AFTER TITANIC
Chapter Forty-Four
Rose stretched as she awakened to pounding on
the door. Taking one look at the sleeping little girl stretched out on a cot,
Rose got up and opened the door to reveal Molly, a look of determination on her
face.
"Molly?" Rose asked, surprised.
"What are you doing here?"
"Jack needs you, Rose." Molly
placed a hand on her hip.
"What? What happened to Jack? Is he
well? He isn't sick, is he?"
"No, darling. But his grandpa died two
days ago. That boy's trying to be strong for Kathy and the twins, but he's
hurting, too. He needs his wife at his side, Rose...and he needs her now before
he leaves for Boston tomorrow morning."
"Jack's leaving California?" Rose
asked, her eyes widening in shock.
"He has no choice, Rose. He has to be
there for the execution of the will." Molly softened some. "That's
why I'm here. To collect you and take you home to him. He needs you, Rose. He
won't say it and he won't write and tell you to come home. But he does. I can
see it in his eyes."
Jack. Her Jack in pain. Rose held back tears.
He was always there for her. But where was she when he needed her most?
"Let me get our things together, and Lindsey ready for travel." Rose
nodded, heading back into her room.
"Lindsey?" Molly was confused.
"Yes. Didn't Jack tell you? I wrote him
all about her." Rose turned to Molly.
"All Jack told me was that a little girl
was left in your care," Molly said. "He lived for your letters, Rose.
He really did. He'd rush out to the mailbox every day looking for a letter from
you."
"Oh, Molly, I missed him so much. Being
away from him was like not breathing. He really is my lifeline, Molly."
Rose sighed, taking two suitcases out of her closet.
"Then why did you leave him, Rose? I'm
telling you, it's amazing how understanding he is. Not many husbands would
stick around after the second time the wife leaves them." Molly shook her
head.
"Don't you think I know that, Molly? But
it was like I told Jack. I wasn't living up to my duty as a wife and mother.
They didn't need me moping around, neglecting my duties to them...they deserved
better and I left to be better...for them...without being a burden to
Jack." Rose sighed. "Do you understand?"
Molly slowly nodded. "I understand what
you’re saying, Rose. But are you over Ruth's dying now?"
"No. Not really. But being forced to
take care of that little girl put things in perspective for me, Molly. It made
me stop crying and start thinking...start really pulling it together for a
child who lost her mother, too...who needed me to take her place...for a little
while, anyway." Rose smiled. "Oh, Molly, she's adorable, and Jack's
going to love her...I know he will."
"He always had a place in his heart for
children," Molly agreed. "That boy has more love inside of him than
anyone I know."
"That's why I'm lucky." Rose
smiled.
"Listen, just get your stuff together.
I'll get that child packed up and ready to leave." Molly grinned.
"Jack will be surprised to see you, darling. He really will."
"Rose?" a little voice asked,
emerging from a bedroom. "What's going on?"
"Oh, Lindsey, darling, you're up."
Rose rushed to the little girl's side. "We're going on a little trip,
darling. We're going to go to my home and see my husband, Jack. You'll like
him, Lindsey. He's real nice."
"Will he like me?"
"He'll love you, darling." Molly
grinned, her heart melting at the small girl. Who wouldn't love such a darling
child?
"We're leaving now?" Lindsey asked,
sticking her thumb in her mouth.
"Mmm hmm." Rose nodded. "Why
don't you help Mrs. Brown over there get your things together, while I pack
mine, and we'll be on our way?"
"Okay." Lindsey nodded,
disappearing back into the dark room.
"Such an adorable child." Molly
nodded. "You did good taking her in, Rose. She'll need all the love and
caring you and Jack can give her after the loss of her mother."
"We have a lot in common," Rose
quietly replied. "I just want to give her the love and support Jack gives
me. That's all."
"Well, you're doing a fine job of it.
Now, go get packed. We have a long drive ahead of us if we're going to get you
back to Jack before daybreak."
*****
Jack sighed forlornly as he locked the door
to the beach house for the last time. Looking up at the top floor window, he
bit his lip. He hated leaving another house full of memories. He didn't want to
leave Santa Monica. He had no idea when he'd be able to return, and most of all
he hated leaving Rose here in California by herself, but there was no way of getting
in touch with her in time, and besides, she had asked him to leave her alone,
and that was what he was going to do.
Taking one last look at the house, he began
for the car to start for the train station when he noticed another car coming
up the path...Molly's car? He had wondered where she had gotten off to the
night before, but she had never returned. He had asked Kathy to come take the
twins while he packed up and closed the house.
"Jack, wait!" Molly hollered out
the window. "I have a surprise for you!"
Jack looked confused. A surprise? What could
that be? His eyes grew big with surprise and happiness when he saw Rose come
out of the car, running towards him.
"Jack!" She threw her arms around
him and hugged him tightly.
"Rose." Jack hugged her twice as
hard. "I'm so happy you're here!"
"Oh, Jack, I've missed you so
much." Rose cried in happiness in being in his arms again.
"I missed you, too, Rose." Jack
stroked her now shoulder-length hair. "Oh, my goodness, you changed so
much. What happened to your hair?"
"You like it? I decided it was time for
a change. I still looked like I was seventeen years old, not nineteen."
Rose smiled.
"You look fantastic, Rose. You always
do."
"Oh, Jack, Molly told me about your
grandfather." Rose hugged him again. "Oh, Jack, I'm so sorry. I'm
sorry I wasn't here for you. I should have been. I really should've been."
"Shh, Rose. It's okay. You're here now,
and that's all that matters." Jack stroked her hair. "Here, I'll
write down the address so you can write." Jack began searching for a pen
and paper, when Rose took his hand.
"I'm coming with you, Jack," Rose
quietly replied, looking him directly in the eye.
"Rose...you don't have to. I know you
need time and..."
"Jack, I've had my time and benefited
from it. Now it's time to come back where I belong. With you." Rose placed
a finger on his mouth to silence him. "Where you go, I go. Whether that's
to Boston or the moon."
"Oh, Rose, you truly are wonderful. You
know that?" Jack smiled. "I love you so much."
"I love you, too, Jack. And there's
someone I'd like you to meet." Rose turned to Molly and nodded her head.
Molly went to the back seat and picked up a little girl with light brown hair
and hazel eyes. She couldn't have been more than five years old...the same age
as little Cora aboard Titanic. "This is Lindsey. The little girl I told
you about in the letter."
Molly placed the little girl on the ground
and gently nudged her towards Jack and Rose. She shyly walked up and
immediately hid behind Rose.
Rose knelt down to the same level of the
little girl. "Lindsey, this is my husband, Jack, the one I was telling you
about. Jack, this is Lindsey."
"Hi, Lindsey." Jack knelt down like
Rose and held out a hand. "I'm very pleased to meet you."
"Hello." Lindsey shyly smiled,
placing her tiny hand in Jack's.
"Do you like candy, Lindsey?" Jack
asked, digging into his pocket for one of the candy canes he let the twins chew
on to help with their teething.
The little girl shyly nodded.
With a trick of the hand Jack had picked up
during his travels before Titanic, he brought a candy cane out of his hand.
"Wow." The little girl grinned, her
big hazel eyes wide in awe. It was obvious that Jack had charmed her. "How
did you do that?"
"It's magic." Jack grinned.
"I'll show you how someday. Would you like that?"
Lindsey nodded eagerly.
"Well, I guess you three are all ready
to go. Which means my work here is done." Molly smiled.
"Molly...are you joining us?" Rose
asked.
"Not this time, darling. I'm heading
back to my mansion in Denver. My children are there, and it's high time I start
nosing in their business. You take care of those children of yours, and drop me
a line if you're ever in Colorado." Molly grinned.
"We sure will, Molly." Jack smiled
sadly, hating to see the great Molly Brown leave, but he knew it was
inevitable. She couldn't remain a big part of their lives forever. She had her
own family to look after.
"Bye, Molly." Rose waved as she
watched her get in the car and turn on the engine.
"See you kids later!" Molly waved
before driving on down the dirt path.
"Bye, Molly!" Both Jack and Rose
waved as the car disappeared into the horizon.
"Come on, Rose. Let's go pick up the
twins and Kathy and head on out for Boston." Jack smiled at his lovely
wife, and down at the little girl. "Ready, Lindsey?"
Lindsey just nodded her head, and they were
on their way to start a new life in Boston.