling that to my father.”

[Kpatch]

Yay, Chloe is REALLY having Philip's baby this time.

This story feels so real. A true slice of life. I am at the aquarium with them. I love the little interactions between all the characters. This is fantastic. I can't wait for more.

[Minako98]

You've really captured Parker's voice in this, unavitasegreta!

I love it!

[kathyj]

^^ What they said. Loving the characters interaction. Maggie and Philip betting on how long Victor will make it through the day was great.

[unavitasegreta]

You guys are all very sweet.  I'm glad you're enjoying the story.  This is what I pretend is happening off-screen in Chicago with Chloe and Philip.  I refuse to believe they live in the same city and aren't together!

CHAPTER THREE

Chloe handed Parker a Styrofoam ball as he sat at a table covered in wax paper. “Why don’t you ask Phillip to help you paint this one yellow like the sun?” she suggested, trying to distract Parker from his all-day attachment to her and Victor.

“Why can’t Grandpa paint?” Parker asked, settling in at the child size table as Chloe opened a jar of washable paint.

The scent made her gag and she dropped the pot of yellow paint, nearly spilling it all. “Mommy’s going to go wash her hands. Grandpa and Phillip can help you make the sun.” She put the paintbrushes in her other hand down in front of him.

Quickly leaving the children’s area, Chloe spotted a family bathroom just in time to empty the contents of her stomach. When she emerged a few minutes later, she found Maggie waiting for her.

“I could use a bite to eat, but I don’t think Victor can survive the cafeteria. Join me?” Maggie suggested.

“Uh, yeah, sure,” Chloe stammered. “Parker seems to be having fun,” she spoke, hoping to avoid the reason for her sudden departure from the activity room.

Maggie guided them towards the crowded cafeteria. “You find a table and I’ll get in line,” she suggested.

Chloe nodded, grateful for the few moments alone. Her stomach still felt a little uneasy and she could use some time to gather herself together. However, Maggie returned all too soon.

Maggie sat a tray down on the table and put a bottle of water in front of Chloe along with a few packets of crackers. “I thought the saltine crackers might make you feel better.”

“Thanks,” Chloe smiled, grateful for the snack.

“They used to calm my stomach when I was pregnant with Sarah.”

Chloe’s eyes grew wide.

“Does Phillip know?” Maggie asked.

“Of course,” Chloe replied, watching as Maggie opened a packet of plastic silverware. “But I’m only ten weeks. We don’t want to tell anyone yet.” She looked down at her hands, then up at Maggie. “Daniel knows, but I begged him not to tell you or Victor. I hope you understand. I don’t want to lie to anyone. I just … ”

Maggie reached across the table and squeezed her hand. “I understand.”

“Do you?” Chloe asked. “You have so many reasons not to trust me.”

“Just because I’m married to Victor doesn’t mean I see him through rose colored glasses. I love the man, but I can understand why you’d be worried.” She reached back across the table and picked up her fork.

“Phillip wants to tell him. I just want to make it through the first trimester before we have to deal with his and Kate’s reactions.”

“I won’t say a word to Victor,” Maggie promised.

“If you need to tell him, it’s okay. I don’t want you to feel like we’re asking you to keep a secret from him…”

“You didn’t ask me,” Maggie pointed out, taking the last bite of fruit from the plastic container.

“Thank you,” Chloe smiled.

They finished eating and exited the cafeteria.

“Are you going to get married?” Maggie asked as she and Chloe walked back through the atrium.

“Uhm… well, that’s another thing Phillip needs to talk to Victor about.”

“He’s already asked you?” she smiled.

Chloe felt a twinge of excitement that Maggie didn’t immediately object or tell her that marriage was a bad idea. At least one person in the Kiriakis family wouldn’t object to their relationship. “We got married last year after I, uh, after my last visit to Salem.”

“After you-”

“Went crazy?” Chloe cut her off.

“I wasn’t going to say that,” Maggie admonished.

“I know,” Chloe conceded. “You’ve always treated me better than I deserve.”

“Everyone deserves to be respected,” she reminded her.

“Phillip says the same thing.” Chloe stopped before they went back into the activity room. “I lost it for a little while. So I checked into an in-patient center. I needed a guardian, and, well, Phillip is the only real friend I’ve ever had. The easiest thing to do was get married. That sounds just like some scheme I’d pull off, doesn’t it?” Chloe looked up at Maggie, encouraged that she wasn’t frowning. “But we have a pre-nup and I’m not entitled to alimony or anything from Phillip,” she defended.

“You don’t have to justify yourself to me,” Maggie pointed out.

“I know I really disappointed you last year,” Chloe told her.

Maggie put a hand on her arm, getting Chloe to look at her. “You don’t have to explain yourself.”

“I owe you an explanation and an apology. Phillip and I had a wonderful life here with Parker. We weren’t a couple but we were a family. After it all fell apart, I thought it’d be just like with Phillip if only I could get Daniel away from Jennifer.”

“Daniel told me about your therapy and how hard you’ve worked to be healthy again.”

Chloe looked away. “Oh.”

“He didn’t share the details of your conversations,” Maggie assured her.

“He’s lucky to have you. So is Parker,” Chloe added.

“Parker is a gift, just like this new baby will be too.”

Chloe sighed, “I hope Victor will feel the same way.”

“Just give him time,” Maggie assured her.

“You know, he’s not as bad as he used to be,” Chloe conceded. “You’re really good for him. I’ll never understand what you see in him, but he does seem to love you.”

Maggie laughed, “it’s not always easy. I turn a blind eye to a lot of things. But he has a tender heart underneath all that bluster. And he’s very good to those he loves.”

*

“I think we’re doing a pretty good job here, don’t you think, Parker?” Philip smiled proudly at their handcrafted solar system.

“Can we still come to the planet area after the baby comes?” Parker asked Phillip, to poking his paintbrush in a cup of blue paint.

“You missed a spot here, buddy,” Phillip tried to distract him, hoping to ignore the question.

“Maybe the baby likes planets and we can still come,” he suggested.

“Maybe,” Phillip mumbled, hoping his father and Maggie weren’t nearby.

“Parker, you missed a spot,” he pointed out, guiding his paintbrush.

“Noooo!” Parker jerked his hand back.

“Phillip, what is he talking about?”

With a sigh, Phillip let go of the paintbrush as he heard his father’s voice come from directly behind him. “Nothing, Dad.”

“That didn’t sound like nothing. It sounds like Parker thinks someone is having a baby.”

Maggie stepped beside her husband, grateful that she’d returned just in time to hear Parker’s revelation. “You know Parker, he’s just babbling like always. It’s probably a friend from school’s parents.” Maggie placed her hand on Victor’s arm. “Let’s go find them some red paint for mercury.”

“It’s Mommy’s baby in her tummy,” Parker pointed to Chloe.

“Tell me this is some sort of joke,” Victor scoffed, pulling away from his wife. “You aren’t stupid enough to get her pregnant again.”

Neither Phillip nor Chloe denied the insinuation and Victor shook his head in disgust. “Surely you remember how things turned out the last time she got pregnant!” Victor pointed towards Parker.

“Hey!” Chloe piped up, “leave Parker out of this!”

“Do you even know who the father is?” Victor asked.

“Don’t you dare speak to my wife like that!” Phillip roared at his father, rising from the kid’s size table as Parker stared up at them all.

[Kpatch]

Oh wow, this is so good and so much soapy fun! I love Parker being the one to let the cat out of the bag. I also liked learning what happened to Chloe after the Daniel fiasco and how she and Philip happened to get together.

Go Philip! Don't let Victor speak to your wife that way. Oooh, I am tingling just saying those words.

Great story unavitasegreta!

[fluffysmom]

This is a fabulous story unavitasegreta. I can't wait to read more. I can imagine Victor at the planetarium surrounded by messy kids. I hope someone takes Parker out of earshot before this conversation escalates any further.

[jc20886]

The cat's out of the bag now .Loved Philip standing up for his wife and Parker is so cute
he's wondering what all the fuss is about it's just a baby.Love this story

[unavitasegreta]

CHAPTER FOUR

“Wife?!” Victor exclaimed.

“That’s what I said.”

“Are you out of your mind?” Victor growled.

“Keep your voices down,” Maggie admonished them, noticing that Parker was watching with wide eyes. “This is not the place to be having this discussion!”

Victor ignored his wife, too focused on his son. “Tell me you didn’t fall for her lies yet again!”

“There are no lies, Dad!” Phillip sighed.

Victor shook his head in disgust, disappointed in his son’s poor choices. “You’re good,” he informed Chloe, looking towards her. “I didn’t think you’d be able to get him to marry you after having Daniel’s baby. I clearly underestimated you.”

“I didn’t get him to do anything,” Chloe argued.

Victor turned back to Philip. “I understand wanting to be part of your child’s life, but we don’t even know if this baby is yours.”

“It’s my child, Dad.”

“That’s what you thought the last time too.”

“Grandma, is Grandpa mad?” Parker asked, holding on to her pant leg, almost like he was trying to hide himself behind her. “Did I do something bad?”

Maggie looked down at him, running her hand down his back, “no, honey, you didn’t do anything.”

“Did I make Phillip mad?” he asked.

“No,” she shook her head.

“But … but …” His eyes filled with tears. “Mommy’s mad too. Are you mad?” he asked.

Bending down, she scooped him up into her arms. “No one is mad at you.” He was getting a bit too heavy, but she ignored the ache and hugged him against her. “Let’s go read about the Mars Rover,” she suggested, walking away with him as Phillip, Victor, and Chloe continued to argue.

“I didn’t mean to be bad,” Parker cried, looking over her shoulder as Maggie guided them out of the room.

“You didn’t do anything, sweetie,” Maggie assured him.

“I did!” he sniffed.

“No, you didn’t.”

“They look mad,” Parker insisted. “I wanna go home,” Parker cried, kicking his legs against her. “But not with Mommy or Phillip or Grandpa!”

“But today’s your birthday. I bet your Mommy has a cake and presents at home for you,” Maggie tried to cheer him up.

“I don’t want presents,” he frowned, settling against her. “I wanna go to Daddy’s!”

“Didn’t you like the present from me and Grandpa?” Maggie asked.

“It’s okay, I guess,” he replied.

Maggie smiled at his stubbornness. “I think you liked it.”

“Maybe,” he finally cracked a smile.

“Maybe?” she gasped in mock derision. Parker nodded, his head still pressed against her neck. “Well, maybe I should return it…”

“Noooo!” Parker kicked his legs.

“So you do like it!” she smiled. He again nodded, but didn’t speak. Maggie could tell that he was calming down. She didn’t want to go back to where the others were, but she was worried that no one had noticed she and Parker were gone. That meant they were likely still arguing, oblivious to those around them.

Fishing her cell phone out of her purse, Maggie was going to send Phillip a text but Parker reached for the phone. “Can I play Angry Birds?” he asked.

“I don’t think I have that game on my phone, honey.”

“Uh huh,” Parker insisted, taking the phone from her hand.

She sat down on a nearby bench and pulled him onto her lap.

Meanwhile, Phillip and Victor continued to stare down one another. “The first thing we’re doing is a DNA test.”

“It’s his child,” Chloe insisted.

“We can get you out of this,” Victor stated, ignoring her. He took his phone out of his pocket. “I’ll call my lawyer. You were clearly mentally unstable. I wouldn’t be surprised if she drugged you.”

“She didn’t do anything.” Phillip reached for the phone. “You can’t undo this marriage, Dad.”

“The hell I can’t! If you haven’t consummated it, we can have it over in no time.”

“We got married over a year ago. The marriage was consummated long before she ever got pregnant.”

“A year ago…?” Victor asked, clearly taken aback by Phillip’s revelation.

“This,” Phillip let go of the phone, “is why we didn’t tell you.”

Victor scoffed, “you didn’t tell me because you’re ashamed to be married to a lying, cheating whore!”

Phillip balled his fists up, trying to keep his cool. It was growing increasingly difficult. “If you ever speak about my wife like that again, I swear to you, Dad, that you will never know our child.”

“Phillip, where is Parker?” Chloe asked, looking around.

“Maggie’s gone too,” Phillip noted.

Chloe felt a sense of panic rising in her. How much had Parker heard? Had he heard Victor refer to her as a whore?

As the three of them exited the activities room, they found Maggie and Parker sitting on a bench. Parker was intently focused on her phone. Maggie looked up at all of them with a scowl.

“Uh oh,” Phillip whispered to Chloe. “She’s really scary when she’s mad.”

“I know,” Chloe whispered back. “Disappointing her is worse than any punishment my parents ever gave me.”

“Try living with her when she’s mad at you,” Victor muttered.

“Been there,” Chloe remembered.

“Me too,” Phillip added.

They looked at one another, realizing Victor was likely in for a scolding from his wife far worse than either of them would get.

Chloe walked over to the bench and sat down next to Parker. “What are you playing, my angel?” she asked.

Parker looked toward his mother. “Are you mad?”

“I’m not mad,” she assured him, rubbing his leg.

“You and Grandpa looked mad,” Parker told her.

“We aren’t mad.” She looked up at Victor, “are we?”

Victor ignored her and looked at Parker. “I’m just waiting for birthday cake,” he shrugged nonchalantly.

“Can we have cake now?” Parker asked.

“Well…” Chloe stammered.

“It’s at home,” Phillip quickly added, squatting down in front of him. “So if you want cake, maybe we should get you home?”

“Okay,” Parker agreed, climbing off the bench. He took Phillip’s hand.

Maggie stood up, “I think we should call this a day.”

“God yes,” Chloe agreed, rising to her feet.

“So you’re heading back to Salem?” Chloe asked Maggie, trying to make small talk to lessen the tension between everyone as they headed toward the museum exit.

“No,” Maggie replied. “We have a room at the Four Seasons. But, it’s not that late. I suppose we could head back home?” She looked to her husband.

“I paid three thousand dollars for the room,” Victor grumbled, “I’ll be damned if I’m not staying the night.”

Maggie eyed her husband before looking back at Chloe. “Looks like we’re spending the night,” she replied tersely.

Chloe decided to keep any more questions to herself, grateful when they reached the parking lot.

“Well, we’re out that way,” Phillip pointed, his tone flat and emotionless.

Maggie bent down to hug and kiss her grandson. “You be a good boy. I’ll see you in a few days.”

Parker hugged her back, waving to her and Victor as he walked the opposite direction with Chloe and Phillip.

“Thank God that’s over,” Chloe uttered as they walked away from Maggie and Victor.

“Yeah,” Phillip gruffly agreed.

Chloe looked at him out of the corner of her eye. He still seemed incredibly tense. “Are you okay?”

“What do you think?” Phillip replied.

Chloe rolled her eyes and took Parker’s hand from his, leading him to the car. She wasn’t in the mood for one of Phillip’s poor little rich boy fits.