JACK AND ROSE: PRESENT TIME
Chapter Sixty-Six

"I can't believe Jack's uncle would do that," Dominique said. "It's unbelievable!"

Rose nodded. She, too, was just as shocked. She always knew John wasn't crazy about her, but she never would imagine he would hurt her like that.

"So," Tommy said. "You're both living with Rose's mom? I thought she was a bitch."

Rose laughed. "Yeah, well, she is. But, she wasn't last night."

Everyone was hanging out in Tommy's bedroom. "She's great," Jack said. "Yeah, she can be a bitch, but I can tell she really cares about Rose and me."

"What about your uncle?" Alexia asked.

Jack sighed. "He left last night. He packed and he drove off. I bet he probably went back to Maine."

"Are you gonna miss him?" Dominique asked.

"Kinda," Jack replied. "I mean I hate him for what he did to Rose, but he took care of me when no one else would. I think he was so ashamed of what he did, he'll never think about coming back."

Jack felt awful inside. He knew he would never forgive John for what he did. Jack would have never thought he would do something like that. He must have just snapped. Jack knew John felt horrible for what happened. That's why Jack was sure John was never coming back.

"We gotta get home," Jack said as he kissed Rose. "Ruth said she needs to talk to us some more."

"Good luck," Tommy said.

Ruth sat nervously on the couch, waiting for Rose and Jack to get home. She still couldn't belive it was over with John. Her marriage down the hole. But, she knew it was better off this way.

She terribly missed Gary. She had twenty wonderful years with him until his death. Ruth remembered how happy he used to make her. She also remembered when she ignored Rose 100 percent, and he was always there for Rose. She knew she would never find a man like Gary again.

Ruth knew, at this point, she would have to be a better mother. Or, at least try. She had always loved Rose, but she was obsessed with her work. And, Rose wasn't the easiest daughter to take care of. Maybe she should tell Rose about...

Then, the two young lovers came through the door. "Welcome back," Ruth said in a cheery voice.

They smiled and took off their shoes. "I'm so tired," Rose said.

"Do you two want some tea?" Ruth asked.

"No thanks," Jack said. They both sat on the couch and rested their feet on the coffee table. "Isn't there something you want to talk to us about?"

"Yes," Ruth said as she took a seat.

"What is it, mom?" Rose asked.

Ruth sighed. "Look, I know you kids think I'm a mean woman...but I'll try to be better."

"Ruth, we don't think that," Jack said.

Ruth held up her hand. "Let me finish. I'm sorry, Rose for being a horrible mother to you your whole life. Thank goodness your father was there for some of it. And, sorry Jack for being so rude when Rose was in Paris."

Jack and Rose nodded. "It's okay mother," Rose said. "I know I can be a handful sometimes."

"I also want to tell you..." Ruth trailed off.

"What?" Rose asked.

"It's nothing important."

Rose sighed. Her mother had been doing that her whole life. She's always about to tell her something, then decides not, too. Rose knew she needed to find out what secrets her mother was hiding.

"Well, I'm off to bed," Ruth said. "If you need anything just come to my room."

"Okay, Ruth," Jack said as he put his arm around Rose and leaned back into the couch.

"Are you gonna go to bed?" Jack asked.

Rose looked into his eyes. "I need to find out what she's hiding from me."

"What?"

"I know she's hiding something Jack, I can feel it. I need to find out what it is."

"What are you talking about?"

"Will you help me?" Rose asked.

Jack nodded. "Sure, but let's wait until the morning after we've had some sleep. I know you need it."

Rose smiled. "Okay."

After giving Jack a goodnight kiss, Rose went to her room and thought. She did what she always did when she needed to think things over. She put her headphones on and laid down on her bed.

Rose knew she needed to find out what Ruth was hiding. She first went to her mother's room and made sure Ruth was asleep. Next, she wanted to make sure Jack was okay. She always worried about him. She peaked into his room and saw him laying on his bed with his eyes shut. Rose walked into his room and turned off the TV for him and left.

She carefully made her way up the attic steps. She turned on the light and looked around there. It had been a while since she had last been up here. She started to go through the boxes.

She smiled as she came across a photo album. There was lots of photos of her and Tonya as children. There were also pictures of her father. She never understood why he had cancer. He didn't look like he had cancer. Just, one day, when she got home from school her mother told her that he was in the hospital. That's when she heard he had cancer the whole time. She was furious she hadn't heard sooner.

Then, a piece of paper fell out of the album. She frowned and picked it up. She gasped as she read the small newspaper article. She was in complete tears when she had finished reading the article.

Then, she heard footsteps. She turned and looked at the door to see Jack's worried face staring at her. "Rosey...are you okay?" He asked as he raced to her side and held her in his arms. "What's wrong? What are you doing up here."

Rose looked straight into his eyes. "It's all been one big lie."

"What has?" Jack said as he tried to kiss the pain away.

"My father's death."

Jack looked surprised. She handed him the article and he read it.

Gary Bukater, 43, died last night at 11:17 P.M. After walking home from work, he had been brutally murdered. Police have not yet found the killer. Doctors say he was stabbed three times in his heart after finally being shot in the head. Wake and funeral dates are yet to be made.

Jack looked up at Rose who was shaking violently with pain. "Oh, Rose," Jack said as he pulled her closer to him and kissed her. He stroked her hair and rubbed her back. He couldn't believe what he had just read.

"Jack," Rose said. "My Daddy died a painful death...and his own daughter didn't know."

Jack took a deep breathe and kept holding her. It was even scaring him how much she was shaking. "Come on," Jack said. "Let's get you downstairs..."

Jack helped Rose make it down the dark wooden steps. They both walked to Ruth's room. Rose turned on the light and Ruth open her eyes. "What's wrong dear?"

"You lied to me!" Rose yelled. "My whole life has been filled with lies!"

Ruth immediately knew what her daughter was talking about. "Rose I..."

"Shut up!" Rose yelled back. "How could you do this?"

Ruth climbed out of bed. "I was trying to protect you."

"Protect me? Protect me?!" Rose said. "How do you think I feel know? Knowing my father was murdered."

"I'm sorry, Rose."

"Not half as sorry as I'm gonna be," Rose said as she walked out of the room.

Jack and Ruth stood there looking at each other, not knowing quite what to say. They heard Rose shut the front door behind her. "Are you just gonna stand there?" Ruth asked. This wasn't the Jack she knew. Jack would usually follow Rose and make sure she was okay.

"Yep," Jack said. "Ruth, you don't get it. She doesn't need her boyfriend right now. She needs her mother."

Ruth nodded and left to search for her daughter. She had a hunch where she might be at.

Ruth wiped away a few tears as she pulled up to the cemetery. She parked her car behind Rose's and walked to her husband's tombstone. Rose was kneeling behind his grave, hysterical. She was rubbing the tombstone with her hand when she finally noticed her mother was watching her.

Rose looked up at her mother, but didn't say anything. Ruth knelt next to her daughter and looked at his grave. "I'll understand if you never forgive me, Rose," she said.

"Why didn't you tell me?" Rose asked calmly.

"Because you were only nine years old," Ruth said. "I couldn't tell you the terrible things that happened to your daddy."

Rose, surprisingly, leaned over and hugged her mom. "I'm sorry that you had to go through that," Rose muttered. "I can't believe you didn't have a nervous break down after what happened."

Ruth smiled through her sadness. "I had to keep going...for you."

Rose kissed her mother on the cheek. "I love you, mama."

"I love you, too."

Once they got home, they found Jack sleeping on the couch, with the TV on again. "Don't worry," Rose said to her mother. "I'll take care of him."

Ruth nodded and hugged her daughter. "Goodnight, Rose."

Rose smiled as she shut the TV off for her boyfriend a second time. Jack woke up, startled. "Rose?" he asked.

Rose went over and sat with him on the couch. "Are you okay?" He asked. He knew what she was going through. When his parents died in a fire, a similar event happened to himself.

"Yeah," Rose said as she gave him a tender kiss. "Thanks for being there for me."

Jack smiled. "Your welcome. I love you, Rosey. I just want all of the pain in your life to be washed away."

"I love you, Jack. And, the pain does go away when I'm with you."

Jack kissed Rose again. "That's what I'm here for."

Chapter Sixty-Seven
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