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| Chapter Six | |||||
| Heartfelt Confessions | |||||
| Philip had just got the final report from the investigator on Jarod. Although the man had been very thorough there were still gaps that he would have to fill in himself. ~ Damn,~ Philip thought. ~ I'm going to have leave tomorrow if I want to know for sure. ~ He placed the investigator's report back in his desk and locked it away. As he placed his key back in its hiding place there was a knock on the door. "Come in," to his surprise it was Jarod who opened the door. | |||||
| "Can I talk to you?" He walked into the room fully and to a chair. | |||||
| "Of course. Is there something wrong Jarod?" | |||||
| "Well not really ... um maybe. I was just wondering something," he paused and Philip nodded as if giving the go ahead to ask whatever it was that was bothering him. "I was wondering if you could tell me who my biological father is?" | |||||
| Philip was taken back by his plainspoken question. "No, I mean I don't know who he is for sure." He watched as the little boy looked down in a quiet gesture of sadness. But, that lasted for a fraction of a second. When Jarod lifted his face and all the traces of sadness disappeared and he went back to his neutral expression. But, Philip had seen the hurt in his eyes. He stood up and walked around the desk to stand before him. "Jarod," the boy's eyes met his. "Even though, I don't know who your father is, I promise you I will find out." Jarod seemed to contemplate that before he nodded and then he rose from the chair but as he would of walked away Philip grasped his shoulder and turned him around again, bending down so he was eye level with the child. "Hey, even when I do find out who he is it won't change our relationship. I don't ever want you to worry about us. You are part of this family. You'll still be one of my kids. You are my son here," Placing his hand over his chest he said, "Where it counts." He released Jarod's shoulder and stood up again. | |||||
| "Do you really think of me as one of your kids?" Philip couldn't even begin to describe how intense his eyes looked. They shined with an emotion he couldn't describe but what he thought was hope and longing. | |||||
| "Yeah, I do. You're apart of this family. Don't ever doubt that. It won't change regardless of who your father is." Philip glanced at his watch. "Now, I do believe that it is past time for you to go to bed. Come on, I'll walk with you upstairs." He said as both he and Jarod began walking out his office. | |||||
| "Wait, I wanted to ask you some more questions." | |||||
| "Ahh, Jarod you've obviously been learning from your brother and sisters. Great stall. But, you just can't con me into letting you stay up late. I have to say that was a really nice try, though." | |||||
| "Con you, I wasn't trying to con you," he looked at Philip who arched an incredulous brow. "Okay, okay I'm going." He started up the stairs smiling in spite of himself. | |||||
| "Hey, it's okay. I did the same thing when I was young; who did you think they learned that trick from. You can't mess with the originator." That earned Philip a smile as Jarod continued up the stairs. Just as he made his way to the hallway, the doorbell rang. An enrobed Henderson came from his room. But, Philip stopped him halfway. "Henderson, you can go back to bed I'll get the door." | |||||
| "Are you sure?" | |||||
| "Yes, of course. You go on back to bed." Henderson returned from where he came. After he left Philip walked over to the door and opened it. Shawn stood behind the door. "Shawn man, you look like hell come in. What are you doing here so late? Did you and Belle have a fight or something?" | |||||
| As soon as Shawn came in, he shut the door. "Can I stay here tonight?" Shawn asked walking into the house and placing his helmet on a chair. Then he ran his hands through his hair. | |||||
| "Sure. But," | |||||
| "Look, I don't want to talk about it." Shawn interrupted. | |||||
| "Okay, I was just heading upstairs anyway. You know where the guest room is." Philip walked away from Shawn getting the distinct feeling that whatever was wrong with him he would have to deal with it on his own. And when he wanted to talk about it he'd be available. | |||||
| *~*~*~*~*~@~*~*~*~*~* | |||||
| When Philip had walked into his bedroom Chloe was asleep. So he had gone to take a shower. Now, as he opened the door and went to his bed. He took a book off the bed and got into it. Then he turned off the light. Once he got himself settled in the bed, under the covers, Chloe rolled over so that her head rested on his shoulder. He sighed and pushed her hair away from her face so that he could see it. His hand lingered on her cheek as if to make sure her hair no longer covered her face. | |||||
| "Philip," she whispered as she turned away from his hand. "Who was at the door?" Chloe did not open her eyes yet she placed her hands on his chest over his heart. | |||||
| "Shawn, I think that he and Belle had a fight. But, he wouldn't say. I think it may be pretty serious." | |||||
| "I'll ask Belle about it tomorrow." Chloe said not opening her eyes as she moved closer so that her head rested more closely on his shoulder. | |||||
| Philip knew that she was asleep immediately. Therefore it was pointless to try and continue talking to her. So he placed an arm around her and fell asleep holding her to him. His final thought before he totally succumbed to sleep was that he was going to prove somehow that Jarod was his son and claim him for his own. | |||||
| *~*~*~*~*~@~*~*~*~*~* | |||||
| The next morning the Kiriakis household was a buzz with getting off for the day. Philip was in the dining room drinking coffee awaiting everyone else's presence. As he took another sip of his coffee, Chloe walked in and sat down. She was wearing a V-neck ice blue wrap dress with a blazer to accompany it. The dress ended right above her knees and her hair was in an upswept bun. She looked very much the psychologist. | |||||
| "What? Why are you staring at me like that? Is there something wrong with my dress?" She looked down at her dress. | |||||
| "No, there is nothing wrong with your dress. I just was thinking about how beautiful you looked in it." She smiled in response and took the seat across the table from him. "You know Jarod asked me a very interesting question yesterday." | |||||
| "Really? What did he ask you?" She sipped her coffee. | |||||
| "He asked me if I knew who his father is." | |||||
| "What did you say? What did you tell him?" | |||||
| "I told him the truth. I don't know who his father is. But, I also told him that I would find out for him." Philip watched Chloe for any sort if response that she might have. However, her facial response remained completely neutral, much like Jarod's the night before. Not giving away anything. "So I was wondering if you could tell me if you remember being pregnant with Jarod. I mean I know you've said that you only recall being pregnant twice with the twins and Katherine. But, obviously that's not true." | |||||
| Chloe couldn't believe this was happening. She knew that Jarod's arrival in their lives would change things between them. But, she never expected him to completely doubt her word. "Philip, I know that this maybe hard for you to understand. But, I would never forget being pregnant. And if ... when I was pregnant with Jarod than I must not have known about him." | |||||
| "Okay, okay, you don't have to get defensive on me. I just thought that because you have been pregnant before maybe you'd had some of the regular symptoms associated with it. You have gone thru it twice, you know." | |||||
| "While that's true, you know every pregnancy is different for every woman. And as for the normal symptoms you're talking about, I'd assume you mean morning sickness." Philip nodded slightly. "I've never had morning sickness for any of my pregnancies. My mother didn't either when she was pregnant with me. I don't get morning sickness. You know that. Where is this all coming from anyway?" She asked looking at him quizzically. | |||||
| "It's just that I think Jarod's presence brings a lot of things to light. You say you only remember being pregnant twice. But, really I don't understand how that would be possibly if you were pregnant with Jarod." He knew that he had probably pushed Chloe too far when she rose from the table. | |||||
| "I am going to tell you this one last time. If I was ever pregnant with Jarod then, I did not know it. You know," her eyes, flashed with angry as she leaned across the table towards him. "If I had gotten pregnant it would have been before we were married. So what you really want to know is, was I pregnant when you married me. I wasn't but even if I had been I would never give up my child. You know how I feel about that. Jarod would have been raised by me regardless of his paternity." She started to walk away from the table but Philip got up and stopped just as the children entered with Nicolette on their heels. | |||||
| "Chloe don't leave angry, please." He whispered as the children all got to the table. Nicolette stood off to the side. "Was there something you needed Nicolette?" | |||||
| "No Mr. Kiriakis, it's just that there was a telephone call for Mrs. Kiriakis. The lady said it was urgent." The young lady repeated obediently. | |||||
| Chloe jerked her arm out of Philip's grasp and turned to the children. "Good morning munchkins." She smiled brightly down to her children. | |||||
| "Morning mom," was the simultaneous response she received from the children. | |||||
| "I'm going to take this call and then I'll help you guys finish getting ready for school." Having said that she turned and left the room not once glancing at Philip. | |||||
| *~*~*~*~*~@~*~*~*~*~* | |||||
| Chloe came back into the dining room a lot calmer than she had been when she'd left. However, when she entered the room again only Philip was there. Just as she was about to turn away, he called out to her. | |||||
| "Chloe wait," Philip rose from his chair and walked to his wife. She turned back around and waited for him to speak. | |||||
| "Look Philip I don't want to rehash our earlier conversation. I know it seems preposterous that I don't even remember being pregnant ever except with the twins and Katherine. But, it's the truth." | |||||
| "I'm sorry. I know that and I didn't mean to make it seem like I was badgering you. Or that I don't believe you. It's just that I want to find out who Jarod's father is for you. Because I know that it bothers you not knowing." He cupped her face in his hands making sure he had her full attention. | |||||
| Chloe soften her frame as he caressed her cheek. Her hands moved down to his waist. "I'm sorry, too. I guess I have been on the edge a little myself. But, everyone keeps asking me how can I not know who his father is. I don't know what to say other than I just don't know. It's like a piece of me ... my memory is missing. It's something I didn't even know was gone. And in order for me to ever have some piece of mind I need to know, I need to find out who Jarod's father is." Phillip nodded understanding her concerns. | |||||
| "Look, when I get back from my trip how about we go look for those answers. Together, we will find them." As he said this he was all the while thinking, ~ Maybe my trip will prove to be successful and I'll have those answers for you, my sweet. ~ "Okay?" | |||||
| "Okay," Chloe responded before Philip pulled her to him and hugged her. As he released her he looked down into her eyes. They were a brilliant shade of blue so vivid that he couldn't recall the last time they had seemed so relaxed and calm. | |||||
| Shawn walked into the dining room and looked like Hell. His hair was ruffled as if it hadn't seen a comb in ages instead of one night. He was also sporting a five o'clock shadow that covered his entire jaw. And his eyes that were usually lit up with mischief had a wan saddened look. As soon as he saw Philip and Chloe in each other's arms, he paused. "Sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt." | |||||
| When Chloe turned and saw him she was shocked for a moment. But she quickly covered it. "You didn't interrupt anything Shawn. Don't worry about it." He nodded and moved to get a cup of coffee. "Are you alright--," Chloe started to ask but was interrupted by the children who were reentering the room with their book bags ready to go. | |||||
| "We're ready Mommy," Ariana said as she entered first closely followed by her brothers and sister. When she saw Shawn she looked up in surprise. "Hi Uncle Shawn, I didn't know you were here. Did you bring Serena?" | |||||
| "He obviously didn't Ana. Do you see her here?" Dominic answered and received a seething look from his twin in return. | |||||
| "No, she's at home with her mom. But, you'll see her at school today." Shawn told her. | |||||
| "Oh okay then." Ariana looked towards her parents then and saw that they were embraced. Normally, she wouldn't think anything of it because they were always doing stuff like that much to her dismay. However, this time was different. Pushing her hair behind her ears she looked over at her twin who returned her gaze with silent question and arched brow. | |||||
| Jarod had been watching the twins and had seen looks pass between the. So he glanced at their parents. Although, he had yet to catch onto their silent looks he could tell that something was wrong. So he took it upon himself to break the silence and ask the question on their minds. "Is something wrong?" | |||||
| Chloe had been so emotional, feeling the love in shelter of Philip's arms that she almost missed the question. "No, no nothing's wrong. I was just saying goodbye to your Dad he's going away on a business trip." | |||||
| "Your coming back, right?" Jessica spoke for the first time that morning. Philip moved away from Chloe to bend down so that he was eye to eye with Jessica. Every since her parents death she was always weary about any parent going away. So he needed to reassure her. | |||||
| "Of course I will come back. Always," Philip hugged the small child as she wrapped her arms around him. When she released him Philip pinched her nose. "Can I get a kiss goodbye?" | |||||
| Jessica nodded giggling and leaned forward to kiss his clean-shaven cheek. Philip lifted her up kissed her on the cheek. | |||||
| "Hey are guys going to say goodbye to me or what?" He asked his other children. Dominic and Ariana walked over to him and hugged him goodbye. Dominic did the same. They both made sure to remind him to call every night to talk to them. After all the children excluding Jarod had given Philip their request for him, they headed out to the car. | |||||
| Philip turned to Jarod before he walked out the door. "Jarod wait a second." Jarod stopped and watched Philip as he turned to Chloe. "Are you leaving now?" | |||||
| "Yeah, that was Dr. Brice on the phone earlier. She needs me to come in early for a meeting. So I'm taking the kids to school today on my way. What time are you leaving?" | |||||
| "I'll be leaving sometime around noon. But, don't worry about me. I'll call you later." Chloe nodded. "Good. I love you." | |||||
| Chloe smiled and looked up at Philip. "I love you, too. And you'd better call me. I'll miss you." She smiled again before wrapping her arms around him and hugging him tight. When she released him and walked to get her purse and briefcase and headed to the door. | |||||
| Jarod awaited Philip's words to him. Philip turned and looked at the boy who had come to mean so much to his family. "While I'm gone. You're the man of the house. So take care of you mother and your brother and sisters for me Jarod." The little boy beamed with responsibility as he nodded. | |||||
| "I will." | |||||
| "Good, you better go. I don't want you to be late for school." Philip responded. | |||||
| Jarod ran out of the door towards the car where all of the other children waited for him. Nicolette stood there waiting to help him in the car. | |||||
| Chloe had been standing by the door with her things in hand as she watched her son leave the house. "Thank you for that." | |||||
| "Don't thank me for that. What's yours is mine." He walked to the door and pulled Chloe to him by her shoulders and kissed her on the mouth. It was a long, soft, and sweet kiss as he gently seeked and entrance to her mouth with his tongue. Their tongues danced together in a smooth fluid motion of perfect harmony. | |||||
| "Mommy, are you coming? " Ariana yelled from the car. | |||||
| "No, she's not. She too busy getting kissed by Dad." Dominic responded. | |||||
| Philip lifted his mouth from hers. But, he kept his forehead in touch with hers as they laughed softly at their children's comments. Slowly he lifted his head and released her. "You better go before the kids come out and get you." | |||||
| "Yeah I'd better go before they start getting rowdy. Call me." | |||||
| "The second I get in." | |||||
| "I love you." Chloe turned and walked to the car. | |||||
| "Yeah, I love you, too." | |||||
| On to Chapter Seven | |||||
| Back to Secrets of the Heart | |||||