JACK AND ROSE: PRESENT TIME
Chapter
Fifty-One
"Can you
believe tomorrow is our last day of tenth grade?" Rose asked Jack. They
were both cuddled up in a blanket, sitting on the backyard deck.
"Nope. I mean,
It seems like we just started going out yesterday," Jack said. He turned
his head and looked straight into Rose's eyes. He couldn't help but smile.
"What time do
we get out tomorrow?" Rose asked, running her fingers through his hair.
"Eleven,"
Jack replied. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. What a month! He had
so much going on in his life, but he didn't care. As long as Rose would be with
him.
"I have no
idea what I'm going to wear tomorrow," Rose said sadly. Jack opened his
eyes and kissed her.
"I'm sure
you'll find something. God knows how much clothes you have."
Rose playfully hit
him in the arm. "I do not. Now if I had Dom's wardrobe, then I'd be
set."
"Ah, come on.
You have the same amount of clothes that she has," Jack said.
Rose just shrugged
her shoulders. Suddenly, she pointed up to the sky. "Look! A shooting
star!"
"That was a
long one. My father used to tell me," Jack said. "That whenever you
saw a shooting star, it was a soul going to Heaven."
Rose smiled.
"I like that. Aren't we supposed to make a wish?"
"What would
you wish for?" Jack asked.
"A kiss from
the man that once told me that he couldn't live without me."
Jack smiled. He
leaned over and kissed her. They just sat after that. Rose was wrapped up in
Jack's arms, taking in his scent.
"Supper is
ready!" They heard Sarah yell through the screen door. Jack and Rose both
siged and walked into the house, still in each other's arms.
Jack and Rose both
took a seat at the dinner table. John and Ruth were already seated.
"How was
school today?" John asked after everybody was settled.
"Great,"
Jack asked. "It's so cool tomorrow is the last day."
"What about
you Rose?" John said.
"My day was
fine. Me and Alexia and Dominique went to JC Penny's after school and bought
some cool summer dresses."
John nodded.
"What about you Ruth?"
"I still can't
believe how busy it's been at the travel agency!" Ruth said. "But, I
really enjoy it there."
"That's great
honey."
"How about you
John?" Rose asked, lifting her roll off of her plate.
"The
usual," he replied. John was manager of a local grocery store. He didn't
make as much money as Ruth, but it didn't seem to bother him at all.
As they were
finishing up supper, Jack and Rose got up at the same time.
"Where are you
two going?" Ruth asked.
"We're just
gonna go for a little ride," Jack said reassuringly.
"Be home
before eleven," John said.
Jack and Rose just
nodded and headed out the front door.
"My car or
yours?" Jack asked.
"Umm, we can
take mine. I need all the practice I can get," Rose replied.
Jack gave her a
slight laugh and got into her jeep. "I love this thing," Rose said.
"It's like the most perfect jeep ever!"
"So, isn't
tomorrow the big day?" Rose asked after they pulled out of the driveway.
"What do ya
mean?" Jack asked.
"Well, for
Tommy and Fabrizio. It's the last day of school. Aren't they supposed to like
do the biggest prank or something."
"Yeah,"
Jack said, suprised she remembered him telling her. "They wouldn't tell me
what they were gonna do because they knew I'd tell the other guy. We'll just
have to wait and see." He pulled his arm up around Rose who was watching
the road.
Jack didn't even
have to ask Rose where she was going - he already knew.
As they pulled up
into the grave yard, Rose begin to think. Think about all of the wonderful
people who were here.
Then, they headed
over to Jack's parents graves. Jack stood there and talked to them for a while,
mostly telling them about how wonderful Rose was. They walked over to Rose's
father and Rose talked to him. She told him that John was talking care of Ruth
and she was doing okay.
They went to
Tonya's grave last. They told her everything that happened lately and that
Tommy was doing fine. Rose hated seeing the 1984-2000. She shouldn't have had
her life taken away from her.
Jack and Rose
walked back to the car hand in hand. "Rose?" Jack asked, breaking the
silence. Rose looked up into his deep blue eyes.
"Can you
imagine what it would be like if I would have died that night?" he said.
Rose shook her
head. "But you're alive. You're here. You're with me."
Jack smiled and
kissed her on the top of her head. "Where I shall remain always and
forever."