ADJUSTING
Chapter Two
Realization
March 10, 1913
As the end to a very long day approached,
Rose lay a sleepy Hope down in her crib next to her bed. She stirred at the
sudden lack of her mother’s body heat, but she soon settled and fell sound
asleep. Rose stroked her daughter’s delicate head and stared at her for some
time. She was so beautiful, so perfect. It was as if she were in a dream world
of some kind. She feared that she would wake up one morning and Hope would not
be there. But she knew better. She knew that her daughter would always be
there. She is what gave me strength, she thought. She, herself, will
also be strong. Just like her father.
Her father, Jack. It had almost been one
year, but it felt so very much longer than that. It all seemed so distant. She
had changed immensely from the seventeen-year-old girl that met a young,
spirited Jack Dawson on Titanic. Rose almost felt ashamed to admit it, but it
was time for her to let him go. She no longer felt pain when she thought of
him. It was time.
She went up to the attic and found what she
was looking for, an empty box. She dragged it downstairs and back into her
room. She began to throw certain items into it--her chiffon dress she wore on
Titanic with the Heart of the Ocean tucked gently in one of the folds, Cal’s
evening jacket...as she was folding the jacket, she saw the sparkling blue ring
on her left hand. She didn’t know how long she stared at it with a melancholic
expression. After a long internal battle, she ever so gently removed the ring
and placed it in one of the coat pockets. She took out her journal and was
about to throw it in the box, too. She decided she would make one final entry
to tell of why she would not be writing any longer.
She pulled out her pen and opened the leather
cover for the last time.
Dear Jack,
This will be the last entry in this
journal. I feel awful about doing this, but I need to push forward with my
life. And leaving you in the past is a part of that. The past is the past and
it cannot be changed. I can only live in the present. The memories come less
and less...soon they will no longer come, save one day. Those memories will
always be tucked in the back of my memory, but if you want me to truly make it
count, I must do this. And that is why I am packing all of these things in a
box to not be seen for quite some time.
I will miss you, Jack. I always have and
always will love you. No more regrets, no more wishing things were different,
no more tears...I am finally beyond all of that now. Rose DeWitt Bukater will
always be yours truly. Rose Dawson is off having the time of her life.
Love always,
Rose
The Next Morning
"Good morning, Lynn! How are you this
fine morning?" Rose asked as she skipped down the stairs.
"Well, well, well. Someone certainly is
in a good mood. I’m fine, thank you." Lynn smiled at Rose’s sudden
giddiness.
"Don’t act so shocked. I’m just in a
good mood, is all."
"If you say so, Rosie. Where’s your
darling daughter?"
"Oh, she decided she wanted to sleep in
this morning. I didn’t want to disturb her. She looked so peaceful."
Rose’s expression changed to one that could only be that of a caring mother’s.
"Oh, I see." Lynn smiled back at
her.
Rose noticed that Lynn was all dressed, with
her hair done up and a slight hint of makeup. "And just where, pray tell,
are you heading off to so early in the morning?" Rose asked.
"Actually, I don’t know. Jack said that
he wants to surprise me, and he won’t tell me where we’re going. He said dress
nice but casual. So does this qualify, do you think?" She twirled around.
"Oh, I think it’s satisfactory."
The doorbell rang and both girls ran to the door. Lynn composed herself and
then opened the door to reveal a handsome Jack.
"Good morning, ladies," he said
cheerfully. "Are you ready, darling?"
"As ready as I’ll ever be." She
turned quickly to Rose before taking Jack’s arm. "Don’t wait up," she
whispered in her friend’s ear. She smiled devilishly, and then playfully hit
Rose on the arm.
"Have fun, you two," Rose yelled
after them.
"We will," they said in unison.
Lynn and Jack disappeared down the street in a horse drawn carriage for yet
another wonderful, sunny Denver afternoon.
A slight whimpering could be heard from up
the stairs. Rose quickly rushed up the stairs into her room, to see Molly
cradling Hope in her arms. Rose stopped in the doorframe, touched by the image
she saw before her. "There, there, little one," Molly whispered.
"Don’t cry. Let’s try and give Mommy just one day of peace. What do you
say?" The baby gurgled in her arms. "That’s a good girl." She
gently placed Hope back into her crib, where she played with one of her stuffed
bears.
She turned as if to head back out into the
hallway when she saw Rose and was startled. "Rose, honey, don’t do that to
me! You scared me half to death."
"I’m sorry. I just couldn’t ruin the
moment." She smiled and Molly smiled back at her. They both expressed
their emotions without ever saying a word. Their eyes said it all; they thought
of the other as family.