Happily Ever After (Read 52,894 times)

[Kpatch]

I'm glad you're all enjoying the building drama! Thanks for your great comments!

Up next, we finally start to find out what Philip is thinking and feeling.

[heroicmuse]

YAY! Looking forward to seeing Philip's side of this mess.

[unavitasegreta]

Bring on the Philip!!!

[fluffysmom]

I'm glad to find out that Chloe still loves Philip despite everything.

[Kpatch]

Chapter 8a


January 2015

In his office between meetings, Philip popped a few Tums in his mouth as he reached for his phone. Antacids were part of his daily meal plan these days.

Before he even sat down, he started to dial Chloe’s extension, then he abruptly clicked cancel. He actually had to remind himself daily — no, hourly -- that he and Chloe were finished and she was suing him for divorce. It didn’t seem possible, not after everything they’d been through, after finding out Philip wasn’t Parker’s father, then that he was Parker’s father, then Chloe’s ordeal at the Oaks and her memory loss. When they finally got together, he was sure it was for good.

He knew marriage was hard, he knew it would take work; he wasn’t naive. But this was Philip and Chloe and they had so much invested in each other that he reasonably expected they’d be happy together. But they weren’t. They had eight great months, eight months of wedded bliss before everything started to go downhill, and once it started in that direction, it sank like a rock.

Philip removed his hand from the phone on his desk. He couldn’t call his wife because he didn’t have one, except in name only, and only for a little while longer.

He touched his bare ring finger and a familiar heaviness settled in his chest. His marriage was ending soon.

Sitting down heavily in the chair behind his desk, Philip picked up a framed picture of the three of them visiting Santa Claus at the mall the Christmas before they got married. They looked like the perfect family. How did things deteriorate so fast?

[heroicmuse]

Aww, Philip... I think we're all wondering the same thing.

[melly]

Yes, Philip, tell us. How DID things deteriorate so fast? You better have answers...

[gapeach]

Thst is a VERY GOOD question Phillip! Sure hope we get answers soon!!

[jc20886]

Can't wait to find out what is going on with Philip

[fluffysmom]

I'm looking forward to hearing Philip's explanation of what happened. They both seem to be fighting the urge to call each other.

[rahma2701]

Sad Well done @kpatch

[unavitasegreta]

You are the perfect family, Philip! You and Chloe have been through too much for it to end like this. I refuse to accept it!

I loved this chapter, Kpatch. You painted Philip's angst so vividly. He needs a friend to commiserate with about his predicament so we can learn more about his version of what happened in their marriage.

[Kpatch]

Chapter 8b


Sitting down heavily in the chair behind his desk, Philip picked up a framed picture of the three of them visiting Santa Claus at the mall the Christmas before they got married. They looked like the perfect family. How did things deteriorate so fast?


~~Flashback to 13 Months Earlier, December 2013~~

It was Christmas week and Philip and Chloe had been enjoying their holiday staycation with their son, taking their little train buff on his first real train ride as well as to the train museum, and an ice show for starters. Today they were at Water Tower Place, an upscale mall overlooking Lake Michigan.

Parker was wild with anticipation of meeting Santa at the mall and it was hard to get him to stand still, being four years old, notwithstanding.

“Ready for your close-up with Santa,” Philip asked, squatting to eye-level with Parker as the three of them waited in line to see the mall’s Santa Claus. Parker nodded vigorously until something caught his eye in a store window and he started to move in that direction.

Firmly holding onto one hand, Chloe stroked his hair and told him, “Later, angel. We don’t want to lose our place in line to see Santa and get our picture taken.” Then looking at Philip, she smiled warmly and touched the lapel of his jacket. “I’m glad you decided to buy this leather jacket. Black leather is very sharp on you.”

“Thanks sweetie,” he said, lowering the zipper on the jacket. “I haven’t bought myself anything new in a long time. My Christmas present to me,” he grinned.

“Well it looks great on you.” She looked down as Parker pulled on her hand, running back and forth in front of her. She gripped his hand with both of hers to keep him from getting away. Looking back at Philip, she giggled, “This is fun. Did your parents ever take you to see Santa?”

“Mine?? Hardly. But one of my nannies did once.” Philip’s brow furrowed as he tried to access a memory. “I forget which one. Aaah, doesn’t matter,” he waved the thought away. “What matters is that Parker’s parents are taking him to see Santa.” Philip leaned over and kissed Chloe. “This will be his first time.” Then he saw Chloe’s expression change. “Oh. It’s not, is it?”

“Sorry, no,” she said with empathy. “Daniel and I took him to see the Santa in Horton Town Square last year.”

Philip’s stomach turned at the thought of Daniel having that privilege. He hated missing out on that first time, but he didn’t want to put a damper on the day so he shrugged it off. “Oh. … Well. Doesn’t matter,” Philip said, forcing a smile. “This is our first time doing this as a family.” They inched a little closer to the front of the line.

“Right!” Chloe quickly agreed. “And that’s what counts.”

“Hmmm.” A thought occurred to Philip.

“Hmmm what?”

“Well, speaking of family, we need to set a date,” Philip said.

“A date? A date for what,” Chloe asked. Philip couldn’t believe she asked that. He figured they were on the same wavelength. When Philip gave her a look, her lips parted. “Oh. Wedding! Yes, of course. We definitely need to set a date sometime soon.”

“Big or small?” he asked.

Chloe looked at Philip for a long minute as if she was unsure how to answer. But when she spoke, her answer was decisive. “Definitely small,” Chloe said. “I’ve done big and I’ve done medium and I’ve done Vegas. Just the two of us …” Glancing at Parker, she corrected herself. “… I mean the three of us … is fine with me.”

“Good. Small it is.” Philip took out his iPhone and tapped on his Planner app. “How about January 7th?”

“So fast?”

Philip did a double take. So fast? It’s been sixteen years, he thought to himself. Nothing fast about that. “Why not?” he asked.

“Hold onto him a sec.” Chloe placed Parker’s hand in Philip’s while she fished her own iPhone out of the purse that was slung across her body. Looking at her calendar, she told him, “I’ll be in Nashville on the 7th at the country music trade show. How about January 20th?”

“Martin Luther King Day,” Philip noted. “City Hall will be closed. And I’ll be in 2014 planning meetings all the rest of that week.”

“Okay, let’s see.” Chloe continued to scroll through her calendar. “Now we’re into February. Oooh!” Her eyes danced. “How about Valentine’s Day?”

She did not just suggest Valentine’s Day. How could she be so thoughtless? Still, Philip kept his cool. Looking up from his smart phone, he wrinkled his nose.

“What’s wrong with Valentine’s Day? … Oh!” Chloe’s eyes widened in recognition. “Philip, I’m so sorry. I forgot. You and Melanie got married on Valentine’s Day.”

“Yeah.” This isn’t going well, Philip realized.

Chloe sighed. She apparently realized it too. “Why does this have to be so hard?” she pouted.

“Next!” The woman directing the Santa traffic practically screamed in Chloe’s ear, causing her to jump. Philip lifted Parker in his arms and set him down on Santa’s lap.

~~End of flashback~~

Philip sighed heavily. Somehow it seemed like getting married was more of a priority for Philip than it was for Chloe. Marrying Chloe was his goal for half his life. He laughed to himself, realizing he should have known better. He should have had other goals in life, because love never worked out for Philip, not for long anyway.

[melly]

I'm gonna need some weekend previews to make up for ending the week on a sad note, Kpatch...

[unavitasegreta]

Poor Philip!! I like the mention about wanting Chloe half his life. He has wanted this half his life!! Now he's heart broken - and so are we that his happily ever after hasn't panned out yet.

I'll forgive you for the Melanie reference if you throw in some sexy Phloe flashbacks...