HERE AND NOW
Chapter Fourteen

The next few days were hectic. Rose managed to get some fake IDs made up for herself and Jack after finding people on the Internet who did such things. She had gone to a seedy apartment in a slum area to pick it up, and had been amazed at how the fake ID looked so much like a real one.

Jack was doing a lot better; he was almost back to normal health-wise. But he hadn’t left the youth hostel in a week, and Rose knew that being so trapped was getting to him. He was like a tiger stuck in a cage now. She also knew that he was grieving for Parker, and would for a while. She understood. She’d grieve for Mandy, but she didn’t have time.

The day after getting their IDs, Rose went to a travel agent and got two one-way airline tickets to Iowa, for a flight that would leave in two days.

It had been as Rose had been at the travel agent that she’d heard fresh news about Parker. There had been a TV in the shop and it was playing one of the news channels when a bulletin came on about Parker DeWitt-Bukater’s body being found and how a private funeral would be held in Southern California. Rose sighed, knowing she needed to tell Jack. He might want to go, and even though it would ruin everything, he had a right to say good-bye to his sister if he wanted to.

"If you want to go…" Rose told Jack back in their room, the night before they were due to leave New York.

"I wish I could." He sighed. "But I can’t face my father, or the press. I’m going to stick to the plan. We’re going to Iowa tomorrow. After that, I can start again. Disappear, become someone new entirely. It’s what I want."

"You’re stronger than me, Jack. I don’t know if I could’ve stayed away," said Rose.

"There’s gonna be court hearings about the sinking. I feel guilty that I can’t go and give any evidence. You and I saw a lot more than most people that night. Our accounts would be helpful," Jack told her.

"It’s too bad," agreed Rose.

The next morning, they found themselves at Newark Airport at ten AM, and on the plane at twelve PM. Nobody questioned their Ids. They passed through without any problems. Jack went unrecognized, largely due to his new dress sense, hat, and shades. He looked like any other Tom, Dick, or Harry now and didn’t stand out in the crowd the way he used to when he’d worn his Armani suits or Calvin Kline casual wear.

The flight was uneventful, and within a few hours, they’d touched down in Chicago. Then, they hopped on a bus that would take them to a city just outside Cedar Rapids. From there, they got on another bus and eventually arrived in the small Iowa town that they were likely going to call home from then on. By that time, it was late afternoon.

"Jessica lives on Washington Avenue. I don’t know anything else about this place, so we’ll take a cab," said Rose as they hung around the bus station after their bus left. Rose went to the station’s information booth, where a lady gave her the number of a cab company. Finding a public payphone, Rose made the call and just twenty minutes later, they were on Washington Avenue, standing outside house 1683 while Rose tried to work up enough courage to go to the door.

To Rose’s surprise, Washington Avenue was a classy-looking area, with beautiful houses that had front yards and picket fences. Kids were riding their bikes and playing ball games in the street, while a few parents were tending to their gardens. It was a warm, sunny day, and the area seemed serene and pleasant. Rose wondered how Jessica could afford to live here. The last she’d heard of her aunt, she wasn’t that wealthy and didn’t like working.

"So, are we gonna go in?" asked Jack. "We haven’t come all this way to just stand out here."

"No, we haven’t," agreed Rose. "Come on. Let’s try it."

They went up the path and to the front door. Rose took a deep breath and rang the bell. She waited. And waited. Nothing. After all that, no one was even home. Terrific! Now they’d have to wait, and who knew how long Jessica would be? What if she’d even gone on vacation or something? Rose felt worry again as she and Jack sat on the porch swing while they waited.

"Excuse me!" Rose looked up when, after almost an hour, she heard someone call her. Standing at the gate was a girl maybe a little younger than herself…she had straight, shoulder-length brown hair, big brown eyes, and was wearing some cute denim shorts and a sleeveless denim shirt. Obviously, the girl was too young to be her aunt, but maybe she knew her.

"Yes?" Rose asked.

"Are you waiting for Jessica Cates? She and her husband are out of town. They won’t be back until tomorrow," the girl said.

"Oh." Rose’s face fell. That meant they’d have to blow their dwindling money on a hotel room, and in an area like this, that would cost far more than Rose would like. "That’s disappointing to hear. We’ve come a long way."

"Are you a relative?" the girl asked. She seemed friendly rather than prying, and somehow, already Rose liked her. She had a nice attitude and was clearly trying to be helpful.

"I’m her niece…I should’ve called first, but it was kind of a last minute decision to come here," Rose said, lying a little.

"You know, I have the keys to the house…if you’re her niece, Jess probably wouldn’t mind if I let you in. Then you can wait around without having to go anywhere else. You look tired," the girl offered.

Rose smiled. "That would be really nice of you. Thanks. What’s your name?"

"Meg Kinder. I live next door." Meg smiled back. "It’s nice to meet you. I didn’t know Jessica had any family. She’s never mentioned any. Wait there while I get the keys."

Meg went into her own house and emerged a few moments later, handing Rose the keys to Jessica’s place.

"Thanks. It’s really great of you to help out," Rose said. "I’m Rose Dawson. This is Jack Parker."

When Rose had had the fake IDs made, she’d gotten Jack to choose a new last name for himself. He’d chosen Parker, as a tribute to his sister. Rose had found it a beautiful idea, one that touched deeply in her soul.

"Nice to meet you. Well, like I say, Jessica should be back tomorrow. If you need anything, though, let me know," Meg offered.

"Thanks," Rose said.

"See you later." Meg waved cheerfully as she went off into her own house. Rose put the key in the lock of the front door and it opened. She felt awful going inside without her aunt’s permission, almost like she was breaking and entering, but she’d deal with any potential consequences when they arose. In the meantime, it was far better than having to go off to an overpriced hotel.

"Think there’s any food?" inquired Jack.

"Let’s check," Rose said, heading for the kitchen as Jack followed her. The interior of the house was just as nice as the outside. Tastefully decorated, with nice furniture. It was clean, tidy, and obviously well looked after. Obviously, Jessica took pride in her home.

Looking in the fridge, Rose found food that was still within the sell-by date. There wasn’t much, but there would be enough to last until her aunt returned. Using what was available, Rose was able to whip up a nice pasta meal for her and Jack, which they ate in the dining room. After that, they took a tour of the house. It was big; there were five bedrooms, two bathrooms, one en suite, the lounge, the kitchen, the dining room, a basement, and an attic. As she wandered around the main bedroom, Rose found a wedding picture of Jessica with her husband…they looked like a golden couple. Jessica had married well. Rose suspected that the money came from her husband, who was, she had to admit, also very good-looking, with his dark and handsome looks.

That night, she and Jack went to bed early, tired from traveling. They used the guest rooms, each sleeping in a separate one since they only had single beds that weren’t big enough to be shared. As Rose went to sleep, she hoped Jessica wouldn’t be angry about them using the house without permission. If they wanted to start a new life in Cedar Rapids, they’d need as many people on their side as possible.

*****

"Up! Get up!"

A shrieking voice caused Rose to jolt awake. Groggy, she took a moment to remember where she was.

"Who are you? Who are you, and what the hell are you doing in my house?" Looking up, Rose saw a woman that she recognized, thanks to the pictures she’d looked at the day before, as her Aunt Jessica.

Jessica looked furious and was wielding a poker.

"What is this? How did you get in here?" she shouted.

"If you’ll just let me explain…" begged Rose, terrified that Jessica would hit her, the way she was wielding that poker.

"You’d better, because you’ve got one minute before I call the police, Missy!"

Quickly, and in a muddle, Rose told Jessica how she was her niece, how she was looking to make a life for herself in Cedar Rapids, and how she needed a place to stay while she got herself together. Jack came in midway through the explanation and got angry, telling Rose that they should leave if they were so unwanted.

Eventually, though, Jessica calmed down and told Rose that even though she was angry and unhappy about the way she’d turned up, she could stay a while. An hour later, Rose and Jack were dressed and in the kitchen having pancakes with Jessica and her husband, Brendan.

"You look familiar to me," Brendan said to Jack as they all sat at the breakfast counter in the kitchen. Jack looked at Rose, visibly worried as Brendan continued, "Do I know you from somewhere?"

"No, I don’t think so," said Jack, forcing his voice to remain calm.

"Oh. Guess you just have one of those faces," Brendan dismissed it. "So, Rose, what the hell is a pretty young thing like you doing in a place like Cedar Rapids? I would have thought the cities would be more appealing to someone your age."

"I like quiet places," Rose answered. "I’ve lived in London and New York…personally, I think cities are overrated. So noisy and dirty and expensive. I’ll take a small town any day."

"I know what you mean," Brendan replied. He was making an effort to break the awkward silence. Jessica didn’t seem to want to talk, clearly still unhappy about having Rose and Jack invade her home. Rose hoped that Meg wouldn’t get into trouble for letting them in. "Cities are good to get away to when this place gets boring–which, believe me, it does–but there’s no place like home. We could’ve lived in a city, but we decided we wanted somewhere to escape to when I’m not running around for the business."

"What do you do, if you don’t mind me asking?" inquired Rose, curious. She knew nothing about her aunt or her husband.

"I’m a talent scout for Glamour Records. It’s a little independent label, but it does pretty well. We’ve got a few big name artists on board who help bring in the profits," Brendan explained. "Do you sing? We’re always looking for new talent."

"I’ve been in a few school musicals, but I don’t think I’m that good a singer. I prefer acting more," Rose replied honestly.

"Well, if you ever want to, we can give you a sound check in the studio and see just what your abilities are. I think you’ve got at least the looks needed to get by in the music business. If you can sing even slightly, we might be able to market you," Brendan offered.

Rose pondered the idea. She did enjoy singing, but she had been honest when she said that she didn’t think she was that good. But then, they did amazing things in studios these days, all sorts of special effects to enhance even the worst voices. And singing would make more money than any other job, if she hit it big. But she truly didn’t believe she had the talent, so she brushed the idea aside.

"I need a job. Do you know anywhere that’s hiring? Like local stores or diners or something?" Rose asked Jessica as they tidied the kitchen after finishing up breakfast.

"Go to Cathy’s General Store…they have ads in the window from employers looking for staff sometimes," Jessica answered. She turned to Jack. "What about you? What do you plan on doing while you’re here?"

"I’m not sure yet," admitted Jack. "I’m not really trained for anything right now. Maybe I can go on some sort of training course someplace. I don’t know."

Jessica snorted, clearly unimpressed. "Funny. You don’t seem like the type who’d put up with a loser boyfriend."

Before a very offended Rose could reply, Jessica had left the room. "Don’t worry, Jack. We’ll show her. In the meantime, I’m going to head over to Cathy’s. Hopefully I’ll find some kind of job soon; we’re running out of money fast."

"Good luck." Jack smiled. "I’m going to go find a job bank and ask for their advice. Hopefully, I’ll achieve something."

"Even if you don’t, it’s okay. It’s hard to pull yourself back up from nothing. It won’t just happen overnight," said Rose. "Don’t worry about what Jessica said. She was just being bitchy."

"I just hate the idea of living off your money. I want to contribute," Jack insisted.

"I know. But it’ll be okay. I have a feeling things are gonna start turning out in our favor. Don’t ask me how I know. I just do. I think coming here was a good thing," Rose said, and she believed it to. Even with her aunt’s frosty reception, Rose had a good feeling about Cedar Rapids. It was a new beginning, and if there was one thing new beginnings always brought, it was hope.

Chapter Fifteen
Stories