FROM NOW UNTIL ETERNITY
Chapter Nineteen
Rose paced the wharf, thinking of
ways to get out of being sent away. But nothing would come to her. She had
thought that the fresh air would help clear her head, but it had just made
everything worse as the memories of Jack and herself came back. She sighed,
collapsing onto a nearby bench. Tears began to flow as she buried her head in
her hands.
"Rose?" Jack stepped up
to her. After an hour of comforting Chloe, Jack had decided to come to the
wharf to clear his thoughts. He wanted to think of a way to help his sister win
custody. He wasn’t expecting to find Rose in tears like this. "Rose?
What’s wrong? Why are you crying? Is it about the baby?" He sat next to
her and pulled her into his arms, holding her tightly.
"Jack, it’s awful! Mother’s
sending me away!" Rose cried, trying to calm herself. Jack must be so sick
and tired of seeing her cry. She knew she was.
"What? Why?" Jack
paled. He hadn’t been expecting this. The fates seemed to be against him and
Rose. If it wasn’t his grandmother, it was her mother.
"She feels like there’s no
opportunities here. That I’ll be happier away from Chicago. But, Jack, I can’t
leave! You’re here! I can’t leave you!" Rose cried even harder.
Jack gently rubbed her back,
wanting to make all of their problems disappear. But he couldn’t. Not right
then, anyway. "Rose, listen to me. We are going to be all right. No matter
what she might do or where she sends you, we’ll always be Jack and Rose Dawson.
We will always love each other, and eventually, she won’t be able to keep us
apart anymore."
Rose sat up and wiped away her
tears. Jack was right. Her mother would never be able to truly keep them apart.
As long as they loved each other enough, nothing could come between them.
"Thank you, Jack. You can always make me feel better."
"I’m glad." Jack
grinned, pulling her to him once more. He regretted not telling her about his
Grandmother Irene’s arrival and intentions. But that would have made her even
more upset, so maybe it was a good thing he hadn’t told her. "I love you,
Rose. With my whole heart and soul. I don’t regret anything we’ve done."
"I don’t regret anything,
either, Jack. I love you. From now until eternity." Rose hugged him
tightly.
*****
Rose sighed tiredly as she
returned to her apartment. She had spent the past two hours with Jack. They had
gone to the Titanic exhibit at the Field Museum and then to the Cheesecake
Factory and enjoyed a few slices of cheesecake. She was about to head upstairs
when she was stopped by two women’s voices in the living room. Rose turned to
see Ruth and an elderly woman she’d never seen before talking.
"So this is Rose." The
woman smiled widely. "Oh, she certainly is lovely."
"Mother?" Rose looked
at Ruth curiously.
"Rose, this is Irene
Devereau. She runs the boarding school in South Carolina. She came to meet
you." Ruth smiled. "Come and take a seat."
Rose nervously smiled. She
definitely wasn’t expecting this. An interview with Irene Devereau…wait a
minute. Irene Devereau. That was the name of Jack’s grandmother from South
Carolina. Why hadn’t he told her she was here? Didn’t he trust her enough…like
she trusted him?
Jack, why didn’t you tell me? she thought to herself as she sat down for
the interview.