CHAPTER EIGHT
Later that night, Jonathan and Martha were asleep upstairs and Clark was sitting on the couch with his laptop on the coffee table busily writing. Chloe had just finished drying dishes and putting them away in their respective cupboards. Lee was asleep at the dining room table, a coloring book being used as a makeshift pillow and her fingers wrapped around a tiny crayon. Chloe sighed, just looking at the sight before her. With a little smile tugging at her lips, Chloe gathered Lee into her arms and pried the violet crayon from her hold. She closed the coloring book and crayon box, leaving them on the table as she carried her tiny daughter to her room just at the top of the stairs.
When Chloe came back downstairs, Clark was at the table with a plate of chocolate chip cookies and two glasses of milk set before him. She chuckled as she sat across from him.
"What exactly is all this?" Chloe asked, indicating the food and drink.
"What? Chocolate chip cookies aren't your favorite anymore?"
Chloe just shook her head as she pushed the book and box to the corner of the table. "No, they are. But just a second ago you had your fingers flying over the keys of your laptop. What gives?"
"Just thought that this would be a good opportunity for us to catch up with each other's lives. A lot has changed since you left that final time after senior year."
"Yeah, you're right. A lot has changed. So, what makes you so certain that I'd even want to 'catch up?' Maybe I'm happier just not knowing what's going on in your life." She took a drink of her milk.
Clark nodded, taking a cookie. "So, what about your life?"
Chloe almost choked over her mouthful of milk. She swallowed with a large gulp. "Don't you think you know enough about my life already? I did tell you most of it when you first arrived," Chloe said.
"Okay, we'll just skip your life for now. How about you tell me a little bit more about that spitball you call a daughter?"
"Well, Leona Rachelle Sullivan was born on December 13 and she's five years old. Pete and Lana were there when she was born and they helped me picked out her first name. Her middle name is my great-grandmother's name. She inherited her auburn hair, love of art and love for the outdoors from her father and the rest-the inquisitiveness, curiosity, spunk, a soft spot for that old loft-all comes from me. Lee is one big ball of energy who usually has either mud or pieces of hay all over her clothing and hair. She could tire any person out within a day of spending time with them," Chloe described, her eyes lighting up with every detail.
"She sounds like a five-year-old you."
Chloe smiled. "Yeah, I guess that's what she is."
Clark stared at Chloe for a moment longer than he should have. Chloe was beginning to feel awkward. "Clark, why are you looking at me like that?" she demanded.
Clark shook his head to shake himself out of his trance. "Sorry, I'm just having a hard time imagining how the Chloe I knew from high school and the Chloe I see in front of me could be the same person."
Chloe playfully smacked him upside the head. "That's it. I'm going to bed. If you need me, I'll be in what used to be your room."
Before what she said could sink in, Chloe was already up the stairs. Clark shook his head with a grin pasted on his face. He cleaned up the cookies and milk, flipped through Lee's coloring book, and finally went back to the living room.
However, he didn't go to bed. He opened his laptop and began all over again what he was working on before Chloe came down.
Research.
Ever since earlier that day, when Chloe told him that she had been engaged, Clark had wondered just how different her life had been without him. It was something that he hadn't wondered in quite awhile.
He knew that she had lived in Boston, probably went to college there too, now all he had to do was a search in the college web sites and local newspapers.
When he typed in the name SULLIVAN, CHLOE ANNE in the Boston University registry, he got both her name and the name of a man named Jay P. Quinton for the same address. "They were engaged, after all," Clark reminded himself.
It was the articles that he found that surprised him the most. There were a couple about the engagement, with headlines like 'HEIR TO QUINTON ENTERPRISES TO MARRY HIS COLLEGE SWEETHEART, CHLOE SULLIVAN.' Sure, it was shocking to find out that Chloe would marry someone about to inherit millions, but that wasn't the most surprising one of all. It was the very last result of the search.
'LOCAL TEACHER DIES OF LEUKEMIA'
With his curiosity peaked, Clark clicked on the title and this is what he read:
**Local elementary school teacher and library volunteer, Celia Lauren Sullivan, loses the battle of leukemia at the age of forty-four.
Diagnosed just three years before, Sullivan has undergone many chemotherapy treatments and surgeries while she still taught her third grade class and read to her group of preschoolers during the weekends.
Sullivan leaves behind Chloe, her twenty-year-old daughter, and many memories for the groups of young children she taught each year.**
"So, that's the reason," Clark whispered.
"What's the reason?"
Clark turned around to see Chloe standing behind him. "Nothing," Clark answered her.
"Yeah, right."
"Fine, I did some research to find out why you kept leaving and what kind of life you lived in Boston."
Chloe gasped and her eyes widened simultaneously. "Why did you do that?"
"I don't know. Maybe I was curious to find out why a seventeen-year-old who had everything in this town would get up and leave it without another word or thought," he replied.
"It was none of your business. You had no right to know."
"I had every right to know. We're best friends!" Clark yelled, standing to face her. "You could've told me that your mom was sick and that it wasn't your aunt who you were staying with! I could've helped you get through it!"
"Why are you making this all about you? It's not! It had and has nothing to do about you! She was my mom, Clark! I barely knew her, even when she and my father were still together! When the opportunity to get to know her better arose, I took it! Excuse me for not asking your permission to do so first!" Chloe screamed, her face turning a dark red with anger.
"Then why did you come back that summer if she was so sick?"
"You really think I wanted to in the first place? The only reason I did was because she was in remission and she convinced me to. My mom thought it would be a good idea to see my dad and you before she got any worse and I would have to stay," Chloe said, calming down a bit.
"Does anyone else know what you told me?"
"Yeah. My dad, Lee, your parents, Lana, Pete, and Jay."
"So, I'm the last to know?"
"No, but you are the only one I didn't want to know."
"Why?"
"Your life doesn't consist of me anymore. Why would I want someone who is basically a stranger to me now to know my biggest secret?"
"We aren't strangers. We're best friends."
Chloe shook her head. "Correction Clark. We were best friends. I don't even know what we are now."
With those last words, Chloe backed away and left the house. Where she was going, not even Chloe knew.
When Clark turned back around, Lee was standing on the stairs and his parents were standing in the doorway.
Later that night, Jonathan and Martha were asleep upstairs and Clark was sitting on the couch with his laptop on the coffee table busily writing. Chloe had just finished drying dishes and putting them away in their respective cupboards. Lee was asleep at the dining room table, a coloring book being used as a makeshift pillow and her fingers wrapped around a tiny crayon. Chloe sighed, just looking at the sight before her. With a little smile tugging at her lips, Chloe gathered Lee into her arms and pried the violet crayon from her hold. She closed the coloring book and crayon box, leaving them on the table as she carried her tiny daughter to her room just at the top of the stairs.
When Chloe came back downstairs, Clark was at the table with a plate of chocolate chip cookies and two glasses of milk set before him. She chuckled as she sat across from him.
"What exactly is all this?" Chloe asked, indicating the food and drink.
"What? Chocolate chip cookies aren't your favorite anymore?"
Chloe just shook her head as she pushed the book and box to the corner of the table. "No, they are. But just a second ago you had your fingers flying over the keys of your laptop. What gives?"
"Just thought that this would be a good opportunity for us to catch up with each other's lives. A lot has changed since you left that final time after senior year."
"Yeah, you're right. A lot has changed. So, what makes you so certain that I'd even want to 'catch up?' Maybe I'm happier just not knowing what's going on in your life." She took a drink of her milk.
Clark nodded, taking a cookie. "So, what about your life?"
Chloe almost choked over her mouthful of milk. She swallowed with a large gulp. "Don't you think you know enough about my life already? I did tell you most of it when you first arrived," Chloe said.
"Okay, we'll just skip your life for now. How about you tell me a little bit more about that spitball you call a daughter?"
"Well, Leona Rachelle Sullivan was born on December 13 and she's five years old. Pete and Lana were there when she was born and they helped me picked out her first name. Her middle name is my great-grandmother's name. She inherited her auburn hair, love of art and love for the outdoors from her father and the rest-the inquisitiveness, curiosity, spunk, a soft spot for that old loft-all comes from me. Lee is one big ball of energy who usually has either mud or pieces of hay all over her clothing and hair. She could tire any person out within a day of spending time with them," Chloe described, her eyes lighting up with every detail.
"She sounds like a five-year-old you."
Chloe smiled. "Yeah, I guess that's what she is."
Clark stared at Chloe for a moment longer than he should have. Chloe was beginning to feel awkward. "Clark, why are you looking at me like that?" she demanded.
Clark shook his head to shake himself out of his trance. "Sorry, I'm just having a hard time imagining how the Chloe I knew from high school and the Chloe I see in front of me could be the same person."
Chloe playfully smacked him upside the head. "That's it. I'm going to bed. If you need me, I'll be in what used to be your room."
Before what she said could sink in, Chloe was already up the stairs. Clark shook his head with a grin pasted on his face. He cleaned up the cookies and milk, flipped through Lee's coloring book, and finally went back to the living room.
However, he didn't go to bed. He opened his laptop and began all over again what he was working on before Chloe came down.
Research.
Ever since earlier that day, when Chloe told him that she had been engaged, Clark had wondered just how different her life had been without him. It was something that he hadn't wondered in quite awhile.
He knew that she had lived in Boston, probably went to college there too, now all he had to do was a search in the college web sites and local newspapers.
When he typed in the name SULLIVAN, CHLOE ANNE in the Boston University registry, he got both her name and the name of a man named Jay P. Quinton for the same address. "They were engaged, after all," Clark reminded himself.
It was the articles that he found that surprised him the most. There were a couple about the engagement, with headlines like 'HEIR TO QUINTON ENTERPRISES TO MARRY HIS COLLEGE SWEETHEART, CHLOE SULLIVAN.' Sure, it was shocking to find out that Chloe would marry someone about to inherit millions, but that wasn't the most surprising one of all. It was the very last result of the search.
'LOCAL TEACHER DIES OF LEUKEMIA'
With his curiosity peaked, Clark clicked on the title and this is what he read:
**Local elementary school teacher and library volunteer, Celia Lauren Sullivan, loses the battle of leukemia at the age of forty-four.
Diagnosed just three years before, Sullivan has undergone many chemotherapy treatments and surgeries while she still taught her third grade class and read to her group of preschoolers during the weekends.
Sullivan leaves behind Chloe, her twenty-year-old daughter, and many memories for the groups of young children she taught each year.**
"So, that's the reason," Clark whispered.
"What's the reason?"
Clark turned around to see Chloe standing behind him. "Nothing," Clark answered her.
"Yeah, right."
"Fine, I did some research to find out why you kept leaving and what kind of life you lived in Boston."
Chloe gasped and her eyes widened simultaneously. "Why did you do that?"
"I don't know. Maybe I was curious to find out why a seventeen-year-old who had everything in this town would get up and leave it without another word or thought," he replied.
"It was none of your business. You had no right to know."
"I had every right to know. We're best friends!" Clark yelled, standing to face her. "You could've told me that your mom was sick and that it wasn't your aunt who you were staying with! I could've helped you get through it!"
"Why are you making this all about you? It's not! It had and has nothing to do about you! She was my mom, Clark! I barely knew her, even when she and my father were still together! When the opportunity to get to know her better arose, I took it! Excuse me for not asking your permission to do so first!" Chloe screamed, her face turning a dark red with anger.
"Then why did you come back that summer if she was so sick?"
"You really think I wanted to in the first place? The only reason I did was because she was in remission and she convinced me to. My mom thought it would be a good idea to see my dad and you before she got any worse and I would have to stay," Chloe said, calming down a bit.
"Does anyone else know what you told me?"
"Yeah. My dad, Lee, your parents, Lana, Pete, and Jay."
"So, I'm the last to know?"
"No, but you are the only one I didn't want to know."
"Why?"
"Your life doesn't consist of me anymore. Why would I want someone who is basically a stranger to me now to know my biggest secret?"
"We aren't strangers. We're best friends."
Chloe shook her head. "Correction Clark. We were best friends. I don't even know what we are now."
With those last words, Chloe backed away and left the house. Where she was going, not even Chloe knew.
When Clark turned back around, Lee was standing on the stairs and his parents were standing in the doorway.