CHANGES
Chapter Eleven

"We're moving in together because I'm pregnant."

The statement hung in the thick night air, with four gaping mouths, soundless. A soft gasp that escaped Ruth's mouth brought everyone back to reality, and both Jack and Rose waited for the heated words to come.

"Pregnant?" Ruth squeaked.

Rose nodded wordlessly.

"Oh, my dear lord," Elaine whispered, leaning against her husband for support.

"Didn't you two learn your lesson last time?" Joseph barked from his spot.

"Daddy..."

"Don't Daddy me, Rose. You just graduated high school, for God's sake. You're nowhere near mature enough to raise a child! Which should be obvious, since this is the second time you let this happen. What about college, Rose? What about Harvard? All your life's dreams flushed down the toilet because you can't take enough responsibility to use protection during something you're too young to be doing anyway!"

Rose closed her eyes, trying to gain strength from Jack's hand, which was caressing hers reassuringly. Having gained some confidence, she met her father head on. "There is no reason why I can't still go to Harvard. And don't say there is. You weren't much older then us when Mom got pregnant with Frankie. And you made it through college! I'm not saying it's going to be easy, but both Jack and I are more than responsible enough to do this, regardless of what you think of our maturity level. We've got things figured out and we'll be fine. Granted, this shouldn't have happened, but it did, and I'm not going to walk away from the consequences of my actions. So you can either accept it, and be a part of your grandchild's life, or forget I exist!"

Joseph stared at his daughter, completely stunned. Never had he seen her so angry. Sure, he knew there was a raging fire within her, but he'd never been on the receiving end of that inferno. Slowly, he became aware that if he didn't accept this, the true reality of what had happened, he would lose her. He would lose his little angel, and that thought hit his heart hard.

Ruth stood still, staring at her daughter, unable to believe this. A grandmother at forty-two? The scene before her caused the memory of telling her parents she was pregnant to play in her head. No, she was going to accept this, not reject her. She wouldn't do the same thing her parents had done to her. Quietly, she embraced her daughter, before giving the couple in front of her a genuine smile. "A little early, but there is no way I'm not going to be a part of my first grandchild's life."

Jack let out a sigh of relief and turned to his parents, who had stood in silence during the entire exchange.

Elaine gulped, glancing up at Don, who nodded. Together they tightly hugged both their son and Rose, giving them their congratulations. Once they stepped back, all eyes on Joseph, who seemed to be lost in thought. Finally, he looked up and spoke softly. "Although I don't approve, I'm not going to reject this. You're both adults, and are perfectly capable of handling this."

Rose's eyes misted over as she hugged her father. "Thank you, Daddy," she whispered.

July 11, 2004

"So, we're agreed on Minneapolis?" Jack asked, as he flipped through the classified section of the newspaper.

Rose hesitated. "That's a little far, isn't it?"

"Not if I have to drive to school every day."

"Couldn't you go to the Duluth campus?"

Jack sighed. "We went over this. If I'm going to do pre-law, I have to go to Minneapolis. I don't know about you, but driving two and a half hours each way doesn't sound all that appealing."

Rose leaned up against the couch. "All right, Minneapolis then. We'll probably have more luck finding something there, anyway."

Jack kissed the top of her head before continuing his search.

The two of them were sitting in the Dawson living room, five different newspapers strewn about, looking for a place to live. They had luckily been able to contact the admissions office at both the University of Minnesota and Harvard, explaining the situation. Fortunately for them, they had been very understanding and agreed to extend their scholarships for the following year. Jack would have to pay for the year at Minnesota, but that wasn't a problem.

"Hey, how about this?" Rose spoke up from her spot on the floor.

"Hmm?"

"Two bedroom condominium. One and a half baths, neutral decor, fireplace, gourmet kitchen, nestled in the outskirts of Minneapolis. Shopping, entertainment, and schools within walking distance," Rose read aloud, looking up at Jack.

"How much?"

"One hundred fifty thousand dollars."

Jack looked thoughtful. "That would be seventy-five thousand dollars each..." he commented.

"Can we afford that?"

"I can. You can too, right?"

Rose did some quick calculations in her head before nodding. "Yes. Are we going in on half for furniture and stuff, too?"

"It would probably be easier. I'll leave the decorating up to you, though."

Rose grinned. "You're so kind. Should we try this place?"

Jack nodded. "Yeah, take down the number."

Rose jotted down the information when suddenly Jack jumped up. "I found it!"

Rose gave him a weird look. "Found what?"

Jack slid down on the floor next to her excitedly. "The perfect place. Listen to this. Three bedroom townhouse in the heart of the city. Two baths, fireplace in living room and master bedroom. Dining room, updated kitchen. Finished basement with entertainment room and wet bar. Private backyard with garden. Close to shopping and University of Minnesota. Immediate Occupancy."

Rose shot him a doubtful look. "And how much does that one cost?"

"Two hundred thousand dollars. It's just a little more then the last one..."

"But, Jack, we don't need three bedrooms. Plus, we're only going to be there a little over a year."

"Oh, come on, Rose! Think of it this way...we'll buy it and then it'll be ours whenever we come back to visit. We won't have to stay in a hotel or with relatives. And if we have more kids..."

"More kids?" Rose exclaimed. "This one isn't even born yet and you're already planning for more?"

Jack gave her an impish grin. "Not now. But knowing us, there's quite a possibility in the future."

Rose had to smile. "Okay, so we'd be buying this for us and our many kids. That way, whenever we come back, it'll be ours?"

"Yes. Come on, you know you wanna..." he teased, giving her an irresistible smile.

Rose sighed. "All right, we'll check it out. But we're going to see these other ones before we make a final decision."

Jack leaned over and gave her a quick kiss. "Deal."

"Find anything yet?" Elaine asked, coming into the room with a tray of food.

"Yeah." Jack nodded. "A few sound good. We're going to call and go down there tomorrow."

"Thought you might be hungry," said Elaine, before responding to her son's statement. "That's great. Where are they located?"

"Minneapolis."

Elaine gave him a concerned look. "Why so far? I thought the point of staying in Minnesota was to be near family."

Jack sighed. "It IS. But I can only study pre-law at the Minneapolis campus, and I'd rather not have to drive all that way every day."

"I see. Well, it's certainly closer than Boston."

"That it is."

Elaine turned her attention to Rose. "How are you doing, sweetie?"

Rose smiled. "I'm fine. The mornings aren't too much fun, but I suppose that's normal."

Elaine nodded knowingly. "It'll pass, believe me. You've been getting plenty of rest, haven't you?"

"Yes. My mom makes sure I do."

"Good, good. When do you go to the doctor's next?"

Jack shook his head. "Mom..."

"Hush, Jack. I'm only concerned about the welfare of my grandchild."

"I go in next Tuesday, actually."

Elaine shot her son a look. "You'll be going with her, won't you?"

"Yes, Mom. I wouldn't miss it for the world."

Seemingly satisfied with his answer, she got up. "Well, I'll leave you two alone. Holler if you need anything."

Jack rolled his eyes. "I don't get her."

Rose giggled. "You think that's bad, you should see my mom. She's so overprotective, I don't know how she's going to react when I move out."

Jack kissed her. "As long as she doesn't plan on moving in with us, I don't care."

"Mmm...don't put it past her."

"No way. She is NOT moving in with us."

"Calm down. She's not moving in with us. But I bet we can expect to see both our mothers quite often."

Jack sighed. "I thought the point of moving out was to get away from our parents."

*****

"Six Forty-nine Crestview..." Jack muttered as he drove down the street. He and Rose had been in Minneapolis all day, looking at the homes they selected. This was their last stop, the one he wanted, and they were having a hard time finding it.

"Six Thirty-eight," Rose said, pointing to a home.

"It should be coming up, then."

"On your side, Jack."

Jack nodded and exhaled happily when he spotted it. "Finally!"

He pulled into the driveway and helped Rose out. They climbed the front steps, hand in hand, both relieved the day was almost over. A few seconds after they knocked, a sweet-looking elderly woman opened the door. "Yes?"

"Hello, I'm Jack Dawson. I called earlier about the house."

The woman nodded. "Of course. Come on in."

They followed her in, speechless at the elegant looking home they had just entered. The woman turned to them. "My name is Laura Kensington, but please just call me Laura."

Rose smiled. "I'm Rose."

Laura smiled back. "It's nice to meet you, Rose. Why don't you come sit down so we can get to know one another, and then I'll show you around."

Jack nodded. "Sure, lead the way."

Once they were seated, Laura spoke up. "Now, please excuse my nosiness, but why do you need to find a place to live? You're so young and obviously not married."

Rose blushed slightly at the mention of marriage. "Well, we need a place in the city so Jack here can attend the university."

"I see. What about you?"

"I--uh...I won't be going until next year."

"So you're still in high school, then? And your parents don't approve of your relationship, so you left?"

Jack smiled slightly. "Not exactly. We're both graduated. She just won't be going because we're expecting," he explained.

Laura gasped and clapped her hands together. "Oh! So you'll certainly be needing the extra room, then."

Rose nodded. "Yes, we will."

Smiling, the older woman stood. "Well, come along then. Let me show you the place."

*****

"Well, what do you think?" Laura asked, once the tour had come to an end.

Rose and Jack exchanged a look and Jack grinned. "You know what I think. It's up to you."

Rose glanced around the room they were standing in. Yes, she could definitely see them living here. Giving Jack and Laura a dazzling smile, she said, "Where do we sign?"

Chapter Twelve
Stories