CALIFORNIA PARADISE
Chapter Seven
"Would you like to take a walk with me,
Rose?" Jack asked. It had been five or six days since they had arrived at
the Malongs‘. It was a crisp, clear April day, and Rose thought it would be a
great idea to take a walk with her beloved Jack.
"Do you like it here?" she asked
him, after they had wandered a short distance away from the house.
"Are you kidding me? What’s there not to
love?"
"I’m so glad you like it."
"Rose, I need to ask you
something."
This is it. He has that look in his eye. "Yes, Jack!"
He laughed. "How did you know what I was
gonna ask you?"
"Because I know you."
"Well, did you know that I was going to
do this?" Out of his shirt pocket, he pulled out a velvet box and handed
it to her. "Open it."
She took it with a shaking hand. She opened
the lid and gasped. "Oh, Jack, you shouldn’t have!"
"I saw it in a store window and knew
that I just had to get it." Inside the box was a delicate gold band with
what seemed like a million tiny diamonds in the form of a butterfly in the
center. At the end of its antennas were two larger diamonds that had been dyed
blue. The color of the ocean.
"Rose DeWitt Bukater Malong
Dawson…" Here he gave her a playful glare. "…would you do me the
honor of becoming my wife?"
"Yes! Oh, God! Yes!" Tears of joy
flowed down her cheeks. He hugged her close and gave her a passionate kiss on
the lips.
*****
For the remainder of the stay, the basic
wedding plans were made with the help of Leah. Rose already had a gig in New
York for a play, and they had to sail back.
"Good-bye. We’ll see you at the wedding,
if not sooner."