AFTER TITANIC
Chapter Thirty-Nine

Five Days Later

"Jack, why don't you let me carry Tommy and Molly?" Rose offered as Jack stepped up into the doorway. "You've had them since we left the hospital. You must be tired after carrying them all the way from the car."

"We're fine Rose," Jack reassured his wife, as he leaned up against the doorframe, waiting for her to open the door.

"I'm just worried. The doctor did say to get plenty of rest," Rose said, twisting the key in the knob.

"I know, Rose, and I will. It's just that I haven't spent time with my children and I want to make up for lost time." Jack smiled down at the twins, who just cooed and gurgled, content to be in their father's arms.

"Well, there will be plenty of time for that." Rose smiled, opening the door to a foyer decorated for a party.

"Surprise!" Eliza, Maxwell, and Katherine hopped up from behind the couch.

"Welcome home, Jack." Rose smiled sheepishly.

"You knew about this, didn't you?" Jack turned to his wife, grinning from ear to ear.

"You bet I did. It took all I had not to spill the beans." Rose laughed, taking Molly and Tommy from Jack. "I'll take the twins upstairs and you stay down here and enjoy your welcome home party."

"Yes, ma'am." Jack laughed, watching his wife disappear up the stairs with their children. "You guys shouldn't have done this. This was totally unexpected."

"We couldn't let you come home without throwing you a party, Jack." Katherine smiled, coming up and giving him a peck on the cheek.

"You guys are the greatest." Jack hugged his cousin closely as a tear came to his eye. For a while, during his ordeal, there were times he thought he wouldn't make it, thought he'd never see his friends or family again. He'd always lived by the make it count motto, but this ordeal had really put a new tint on it. He now took it more personally.

"Are you crying, Jack?" Eliza asked, coming up to her friend.

"Crying? Me? Nah. I just got something in my eye." Jack laughed.

"Yeah, right. We all know you're Mr. Sensitivity." Maxwell chuckled. "But seriously, Jack, come sit down. You need your rest."

"The twins are sound asleep." Rose bounded down the stairs. "For the first time, they drifted right off."

"That's because Daddy's home." Eliza laughed.

"What's all this?" Ruth entered the house with Molly trailing behind her.

"Jack's welcome home party, Mother," Rose explained.

"Oh, that's right. Jack's home today! Welcome home, Jack!" Molly laughed.

"Really, Rose, don't you think this is a little much for Jack's homecoming? The doctor said for him to get plenty of rest," Ruth scolded.

"I'm fine, really." Jack pulled Rose down into his lap and hugged his wife.

"Don't scold Rose, Mrs. DeWitt Bukater. This wasn't her idea." Eliza stood up for her friend. "It was mine. I thought it would show Jack how much we care about him."

"Now, why doesn't that surprise me?" Ruth turned to Eliza.

"Now, Ruth, don't start up. This is Jack's homecoming, and it should be full of good cheer, not belittling comments," Molly interjected, spotting the tense expression on Rose's face.

"Besides, Mother, Jack is my husband. If I thought this would be too much for him, I wouldn't do it." Rose got up and stood toe to toe with her mother.

"Rose..." Ruth stammered.

"Is Jack home yet?" Emmanuel Dawson poked his head through the door.

"Yes, Granddad. Come on in." Kathy pulled her grandfather into the room. "You got here just in time."

"What's this? A party?" Emmanuel glanced around. "Isn't this a little much?"

"My thoughts exactly," Ruth echoed.

"I'm fine. Honest." Jack got up and pulled Rose away from her mother. "But it is getting late, and I am getting tired. Why don't all of you stay down here and enjoy the party, and I'll go up and get some sleep."

"I'll come with you," Rose said, following Jack upstairs. "Can you believe her, Jack? She acts like I don't know how to take care of my family!" Rose exploded once they reached the privacy of their room.

"She was just trying to help, Rose. That's all. She didn't mean anything by it."

"She just makes me feel so...inadequate, Jack. She's always done that and she's doing it again. I thought she had changed." Rose sat on the bed and placed her hands over her face as she began to sob.

"Rose, don't cry." Jack sat next to her and pulled her into a tight embrace. "She has changed. I mean, she's accepted me into the family and everything. There are just a few things she still has to work on. Plus, there's no reason for you to feel inadequate. You're doing great taking care of the family."

"Is everything okay in here, Jack?" Emmanuel asked, knocking on the door. "Rose, what's wrong?"

"It's just been a long day for her," Jack answered. "She'll be fine."

"I just stopped by to see how everything was going and make sure you were settling in well."

"I'm settling in fine. I have my children and my wife. That's all I really need." Jack smiled. "Thanks, Grandfather, for stopping by."

"Are you sure she's going to be okay?"

Rose looked up at the old man who had reminded her of Jack and smiled. "I'm fine. Honest."

"Well, in that case, I'll tell you what I came over for. I'll be heading back to Boston next week and Kathy will be heading up in July for our annual Fourth of July gala. I just wanted to know if I should be expecting you." Emmanuel smiled. "Let me add that I'm hoping to be expecting you and the children there."

Jack was stunned. He'd only been up to Boston with the family once and that was enough for him, but he knew Rose wanted to get to know some more members of his family and it would give her an excuse to dress up again. "Okay. We'll be there."

"Great. Everyone will look forward to seeing you again and meeting the new additions to the family." Emmanuel grinned from ear to ear. "Well, let me get downstairs and give your cousin the good news. She'll be pleased as punch that you'll be joining her."

"You've made him so happy, Jack." Rose happily sighed as the old man bounded downstairs.

"I'm glad. Besides, I really do want to go. This may be the last Fourth of July I'll be able to spend with him and I want to make it count." Jack stroked her hair. "I hope you don't mind, Rose. I know how you feel about those high society gatherings."

"I don't mind, Jack. Besides, this is for a good cause. For you to get to know your grandfather better...maybe even grow closer to him."

"I love you, Rose Dawson." Jack grinned, kissing her tenderly. "You're the best thing that's ever happened to me."

"No, Jack. You're the best. If it wasn't for you...I'd be a porcelain doll on Cal's arm."

"Speaking of Cal, have you heard anything from him lately?"

"Not since he informed me that his son's name was Jack Dawson Hockley. I still can't believe he did that." Rose shook her head.

"Me, neither. I know that I'd never name my son after him...especially my firstborn."

"Rose!" Ruth called up to her daughter, and she entered the room.

"Yes, Mother?" Rose sat up away from Jack, ready for an apology. But, sadly, that's not what happened.

"I hear that you'll be attending the Fourth of July Gala at the Dawsons’ in Boston this year," Ruth replied.

"Yeah? So?"

"Well, I had plans for us this year...I was hoping that we could spend the fourth at your Aunt Pearl's house. She's invited us and is looking forward to seeing the twins. I already told her that we'd go." Ruth sighed.

"Mother, how could you? How could you do that without telling me? I have a family now and a life of my own. I can't just drop my plans to go visit with Aunt Pearl and the girls. Besides, I can't stand Marjorie and Nancy. They’re so uppity." Rose stood up from the bed. "I'm sorry, Mother, but I'm not going to expose my children to that. Plus, we now have plans with the Dawsons. As you know, Jack's grandfather is dying, this may be the last year he'll have with his family, and he wants Jack there. Plus, I want to meet the rest of Jack's family. It's important to me."

"But Rose, Aunt Pearl and the girls are family. Holidays should be spent with them."

"You're right, Mother. Holidays should be spent with your family, and that's what I'm doing. The Dawsons are my family, and I'm going to Boston to get to know the rest of them! End of discussion!"

"But, Rose..."

"Drop it, Mother! This is Jack's first night home from the hospital, and I'm not going to have an argument with you tonight. That's the last thing he needs and I want. So, will you please just go back downstairs and help Eliza and Kathy clean up?" Rose sighed, calming down.

"If that's what you want, Rose. But let me tell you that you're being extremely selfish right now. Maybe someday you'll be able to see that there's more needs that need to be accomplished than your own." With that said, Ruth stormed out of the room and slammed the door.

"Can you believe her?" Rose turned to Jack. "She acts like I have nothing to do but drop everything and follow her rules. She doesn't get that I'm not a little girl anymore. That I have a life of my own and for once she's not in control of it."

"Rose...if you want, I can go on to the gala in Boston and you can go on to your Aunt Pearl's. I can take Tommy and you can take Molly. That way everyone will get to see at least one of the twins," Jack suggested. Even though he wanted Rose and the twins with him on the Fourth, he knew that Rose might need to do this...to rebuild her relationship with her mother, if nothing else.

"No, Jack. That won’t do. The Fourth is about family, and that's you and the children. If I can't spend the Fourth with you, then I'm definitely not spending it with my snobby cousins who'd look down their noses at all I've accomplished over the past year."

"Are you sure this is what you want, Rose?" Jack asked, pulling her back down onto the bed.

"I'm positive." Rose embraced Jack. "This is definitely what I want, and if my mother doesn't like it…well, then…too bad."

Jack just held her tight and forced away the bad vibes he was getting right now. He had a bad feeling that Rose was going to regret this decision and that he was going to have to pull double duty being the always loving and supportive husband.

Chapter Forty
Stories