Disclaimer: The following fiction is loosely based on characters currently owned and operated by the writers and producers of NBC-TV's Days of Our Lives. No affiliation intended or implied. Gratuitous entertainment purposes only.
Stubborn and Clueless
Chapter 17
by Fidomom
Nancy looked around at everyone looking at her,
"Well what's everyone staring at me for? And you Chloe are too young to get married so just forget that idea. Unless ... Oh God, please no! Chloe you aren't pregnant are you? Brady Black I swear if you've ruined my daughter's life there'll be hell to pay!"
Brady spoke quietly,
"Mrs. Wesley I promise you Chloe is not pregnant. We know we're both rather young but we are very certain that we want to be married to each other as soon as possible. I am very much in love with your daughter and we will wait until she is 18 if we have to but we'd much rather be married here in Salem with our friends and families around us."
Chloe nodded at Brady's words and took Nancy's free hand in hers. She looked her in the eye,
"Mom please just hear me out. Brady is not out to ruin my life or corrupt me in any way. He has always supported my dream of being a professional opera singer. He is willing to uproot himself and move to New York to be with me so that I can fulfill that dream. I love him Mom so much and I want to spend my life with him. Time won't change my mind about that. I suppose I do want the kind of wedding most every girl wants. I want the church, the festivities and most of all my parents there smiling their blessing at me. You must understand though Mom that no matter what the circumstances, Brady and I will be married and that that day will be one of the happiest of my life. I want you there to share in my joy, Mom. I want you to help me plan my wedding. I want your blessing. I want your permission to marry Brady before I go off to Juilliard. I'd rather not wait until I'm 18 and have to scramble to fit the ceremony into our combined busy schedules. Brady and I figure we want to be married in three weeks, take a 2 week honeymoon, go to his Mom's Memorial Birthday party upon our return and have the rest of the week to pack up and make the move to New York. So can we? Can Brady and I get married before I go to New York?"
Nancy looked around the room then back at her daughter,
"So I'm the deciding factor in whether or not you have a dream wedding but not whether or not you marry the ahem man of your dreams is that about right?"
Chloe nodded,
"Pretty much."
Nancy looked at Brady suspiciously,
"And you won't be giving us any grandbabies any time soon?"
Brady smiled and shook his head,
"No not any time soon but hopefully someday."
Nancy sighed and looked at Craig her eyes still full of worries,
"Craig? What do you think?"
Craig smiled and squeezed Nancy's hand,
"I think your daughter's happiness is very important to you."
Nancy looked into Chloe's guarded eyes. Her eyes filled with tears, she smiled and nodded,
"Okay, sweetheart. I'm still not crazy about the whole age thing but I guess if a few months would only be the difference between whether or not I get to share in your day then yes. I would not want to miss out on such a monumental event in your life. I've already missed way too many of them."
Chloe reached across to embrace Nancy,
"Thank-you Mom."
Everybody stood and congratulated the newly engaged couple. John gave Brady a shot in the arm,
"Charity case, huh? Yeah right you sly dog!"
Brady blushed taking the ribbing in his stride and he and his Dad hugged,
"I'm happy for you son and that's a fact! Doc and I need to get home now but we'll talk later this week, alright? You take care kid."
Brady nodded and said his goodbyes to them both. Nancy waved goodbye to John and Marlena then turned to speak to Chloe,
"Craig and I are going back upstairs to bed now sweetheart. I expect to hear you follow soon after. Very soon after. You got me?"
Chloe smiled and rolled her eyes,
"Yes Mom got it. Goodnight. See you in the morning or later or whatever you know what I mean."
Nancy smiled back,
"Yes, dear I know what you mean. Goodnight." Craig led Nancy back upstairs.
As soon as they were alone, Brady and Chloe went out onto the front porch. They moved into each other's arms and kissed briefly. Chloe looked pensively at her engagement ring then into Brady's eyes. Her eyes filled with tears and she whispered,
"Brady I can't marry you, afterall. It wouldn't be fair. I'm so sorry. After everything we've been through tonight and we've got permission and everything and it's all been for nothing. I'm so sorry but I just can't marry you."
He smiled and held her tighter in his arms,
"Yes you can Chloe. I'll wait until you're ready you know. It doesn't have to be on our wedding night, or even during our honeymoon."
She looked up at him in shock,
"How did you know that was the reason?"
He chuckled and rubbed her back,
"You flinched at the mention of babies and you haven't looked me in the eye until just now. One thing I'm not sure about though is if it's because you aren't ready for that with me in particular or if it's because..."
She laughed and shushed him,
"Brady Black are you still trying to figure out if I'm a virgin or not?"
He shrugged grinning sheepishly,
"In a word? Yeah."
She frowned,
"How important is the answer?"
He caressed her face,
"The answer doesn't have any bearing on whether or not I want to marry you. I definitely want to marry you. Marriage is not about sex Chloe, it's about committment and love. Certainly making love is a natural expression of those feelings, but marriage is not a license for a spouse to demand that. I believe you love me. I believe you are ready, willing and able to make a lifetime committment to me. As long as I believe that I'm who you'll want when you are ready to make love then I'm willing to wait for you to share that with me. No pressure, Chloe. We've got all the time in the world. So are you still going to marry me in three weeks?"
Tears filled her eyes and she nodded,
"Yes, I'll still marry you. I love you so much Brady! I can't help wondering though what we'll do on our wedding night and honeymoon if I'm still not ready?"
Brady smiled,
"We'll just be on an extremely romantic two week long date, that's all, and we will enjoy it and each other immensely."
She hugged him hard and closed her eyes,
"I love you. I've known for a long time that when I was ready I'd want it to be with you, because I trust you like I've never trusted anyone. To satisfy your curiosity once and for all Brady, I am a virgin."
Brady stilled,
"Really? You and Philip ...?"
She looked up at him,
"We had one close call but no Philip and I never did that."
Brady looked into her eyes and his eyes grew moist,
"I had prepared myself that you weren't and I was okay with that. I had no idea I would be this touched to find out you are and that I'm going to be your one and only. Thank-you for agreeing to marry me, Diva. I've never known this degree of happiness. I love you very much."
She smiled up at him and kissed him once on the lips,
"I love you too. I should go in now before my Mom comes looking for me. Goodnight, Brady. I do expect to see you tomorrow. You knew that right?"
He grinned and kissed her,
"Goodnight, Chloe and yes I knew that. I'll definitely be seeing you tomorrow. Sweet dreams love. Bye."
They shared one more kiss, he got into his jeep and she went in to go up to bed. The smile didn't leave either of their faces even after they parted ways.
To be continued ...
Stubborn and Clueless
Chapter 17
by Fidomom
Nancy looked around at everyone looking at her,
"Well what's everyone staring at me for? And you Chloe are too young to get married so just forget that idea. Unless ... Oh God, please no! Chloe you aren't pregnant are you? Brady Black I swear if you've ruined my daughter's life there'll be hell to pay!"
Brady spoke quietly,
"Mrs. Wesley I promise you Chloe is not pregnant. We know we're both rather young but we are very certain that we want to be married to each other as soon as possible. I am very much in love with your daughter and we will wait until she is 18 if we have to but we'd much rather be married here in Salem with our friends and families around us."
Chloe nodded at Brady's words and took Nancy's free hand in hers. She looked her in the eye,
"Mom please just hear me out. Brady is not out to ruin my life or corrupt me in any way. He has always supported my dream of being a professional opera singer. He is willing to uproot himself and move to New York to be with me so that I can fulfill that dream. I love him Mom so much and I want to spend my life with him. Time won't change my mind about that. I suppose I do want the kind of wedding most every girl wants. I want the church, the festivities and most of all my parents there smiling their blessing at me. You must understand though Mom that no matter what the circumstances, Brady and I will be married and that that day will be one of the happiest of my life. I want you there to share in my joy, Mom. I want you to help me plan my wedding. I want your blessing. I want your permission to marry Brady before I go off to Juilliard. I'd rather not wait until I'm 18 and have to scramble to fit the ceremony into our combined busy schedules. Brady and I figure we want to be married in three weeks, take a 2 week honeymoon, go to his Mom's Memorial Birthday party upon our return and have the rest of the week to pack up and make the move to New York. So can we? Can Brady and I get married before I go to New York?"
Nancy looked around the room then back at her daughter,
"So I'm the deciding factor in whether or not you have a dream wedding but not whether or not you marry the ahem man of your dreams is that about right?"
Chloe nodded,
"Pretty much."
Nancy looked at Brady suspiciously,
"And you won't be giving us any grandbabies any time soon?"
Brady smiled and shook his head,
"No not any time soon but hopefully someday."
Nancy sighed and looked at Craig her eyes still full of worries,
"Craig? What do you think?"
Craig smiled and squeezed Nancy's hand,
"I think your daughter's happiness is very important to you."
Nancy looked into Chloe's guarded eyes. Her eyes filled with tears, she smiled and nodded,
"Okay, sweetheart. I'm still not crazy about the whole age thing but I guess if a few months would only be the difference between whether or not I get to share in your day then yes. I would not want to miss out on such a monumental event in your life. I've already missed way too many of them."
Chloe reached across to embrace Nancy,
"Thank-you Mom."
Everybody stood and congratulated the newly engaged couple. John gave Brady a shot in the arm,
"Charity case, huh? Yeah right you sly dog!"
Brady blushed taking the ribbing in his stride and he and his Dad hugged,
"I'm happy for you son and that's a fact! Doc and I need to get home now but we'll talk later this week, alright? You take care kid."
Brady nodded and said his goodbyes to them both. Nancy waved goodbye to John and Marlena then turned to speak to Chloe,
"Craig and I are going back upstairs to bed now sweetheart. I expect to hear you follow soon after. Very soon after. You got me?"
Chloe smiled and rolled her eyes,
"Yes Mom got it. Goodnight. See you in the morning or later or whatever you know what I mean."
Nancy smiled back,
"Yes, dear I know what you mean. Goodnight." Craig led Nancy back upstairs.
As soon as they were alone, Brady and Chloe went out onto the front porch. They moved into each other's arms and kissed briefly. Chloe looked pensively at her engagement ring then into Brady's eyes. Her eyes filled with tears and she whispered,
"Brady I can't marry you, afterall. It wouldn't be fair. I'm so sorry. After everything we've been through tonight and we've got permission and everything and it's all been for nothing. I'm so sorry but I just can't marry you."
He smiled and held her tighter in his arms,
"Yes you can Chloe. I'll wait until you're ready you know. It doesn't have to be on our wedding night, or even during our honeymoon."
She looked up at him in shock,
"How did you know that was the reason?"
He chuckled and rubbed her back,
"You flinched at the mention of babies and you haven't looked me in the eye until just now. One thing I'm not sure about though is if it's because you aren't ready for that with me in particular or if it's because..."
She laughed and shushed him,
"Brady Black are you still trying to figure out if I'm a virgin or not?"
He shrugged grinning sheepishly,
"In a word? Yeah."
She frowned,
"How important is the answer?"
He caressed her face,
"The answer doesn't have any bearing on whether or not I want to marry you. I definitely want to marry you. Marriage is not about sex Chloe, it's about committment and love. Certainly making love is a natural expression of those feelings, but marriage is not a license for a spouse to demand that. I believe you love me. I believe you are ready, willing and able to make a lifetime committment to me. As long as I believe that I'm who you'll want when you are ready to make love then I'm willing to wait for you to share that with me. No pressure, Chloe. We've got all the time in the world. So are you still going to marry me in three weeks?"
Tears filled her eyes and she nodded,
"Yes, I'll still marry you. I love you so much Brady! I can't help wondering though what we'll do on our wedding night and honeymoon if I'm still not ready?"
Brady smiled,
"We'll just be on an extremely romantic two week long date, that's all, and we will enjoy it and each other immensely."
She hugged him hard and closed her eyes,
"I love you. I've known for a long time that when I was ready I'd want it to be with you, because I trust you like I've never trusted anyone. To satisfy your curiosity once and for all Brady, I am a virgin."
Brady stilled,
"Really? You and Philip ...?"
She looked up at him,
"We had one close call but no Philip and I never did that."
Brady looked into her eyes and his eyes grew moist,
"I had prepared myself that you weren't and I was okay with that. I had no idea I would be this touched to find out you are and that I'm going to be your one and only. Thank-you for agreeing to marry me, Diva. I've never known this degree of happiness. I love you very much."
She smiled up at him and kissed him once on the lips,
"I love you too. I should go in now before my Mom comes looking for me. Goodnight, Brady. I do expect to see you tomorrow. You knew that right?"
He grinned and kissed her,
"Goodnight, Chloe and yes I knew that. I'll definitely be seeing you tomorrow. Sweet dreams love. Bye."
They shared one more kiss, he got into his jeep and she went in to go up to bed. The smile didn't leave either of their faces even after they parted ways.
To be continued ...