STRANGERS IN THE NIGHT
Chapter Ten
Jack went to the nursery and had the baby
checked out. The nurse left him watching the baby. He glanced at the baby and
looked into her eyes. He smiled. They were his. The baby had the resemblance of
Sam’s features. The baby grabbed his finger. He cried. He sat in tears. The
baby felt his nerves and started to cry, too.
“Mr. Dawson,” a nurse interrupted.
“Yeah?” he asked, as he wiped his tears with
his sleeve.
“I need you to fill out these forms for the
baby and Samantha. When you’re ready, that is.” She handed him the forms.
“All right.” His eyes were now red.
“Um…can you watch her? I gotta make a phone
call.”
“Sure, Mr. Dawson.” She took the chair next
to the tiny infant.
He left and got some water to clear his throat.
Then, he made the call.
He punched in his number and heard the phone
ring.
After two rings, Rose answered.
“Hello, Rose.”
“Jack, how are you?”
“I'm okay, but I could use a hand. I know I
am selfish at this moment, but dammit, I need you. Is Cal still there?”
“No. He left.”
“Can you come to Saint Joseph's Hospital?”
“I will be there in a few minutes.” He heard
the phone click off.
Jack filled out the forms the best he could.
He walked into the nursery.
“Excuse me, ma‘am,” he said.
“Yes, Mr. Dawson?”
“Here's the forms. I filled them out to the
best of my knowledge.”
She glanced at the forms. She saw he had not
put down a name for the baby.
“Mr. Dawson? What is the sweet little girl’s
name?”
“Jacqueline Samantha Dawson.”
“All right. Thanks, Mr. Dawson.”
“Okay.” He took the chair next to the infant.
She looked so tiny. He just stared at her,
knowing that he had felt sadness because her mother had died. And because he
had felt guilt because he felt he was the one that caused it.
Twenty minutes had passed. He had fallen
asleep in the chair.
Rose asked for Jack in the lobby.
“The nursery is on the second floor, third
door on your left.”
“Okay. Thanks.”
“Oh, and ma‘am, who are you?”
“Rose DeWitt-Bukater. Jack's girlfriend.”
“Oh, and you'll need this.” She put a
visitor's pass on her sweater.
Rose walked into the elevator and pressed for
the second floor. She walked down the corridor as she got off the elevator. She
saw Jack asleep.
She touched his shoulder and stared at the
little infant. Rose felt like a mother already. She and Sam had become good
friends, although they both had one attraction--Jack Dawson.
The little infant started to cry. Rose picked
her up.
“Shh…” Rose cradled her.
She had Jack's eyes.
Rose started checking to see if the baby was
wet.
Sure enough, she was.
Rose started to change the diaper, when Jack
awoke.
“Hi, sleepyhead.” Rose laughed.
“Hey,” he said, as he wiped his eyes.
“It seems your little girl is wet. She's so
sweet.”
“She is, isn't she?”
“There. New and fresh.” Rose finished putting
on the new diaper.
“Wanna hold her, Jack?”
“Yeah.”
“Jack, I know this isn't the time to ask you
this, but do you think I should move out and get my own place?”
“No, Rose. Stay with me. Help me raise this
beautiful little girl. That is, if you want to. I am not forcing anything on
you, Rose.”
“It would be an honor to raise…what's her
name?”
“Jacqueline Samantha Dawson.”
“Jackie. I like it.”
The nurse came back and gave the baby a
Vitamin K shot.
Jackie screamed.
Rose had tears in her eyes.
“Don't worry, Rose. Everything is going to be
all right.” Jack held her in his arms.
“I know, Jack. I love you.”
“I love you times three.”
“I love you plus infinity, Jack Dawson.”
“Marry me, Rose?”
“Absolutely.”
*****
A Few Years Later
Rose had had her baby, and she and Jack were
married.
She had named her son Leonardo DiCaprio
Dawson.
DiCaprio was Jack family's name, at least
before his mother became a Dawson.
Eve and Peter Dawson only had one son, and
had died in a car crash.
“Jack, wait! You forgot your briefcase,” Rose
said, as Jack left for the site.
“Take care, honey. Sorry, but I am in a
hurry.”
“It's okay, but don't forget Leo and Jackie.”
“I won't.” He gave everyone a hug before he
left.
He got into his car and sped away into
traffic.
“Okay, Jackie. It's time to watch cartoons.”
“All right, Mommy.”
Jacqueline was now three years old, and two
months older than Leo was.
Rose was happy at last with the man she had
always loved, Jack Dawson, and the children she had always wanted.
Jacqueline and Leo were great together. They
played and they were good to each other.
“Hey, Mommy?”
“Yes, Leo? What is it?”
“I wanna color.”
“Okay.” Rose took out the crayons and the
coloring book from the drawer.
It turned out Leo was quite the artist.
Coloring was his favorite thing to do.
Jacqueline danced as she watched Barney.
Everyone was happy, and Jack and Rose's love
had never faded through the thick and thin.
Cal had never bothered Rose after Sam had
died, and when she had heard he was seeing someone, she finally began to live
freely.
Jack had a big project. He was to build the
Los Angeles Colonnade Towers, which had given them a lot of money they didn't
need to worry about.
Barney had finished.
“Jacqueline?”
“Yes, Mommy?”
“Guess where we are going today?”
“I don't know. Where?”
“We are going to see your mom, Samantha.”
“Can I pick the flowers, too?”
“Sure. Any kind you want.”
They got into the car and headed to the
Hollywood Forest Lawn cemetery.
They drove around and stopped at a row of
headstones.
Rose got them out of their seats and took
their hands Jacqueline carried the bouquet of roses.
They stopped at the grave.
“Hi, Samantha. I brought your daughter here
to see you.”
“Hi, Mommy. Look what I brought you,”
Jacqueline said.
She lay the roses down. Rose had brought
Jacqueline down to Sam's grave since Jackie was an infant.
Rose figured she owed Sam that.
And she never wanted to keep Jacqueline from
knowing her real mother.
Rose had always felt happy, and she loved
doing this.
Jack had agreed with it.
Samantha was not a dirty little secret. She
was the girl’s mother, and since they raised the little girl they had told her
everything, even though she probably didn't understand. They didn't keep
anything away from Jacqueline.
They all sat down and started to sing I
Love You, You Love Me, one of Jacqueline's favorite songs from Barney.
Samantha's spirit looked at the family, and
she was happy, not angry with Rose anymore. Samantha was at peace.