Chapter 1 - Finding the Future

 Quite a few times over the years I have sat on this bench on the beach looking at this view, wandering how long it will be before I can be sitting here again.

I don't know what it is about this place, it is where I come to think and it is where I make most of the important decisions in my life.




This bench is in Twinbrook, and Twinbrook is now my home.

Did you honestly think I was going to stay in Riverview forever??

Not on your life!!!!

It has not been easy over the years but somehow we have managed.  Luckily my job gave me the opportunity and over the years a concert in Bridgeport or Sunset Valley or wherever always went via Twinbrook, although Candy never knew.  

The day or two here and there just about kept us going.  One white lie to Suzie, a whole pack of lies to Candy, hundreds of phone calls and any opportunity we could snatch to be together over the years kept us going - Just about!!!

I did promise Suzie I would be back and I didn't break my promise - the first opportunity I got I went back only just to explain face to face the mess I had gotten myself into.

This is where the little white lie comes into it, for as far as Suzie is concerned Candy got pregnant just before I came to Twinbrook the first time and not afterwards.  If I had told her the truth that Candy got pregnant the day I returned home - that I jumped out of her bed and straight back into bed with my wife it would have broken her heart!!  Thankfully she understood I had to stay with Candy because of the babies, she knew I was not going to walk out on my children, so she waited as impatiently as I did for Chrystal and Kiesha to grow up - waited for the day we never thought was ever going to come!!  It felt like an eternity and this has definitely been the longest most miserable time of my life!!

But now everthing has changed.

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Suzie was having hysterics

"Chase, what have you done to yourself!!??"

"I thought you liked it!!"

"Your not a teenager any more you know!!"  she could hardly speak for laughing

"I know, but you used to say it suited me - you don't really like it do you!!"

"Of course I do, you just took me by surprise that's all!!" 

I had spiked my hair up like I used to have it when I was a teenager - I expected a reaction from her but I never expected her to have absolute hysterics!!

"Come on Suzie it is not that funny!! 

"It is!!"

"Do you like it or don't you!!"

Finally she pulled herself together.

"About time, so......???"

"So what?

"Do you like it or not??"

"Actually I love it,  you look like yourself again, the Chase I fell in love with!!"

"Good, cause I might keep it like this, this feels more like me!!"

"Its just a good job you did not turn up to our wedding looking like that - I would never have been able to say my vows for laughing!!"

Off she went again, another fit of hysterics

"Stop it you are making me paranoid!!"

"I bet little Molly will think her Grandad has turned into a hedgehog"

"She'll love it!!"

"Lets hope it does not scare the baby!!"

"What baby is Charity pregnant again?"  I asked

"Our baby" she said smiling

"Your not........!!??"

"I might be, I am going to the doctors tomorrow to get it confirmed, but yes I think I am pregnant"

"That's great!!"

"Your happy then!!?"

"Of course I am silly - but can you please make it a boy!!"

"I can't promise that can I!!"

"No, I know,  but with 9 girls already and only one son, I really don't want any more girls!!"

"I thought it was 8 girls"

"Don't forget Laura"  everyone always forgets Laura!!

"Oh I am sorry - I forgot!!"

"Anyway talking about the girls, I phoned Kayla, she's coming for a visit tomorrow, probably to read me the riot act but still!!"

"She's not going to be cross with us is she"

"You never know with Kayla!!"

"Is she bringing any of our grandchildren with her?"

"No I don't think so - she's coming alone, Anton's stayed to look after the younger ones."

"One of these days I might get to actually meet some of them"

"We will go to Riverview for a visit once all the dust has settled!!"

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That is if the dust ever settles!!!!
I did it - I am now free!!!  When Chrystal and Keisha became young adults the time had finally come for me to put myself first for a change, I could do something for me instead of my children.  My children were now all grown up and making their own lives for themselves, they did not need me any more - finally I had my own time.  Me and Candy were over years ago, as far as I was concerned, I just went through the motions every day - for our children.
I was actually pretty shocked at how badly she had taken our break up, she said she did not see it coming, but it was pretty obvious from where I was standing!!  Candy knew I had only stayed in the first place because Chrystal and Keisha had been born, maybe she thought over the years I would forget Suzie and it would be me and Candy forever, but, I never forgot, I was never going to forget Suzie and one day I knew I would be with Suzie no matter who it hurt.
Candy's affair with my brother Cory was what marked the end for us, and I was no angel myself, because while she was sleeping with my brother I was sleeping with my other brothers wife.  Mine and Candy's relationship was never the same after that, we tried to get back to where we were before it all happened, but it never got there, nearly but not quite.  Maybe it was ok for Candy, but for me there was always something in the way - Suzie, and that was never going to change!!
Finally, I broke up with Candy and walked out of my old life into my new life with Suzie, a life that had been waiting for me for years.

Everything was planned and everything ready.  Suzie and Lex's marriage was annulled by the courts due to the length of time they had been seperated, I will never forget the day he came and waved the court letter in my face telling me his marriage was now over, he was frurious, god knows why, and I had to act like I had not a clue and the news was as shocking to me as it was to him!!  I have learnt to become a very good actor over the years, a part of me I hated but was necessary for my future survival.

I had the house where Suzie lived, basically rebuilt.  I paid the bills on two houses, and as I was earning my own money, and Rock Stars do earn enough money, Candy never knew how much I was earning and how much I was spending in Twinbrook.  When finally the time came, probably the hardest part was the marriage breakup but only because of the fuss that Candy kicked up over it.  I happily walked out of the house and out of her life with nothing, just the clothes on my back.  Jumped on a plane, starting a new life and a new marriage in Twinbrook.  Me and Suzie got married straight away, and now we are starting another new family of our own together.

Our little Strong family - I am no longer a Swan, I made sure of that when we got married, I changed my name back to what it should be Strong, goodbye Chase Swan - welcome back Chase Strong!!!

I know the dust has not settled yet - and I guess waiting for it to fall and what it brings with it is going to be the hardest part.  But for now, life could not be more perfect.

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Chapter 2
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