LOVE THAT NEVER FADES
Chapter Ten
Getting to Know Each Other
Jack had gone to the laundry with
the clothes that they had worn onboard the Titanic. Rose was in their
apartment, looking out the window of their bedroom. Rose sighed as she realized
that she didn’t know anything about Jack. She didn’t know his birthday or what
his favorite things were. She wanted to get to know him better before she
married him. The only things she knew about Jack were where he was from and how
his parents had died. She also knew that he had a talent for drawing. That was
one of the reasons that she had fallen in love with him. She had always loved
art--ever since she was a little girl.
Rose saw Jack walking down the
sidewalk, his hands in his pockets and his hair falling into his face, making
him look even younger than he was. Rose smiled and watched as he disappeared
into their apartment building. Rose stayed in her spot and watched other people
walk down the sidewalk. A few minutes later, the door opened, and she heard
Jack’s voice. Rose informed him that she was in the bedroom, and soon enough he
was in the room with her. He went towards her and wrapped his arms around her
waist, kissing her cheek as he did so. Rose smiled and turned around as she
placed a gentle kiss on his lips.
"You know, we don’t know
anything about each other," Rose said, tucking a strand of blonde hair
behind his ear. Jack smiled down at her and caressed her hair.
"I have to agree. All I know
about you is your name and that you’re beautiful and have a free spirit waiting
to explore the horizon," Jack said. Rose smiled.
"Well, why don’t we get to
know each other better? That way we won’t feel like strangers when we get
married," Rose said.
"Okay," Jack said,
leading her to the bed, where they sat down and stared at each other lovingly.
"Well, I was born on July 4, 1892, in Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin, and I
lived in a farmhouse, where my father worked on the farm every day. I started
drawing when I was about four years old, or at least that’s what I was told by
my parents. When I was five, I went fishing with my father on Lake Wissota, as
I told you onboard the Titanic, and as I was walking on the ice, it cracked,
and I fell through. It was freezing cold, but not as cold as the North Atlantic
was." He saw Rose look up at him guiltily. "Hey, it wasn’t your
fault. It was nobody’s fault. It was just an accident. Don’t blame yourself for
what happened. There’s no one to blame." Jack hugged her close.
"I know, but you could’ve
died that night because of me, and if you had, I could never forgive
myself." Rose cried, burying her face in Jack’s shirt. Jack pulled away
and lifted her chin with his finger, forcing her to look into his eyes.
"Rose, listen," Jack
said calmly. "If I had died, I wouldn’t have died because of you, I
would’ve died for you. Understand?" Jack saw tears glistening in Rose’s
eyes. "Rose, I love you. You know that. And I told you many times before
that I’m a survivor, and you know I don’t lie. I’m here now, so don’t blame
yourself for anything. Okay?" He felt her nod, and he hugged her close.
"You mean the world to me, Rose, and I’ll never hurt you. I promise. I
won’t hurt you in any way. I love you too much to do that." Rose smiled
and wiped away her tears.
"You’re the only man that
has ever said that to me. Well…besides my father," Rose said, her voice
choked from the tears. He smiled and caressed her cheek with his thumb.
"How could I not?" Jack
asked. "You’re the most beautiful girl that I’ve ever met in my life, and
your personality makes me love you. It has since the beginning." Rose
smiled and pulled him into a kiss.
"So has yours," Rose
said, after she pulled away from the kiss. Jack smiled.
"Okay. Let me finish,"
Jack said. "My childhood was energetic and fun at times. I drew and went to
school, like every child. But, one day, when I was fifteen, I was sitting near
Lake Wissota, drawing. The sun was setting and the breeze was hitting my face.
A few minutes later, I started getting ready to go back home. When I reached my
house, I smelled smoke. Then, when I went inside, I saw that black smoke was
coming from my parents’ room. I went upstairs and just found them there, not
moving. Then I realized that they were dead. Gone. I went to my room and
grabbed a few things that I would need. Like money and a few other personal
belongings. I ran downstairs, grabbed my portfolio, and fled--leaving Chippewa
Falls for good. I haven’t been there since then. After that, I went to
different places, like California and New York, and I went all over Europe."
Rose smiled.
"I guess you were
right," Rose said. "You are a tumbleweed blowing in the wind."
Jack laughed and kissed her forehead.
"Told ya," Jack said.
Rose just smiled. "Okay. How about you?"
"All right," Rose said,
putting herself in a more comfortable position. "I was born on December
24, 1895, in Philadelphia. I was born into a rich family, and we lived in a big
mansion with a humongous backyard and large rooms. When I grew up, I was sent
to finishing school, where I was taught how to be a proper lady, as my mother
used to call it. When I turned sixteen, I was introduced to Caledon Hockley,
son of Nathan Hockley, Pittsburgh steel tycoon, as he was called. After knowing
Cal for a few months, he proposed to me. But he didn’t propose in the way you did.
He proposed to me as if it were a business proposition, something that he
really didn’t care about, but did in a way. I only agreed because I didn’t want
my mother to be left in the streets. But when a year had passed by, and when I
turned seventeen, everything changed. He would do absolutely anything to make
me sleep with him. Anything. But I would always refuse and say that we should
wait until we got married. Then, he bought tickets on the unsinkable ship that
would take us to America to be married in a month. I, of course, hadn’t wanted
to marry him in the first place, and the next day, after we boarded the ship, I
wanted to commit suicide. Just end everything right then and there, careless as
to how they would feel. Then you came along and saved me from that evil man,
and we became happy." Jack smiled and hugged her close.
"Well, we’re not happily
ever after yet, Rosie," Jack said. Rose smiled at his nickname for her.
Her father had always called her that when she was young, and she had loved it.
"We have to get married, have kids, live our lives, then live happily ever
after." Rose smiled up at him.
"You forgot to mention
heading out for the horizon and being as free as a tumbleweed blowing in the
wind," Rose said. Jack smiled and just kissed her. "I love you."
"I love you, too,
Rosie," Jack said, hugging her close to him. Rose smiled. He pulled away.
"So, you’re a Christmas baby?" Jack looked into her emerald-green
eyes. Rose smiled.
"Yes. I’m a Christmas
baby," Rose said. Jack smiled and lay Rose down as he hovered over her.
"So, you get two visits from
Santa Claus," Jack said, looking at her.
"Well, I thought that Santa
Claus only visited little children," Rose said, smiling.
"Well, I could have a little
talk with him and change that," Jack said, smiling.
"Oh, really?" Rose
asked, looking into his blue eyes.
"Really," Jack said,
putting his lips on hers. Rose responded by pulling him closer to her and
unbuttoning his shirt. Once she got the buttons undone, Rose took the shirt off
of him and threw it on the floor, wrapping her arms around his bare back. Jack
was still kissing her when he started unbuttoning the back of Rose’s dress.
Just then, there was a knock on the door. Jack and Rose broke apart and began
dressing themselves.
"Jack, can you please help
me with the buttons?" Rose asked. Jack looked up and smiled.
"Certainly," Jack said,
going towards her and buttoning her dress. Once he was done, Rose went to
answer the door. There, she saw Annie. Rose smiled and invited her in. Rose
closed the door and sat on the couch beside Annie, who had taken a seat when
she went inside.
"So, how are you?"
Annie asked.
"I’m fine. Perfectly
fine." Rose smiled. Just then, Jack came out of the bedroom, with his shirt
on and his suspenders holding up his pants. Jack smiled, went towards Rose, and
took a seat beside her as he put an arm around her shoulder. Rose smiled and
leaned her head on his shoulder.
"You two make a great
couple. I have never seen anyone as much in love as you two," Annie said,
smiling. Jack and Rose looked at each other and smiled.
"Well, actually, we’re
engaged, not yet married. But we will be soon," Rose said. "This is
my engagement ring." Rose showed Annie the engagement ring that Jack had given
her earlier.
"This is beautiful!"
Annie said, examining the ring on Rose’s finger.
"I know," Rose said,
looking at her engagement ring. "I love it."
"Well, you should. The
handsomest man in the world has given it to you," Annie said, smiling. She
saw Jack blushing.
"I can’t be that handsome.
Come on," Jack said, smiling.
"But you are," Rose
said, kissing him on the lips. Jack smiled and kissed her forehead. Rose looked
back at Annie. "Annie, may I ask you to do me a favor?"
"Why, certainly, Rose. What
would you like for me to do?" Annie asked.
"Well, I know we have only
been friends for a week, but I would like to ask you to be my maid of honor, if
you want to, of course," Rose said. Annie smiled and hugged her.
"I would love to!"
Annie said, tears forming in her eyes. She pulled away. "You’re a very
good friend. I’m glad I’ve met you."
"Me, too, Annie. I’m glad
I’ve met you, too," Rose said, smiling. Jack smiled, watching Rose and
Annie hug. He was glad she had made a friend, after what she’d been through
almost a week ago. Just then, there was another knock on the door. Jack got up
and answered it. There, he saw his landlord, Michael Calvert.
"Hey, Mike." Jack
smiled. "Come on in." Jack moved aside so he could get inside. Jack
closed the door once he was inside. Jack put his hands in his pockets as he
stood beside Michael.
"I was thinking that we
could go out and get to know each other better. I know this great place where
we could go and talk. It’s called Freddy’s Italian Place. The food is good, and
I know a guy there. Wanna go?" Michael asked. "Just the two of us,
you know. Man to man. Leave the ladies here to talk." Jack looked over at
Rose and Annie, who were laughing at something that Rose had said. Jack nodded.
"Sure. Count me in,"
Jack said. He remembered the time he had said those exact words. He smiled
weakly and went over to Rose. "Rose, I’m gonna go with Mike to a
restaurant. Okay?" Rose looked up and smiled.
"Sure. Go ahead," Rose
said. Jack smiled and leaned down, giving Rose a kiss. With that, Jack and Mike
left the apartment and went to the restaurant Mike was talking about.
Rose and Annie continued talking,
getting to know each other better. Rose learned that Annie was born on August
4, 1894, in New York, and that her parents had lived in San Francisco for one
and a half years, leaving Annie alone in New York. Rose also learned that Annie
had had a crush on Michael ever since she had moved into this apartment. Rose
smiled, and they had become better friends after an hour of talking and getting
to know each other. Rose was glad that she had met someone like Annie, because
she knew that before she had been on the Titanic, her friends had just been
stuck up and cared only for money. Rose, on the other hand, didn’t care about
money, and only cared to find her one true love, who would love her for who she
was, not for her money. Rose smiled, knowing that she had found her one true
love, who loved her for who she was on the inside and not for her wealth.
Besides, she hadn’t been rich when she was engaged to Cal. Her family was in
debt after paying all the hospital bills for her father after he had died. That
was one of the reasons her mother had forced her to get engaged to Cal.
Rose was also glad that her
mother had changed into a nicer and friendlier mother than she had been on the
Titanic, where she had been mean and had forced Rose to do what she hadn’t
wanted to do. Her life had been getting better ever since she had met Jack.
When she was with Jack, she was free, and had the ability to do what she wanted
to do, instead of someone telling her what to do. With Jack, she had had the
ability to call off the engagement to Cal. With Jack, she felt loved and cared
for. With Cal, she had felt trapped and used. Rose was glad that she had been
on the Titanic, because if she hadn’t, she wouldn’t be where she was right now.
She’d be with Cal, miserable and hated. Rose and Annie continued talking,
telling each other childhood stories and jokes. Rose was glad she had had the
chance to get to know Jack better, and to get to know Annie better. She knew
her life couldn’t be anymore perfect than it was now.