A figure sat at the bar and instantly Jack knew it was she. She appeared elegant and faultless. The entire décor was silver and gray and in the right hand corner of the room, a jazz band played beautifully. Several men smoked their cigarettes in the far seats at the bar and a single barman worked behind the counter, dressed elegantly, probably more elegantly than Jack, who now suddenly became aware that even his clothes were not suitable for this place. Pushing any awkward feelings out of his mind, he concentrated on Rose. Starting towards her slowly and almost hesitantly, he saw her body spin on the bar stool and his heart thumped harder. Why was he here? He was suddenly aware that it was Rose, his Rose, but he felt like a young boy ready for his first date. She was stunning. A smile spread across her porcelain face, illuminating the entire room. She wore a gold flapper dress with matching court shoes. Her hair was golden and curled, clipped to one side and her lips were rosy red. She was every inch the movie star image, the vision of a goddess every man in the room would want to marry and cherish forever. Words were lost on Jack. He was aware of the effect this gorgeous woman had on him before he had even spoken a word to her.
To Rose, it felt as though the entire world had gone into slow motion as Jack approached her, but her outside image never faltered, though inside she was trembling. He was really here. Just seeing his face made her feel more happy than she could remember. He was dressed casually and that was Jack. She wouldn't have him any other way. With Jack, what you saw was what you got, something she had admired about him for years. Outwardly, he had changed little since they had last met, but in the back of her mind she knew he was a married man with a child. She couldn't become too attached to him again because it would be hell for them both. They both knew that loving the other so much killed them at one point in their lives and they couldn't let it happen again. Could they?
“Hello, Rose,” Jack spoke quietly, almost like a shy little boy. His eyes never left Rose's as she stood from her bar stool and simply placed her arms around his neck loosely. She knew this gesture was intimate, but she didn't care for the time being, for he was alone. To Jack's surprise, Rose had embraced him, the last thing he expected. He was hesitant for a few seconds, but then placed his arms around her waist, smelling her perfume and the scent of her hair. It brought back memories from times they had been a lot closer. After a few minutes, Rose pulled away, leaving her arms around his neck and interlinking her fingers behind his neck, playing with a few strands of his hair softly. Immediately, Jack closed his eyes, feeling the tickling of her fingers on his neck. He tightened his grip on her waist and pulled her closer. It was an intimate moment for them. Both were unaware of the stares from the gentlemen smoking cigars, but it didn’t matter anyway. This was their moment. They scanned each other’s faces wordlessly, neither knowing what to say or do, but all that mattered was that the other was there in front of them. Rose smiled, tears visible in her eyes. She loved him so much. She knew she did. He was the father of her children and the love of her life. Jack felt Rose grasp the back of his neck tighter and as he looked endlessly into her emerald eyes, his finger traced a line over her cheekbones and her nose and finally to her lips. He lingered his finger for a while on her lip and she kissed it gently, a gesture which surprised Jack, but he knew what he had to do. It was plain and simple and spelled out to him. Throwing caution to the wind, Jack gently leaned forward and grazed his lips just once against Rose's, causing them both to shiver and tingle.
“God, I missed you so much,” Rose whispered almost silently, but Jack heard and leaned his forehead against hers.
“Rose, I don't know what made me come here, but I knew I had to see you. From the moment I saw your face in the newspaper, I just had to see you, Rose,” Jack confessed, lost in the serene moment.
Rose was brought back to reality momentarily. “But Jack…you're married.”
Feeling Jack's grip on her waist loosen, she knew instantly that something was wrong. He took a step back from her before seating himself on the stool and indicated to Rose to also sit. “Rose…we've got a lot of catching up to do,” he simply said. “But I am not married. My wife, Amelia…well…she passed away two and a half years ago now in childbirth. I live here with my daughter.”
Rose covered her face with her hands in shock. “Oh, no, Jack. I'm so sorry,” was all she could say. She gently touched his hand as a way to offer sympathy, but he moved away, not wishing to dredge up bad memories. Amelia was still something he had not laid to rest. “So, you're raising your daughter alone?” Rose asked.
Jack nodded his head. “Yes, I am. Lilly is two now, and I love her so much.” Jack smiled and Rose could see the tears in his eyes. “I never knew what it was like to be a father. I had no idea of the love you have for a child. I finally understand now, Rose, how you feel about your children, raising them alone, with no father.”
Rose called to the bartender and asked him to bring two martinis. She had a feeling they would both need a good drink after tonight. “I knew you'd be a good father, Jack. I always did.” Still, in the back of her mind, something nagged at Rose to tell Jack he was father to two of her children, but she knew in her heart that he would never know. She was the only one who knew, and she would never tell.
“I remember.” Jack smiled.
Suddenly, the three men who were smoking cigars approached Rose. One young man dressed in a tuxedo smiled before asking her for an autograph. “I'm a fan of your pictures,” he said abashedly, and Rose simply signed her name for him. It was then that Jack had some sort of an idea of how much of a star Rose really was, but to him, she was just the same Rose she had always been, the woman he had loved endlessly for fourteen years. The day they had spoken on the Titanic she had told him of her dream to become a dancer like Isadora Duncan, and here she was in the pictures. Jack shook his head slightly at the irony. “I remember, Rose. I always do.” The bartender brought their drinks and Jack sipped it cautiously. “I remember when you were just a seventeen-year-old girl telling me of your dreams and how you wanted to go to Santa Monica, be a dancer, not just a society girl, and here you are, Rose. Here you are.” His voice trailed off as he lost himself in memories of the two.
“It seems so long ago.”
“It is, Rose. Fourteen years,” Jack stated, swirling his drink. “Fourteen years since we met.”
Rose lowered her lashes. She remembered the night when she was about to jump off the Titanic. What an absurd idea it had been. “Jack…I…I'm so shocked that you're here.”
“Maybe it’s fate.” Jack was honest. It felt like fate, they way they had kept meeting over all of these years, forever changing the course of each other’s lives.
“Maybe. So, do you live in London?”
“Yes, in a small place outside of west London. It's a new start for me and Lilly, away from the States. It was what we needed. Besides, the wanderer in me returned, I suppose. I feel like I was never meant to stop wandering the world, living on God's good will,” Jack said honestly.
“But Jack, you have responsibilities now. You have a child.”
“Did that ever stop you from running, Rose? You never settled. You always seemed to run, always away from me.”
Hearing the words felt like a stab in Rose's heart. If only he knew why she ran. “It was different, Jack. You and I…we…were just…we never felt like we were meant to be.”
“I always thought we were. I wanted you, and I waited for you for over ten years.” Knocking back the remainders of his drink, Jack stood. He felt anger, but also knew that if he stayed much longer with Rose, he would end up feeling even more down, because he knew that they were never going to be. “I’d better go, Rose.”
Nodding, Rose also stood. She didn't know what to do. Her heart was torn. Now he was here with her, and she still hadn't told him how she felt about him. What could she do? Her mind filled with a thousand thoughts as he began to slowly walk away from her, but he seemed hesitant. “Wait!” Rose shouted. Jack turned, tears obvious in his eyes. The bar was empty except for the bartender cleaning glasses. Slowly, Rose came towards him and looked him straight in the eye. She could feel herself falling more and more in love with him just from talking to him. “Please don't go yet. There's so much more left to say to each other, Jack. I…I don't just want you to walk out of my life again.”
Jack gazed at Rose. She wrung her hands and seemed vulnerable. He came closer to her for a second and she smiled as he grabbed her hands and held them gently in his own. She could feel his rough fingers, yet they were always so gentle on her skin. “I'm not going anywhere, Rose,” he whispered.
A few tears came down Rose's cheeks, and Jack slowly bent forward and kissed them away, leaving Rose trembling. Just such a small gesture was enough to make her weak in the knees. “Jack…I…don't know what to say, but…do you want to have dinner tomorrow evening with the children and I? Bring Lilly, too…I think I would like to meet your child. If that is all right.”
“Of course it is. I just want to see you, Rose. I couldn't live knowing you're here if I couldn't see you.”
“Then don't leave.” Rose stunned herself with her own words. Don't leave? What did that mean?
“Rose, I have to. Lilly is with the neighbors and I have to go back.”
Rose nodded. She felt foolish for suggesting such a thing to him. “I'm sorry,” she muttered.
“For what, Rose?”
“Suggesting that you stay. It’s obviously inappropriate. You have a child now. It’s just all so much to take in.” Rose glanced downwards, feeling stupid. Her head felt a mess. She couldn't concentrate on anything except Jack. Jack placed his index finger on her chin and lifted her face.
“We have found each other again, Rose. This time I think it’s special, and I don't want to let this chance go away. We need to take our time and figure out where our lives are going, and if we want each other.” Rose nodded in agreement. She smiled weakly.
“But for now, I will say good night, darling.” Jack gently kissed Rose's left hand and she remembered the first time he had kissed her hand on board the Titanic, a night that seemed a million years before. “We've got a lot to talk about tomorrow.”
“I know, Jack. The children are going to be so excited to see you.”
“And I cannot wait to see them.” Jack grinned.
“Good night, Jack.”
With that, Jack walked through the saloon doors and away from Rose. She felt as though her heart was going with him. It was crazy. She would see him tomorrow. But it still felt as though she would never see him again. Remembering the first time they had kissed aboard the Titanic, Rose smiled. The same feelings returned to her now. She was visibly shaking. It was almost a déjà vu, and she had the urge to run after him, but she knew she couldn't. He had to go home, but the next day they would have dinner together. Both Rose and Jack slept that night more happily than they had done in years.