LOVE BY CHANCE
Chapter Three
June 10, 2001
Rose’s eyes fluttered open as she woke up for
another brand new day. A brand new day to spend with Jack. She turned her head
and saw him lying beside her on the bed. She cracked a smile, remembering how
much convincing it had taken to get Jack’s grandmother to let them stay in the
same room, in the same bed. She hesitantly agreed with the stipulation that
they’re door must remain open "At all times!" She began to
slip out of bed to get ready for the day, when he grabbed her wrist and pulled
her back down.
"Well, good morning to you, too!"
She laughed.
"How long did you plan on letting me
sleep?" Jack asked with his eyes on the clock radio beside the bed.
"It’s already almost ten."
"I hadn’t even looked at a clock, so I
didn’t realize it was that late," she said, getting up. "I’m sure
your grandmother is wondering what happened to us."
As if on cue the call came from downstairs
from his grandmother, asking if they were still alive.
Jack and Rose both laughed and started moving
about, preparing for the new day.
*****
Ruth sat at her desk and work, weaving a pen
through her fingers. Rose hadn’t called. She couldn’t believe it. That Jack had
actually convinced her not too! What does Rose see in him? Forcing his opinion
on her so that she does what he wants her to! It was appalling! And to think
that she claimed she still loved him after the way he disappeared after their
high school graduation. She wasn’t sure what her daughter’s problem was, but
she was going to get to the bottom of it and fast, before she lost her daughter
forever. Realizing that she had to back down slightly to get back to her
daughter, she slammed her pen down on the desk. She hated backing down, but if
it meant gaining back the control she once had on Rose, she would do it.
Later that evening...
"I think it’s kind of ironic that we
booked our vacation for the same days and bought airline tickets for the same
days," Rose said to Jack from across the table at a restaurant.
"Ah, not really," Jack said,
shaking his head. "I think that Fate had a huge role in this."
Rose smiled. "Oh yeah, I almost forgot.
You were quite the believer in Fate."
"Always have been and always will be.
You will not convince me otherwise that this is why we were reunited on that
airplane. Some force had to have intervened. I mean San Francisco is a big
place. Look how close to each other we lived and never even caught one glimpse
of one another. Something bigger brought us together," he reached across
the table and took her hand. "And all I really know is this: I love you
and always have. I will never stop loving you and will never stop believing
that we belong together. That we’re soul mates."
Rose’s eyes had watered over at Jack's words
and it became so that she could hardly speak. "Oh Jack," she sobbed.
"I believe that too. I love you. I love you so much!" They leaned
towards each other and kissed across the table, all other problems forgotten;
well at least for awhile, anyway.
*****
Ruth sat at her dining room table, the end of
her pencil tapping on the glass of the tabletop. She hadn’t called Rose and
Rose hadn’t called her either. She thought she could back down, but after
several attempts to call her at Jack’s grandmother’s the realization came that
she could not do it. She couldn’t back down. Some reconciliation had to occur
or Ruth’s life would be over. Ruth’s eyes lit up. That was it. She wrote it
down on the notepad in front of her. Make her feel guilty. She wouldn’t just be
Ruth, the Mother; she would be Ruth the Manipulator. And she would make her
self damn good at it.
Ruth picked up the phone after a few moment
of writing on her notepad, dialing the number of Jack’s grandmother. After a
few rings, someone picked up at the other end.
"Hello?" It was a man’s voice.
Jack’s voice.
"Hello," Ruth said in her shrill,
domineering voice. "This is Ruth DeWitt-Bukater. I need to speak to
Rose."
"I’m sorry, Ruth--"
"Mrs. DeWitt-Bukater."
"...Mrs. DeWitt-Bukater, but Rose is
unavailable at this time. I can have her call you back."
"Please, Mr. Dawson. It is imperative
that I speak with Rose."
"I’m sorry. She can’t talk right
now."
"All right. Have her call me back,
please."
"I’ll do that, Mrs. DeWitt-Bukater. Have
a nice night."
"Thank you."
*****
Jack hung up the phone and tried to shake off
the shiver that ran down his spine. Rose’s mother always had had that effect on
him. She was so cold that she sent chills coursing through his body. He turned
and walked to their bedroom where Rose was beginning to pack for their trip
home tomorrow.
She looked up as he walked in the room.
"Who was that?"
"It was your mother," he replied
tentatively.
Her eyebrows furrowed. "What did she
want?"
"Didn’t say. She said she just wants to
talk to you. You’re supposed to call her back."
She turned and sat down by her suitcase on
the bed. "Something’s not right."
Jack looked at her, confused. "What do
you mean?"
"This isn’t like her. She never backs
down. I realize I’m probably going to extremes when I say this, but she’s up to
something. It’s not normal and I don’t like it." She looked at him, her
expression one of slight worry and slight anger. "I’m not calling her back.
She has a motive and I’m not going to let her ruin our last night here. I
won’t."
"Hey, it’s OK." He took her into
his arms because he knew she was upset. "Besides, it will be something
else for her to blame on me. I’m sure she won’t mind."
Rose cracked a smile. "You always know
how to make me feel better. You always have."
He shrugged. "It’s all intuition."
"Yeah, right!" She looked at him,
her expression sobering. "I love you, Jack."
"I love you, too, Rose."
*****
Ruth was still at the dining room table, the
phone sitting in front her. She looked at her watch. 10:45. Rose still hadn’t
called back. And it was his entire fault. He lied. Of course he didn’t tell
Rose that she had called. Why would he? He never liked me anyway. Ruth got up
from her chair and placed the phone back to charge overnight. If he wants to
play games, she thought as she walked upstairs to go to bed, then he’s got a
challenger.