ABSOLUTELY NOTHING ON EARTH
Chapter Twelve
Three Months Later
Things hadn't been easy for the Dawsons. First,
Taylor had died, and now they were in for another surprise.
That day, when Nicole and John came home from
school, Rose was getting suspicious about how her daughter had been acting—at
dinner, the truth came out.
"Mama, Pops, this boy at school asked me
to the soda shop," their daughter said.
"Well, I guess you can go. What is his
name?" Jack asked.
"His name? Well, his name is Alex
Hockley," she replied.
At that moment, Rose turned very pale and
went into the bathroom—she didn't come out for fifteen minutes. Jack told
Nicole why her mother had left so quickly and with a pale face.
"Do you understand now, dear?" Jack
asked her.
"Yes, Pops," she answered.
John asked, "So, the whole reason Mama
left with a pale face and that pukey look is because your mortal enemy's son
asked Nikki to the soda shop?"
"Yes," Jack answered.
"But Pops, can I still go?"
"Well…" Jack was interrupted by the
telephone ringing.
Rose came out of the bathroom and answered
the telephone.
"Hello? Oh, hello, Mr. Hockley. Yes,
your son did. Well, if it is all right with you, then it is fine with Jack and
I. Yes. Good-bye, Mr. Hockley." She hung up the phone and told her
daughter, "You can go, but your curfew is eight o’clock sharp."
"Yes, Mother," she answered.
This was the first time in many years that Jack
and Rose would be seeing Mr. Caledon Hockley. New things would come, too.