THEN YOU LOOK AT ME
Epilogue
May 2011
After completing college in May, Jack and
Rose were married in August of 2004. The beautiful ceremony took place in an
old church in Spokane, followed by a reception at Riverfront Park. They bought
a small yet quaint and wonderful house in the middle of town, and lived there
for about two years. Jack, having gotten a degree in Art and Art History, got a
job teaching various art classes at Gonzaga University. Rose got a degree in
drama and started teaching acting classes and directing plays at The Warehouse
Theater, the same place where she had met Jack in 2000. And, maintaining their
jobs, they moved to a larger house in 2007 after the news that Rose was
pregnant. Their twin daughters, Juliet Marie and Josephine Rose Dawson were
born in April of 2008, and two years later, their son, Peter Jack Dawson, was
born in early 2010. All through these times, Jack and Rose continued to have
the same loving mannerisms as they did in the first few months of their
relationship.
One Friday afternoon in May, Jack arrived
home early, after the early dismissal of all his classes. Finals were coming
up, and the entire school was in a state of frenzy, with most people trying to
cram a semester's worth of information into their brains in a week. Jack was
worn out, and was ready to kick back and relax.
As he opened the front door, he was met with
the sounds of the television, stereo system, their dog Lucy's barking, and
children's laughter all at once. He shook his head at the welcome and familiar
sound and then shut to door. After hanging up his lightweight work jacket, he
slipped off his shoes and loosened his tie. Before he could call out to anyone,
he felt something collide with his leg.
"Daddy!"
He glanced down, and saw Peter wrapping his
arms around his legs. The little boy turned his head up and grinned. At a year
and a half, he had just figured out how to run, and was beginning to talk more
and more.
Jack smiled back at Peter, and then bent down
to give him a hug. Peter wrapped his arms around Jack's neck this time and, as
Jack stood back up, he pulled Peter up, too.
"Where is everyone, eh, Pete?" he
asked, as he held his son in his arms.
Peter just giggled and buried his head in his
father's neck.
Jack chuckled, and then put Peter back down
on the floor. "What do you say we go find them, okay, Peter?" he
asked, smiling at the boy.
Peter nodded solemnly, and then started
running in the direction of the stairs.
*****
Meanwhile, Rose was upstairs in their
bedroom, organizing the pictures on their fireplace mantle. A wedding picture
of herself and Jack went up there first, followed by a picture of them on their
honeymoon in Santa Monica, California. Next came a picture of three married
couples at one dinner table: Jack and Rose, Mollie and Nick Whittaker, and Liza
and Kyle Horth. After that was the picture of the twins when they were a year
old, then Peter when he was a year, and last was a family portrait taken just a
month ago. Rose smiled at the last photo, thinking of how it would be outdated
pretty soon.
"Oh, Rose!" she heard Jack call
loudly from the hall way. She turned, and a moment later saw him walk in,
carrying the giggling Peter by the back crisscross part of his overalls.
"Jack, you really need to stop carrying
him around like that," she remarked as he set Peter down on their bed.
"Eh, it's not hurting him," Jack
responded, as he walked over to her. "Hi. How was your day?" he
asked, changing the subject.
Rose could hardly contain her smile.
"Oh, it was pretty good."
Jack noticed something different about her,
all of a sudden. There was a familiar look in her blue eyes. He just couldn't
remember when he had seen it before.
"Is something up, Rose?"
Rose just gave him a sly little grin, and
then walked over to Peter. "Sweetheart, can you go find Julie and Jo for
me, and then bring them up here?"
Peter gave her a look that said, What are
you saying to me? So Rose rephrased what she said.
"Hon, go play with Josephine and Juliet
for a minute, okay?"
That he picked up on, and nodded. Rose helped
him off of the big bed, and then watched as he walked out of the room.
Rose turned back to Jack after Peter was
gone, and smiled at him.
"Seriously, Rose, what is going
on?" he asked, as she came over and wrapped her arms around his waist.
Rose was just quiet for a minute, as she
contemplated the best way to share her news with Jack. Finally, she decided she
should just give it up and tell him.
"Ah...Jack, remember how you and I were
talking about having another baby, once Peter was a little bit older?"
Jack nodded yes, as a look of confusion
crossed his face. "Uh huh..." he mumbled, still looking lost as to
what Rose was getting at.
Rose laughed cheerfully. "Jack, we don't
have to wait. I'm pregnant."
Jack's deep blue eyes widened in surprise as
his month dropped open. "Are you serious?" he asked, not believing
his own ears.
Rose nodded excitedly. "Yes," she
confirmed. "I went to the doctor today."
"Oh, Rose." Jack sighed softly as
he pulled her closer and held her against him. "Oh, Rosie, this is just
amazing," he whispered.
Rose nodded against him. "I know,"
she mumbled. "I'm so excited."
"When is the baby due?"
"Around the middle of January. I am not
sure of the exact date yet," Rose answered. She paused for a long moment,
and then pulled away from Jack slightly. "We are so blessed, Jack. Fifteen
years ago, I would never have imagined this. I never thought things were bad,
but then you just looked at me and the world got so much better. And now we
have another baby on the way. It's just too good to be true. I love you, Jack.
Never forget that," she whispered tenderly.
"I love you, too," Jack whispered
back, not knowing what else to say. And with that they kissed deeply, sealing
their love that would last forever.
*****
Rachel Christine Dawson was born January
15th, 2012.
The End.