Keeping the Faith (Read 12,600 times)

[DancingDays]

Aug 1, 2012 5:30:10 GMT -5 Kpatch said:

Jul 31, 2012 10:43:15 GMT -5 Minako98 said:

I think she likes to torture her readers more!

Jul 31, 2012 16:28:02 GMT -5 gapeach said:

She must.... she does it SO well.

All this talk of torture. OMG.

I never really thought about this as torturing the couple, but I see your point. I'm not a huge fan of triangles, so I need to find other ways to create drama for the characters. And now that I said that, I'll tell you that I have a couple of very triangular stories coming up down the road so I guess it's unavoidable. LOL.

I'm glad you're enjoying the story guys. Thanks so much for your comments. I love reading them!

Even though it's killing us, you know we love it! Keep it up dahling.

[djm]

I am hoping that Philip will surprise Chloe and be front stage center when she opens. I will so Chloe good to have someing to do and singing has always been helpful to her in the past. Looking forward to todays chapter.

[Kpatch]

THE LAKE DISTRICT

Within a few days of Maestro's visit, the Salem Opera Company was rehearsing again. The opening date for the opera hadn’t changed, so they had to really step it up in order to be ready. Wesley was well cared for by the nanny Philip had hired to babysit at the theater while Chloe rehearsed.

Whenever she was on stage rehearsing, Chloe would glance into the empty audience and picture a full house, and she always saw her husband’s dimples, smiling at her, front row center, his eyes filled with pride, admiration and encouragement. It was this mirage that helped keep her motivated and gave her the strength to continue. She took it as a sign that Philip really did want her to keep the faith and live the dream, even though the dream felt hollow without him.

Over the next two weeks, the days and nights ran together and Chloe was worn out from the long hours of rehearsal. Today was a particularly long day, because it was the last day of rehearsal. Tomorrow was showtime.

Chloe drove home exhausted. She glanced in her rearview mirror at Wesley, who was sleeping in his carseat in the back seat. She looked forward to getting some sleep too. As she pulled up the driveway and clicked the automatic garage door opener, she noticed the motion-sensitive porch light go on. That bulb had been burned out for months ... unless ...
Chloe: Oh my god. Philip.

Chloe felt her heart rate accelerate when she realized that Philip must have come home and replaced the bulb. She looked in the rearview mirror and saw a Hummer parked in front of the house. She almost forgot she was driving and she hit the brake hard, stopping within inches of hitting the inside wall between the garage and the house. Wesley stirred but he didn’t wake up. Chloe unclasped her seatbelt and ran into the house, as fast as her 8-month pregnancy would let her run.

Chloe: Philip? Philip!
A man stepped out of the kitchen drying his hands on a dish towel. Chloe gasped and put her hand to her chest.
Chloe: Oh my god, you scared me. What are you doing here? Where’s Philip?
Lucas: Um, I ... don’t know ... where Philip is. I was driving by the house and I remembered that your porch light was out and I’ve been meaning to fix that.
Chloe: It’s not your place to fix it.
Lucas: Oh. Well. Thank you Lucas, it was really nice of you to go out of your way to do that.
Chloe: I want you to unfix it right now.
Lucas: Excuse me?
Chloe: Take it out. Take the bulb out.
Lucas: You’re joking, right?
Chloe: Now!
Lucas: You’re one crazy lady. You know I’m in therapy because I still can’t figure out what I ever saw in you.
Chloe: Go to hell, Lucas.
Lucas: If this was a soap opera, we’d probably grab each other and start kissing because we were so turned on by our disgust for one another.
Chloe: Thank god it’s not a soap opera. Are you going to take the bulb out, or do I need to get on a ladder and do it myself?
Lucas: Keep your shirt on. I’ll do it. Geez.
Lucas went outside with the stepladder while Chloe got Wesley out of the carseat and put him to bed upstairs. When she returned downstairs, Lucas was getting ready to leave.
Lucas: It’s done. Undone. Are you happy now?
Chloe: Lucas, wait. I’m sorry. I’m so sorry for yelling at you like that.
Lucas: It’s okay. I know you’re under a lot of stress. We all are.
Chloe: I know.
Lucas: Want to ... um ... talk about it?
Chloe sighed and lowered herself into an armchair, the only one she could get into and out of these days without any help. She leaned her head against the back of the chair and looked up at the ceiling in an effort to keep the tears from flowing out of her eyes.
Chloe: Philip was supposed to change the bulb.
Lucas: Uh huh.
Chloe: But he kept forgetting or putting it off.
She leveled her eyes at Lucas.
Chloe: He has to be the one who changes the bulb.
Lucas: Why? Is it some kind of weird fetish?
Chloe: No. No. See, if ... if he doesn’t do it ... if someone else does it ... it’s like a sign ... that he’s not coming back. It’s like giving up.
Lucas: Ohhh. Oh, I see. It’s symbolic.
Chloe: Something like that.
Lucas: Don’t give up, Chloe. He’ll be back and he’ll change the light bulb. He’ll probably even yell at me for not doing it for you. ... I gotta get going.
Chloe: Lucas? Are you coming to opening night tomorrow?
Lucas: Only if I can score a couple free tickets.
Chloe laughed.
Chloe: They’ll be waiting for you at the box office.


To be continued ...

[MrsM]

Glad Chloe made him undo it. I would have done the same thing in her position.

[fluffysmom]

Loved Lucas' line about a soap opera. I'm glad that Chloe was able to explain her feelings about the light to Lucas. I'm really glad Chloe returned to the opera even though it doesn't feel the same without Philip there.

[gapeach]

Glad that Lucas understood why Chloe flipped out. Hopefully he is turning out to be a good brother-in-law.

[djm]

Loved the part about if this was a soap opera. So happy that Lucas understood why Chloe was so upset when he changed the light. I thought the light should be on to show Philip the way home, Like a candle in the window, but I can see why Chloe wants if left the way it is.

[Kpatch]

OPENING NIGHT AT THE SALEM METROPOLITAN OPERA HOUSE

The sounds of the orchestra warming up wafted into Chloe’s dressing room as a maid kept entering and leaving the room to drop off flowers. The nanny sat on the divan with Wesley, who was watching his mom look in the mirror and apply the finishing touches to her makeup. Every so often Chloe would sing a lyric from the opera, just to tune her voice. There was a knock at the door.

Chloe: Come in.
Maestro: Hello hello hello.
He kissed Chloe on each cheek and nodded to the nanny and Wesley.
Chloe: Hello Maestro.
Maestro: How are you feeling?
Chloe: Good, except for some butterflies. Some really really big butterflies. And you?
Maestro: I know the butterflies well. They help keep you motivated and focused.
Chloe: What does the house look like?
Maestro: Just starting to fill up. All your friends and family are here. Bo and Hope Brady, Lucas, Sami and Will Horton, Brady Black and Nicole Walker, Mayor Carver and his wife, and Daniel Jonas and his daughter.
Chloe: Daniel and Melanie are here?
Maestro: Yes.
Chloe: It’s weird. All my exes are here.
Maestro: We also have some celebrities in the house.
Chloe: We do?
Maestro: Indeed. Julia Roberts and Richard Gere have box seats.
Chloe: You’re kidding!
Maestro: Did you hear the helicopters landing on the roof? One of them brought Oprah Winfrey.
Chloe: Okay, now I’m really nervous.
Maestro: You’ll be stupendous.
Chloe: Thank you. Um Maestro, thank you for encouraging me to go through with this. It was the right thing to do. I feel it deep down ... it was important for me to perform. And you’re right. Philip is here. I can feel his spirit, his soul. [Her eyes filled with tears.] This is exactly what he would want me to do. So thank you.
Maestro: Tonight, we will perform in his honor. Yes?
Chloe smiled brightly.
Chloe: Yes.
The stage manager knocked. Twenty minutes to curtain.
Chloe: Oh god.
The Maestro kissed Chloe’s hand and left. Another knock brought another good luck package, this one an envelope. A letter-size envelope with something chunky inside. Chloe knitted her brow and opened the envelope. She pulled out a neck chain, attached to which were Philip’s dog tags. Chloe gasped.
Chloe: Oh god, no.
In that instant, Chloe felt the blood drain from her body. Receiving his dog tags like this must mean ... he’s dead.


To be continued ...

[Minako98]

No one does Friday cliffhanger like you do, kpatch...

I just got a lump in my throat!

[djm]

Just the Dog Tags. No message! Chloe think a minute. If Philip was dead the military would come and tell you in person. I wounded who sent the tags and why just before she is to go on stage. I guess I will find out next week. Till then I will hope it is Philip letting her know he is there. Previews please.

[sportsgirl]

DJM has a point... They wouldn't just send the dog tags all by themselves, but Philip would, because Philip is sitting in the front row!! TADA!! Case solved.... I hope???

[fluffysmom]

A Friday cliffhanger indeed! I liked Chloe telling Maestro that she could feel Philip there with her...his spirit and his soul. I'm glad she is feeling like she made the right choice to perform. I can hardly wait to see how she reacts after seeing the dog tags. Thanks Kpatch. This story really keeps me eager for more.

[MrsM]

Hmmmm. I hope SG is right!!

[Kpatch]

I agree. I doubt the U.S. military wouldn't just send dog tags like that, but if Philip and the scientists were to be taken hostage by the enemy, they definitely would send the dog tags with no message.

Y'all won't believe me if I tell you that I don't plan the cliffhangers for Fridays. It just works out that way. Dumb luck!

I'm happy you're still engaged in the story and reading. Thank you! Final week coming up. I'll try to post previews over the weekend.

[DancingDays]

GAH! Damn you kpatch! These cliffhangers are killer!!!!