Chapter Seventeen
Once the got back to the hotel, Chloe had decided to take a long hot bath. She wanted at least one chance to take advantage of the gigantic roman tub that the hotel bathroom provided. When she finished and stepped outside of the bathroom she saw Brady sitting in the middle of his bed with one of Nancy's diaries in one hand and a plain white envelope in the other.
He looked up at her and shrugged his shoulders as if he was in shock. "Chloe... you're not going to believe this..."
Chloe looked at him with a glance of fear. "Believe what? What is it, Brady? Is everything okay?"
"I... I was putting this diary back with the others... And..." He moved the hand with the envelope towards her. "And, the corner of this slid out."
Chloe took the envelope from his hand and glanced at it. On the front of the envelope, written in Nancy's thin, neat script was one name: Chloe. She looked at it disbelief and sat on the edge of the bed. Chloe ran one finger over the place where her name was written and sighed. She gently turned the envelope over and carefully tore the flap open. She pulled the paper out from inside and unfolded it slowly.
"It's dated... three days after my birthdate."
She took a deep breath before she began reading, but instead of continuing she laid the note on the bed beside her and turned to Brady.
"I... I can't do it. You have to read it for me. Please, please, Brady."
"Are you sure?"
"Yes... please..."
Brady spied the desperation in her eyes and nodded. "Of course, then..."
He smiled at her and kissed her on the forehead before he read the letter out loud.
"My Dear Chloe Michele,
You have just left me no more than an hour ago. The adoption service came to take you from me today. My heart feels broken, and I am writing this in hopes that someday when you are older you will read it and understand.
I pray that you will not hate me when you are old enough to understand that I have given you up. I love you, my baby, no matter what. I hope you can realize that I have only done what I thought is best for you. It tears me into pieces because I can't keep you. Unfortunately, the situation that I am in right now leaves me no other choice but to let you go. You will be much happier with a family who can take care of you the way that you deserve.
I know that nothing I can say to you will make everything okay. But there are a few things you need to know. I love you more than anyone or anything in this world. I didn't think it was possible to love something so much but I have spent three days with you now, and I understand what love really is now. You are an amazing, perfect creature and don't let anyone ever tell you differently. I have faith in you, and I know that you will grow up to be a wonderful, intelligent, beautiful, kind and loving young woman. Every day for the rest of my life, I will think of you and pray for your happiness and success in life. Do not make the mistakes I have made, always be honest and true to yourself. Don't ever let someone push you around or force you into something you aren't willing to do.
Normally birth mothers do not get to name their children, but thankfully I have been allowed to. And, this is my gift to you. Although, I will not be able to watch you grow up and experience all the wonderful things that go with it. But, always remember that your name was given to you by me and think of a mother who loves you deeply when you think of that name. I know that from now on when I hear the name Chloe, I will always think of my baby daughter.
I will love you always.
Nancy"
Chloe had begun to sob halfway through Brady's reading of the letter. He instinctively threw an arm around her and she rested her head on his shoulder and cried into it. After he was finished he placed the letter aside and wrapped both arms around her tightly. Brady held her and stroked her hair until her sobbing began to subside. He reached over and grabbed a few tissues out of the box on the nighttable and handed them to her. She lifted her head and blew her nose into them as she smiled weakly at Brady.
"Wow... that was just... wow."
Brady nodded in agreement. "Pretty amazing, huh?"
"Yeah... I can't even describe it, Brady. I have so much to say to her now... And, I think I need to apologize."
Brady looked perplexed. "Apologize for what?"
"I have to apologize to Nancy for the way that I've acted. I mean, she hasn't been perfect since I've gotten there herself... but I've been terrible to her. I just assumed that she never loved me and still doesn't. I thought that she only brought me to Salem because she felt guilty for leaving me in an orphanage and not because she actually cared about me at all."
Chloe sighed and shook her head in shame, as Brady protested. "But, she has been pretty over-protective of you... Nancy isn't the easiest person to get along with."
"No, Brady... see... She's a mom, she's supposed to be overprotective and we're not supposed to get along with each other. That's just how family works. And, the only reason why she acts that way is because she worries. I see that now. Between the diaries, and the letters and the whole trip... I understand her now."
"So, what are you going to do when you get home?"
Chloe cringed in fear. "You mean... we have to go home?"
Brady chuckled and brushed a piece of hair off of Chloe's face. "Well, yes... eventually. We certainly can't stay gone forever. Besides, as much as I pretend to hate Salem, I really don't..."
Chloe nodded reservedly. "I know, I know. I just don't want to face the music. I'm finally to the point where I don't hate Nancy, and I WANT us to have a relationship with her... but... she's going to kill me when she finds out what I've done."
Brady shook his head. "Not necessarily..."
"If you don't think so, then maybe you don't know Nancy very well. She's going to go ballistic when she finds out I didn't go on the school trip. And, she's going to be even more angry when she finds out what I REALLY did and who I did it with."
"Okay, granted... she will be mad... furious even. But, don't you think the truth is important? I think she needs to know the truth, and so does Craig. Things are going to be awful when it comes out, but it will heal. Like you said, Chloe... once somebody loves you, they will always love you no matter how mad they are. So, it's either tell them the truth or we can go home the same day that Belle and Shawn get home from Puerto Rico and pretend that NONE of this ever happened."
Chloe looked downward and sighed. "I know... you're right. I can't lie about this. I've lied enough already. And, that's what I feel the most guilty about. I know I didn't have a choice, I couldn't exactly come out and share all my plans with them... but it still bothers me."
"Nancy has lied to you for seventeen years, Chloe..."
Chloe sighed softly. "Doesn't matter... my lies would just perpetuate this whole policy of secrecy in this family. And Craig... he's never done anything to me that warrants me lying to him. It's not fair..."
Brady grasped her arms with his hands and stared her straight in the eyes. "Chloe... you have to stop this. Stop it. You did what was necessary, just like your mother did in the past. It may hurt people, but in the long run, it will be worth it. There is no way that your family would be able to survive on years of lies for much longer. You know the truth now, and if you want this family to work, you have to tell them. It doesn't matter what you had to do to get to the truth, it matters what you do with it now that you have it."
Chloe sighed deeply and rested her head on his chest again. "I just dread it, Brady... I wish I could fast forward through all of this and get to the part where nobody is mad at me anymore."
Brady chuckled softly and kissed the top of her head. "Yeah right... if only it were so easy."
Chloe moved out of their embrace and threw herself onto the bed. "Ohhhhh... what am I gonna do? I still have a week before I even have to be home, don't I?"
Brady laid back on the bed beside her and grinned. "Pretty much. We could pretend we're on a real vacation if you're not ready to go back to Salem yet. You know... see the sights, have some fun... the whole thing."
Chloe groaned. "I don't know... I kind of want to get this over with as soon as possible, but on the other hand, I don't..."
"Well, you've got time to decide... Figure it out in the morning... or the next day or the day after that."
Chloe laughed softly and rolled on her side to face Brady. "Yeah, no decisions today... I don't want any part of that."
Brady smiled at her. "Well good... then let's just order another round of room service tonight and have ourselves a little hotel room picnic."
Chloe grinned and kissed him gently. "Best idea I've heard all day."
***
Once the got back to the hotel, Chloe had decided to take a long hot bath. She wanted at least one chance to take advantage of the gigantic roman tub that the hotel bathroom provided. When she finished and stepped outside of the bathroom she saw Brady sitting in the middle of his bed with one of Nancy's diaries in one hand and a plain white envelope in the other.
He looked up at her and shrugged his shoulders as if he was in shock. "Chloe... you're not going to believe this..."
Chloe looked at him with a glance of fear. "Believe what? What is it, Brady? Is everything okay?"
"I... I was putting this diary back with the others... And..." He moved the hand with the envelope towards her. "And, the corner of this slid out."
Chloe took the envelope from his hand and glanced at it. On the front of the envelope, written in Nancy's thin, neat script was one name: Chloe. She looked at it disbelief and sat on the edge of the bed. Chloe ran one finger over the place where her name was written and sighed. She gently turned the envelope over and carefully tore the flap open. She pulled the paper out from inside and unfolded it slowly.
"It's dated... three days after my birthdate."
She took a deep breath before she began reading, but instead of continuing she laid the note on the bed beside her and turned to Brady.
"I... I can't do it. You have to read it for me. Please, please, Brady."
"Are you sure?"
"Yes... please..."
Brady spied the desperation in her eyes and nodded. "Of course, then..."
He smiled at her and kissed her on the forehead before he read the letter out loud.
"My Dear Chloe Michele,
You have just left me no more than an hour ago. The adoption service came to take you from me today. My heart feels broken, and I am writing this in hopes that someday when you are older you will read it and understand.
I pray that you will not hate me when you are old enough to understand that I have given you up. I love you, my baby, no matter what. I hope you can realize that I have only done what I thought is best for you. It tears me into pieces because I can't keep you. Unfortunately, the situation that I am in right now leaves me no other choice but to let you go. You will be much happier with a family who can take care of you the way that you deserve.
I know that nothing I can say to you will make everything okay. But there are a few things you need to know. I love you more than anyone or anything in this world. I didn't think it was possible to love something so much but I have spent three days with you now, and I understand what love really is now. You are an amazing, perfect creature and don't let anyone ever tell you differently. I have faith in you, and I know that you will grow up to be a wonderful, intelligent, beautiful, kind and loving young woman. Every day for the rest of my life, I will think of you and pray for your happiness and success in life. Do not make the mistakes I have made, always be honest and true to yourself. Don't ever let someone push you around or force you into something you aren't willing to do.
Normally birth mothers do not get to name their children, but thankfully I have been allowed to. And, this is my gift to you. Although, I will not be able to watch you grow up and experience all the wonderful things that go with it. But, always remember that your name was given to you by me and think of a mother who loves you deeply when you think of that name. I know that from now on when I hear the name Chloe, I will always think of my baby daughter.
I will love you always.
Nancy"
Chloe had begun to sob halfway through Brady's reading of the letter. He instinctively threw an arm around her and she rested her head on his shoulder and cried into it. After he was finished he placed the letter aside and wrapped both arms around her tightly. Brady held her and stroked her hair until her sobbing began to subside. He reached over and grabbed a few tissues out of the box on the nighttable and handed them to her. She lifted her head and blew her nose into them as she smiled weakly at Brady.
"Wow... that was just... wow."
Brady nodded in agreement. "Pretty amazing, huh?"
"Yeah... I can't even describe it, Brady. I have so much to say to her now... And, I think I need to apologize."
Brady looked perplexed. "Apologize for what?"
"I have to apologize to Nancy for the way that I've acted. I mean, she hasn't been perfect since I've gotten there herself... but I've been terrible to her. I just assumed that she never loved me and still doesn't. I thought that she only brought me to Salem because she felt guilty for leaving me in an orphanage and not because she actually cared about me at all."
Chloe sighed and shook her head in shame, as Brady protested. "But, she has been pretty over-protective of you... Nancy isn't the easiest person to get along with."
"No, Brady... see... She's a mom, she's supposed to be overprotective and we're not supposed to get along with each other. That's just how family works. And, the only reason why she acts that way is because she worries. I see that now. Between the diaries, and the letters and the whole trip... I understand her now."
"So, what are you going to do when you get home?"
Chloe cringed in fear. "You mean... we have to go home?"
Brady chuckled and brushed a piece of hair off of Chloe's face. "Well, yes... eventually. We certainly can't stay gone forever. Besides, as much as I pretend to hate Salem, I really don't..."
Chloe nodded reservedly. "I know, I know. I just don't want to face the music. I'm finally to the point where I don't hate Nancy, and I WANT us to have a relationship with her... but... she's going to kill me when she finds out what I've done."
Brady shook his head. "Not necessarily..."
"If you don't think so, then maybe you don't know Nancy very well. She's going to go ballistic when she finds out I didn't go on the school trip. And, she's going to be even more angry when she finds out what I REALLY did and who I did it with."
"Okay, granted... she will be mad... furious even. But, don't you think the truth is important? I think she needs to know the truth, and so does Craig. Things are going to be awful when it comes out, but it will heal. Like you said, Chloe... once somebody loves you, they will always love you no matter how mad they are. So, it's either tell them the truth or we can go home the same day that Belle and Shawn get home from Puerto Rico and pretend that NONE of this ever happened."
Chloe looked downward and sighed. "I know... you're right. I can't lie about this. I've lied enough already. And, that's what I feel the most guilty about. I know I didn't have a choice, I couldn't exactly come out and share all my plans with them... but it still bothers me."
"Nancy has lied to you for seventeen years, Chloe..."
Chloe sighed softly. "Doesn't matter... my lies would just perpetuate this whole policy of secrecy in this family. And Craig... he's never done anything to me that warrants me lying to him. It's not fair..."
Brady grasped her arms with his hands and stared her straight in the eyes. "Chloe... you have to stop this. Stop it. You did what was necessary, just like your mother did in the past. It may hurt people, but in the long run, it will be worth it. There is no way that your family would be able to survive on years of lies for much longer. You know the truth now, and if you want this family to work, you have to tell them. It doesn't matter what you had to do to get to the truth, it matters what you do with it now that you have it."
Chloe sighed deeply and rested her head on his chest again. "I just dread it, Brady... I wish I could fast forward through all of this and get to the part where nobody is mad at me anymore."
Brady chuckled softly and kissed the top of her head. "Yeah right... if only it were so easy."
Chloe moved out of their embrace and threw herself onto the bed. "Ohhhhh... what am I gonna do? I still have a week before I even have to be home, don't I?"
Brady laid back on the bed beside her and grinned. "Pretty much. We could pretend we're on a real vacation if you're not ready to go back to Salem yet. You know... see the sights, have some fun... the whole thing."
Chloe groaned. "I don't know... I kind of want to get this over with as soon as possible, but on the other hand, I don't..."
"Well, you've got time to decide... Figure it out in the morning... or the next day or the day after that."
Chloe laughed softly and rolled on her side to face Brady. "Yeah, no decisions today... I don't want any part of that."
Brady smiled at her. "Well good... then let's just order another round of room service tonight and have ourselves a little hotel room picnic."
Chloe grinned and kissed him gently. "Best idea I've heard all day."
***