DAPHNE’S STORY OF FINDING HER FATHER
Chapter Three

"You’re…you’re my d-daughter?" Jack asked with a slight tremble in his voice. "But how can that be? Rose and I…I mean, we…"

"According to my mother, I was conceived on the Titanic in the back of a certain Cadillac after you two ran away together," I said with a slight grin. He lightly blushed and laughed quietly.

Jack looked down and felt his heart race at those wonderful yet horrible memories about being in the back of the Cadillac. It had been the most passionate moment of his life, yet his heart had always ached thinking about it since my mom had been…taken away from him.

After a few moments, Jack looked back up at me with watering eyes. I took the moment to look deep into those eyes that I had ached to see for so long. They were filled with so much passion, so much love, something I hadn’t seen in them two minutes ago. His hand was shaking as he softly brushed my cheek. He now understood that I was indeed his daughter.

That was when it hit me that I was standing in front of my own father. Though I did not know him, I already felt loved by him. Emotions started rushing through me, and before I knew it, Jack took me into his arms and held onto me with all of his might. Boy, was he ever strong. For a few moments, we just stayed there in each other’s arms, not sure what else to do. Afterwards, Jack helped me sit up on the counter before we started chatting a little bit.

"It’s been sixteen years since the Titanic," Jack pointed out. "I always knew that Rose couldn’t possibly be dead. It’s just that a few weeks ago I gave up when I still didn’t hear from her. But never did I imagine that I had a daughter!"

I laughed and hugged my father once more. When we finally pulled apart, he observed me.

"The Titanic was sixteen years ago, so that makes you--"

"Fifteen," I quickly said.

"Right, and you said your name is Daphne, right?" Jack asked.

"Yep. That’s it."

"Well, I have to admit, you do look like me," Jack said before pausing for a moment. I felt his fingers intertwine with my hair. "But the curls…I suppose you got that from your mother."

I nodded. Jack laughed slightly. "She still has those curls?"

I laughed. "She sure does."

"Well," Jack began. "I’m afraid I can’t get off work right now, so I’m afraid I can’t be with you until tonight."

"Oh, well, I guess I’ll just head off to my hotel and let you finish. I don’t want to be in the way," I said with a sad smile.

"You can stay here. You won’t be in the way. I can even introduce you to some of my employees. And if you would like, you can stay at my house for the next few days. I mean, if you’re not leaving yet."

I smiled. "That sounds like a good idea, Mr. Dawson."

Jack shook his head as he helped me off the counter. "Now, now, none of this formal stuff. Call me Jack…or Dad. After all, you are my daughter. Are you, or aren’t you?"

"I am," I said with a grin.

"Now, let me take you into my office so you can call your mother," Jack said as he put an arm around my shoulders and led me into his office.

*****

I watched Jack as he dialed my mother’s phone number on speaker phone. Of course, he didn’t know my mother’s number, so I wrote it down on a piece of paper for him. After three rings, my mother answered.

"Hello?" my mother asked.

"Hi, Mom," I said.

I heard my mother breathe a sigh of relief. "Daphne, are you all right? Did you find Jack--" My mother began to ask questions. I was going to say something, but before I could, Jack spoke up.

"She’s fine, Rose. And yes, she did find me," Jack said, laughter in his voice.

"J-Jack?" my mother stuttered.

"Hello, Rose," Jack said softly. I could tell he was nervous by the way he constantly tugged on his tie. "I wanted Daphne here to call you and make sure you knew she was okay. And just to let you know, she’ll be staying with me at my house," Jack informed her. "Don’t worry, Rose…as long as she is with me in Santa Monica, she’ll be safe. Trust me," Jack said.

"I trust you," my mother said.

Jack turned to me. "Daphne, would you mind if I talk to your mother alone?" I shook my head.

I stepped out of the room, letting my father talk to my mother.

*****

I was leaning against the wall by Jack’s office door. It had been thirty minutes since Jack had asked me if he could talk to my mother alone. I had finally found my father, but yet it still seemed…uncomfortable. Don’t get me wrong. I was thrilled that I had found my father. Maybe the reason why I was uncomfortable was because I hadn’t known him for all of my life.

Suddenly, Jack’s office door opened and he walked out. I saw him looking around the gallery, confused. He was probably looking for me. I cleared my throat to let him know that I was to his left.

Jack turned to his left and smiled when he saw me. "There you are," Jack said. "So, I see we have a sneaky one on our hands, don’t we?"

"Maybe..." I answered.

Jack took my hand and introduced me to one of his employees, Lauren Wells. Lauren was a young artist who had started working at my dad’s art gallery a little over a year ago. I’ll tell you, she was shocked when Jack introduced me as his daughter. I must admit, I did blush a little.

After a long day, Jack gestured his hands towards the front doors of the gallery. "How about I take you to your hotel and we can get your stuff?" Jack offered. "And then we can head to my place."

I nodded as we began to make our way out the door. I saw a nicely polished Cadillac in front of the gallery. I stared at the car in awe. I heard Jack laugh. He must have seen my face.

"Surprised, I see," Jack said as a man in a tuxedo opened a door to the back seat of the Cadillac.

"Very," I said.

Jack held out his hand towards me and I slipped my hand into his as he helped me get into the Cadillac. After I stepped in, Jack sat beside me.

"Where to, Mr. Dawson?" the driver asked Jack.

"To the Santa Monica Hotel," Jack answered.

The driver began to drive and I shot Jack a confused look. How did he know what hotel I was staying at? He must have felt my eyes on him, because he turned his head towards me and smiled. "Your mother told me."

"Oh," I said. "Jack, I know this sort of strange for you to find out you have a daughter like this. But all I wanted was a father, and when I found out that my father was alive, I knew I had to find you." Jack nodded with an understanding look.

"It’s okay, Daphne," Jack said. "You just made me the happiest man alive."

I nodded as I played with my fingers. "So, you’re Jack Dawson?"

Jack nodded. "That’s my name." I laughed slightly. "Did your mom ever--"

"Get married? No, she never did."

Jack raised an eyebrow. "Why not?"

I gave him a small yet sad smile. "She could never do it. She felt like if she did, she would be disappointing you. She thought you were dead." Jack silently shook his head.

"She told you the story, didn’t she?"

"About the Titanic?"

"Yes, the Titanic."

"Yeah, she did."

"And she told you everything?"

"Yes." Jack blushed red as a tomato. I laughed.

"I never knew Rose would end up pregnant." I raised an eyebrow at him.

"Do you regret the time in the Cadillac?" Jack shook his head.

"No. Never," Jack said. "If we hadn’t made love, you wouldn’t be here right now."

"You know, I feel really special, being conceived in the back seat of a Cadillac." Jack chuckled at my sarcasm.

Before I knew it, the car had stopped in front of my hotel. Jack and I went up to my small room. After having gotten my stuff ready, Jack and his driver helped me bring my stuff down before I checked out.

As we drove towards Jack’s house, my mind was going through everything that had happened in the last few hours. It was amazing how much one single day could change my entire life. This was the beginning of a new, happy life for my mother and me. I couldn’t wait to see the look on my mother’s face when she came face-to-face with Jack again after all of these years.

When we arrived at Jack’s house, all of my stuff was carried inside to the spare bedroom. As I walked up the stairs, I took note of all the paintings and drawings hanging on the walls. There were some from different artists, such as Monet and Picasso. As I entered my room, my eyes spotted a simple double bed beside a beautiful wooden desk with a small lamp. There was also a little library with a few books and albums.

"I hope this will do," Jack said as he entered the room.

"Of course it will do. This is a beautiful room. I love the red curtains. They suit the room," I said, sitting down on the bed and starting to unpack my things. Being the gentleman he was, Jack started helping me. There wasn’t much to do, since I had only brought clothes for a few days.

I went to bed early that night, since it had been a very long day. The next day was one of the most pleasurable days I had had in a long time. I went back to work with Jack. That evening, I was sitting on the bed in my room, reading a book, when Jack entered, asking me if I was ready.

"Ready for what?" I asked, frowning.

"Oh, I hope you don’t mind, but I was kind of hoping we could go out to dinner tonight. Do you wish to go?" Jack asked me.

"That would be great!"

After he left the room, I looked at my dresses and picked the fanciest one I could find. It wasn’t extremely formal, but it was a good dress for special occasions. It was a dress made of a soft material with a pink bow to tie at the back. The dress was mostly creamy white with the exception of a light pink band that went across my chest, and lilac sleeves flowing around my arms and resting on my shoulders. It was one of my favorite dresses, since my mom had sewn it. She said it reminded her of a very special dress she used to own.

Now, what to do with my hair? My mother always told me it looked beautiful when I let it down, so that was what I decided to do. But, of course, I couldn’t let my hair down without slipping one of my favorite butterfly combs into it. After adding a bit of makeup, I closed the door behind me and began looking for my dad. I tried looking for him upstairs, but he wasn’t there. Once I got frustrated, I started walking down the stairs just in time to see my dad walking in front of the door. I looked at him in admiration. My dad was wearing a tux with his hair neatly pulled back.

"Hello, Dad," I said, addressing him. It felt so good to be able to call someone Dad.

Jack’s eyes gazed at me and a very boyish smile settled upon his face. I could understand why Mom had fallen for him. He was very handsome. But although he seemed to be making very good money, Jack still had something so genuine about him. He wasn’t a snob like some other people I had met.

"You look lovely, Daphne."

"Thanks, Dad," I said once more. Jack’s smile became even wider after I called him Dad.

"I guess I’ll have to get used to someone calling me that. But it’s so nice to hear it." Jack paused for a moment. "That dress looks familiar."

"My mom sewed it for me. She said it looked a lot like a certain dress she used to own."

"Oh, right. It looks like the one she was wearing when…the day the Titanic sank," Jack said quickly. "Anyhow, are you ready to go?"

"As ready as I’ll ever be."

We stepped outside and got into the car. Jack was driving this time. Before I knew it, we arrived at a small, fancy restaurant with a dance floor and a small stage. I had guessed that some bands would be playing. Once we were seated, we ordered our dinner and listened to some of the music. There were a lot of violinists, but there was supposed to be an Irish band that was going to show up later. Honestly, the waltz music and stuff was kind of getting on my nerves. Suddenly, an MC came up on stage and announced a special dance for fathers and daughters. I couldn’t believe it! This time, I would be able to join in rather than sit around wishing I had a father.

Jack looked at me with a soft smile and led me to the dance floor. For someone who didn’t even know he was a father for fifteen years, he was quite a special one. After the end of the song, I excused myself for a few minutes before I returned to the table. Our food had finally arrived. I was starved!

"So, where did you go after the dance?" Jack asked. I guessed he was curious because I had been gone a while.

"Oh…um…I just went to the restroom and I started chatting with someone close to the stage." I hated lying, but it was as close to the truth as I could get.

While we ate our dinner, Jack and I chatted about my mother and my childhood. I told him things like the time I had mistaken glue for toothpaste, and how I threw up in front of everyone when I played Mary in a Christmas pageant. Jack simply laughed. I felt like I could tell him anything.

"I never did have a very big talent for acting. Not like my mom. She’s done a whole bunch of plays. I have no doubt that she’ll probably be in a movie one day," I said. Jack nodded in interest and asked me a few more things about my mother and me. As the time passed, I was getting more and more nervous about the last minute plans I had made.

After we had dessert, I couldn’t stop fidgeting in my seat because I was so excited about my master plan. I looked at the clock. 9:30 PM. This was it. The moment of truth. I looked on stage to where the violinist still stood. The song had ended, and I knew what was coming up next. Jack noticed me looking curiously onstage and looked over himself.

"Good evening, ladies and gentlemen. This next song is a very special song that was written after this young lady survived the Titanic to tell her loved one, Jack Dawson, how much passion and love she had for him. For years she thought he was dead, but a week ago, she found out that he was alive. Tonight, she will have the chance to sing this song to him and will be accompanied by our violinists and flutists. Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome Rose Dawson." The MC left the stage to my mother.

I looked back at Jack, who had turned white as a ghost. My mother was now standing onstage, looking deeply into Jack’s eyes. I saw a few tears of joy running down her face as the intro began. Jack was ready to jump out of his chair and run over to my mother to take her in his arms, but I held onto his arm, telling him to wait for the song to be finished. I know it tortured him, but when the song started, he could do nothing but listen to each and every word.

Every night in my dreams
I see you. I feel you.
That is how I know you go on.
Far across the distance
And spaces between us
You have come to show you go on.
Near, far, wherever you are
I believe that the heart does go on
Once more you open the door
And you're here in my heart
And my heart will go on and on
Love can touch us one time
And last for a lifetime
And never go ‘til we're one
Love was when I loved you
One true time I hold to
In my life we'll always go on
Near, far, wherever you are
I believe that the heart does go on
Once more you open the door
And you're here in my heart
And my heart will go on and on
You're here, there's nothing I fear,
And I know that my heart will go on
We'll stay forever this way
You are safe in my heart
And my heart will go on and on.

I must admit that I had never heard my mother sing with so much power and emotion. It was absolutely perfect! I wanted to go up to my mother and congratulate her, but before I could do anything, I saw Jack rise up from his chair in the middle of the standing ovation. He ran as fast as he could past the crowd and got up onstage with my mom. She was crying by now. I never saw anyone cry so much because they were happy. Eventually, everybody sat down and observed the couple onstage. My dad had scooped my mother up and was now holding her as tightly as he could. I could see my mom’s body shaking as she held onto him for dear life. The microphone was quite close to them, so we could hear what they were saying.

"Jack! Jack!" my mother cried out of joy.

"Oh, I love you, Rose! I love you!" my dad repeated constantly. As soon as they pulled away from the hug, my mother looked at the crowd that was cheering for them. But before she even had the chance to look back at Jack, he had put his arms around her and given her a passionate kiss. I had seen my mom kiss someone before, but that was only in a play. Now, she wasn’t acting at all. My mom kissed him as hard as he kissed her, and the crowd kept on whistling and cheering…except for one person.

"Those are my parents! Those are my parents!" I yelled as I stood up on a chair. I wanted the whole world to know. I’m not sure what got into me, but I was so excited.

"Those are your parents?" a cold voice said behind me. I looked back at a woman who must have been in her fifties. I simply nodded, not sure if she was happy about it or not.

"My name is Ruth DeWitt-Bukater."

Chapter Four
Stories