"Jack, have you seen the picnic basket?" Rose yelled from the kitchen to Jack upstairs.
"Check the family room," Jack yelled from the stairs.
Jack was upstairs getting Max changed for the picnic they were having at the beach, while Rose was making the picnic lunch. Jack put Max into a nice late-summer outfit, and carried him downstairs.
There was a knock at the door, and Rose yelled, "I'll get it!"
Rose turned the knob, and to her surprise, her mother, Ruth DeWitt Bukater, was standing there with a green velvet dress on with a hat to match. Rose's heart stopped as her mother inspected her.
"Mother?"
"Hello, Rose." Rose looked at her mother; it seemed to her as if her mother were crying.
"I thought you were dead."
Rose stared at her mother. "I thought I would never see you again."
"Why didn't you come back to Cal and I on the Carpathia?"
"Because I wanted a life of my own without the jewels or the parties, and the never stopping flow of champagne. I wanted a life with Jack, not with Cal."
"Cal had everything you always wanted--"
"He didn't have a heart. Don't you understand? I can't marry a man without a kind heart, Mother."
Ruth let out a sigh, and she heard a baby coo. "Is that your child?"
"Yes."
"Rose, who is it?" Jack asked as he walked over to the door, and saw Ruth. Ruth then looked at Jack, who was holding a five-month-old baby.
"Mother, may I introduce to you Jack Dawson, and our child Maxwell Kevin Dawson."
"There's no need to introduce Mr. Dawson again; I've met him from previous times."
Jack looked at Rose, then at Ruth.
"Won't you come in?"
Rose opened the door wider, and Ruth stepped in. She took off her black leather gloves, placing them in her purse. She looked around her daughter's house. Ruth had to admit to herself that she did an excellent job sprucing the house up. Ruth followed Rose into the family room, and they all had a seat.
"How did you find me? Why are you here?"
"Well, after you were presumed dead, we headed back to Philadelphia. Cal let me stay with him until one night in January when he was drunk and told me to get out or he would call the police. Well, I obeyed his orders, and decided to stay in Philadelphia. I worked in different places, and then I decided to move to Virginia for a new job and a new life. I then heard a woman talk about a man named Jack Dawson who does illustrations for a man's books. I knew then that wherever Jack was you were sure to be. I was told the information, and here I am. Living in a boarding house about forty-five minutes away from here, working as a seamstress."
Rose felt a little sorry for her mother as she saw tears swell up in her eyes. She knew that the last thing her mother wanted to be was a seamstress, but it was money that made her the type of mother that she was when she met Cal. She knew that her mother was different now that the money was gone.
"Would you like to hold Max?" Rose asked.
Ruth gave a faint smile. "Yes, please." Jack handed Ruth little Max. "Oh, he's so beautiful." Ruth looked down at Max. "I can still remember holding you, Rose, at this age. Is this your only child?"
"Another one is to be on it's way in eight months."
"Congratulations." Ruth smiled.
Rose gave a faint smile, and then looked over at Jack.
"So, Jack, is it true that you do illustrations for an author?"
"Yes, ma'am, I do."
"Do you have any that I could maybe look at?"
"Yeah, just a second. Let me go and get it." Jack left the room to go and fetch the books.
"He's a good husband and father."
"I thought so," Rose said as Ruth gave Max to her.
"Are you still upset at me?"
"I wish that you would've let me choose who I would like to marry instead of your choosing for me."
"I'm so sorry, Rose, but I was doing it for our sake."
"So, for our sake, you would've made me marry someone who never had a heart, abused me, and ran both of our lives?"
"I never knew that he did until he hurt me." Rose closed her eyes and let out a sigh. "Rose, it was very hard for me to hear from Cal that my only daughter died on the Titanic. Please don't let me feel now when I walk out of your house that you hate me, and never want to see me again. I love you, Rose, and you're the only thing I have left now."
Rose paused for a moment and sighed."There is a house for sale, two blocks up from this one. I would appreciate it if you would live there."
Ruth shed tears, and hugged her daughter. "Thank you, Rose."
"You're welcome." Rose hugged her mother back.
Jack came back into the room with the book, and stopped for a moment. He saw Rose and her mother hugging, and decided to let them share their feelings. Ruth saw Jack, and let go of Rose.
"Thank you, Jack." Ruth smiled as Jack gave her the books.
Jack smiled. "You're welcome."
Jack then went over and sat by Rose. Ruth sat down on the chair across from them and looked at the illustrations.
"Well, Jack, I must say that these drawings are certainly different from the one that you drew of my daughter."
Jack and Rose both blushed, and smiled.
Max started to cry. "Oh, Max, are you getting hungry? I'll be right back. I need go and fix him his bottle."
Ruth smiled. "All right." Rose came in as she held Max, holding the bottle. "So, do you two like being parents?"
"I love it," Jack said.
"Me, too." Rose smiled, agreeing with Jack.
"Are you two married?"
"Yes. We got married on April 19, 1912."
"Well, you two didn't wait, now did you?" Ruth laughed, and so did everyone else.
