CHANGES
Chapter Nineteen
December 21, 2005
It was decided, when Rose and Jack had been
too busy to return to Minnesota for Thanksgiving, that both the Dawsons and
DeWitt-Bukaters would fly out to Boston for the Christmas holidays. The
grandparents refused to miss their first granddaughter's first Christmas, and
so, both families, in their entirety, arrived on the twenty-first of December.
*****
Rose adjusted the bow in eleven-month-old
Amanda's hair for the hundredth time, when the arrival of their families'
flight was announced. This was the first time any of them had been out to see
them, and Rose and Jack hadn't been back to Minnesota since late September. In
those months, things had changed drastically. She and Jack had drifted apart
considerably, to the point where Rose slept in Amanda's room on most nights.
Officially, they would still be considered an engaged couple, but what it felt
like inside was something entirely different. Jack hadn't even bothered to come
with her and Amanda to pick up their families. Rose sighed and Amanda looked up
at her, her blue eyes twinkling. "Pwane," she stated, pointing
outside where planes were arriving and departing.
Rose smiled, fixing her daughter's curls.
"That's right, a plane."
Amanda continued to watch in awe, in her
prime. Plane was one of the few words she could say, and the flying objects
fascinated her to no end. Rose watched her closely, while keeping an eye out
for a familiar face. Suddenly, she heard her name being shouted out, and turned
to see her eldest sister, Tiffany, running towards her. Grasping Amanda's hand,
Rose walked quickly to her and embraced her tightly. Once Tiffany released her,
she dropped down on one knee to greet her niece. Rose smiled at the image,
looking up in time to see the rest of her family, along with Jack's, heading in
their direction. Ruth was the first to reach them and hugged her daughter and
granddaughter. The threesome soon were enveloped by everyone else, with little
Amanda squished in the middle.
After parting, Elaine glanced around,
noticing the lack of a vital someone. "Rose, honey, where's Jack?"
Pain swept across Rose's features before she
shrugged. "At work, I guess. He left before I got up this morning."
Elaine frowned, not only because her son
seemingly forgot about them, but at the flat, almost angry tone Rose spoke of
him in. She hadn't heard that tone in over two years.
Ruth must've heard it, too, because concern
appeared on her face. "Is everything okay between you two?" she asked
quietly.
Rose shrugged again and picked Amanda up,
dismissing the subject. "Morgan and Candi are staying with us,
right?"
Joseph nodded. "And we'll be staying at
the Boston Park Plaza Hotel."
"All right. Well, you can follow me to
the hotel and I'll take the girls to our place. You can follow us back there or
stay at the hotel. That's up to you. I know it's been a long flight. My
apartment is only a few miles from there, so it shouldn't be too hard to
find," Rose said, but stopped when she realized she was babbling.
Joseph chuckled and the group headed out of
the airport, only stopping to pick up their luggage and their rented vehicles.
*****
When Jack pulled into the parking area of his
apartment building, he was surprised to see Rose's car wasn't there. She
usually stayed home, spending time alone with their daughter. Thinking of Rose
made his heart ache. They had been so distant since October, barely speaking to
each other unless it was absolutely necessary. It was his fault more than hers,
he reasoned. Ever since he had gotten the internship at a local law firm,
highly unusual for an undergraduate, let alone a sophomore, he had thrown
himself into the work. Rose had been understanding in the beginning, but
quickly became annoyed with being ignored. Walking up to the building, Jack
realized they hadn't shared a meal, or a kiss, or even a bed, in weeks. They
hadn't made love in even longer. It was like they were strangers living
together. The only time they spent time together recently was when they were
both with Amanda. Jack smiled, thinking of his daughter. She was his
world...nothing he loved more and the love was obviously mutual. Sighing, Jack
let himself into the empty apartment. As he put his coat in his closet, he
noticed a note on the bulletin board where he and Rose would tack up important
reminders.
Jack,
I took Mandy to go pick everyone up from
the airport. We should be back by five.
Rose
"Fuck!" Jack swore under his
breath. He had totally forgotten his family was coming in today. He would have
to make it up to them somehow.
*****
"All right, we'll see you for
dinner," Rose called, after helping her parents with their luggage.
Smiling, she turned to her sister Morgan and Jack's younger sister, Candi.
"You guys ready to go?"
Candi yawned and nodded. "I need a
nap."
Rose laughed. "Well, you can try, but
don't expect Mandy to let you."
Candi ruffled her niece's hair
affectionately. "It's worth a try."
Morgan let out an exasperated sigh. "Can
we go? We've been on the go since six this morning. I just want to sit and do
nothing for a few hours."
Rose shook her head and gave her sister an
amused look. "All right, let's head out. Maybe your brother will even be
home for once."
Candi frowned as they got into the elevator.
"You guys aren't fighting, are you?"
"We're not doing anything. Not fighting,
not talking, nothing. He works and goes to school, I go to school and take care
of Mandy. The only time we see each other is when we're both spending time with
Mandy."
"Dang. Last time we saw you, we could
barely keep you two away from each other," Morgan commented.
Rose sighed as they got into her SUV. "I
don't think you'll have that problem this time around."