LOVE THAT NEVER FADES
Chapter Twenty-Two

It was early afternoon when Rose awoke from the aftermath of their lovemaking. Lifting her head off of Jack’s chest, she looked out the window, finding that the sun was shining brightly down on her, the sunlight creeping into their hotel room. Rose slipped out of Jack’s embrace, slipping on her undergarments and the dress she planned to wear for the day. She walked over to the dresser and brushed her hair, untangling her curls until they shone and bounced happily around her face. Setting her brush down, Rose took a ribbon and put her hair in a ponytail, leaving a few strands of curls to fall around her face. Examining her face in the vanity mirror, Rose picked up a few hairpins, took a couple of strands of curls away from her face, and pinned them so they wouldn’t fall into her face as they had before. She took her perfume off the dresser top and sprayed it on her skin, letting the fragrance linger in the air.

Rose got up and put on her shoes, standing up straight and smoothing her dress with her hands. The pale yellow dress looked similar to the one she had worn on the Titanic, but it wasn’t as elegant, nor did it have the embroidery her other had had, or the silky texture. The dress she wore now was floor length and had gold trim on the hemline as well as the ends of the short sleeves. The short sleeves were off her shoulders, and the bodice was low cut. The dress also showed part of her back and showed off her figure. Rose watched as Jack turned, his hand moving to the side that she had been lying on earlier. His hand brushed against the sheet when he opened his eyes, sitting up as he did so.

"Rose?" Jack asked groggily, rubbing his eyes with his hands.

"Yes, Jack?" Rose asked, looking at her husband.

"What time is it?" Jack asked, yawning.

"It’s a quarter to one," Rose said, reading the clock that hung on the wall. Jack sat up, his legs hanging over the edge of the bed, the sheet covering up the area below his waist. Stretching, Jack bent down to pick up his underwear, slipping it on as he did so. "We should be heading out, you know, if we want to arrive at the Michaels by two." Jack nodded, getting up and picking up his clothes. He began dressing himself while Rose stood there watching him. He buttoned up his shirt and slipped on his corduroy pants, buttoning them up. The suspenders hung at his waist while he walked towards his boots, putting them on. He sat on the edge of the bed, where he bent down to tie his laces. When he had done so, he got up, pulling his suspenders over his shoulders. He ran his fingers through his hair, yawning. He walked towards Rose, placing his hands on her waist and pulling her close to him.

"I love you..." Jack said, leaning closer to her, pressing his lips against hers, and bringing her into a loving kiss. Rose’s hands went to the back of Jack’s neck while she opened her mouth slightly, allowing Jack’s tongue to enter her mouth, his tongue interlocking with hers. Rose’s fingers ran through Jack’s hair while she kissed him with all the passion that was within her heart. Rose felt a warm sensation go through her body, kissing Jack. Their noses touched while they kissed, and Jack moved his hands towards her face, where his fingers gently went over her delicate cheeks. Their mouths pulled apart as they caught their breaths. Their faces were mere inches apart. They could feel each other’s breath on their faces.

"I love you, too," Rose said, smiling at him. Jack smiled, kissing her forehead before hugging her. They pulled away, Rose picking up the rest of the clothes that were on the floor or on the bed. She took the wooden suitcase and opened it, placing the clothing inside. Rose took her brush and perfume and placed them in the suitcase as well. She also took their other belongings, placing them in the suitcase. She made sure everything was inside the suitcase, including Jack’s new portfolio and Monet print. Once she had finished packing everything up, Rose closed the suitcase and took it by the handle. She walked towards Jack, smiling. "So, are you ready?"

"I’ll be ready once you give me that suitcase," Jack said, taking the suitcase from her hands and pressing his lips against hers again. When he pulled away, he gave her his famous smile, looking into her eyes. Rose smiled back, leaning against his chest as his arm went around her shoulders. Both left the hotel room, going downstairs to the counter.

"How may I help you?" the man asked.

"Uh…we would like to check out," Jack said, leaning against the counter.

"Name?" the man asked.

"Dawson," Jack said. The man opened a book and skimmed through the names that were on the pages.

"Jack and Rose Dawson?" the man asked.

"Yes," Jack said. "How much do we owe you?"

"Well, you were here two nights," the man said.

"Correct," Jack said.

"Well, then, that’ll be five dollars," the man said. Jack nodded, slipping his hand into his pocket, taking out a five dollar bill, and handing it to the man.

"Thank you," the man said. "I hope you enjoyed your stay here at the Santa Monica Hotel."

"Thanks," Jack said, holding Rose’s hand and leading her out of the hotel. As they walked, the breeze blew around them and birds flew over their heads. Passersby often looked at them, at their intimacy, but neither cared, for they were too much in love to bother with someone else’s opinion. Jack and Rose walked across the street, making their way towards the pier. As they were walking on the pier, a boy of about ten or so was selling papers.

"Extra! Extra!" the boy called. "Get the news on the greatest disaster in history! Only ten cents!" The boy waved the newspaper around, which in big, bold letters read: Titanic Sinks on April 15, 1912, Taking More Than Fifteen Hundred With Her. Rose looked at Jack as he looked at her. Jack went towards the boy and took ten cents out of his pocket, handing it to the boy and taking a newspaper. "Thank you, Mister."

"No problem," Jack said, his voice soft and shaky. The boy nodded, walking away and trying to get more passersby to buy a newspaper. Jack and Rose stopped, looking through the newspaper. They found a bench nearby and decided to sit on it to have a chance to look through the paper. Setting the suitcase down, Jack stared at the front cover of the paper, reading its words out loud. "The famous ocean liner Titanic sank in the depths of the North Atlantic at around 2:30 on the morning of April fifteenth. It was soon discovered that more than fifteen hundred souls had perished along with her, leaving only seven hundred living. Many lost their loved ones, as well as other family members and friends. It was said that the ship was unsinkable, but this was soon proved wrong when the ship struck the iceberg on April fourteenth. Rumor has it that the ship went down in one piece." Jack stopped reading after he read the last line. He slowly shook his head and set the newspaper down. He looked over at Rose, finding her staring down at her hands, not saying anything.

"One piece..." Rose said, lifting her head. "We know that’s not true. We were on it as it split in two...how can they say that? How can they have the nerve to call it unsinkable, anyway? God knows that every ship is sinkable. Nothing can go against God’s will. God has the power to do whatever He pleases..." She swallowed, looking at her husband. "Which reminds me of the time when we boarded the ship. Cal made a comment that God Himself couldn’t sink the Titanic...and you see what happened?" Rose’s eyes began to moisten with her upcoming tears. "It’s funny, you know, how these people go against God, not realizing that He has something up His sleeve. That He might do something that could prove them wrong to show how powerful He really is, no matter what they say." Jack scooted closer to her, putting his hand on her waist.

"Rose, no matter what they say, we know what happened. We experienced the real thing," Jack said. "They’re just making up things to get the money."

"Is everything about money?" Rose asked, looking at her husband.

"No," Jack said. "It isn’t. We know that money isn’t everything. To these people, yes, it is, but to us, and to others, no, it’s not. Rose, I’m just glad that we’re alive. That God gave us another chance to live, that he gave us another chance to love each other, and for that, I’m thankful. I always will be." Rose smiled, throwing her arms around Jack’s neck and hugging him.

"I love you so much, Jack," Rose said. "More than words can ever say."

"Me, too, Rose," Jack said, stroking her back. "I always will." Rose pulled away just enough to look into his eyes. She pulled Jack closer, their lips meeting. The kiss lasted for more than thirty seconds. When they pulled apart, they smiled and hugged each other once more. After they pulled apart from their hug, they got up and continued walking towards the houses that were about a block away. When they got there, they turned a corner and went towards the light blue house that they had been in the previous day. Jack and Rose went through the gate and, after closing it, they climbed the steps and Jack knocked on the door. After a few seconds of waiting, the door burst open to reveal Katherine in a pale blue dress.

"Jack, Rose!" Katherine said, a bright smile on her face. "I’m so glad you decided to come here." Jack and Rose both smiled. "I just finished with the guest room...oh, don’t mind my manners. Do come in!" Jack and Rose went inside, Katherine closing the front door. "I’ll show you to your room." Katherine led the way. Jack and Rose followed her up the stairs. She went to the third door on the left, opening it. Jack and Rose went inside, admiring the room. The walls were light blue and the windows were open, letting the cool breeze blow into the room, the curtains billowing. The bed was against a wall in the middle of the room, with pale blue sheets and a dark blue comforter. At both sides of the bed, there were nightstands with lamps. The floor was hardwood, and there was a glass door that led to the balcony. There was also a chestnut dresser opposite the bed, and there was a clock that hung on the wall just by the bed. The room wasn’t big, but it wasn’t small, either. It was the perfect size for the couple. "So, do you like it?"

"Like it?" Rose asked, looking at her. "We don’t like it." Katherine frowned, looking down at the floor. "We love it." Katherine looked up, smiling.

"Oh, you scared me there for a minute," Katherine said. "I’m glad you love it. You deserve it."

"Thank you so much, Kat," Rose said, going over to Katherine and hugging her. "I’m so glad to have met you."

"Me, too, Rose." Katherine smiled. "Oh, Mandy will be thrilled to see you. She has been talking about you all morning. Why don’t you put the suitcase down and we can go down to the kitchen, where I’ll prepare you a decent meal and you can say hi to Amanda." Jack went inside and set the suitcase on the bed. He opened the suitcase and took out his portfolio. Closing the suitcase, he went back towards Rose, closing the door behind him. Katherine had already gone down the stairs, so Jack and Rose followed her. They went into the kitchen, where they found Amanda at the table, coloring. She looked up, finding Jack and Rose with her mother. A smile immediately came across her face.

"Mrs. Dawson!" Amanda said, dropping her crayon on the floor and throwing her arms in the air. Rose smiled and went towards her.

"Hey, Mandy!" Rose said, lifting her from her chair. "How’s my favorite little girl?" Amanda giggled, throwing her arms around Rose’s neck. "You missed me, didn’t you?" Rose looked into Amanda’s eyes. Amanda nodded happily, a bright smile on her face. "Oh...I missed you, too, sweetheart. You’re so adorable." Amanda giggled happily.

"Mr. Dawson!" Amanda said happily, holding out her arms towards him. Jack smiled, set his portfolio down on the kitchen table, and went towards Rose to claim Amanda. Once he had her in his arms, Amanda gave him a hug and a peck on the cheek. Jack smiled. "I missed you, Mr. Dawson!"

"I missed you, too, Amanda," Jack said, pressing his lips on her round cheek. Amanda smiled at him. Jack set her down and she ran out of the kitchen. Jack stood up straight, putting his hands into his pockets and smiling in the direction Amanda had run. He looked over at Katherine, finding her cooking some food. "Where’s Jonathan?" Jack took a seat.

"He’s at work," Katherine said. "But he will be home at around five or six o’clock." Jack nodded, opening his portfolio. He took out his artist’s tools and began sharpening the charcoal that he used to draw. Once he had done so, he began to draw Rose and Katherine, who were talking to each other. "So, did you do anything special last night after you left here?" Katherine kept an eye on the cooking food.

"Why, yes, actually," Rose said, smiling. "Jack and I went horseback riding, right in the surf, under the sunset. It was beautiful."

"That sounds romantic," Katherine said, looking at her.

"It was,." Rose said, smiling.

"You want to hear the funniest thing Amanda said this morning?" Katherine asked.

"What?" Rose asked, smiling.

"Well, we were talking about how Jon and I met, and when we married," Katherine said. "So, she asked me if she would ever marry, and I told her, one day, when she got older and fell in love, she would." Katherine smiled. "Then she told me something that was so adorable. She said that she was going to marry Jack when she got older."

"Oh, so she’s planning on stealing my husband away from me?" Rose asked, a teasing smile on her face.

"I tried to tell her," Katherine said, playing along. "But she kept saying that she’s going to marry Jack and live happily ever after." Rose had a smile on her face.

"Happily ever after, huh?" Rose asked. "She seems to be having my fairytale." Katherine laughed.

"But she loves you two. She only met you yesterday, and she has taken a very great liking to you two. It just surprises me, because she’s never like that with anyone else," Katherine said, shutting off the gas. "She’s usually shy and quiet, but once she saw you two, she...I don’t know...changed? Amanda seems to have a connection between you and Jack. There’s just something about you that made her fall in love with you. I honestly have no clue how she got so glued to you. It’s like some miracle happened when you came." Katherine took two plates out of the cupboard, beginning to fill them up with stew. She walked over to the table and set a plate down in front of Jack and one beside him. Katherine watched what Jack was doing, a confused expression on her face. "You draw?" Jack looked up from his work and smiled.

"Yeah," Jack said. "I’ve been drawing for most of my life."

"That’s amazing!" Katherine said, smiling. "I never knew a real life artist before." Jack chuckled, blushing.

"Well, now you have," Jack said, smiling.

"Mind if I see?" Katherine asked.

"Not at all," Jack said, handing her the paper that he had drawn on. Katherine took it and gasped.

"Oh, my God, Jack!" Katherine said, looking from the drawing to Jack. "This...this is...I don’t know what to say..." Katherine looked at the drawing, which showed herself and Rose chatting by the stove, a smile on each of their faces. "This looks so realistic!"

"I know...that’s one of the things that made me fall in love with him," Rose said, smiling.

"I don’t blame you," Katherine said, smiling at Rose. She looked at the drawing and then looked up at Jack. "Are you drawing professionally?"

"Well, no," Jack said. "But I plan to own my own gallery someday, and if anyone offers me a job as a professional artist, I’ll be glad to take it. For now, I’m just enjoying my honeymoon with my new, beautiful wife." Jack smiled at Rose, who blushed.

"Jon never told me that you were a talented artist," Katherine said. Jack smiled, his cheeks turning a nice shade of pink. "This is amazing, Jack."

"Thanks," Jack said, smiling happily.

"No problem," Katherine said, handing him back the drawing. Jack took it and placed it in his portfolio. He initialed and dated it before putting his supplies away. He found that Rose had sat down beside him, eating the stew that was in front of her. Jack smiled as he, too, picked up his fork and began eating Katherine’s stew.

"This is delicious!" Rose said, after she swallowed the food.

"Thank you," Katherine said, smiling.

"It’s better than the rich food I used to eat," Rose said, smiling as she continued to eat.

"I have to agree with Rose here...this is delicious!" Jack said, putting another forkful of stew into his mouth. Katherine just smiled happily. She heard a knock on the door.

"Excuse me," Katherine said, getting up and going to answer the door. Jack and Rose just continued eating as Katherine greeted whoever was at the door. A few minutes later, Katherine reentered the kitchen with two guests. Jack and Rose looked up, finding Charles with a beautiful woman.

"Charles!" Jack said, getting up to give his friend a hug. "Who’s this beauty?" Jack looked at the woman beside him.

"This is my wife, Jessica Stephens," Charles said. "Jess, this is my good friend that I’ve been talking about. This is Jack Dawson, and that beautiful woman over there is his wife, Rose Dawson." Charles introduced his wife to Jack and Rose.

"It’s nice to meet you two," Jessica said. "Charles has talked so much about you, Jack." Jessica smiled.

"I hope it’s good things," Jack said.

"Of course." Jessica smiled. Jack smiled back. "Why, hello, Mrs. Dawson," Jessica said, smiling over at Rose.

"Please, do call me Rose." Rose smiled, getting up to shake Jessica’s hand.

"If you insist," Jessica said, smiling and shaking Rose’s hand.

"Please, do sit while I prepare your lunches!" Katherine said, going over to the stove, taking out two extra plates, and filling them up with stew. Charles and Jessica took their seats, with Jessica beside Rose and Charles beside Jack. Katherine placed plates in front of Charles and Jessica, going over to the icebox, taking out a fresh bottle of wine, and filling four wine glasses. As she placed each glass in front of her guests, she heard Amanda call for her.

"Coming, sweetie!" Katherine called out, leaving the kitchen and climbing the stairs to her daughter’s room. Meanwhile, Jack, Rose, Charles, and Jessica ate their stew, waiting for one of them to speak.

"So," Jack said, setting his fork down and looking at Charles. "How long have you and Jessica been married?" Jack looked from Charles to Jessica, then back to Charles.

"Well, for three years now," Charles answered. "I met her a week after you left and we began to see each other often. Then, one day when it was summer, I took her to the beach, proposed, and we got married on August 17, 1909, and we’ve been happily married since. How about you? When did you get married?"

"Well, right now Rose and I are on our honeymoon," Jack said. "We got married on the twentieth of this month."

"Really?" Charles asked, smiling. "So, you two got married five days ago?" Jack nodded his head. "How long have you two known each other?" Charles put a forkful of stew into his mouth, looking at Jack. Jack coughed, answering his question.

"For two weeks," Jack said, his eyes looking at Charles, waiting for his reaction.

"Two weeks?" Charles exclaimed, his eyes wide. "You knew her for about a week, then married her? How’d that happen?"

"It’s a long story," Jack said, looking down at his food and finding that he had lost his appetite. He looked over at Rose, finding her smiling at him, but he could see the pain lingering in her once happy eyes. He sighed.

"Care to share it with us?" Charles asked. Jessica nudged with her elbow. Charles looked over at her. "What?" Jessica just gave him a stern look.

"Charles, it’s none of your business, just as it isn’t mine. Now, don’t go asking people questions like that when they’re not really interested in telling us," Jessica said.

"I’m just curious," Charles said innocently. "Besides, we’re supposed to be good friends. Friends don’t keep secrets from each other, especially if you haven’t seen each other in about two years."

"Charles--" Jessica began.

"It’s okay," Jack said, cutting off the small argument between Charles and his wife. "I already discussed this with Jon. I know that Charles is curious, and I don’t blame him. I mean, we haven’t seen each other for about two years, and sure enough, that curiosity is gonna build up in him." Jack gave both of them a small smile. "This may be hard and painful for us to share, but we both believe it’s better to share than to hide it and feel the pain for the rest of our lives." Jack felt Rose’s hand slip into his. Jack glanced over at Rose and smiled.

"Everything will be fine, Jack," Rose whispered, smiling sweetly at him. Jack nodded and lifted her hand, pressing his lips against her knuckles and smiling at her. Rose gave him a small smile, remembering the last time he had kissed her hand like that. The last time he had was after she had promised him that she would go on with her life, and the time before was before the dinner. And as he kissed her knuckles, he always smiled at the end, no matter what the situation.

"Well, I’ll tell you my side of the story first," Jack said. "It was April tenth of this year, and I was in Southampton, England, with a good friend. His name was Fabrizio di Rossi, an Italian man who I had met in Italy the year before. We were good pals, very good pals."

"Were?" Charles asked, confused.

"Let me finish," Jack said. Charles nodded. "He was the sort of guy who understood me...who was like a brother to me, you know? Well, anyway, that morning, Fabri and I went to a pub to get a drink. Two Swedes, Sven and Olaf, called us over for a poker game. We agreed to it and we began playing. I bet every penny in my pocket, while Fabri bet a lot of his change and his father’s pocketknife. Olaf bet his pocket watch, while Sven bet their tickets on the Titanic."

"The Titanic?" Charles asked. "The Titanic that sank on the fifteenth?" Jack nodded, his blue eyes dark with gloom.

"Unfortunately, we won, and we boarded the ship at noon. We were third class passengers aboard the luxurious ship. It was beautiful...very beautiful," Jack said. "She was like a floating palace. They said that the third class section of the ship was as elegant as the first. I have to say that it isn’t true, because I’ve been to first class. I’ve seen how beautiful it was. But I can say that third class on the Titanic was better than third class on any other ship. Now, the day after I boarded the ship was when I first laid eyes on this beauty." Jack looked over at Rose, smiling sweetly at her. Rose blushed, smiling back.

"So, you met her onboard the ship?" Charles asked.

"Yeah," Jack said. "Only she wasn’t third class."

"So, she was second class?" Charles asked. Jack shook his head. "First class?" Jack nodded his head, looking at him. "How?"

"Well, you see, I was out on deck when I first laid eyes on him. I was miserable, trapped, lonely--even though I had a fiancé," Rose said, explaining how they had first met.

"But what did Jack have to offer you?" Charles asked. "I mean, he doesn’t have any money."

"He doesn’t have to," Rose said. "I never cared for the money. Yes, I know I had all this beautiful jewelry and wonderful dresses, but that doesn’t mean anything. Ever since my father died when I was sixteen, everything has changed. Nothing was the same anymore. My mother grew bossy and forced me to get engaged to Caledon Hockley, unfortunately, since he was the friend of the family, and a rich one at that. My mother was the one who cared for the money. I was the opposite. I was more like my father, I should say. He loved my mother and me more than anything. That’s what I loved most about my father. He was the most caring man I’ve ever known, besides Jack, and he always found a way to make me smile, to make me feel loved--just as Jack does." Rose looked at her husband. "So, you see, Charles, money isn’t everything. It’s just a piece of paper with a printed value, or a piece of metal, molded into a circular shape. You can’t buy a husband or a wife with money. You can’t buy life with money. That’s something you need to earn. Love, Charles--love is the most important thing in a person’s life, no matter who it’s from. If that person loves you, and you love them back, you’ll be the richest person in the world. Nothing matters more to me than Jack’s love for me. That’s why I fell in love with him. Cal didn’t love me. If he did, he didn’t show it. All Cal did was treat me as a possession, as if I was a trophy that he won in a game or a bet. He didn’t even come close to Jack. Jack doesn’t have to have millions of dollars. He doesn’t even have to have any amount of money. All he needs is the love that I give him and he knows that his life is worth living, just as I know that I’m the luckiest woman in the world to have a husband like Jack Dawson. He changed my life. Moreover, he saved my life, something a man has never had the courage to do. And I cherish him for that." Rose glanced over at her husband with a small smile on her face, her eyes shining with every bit of love that was inside of her.

"Jack," Charles said. "You have some wife there. Take care of her."

"Don’t worry. I will," Jack said, smiling.

"That must’ve been frightening...to be on the Titanic," Jessica said, eyeing Jack and Rose.

"Well, it was when the iceberg hit and during the sinking. Even after the ship sank. There were fifteen hundred people floating nearby, freezing to death as they waited for the boats to come back," Rose said. "And only one came back. One boat, out of twenty. They only took six survivors out of the water...Jack and I included. But I assure you that before that iceberg hit, being on the Titanic was the best thing that could’ve happened to me, for I know that if I hadn’t been aboard the ship, I would’ve never met Jack, and I wouldn’t be his wife today." Jessica smiled.

"It must’ve been romantic, meeting your loved one aboard a luxurious ship," Jessica said, looking over at Rose.

"It was," Rose said, smiling back at her. "We also shared our true love’s first kiss at the bow."

"Really?" Jessica asked, smiling happily. Rose nodded.

"Jack took me flying," Rose said, her eyes shining with happiness.

"That sounds very romantic," Jessica said. Rose smiled happily. She nodded.

"It was," Rose said. "The Titanic changed my life, in good ways and bad. And I have to admit that I’m glad I was on that ship. I’m glad that I met Jack. With him around, I feel loved and cared for, and I feel as if...as if I...I just can’t describe the feeling, but all I know is that he’s the only man I’ll ever love, the only man that will ever understand me, the only man who can see right through me and read my soul as if I were an open book. And for that, I love him. I love him so much that every time I look at him, I get butterflies in my stomach, as if I was first meeting him. I fall in love with him all over again. My heart opens up more, allowing him to capture it, to have my love and hold onto it, until the day we have to meet up in heaven. Until the day where we have completed our vows and lived our lives. From the moment I laid eyes on him, I knew he was the one." Rose’s eyes moistened from her tears, looking over at her husband. She mouthed I love you, smiling at him. Jack smiled back and gently squeezed her hand.

"I never heard anything so beautiful," Jessica said, her voice choked up. "So...true. You two are in love, and you’re not afraid to admit it. You’re not afraid to show other people how much in love you are. I don’t know what to say. You are the only people, besides Jon and Kat, who are so much in love with each other and are not afraid to show it, and for that, I’m glad to have finally met you." Jack and Rose smiled. "Rose, you’re beautiful, and you’re actually the only first class girl that I’ve met who’s said that money isn’t important. I came from that territory before I met Charles, being a first class debutante. And to tell you the truth, I despised it. I hated being served and being dressed by my maids. I know I’m capable of doing those things myself. I don’t need anybody else doing them for me. My mother--she never understood. She never knew how money isn’t that important, or as valuable as having the ability to love someone and get the same love in return. I met Charles when my family and I were on a vacation. I wanted to go to California at the time. When I told my mother, she looked at me as if I had five heads. I told her I wanted to see the climate and the people there, and that I didn’t care if she didn’t want to go. I told her I’d be more than happy to go on my own. My mother, being the woman that she is, finally gave in, and we got on the next train to Santa Monica."

"You were a debutante?" Rose asked. Jessica nodded.

"But I didn’t act like it," Jessica said.

"Don’t worry. Neither did I," Rose said, smiling. Jack saw how Rose enjoyed having a conversation with Jessica, and he smiled. He decided to let them have their own conversation privately, so he got up.

"Charles, why don’t you come with me to the parlor so we can catch up on the good old times," Jack said. Charles nodded and got up as well. "Let’s leave the ladies alone to talk."

"Of course," Charles said, smiling. He went over to Jessica and gave her a tender kiss on the lips before leaving the kitchen. Jack went over to Rose and pressed his lips against hers, slipping his tongue into her mouth and bringing her into a passionate kiss. Rose brought her hand towards his face, caressing his cheek with her delicate fingers. A few moments passed. Then they broke apart.

"See you later," Jack said, smiling and leaving the kitchen. Rose smiled back, sighing happily.

"Isn’t it good to have husbands who love us so much?" Jessica asked. Rose turned to face her and smiled.

"Of course it is," Rose said, smiling.

"You two are so beautiful together," Jessica said. "You are a match made in heaven." Rose blushed.

"Thank you," Rose said. "Well, back to our little conversation."

"Oh, yes," Jessica said, crossing her legs under the table. "I tell you, being a debutante isn’t that much fun."

"I know," Rose agreed. "Mother always expected me to be perfect, to fit in with the rest of them. She wanted me to marry the richest man she knew so that my future children would live in luxury and so that I would be stunningly beautiful and perfect."

"Your mother and mine would make perfect friends," Jessica said, smiling.

"Well, back then they would have," Rose said. "She’s changed now. Believe me."

"So, I assume she survived the sinking," Jessica said.

"She did. She finally found out that the ship was sinking when we were boarding the lifeboats," Rose said, giving a chuckle.

"She was with you?" Jessica asked. Rose nodded.

"With my ex-fiancé," Rose added. "The famous Caledon Hockley, son of Nathan Hockley, also known as a Pittsburgh steel tycoon. The handsome, rich, perfect gentleman in first class, to everyone else. A thirty-year-old bachelor who was looking for the right woman to marry, looking for a young wife, obviously, to carry his heir." Jessica chuckled.

"Isn’t that always the mother’s dream for her daughter?" Jessica asked, smiling.

"Well, if your daughter is a beautiful debutante, it is," Rose said.

"Oh, yes, of course," Jessica said, smiling. "How is it that our mothers always have to choose our husbands, who are rich and about twenty years older than us, when they have the ability to marry them themselves?"

"I honestly have no idea," Rose said. "Why can’t they just let us choose our own husbands?"

"I know!" Jessica said, agreeing.

"Well, it seems that we already did," Rose said, smiling.

"I suppose we did," Jessica said, laughing. Rose joined in the laughter.

"It’s just amazing how both of us were debutantes and how we both married the one man that we loved," Rose said. "I find it so incredible that we have that one thing in common."

"I know. I have never met anyone in my life who was a member of high society who agreed with my opinion, who agreed that money isn’t actually worth more than love is," Jessica said. "And I treasure that within my heart. And Rose." Jessica’s voice was choked with her upcoming tears. "I hope we become great friends." Rose looked at her with smiling eyes.

"I couldn’t agree more," Rose said. Jessica smiled, throwing her arms around Rose’s shoulders and bringing her into a friendly hug.

"You don’t know how much this means to me, Rose," Jessica said. "I haven’t had a true friend since I was a small child."

"I’ll be more than happy to share my friendship with you," Rose said, pulling away from the hug. Jessica smiled. There was a moment’s silence between the two. Rose was the one to break it. "So, what happened to your father?"

"I never met him," Jessica said. "Mother told me that he died a few months before I was born."

"I’m sorry," Rose said, feeling the grief.

"Don’t worry about it," Jessica said. "What happened to yours?"

"He passed away when I was sixteen," Rose said, looking down at her hands. "He died of leukemia." Rose looked at her.

"I do apologize," Jessica said. "It must hurt to lose a loved one."

"It does," Rose said. "I almost lost Jack, and that would’ve broken my heart."

"Well, you haven’t," Jessica said. "Don’t dwell on the past. It won’t do any good."

"I know," Rose said. "But it’s still fresh in my mind. I can’t erase it, nor can I get rid of it. That tragedy will always be with me, no matter what I do."

"I know," Jessica said. "I know that it will, but don’t look back on it and say that you could’ve lost Jack. That will make you even more upset. Trust me, I know."

"You do?" Rose asked, looking at her.

"Yes," Jessica said. "I had a best friend who I had known for all my life. She was like my sister. Her name was Daniella Matthews. She had chestnut brown hair and light green eyes. She was beautiful, and dreamed of becoming a wife and a mother someday. When I was fourteen, Daniella and I went to a lake near Philadelphia." Jessica’s eyes began to moisten. "I, not knowing that she couldn’t swim, pushed her into the lake, watching her wave her arms and cough. I thought she was fooling around, but when she went under and didn’t resurface, I began to panic. I went in and tried to look for her, but couldn’t find her. She drowned because of my stupidity, because of my idiotic behavior. I should’ve known that she couldn’t swim...I should’ve known!" Jessica cried, tears cascading down her cheeks. Rose got up from her chair and went towards her, kneeling beside her.

"I’m sorry," Rose apologized, her eyes shining with sorrow and regret. "I shouldn’t have brought up the subject. I should’ve just kept my feelings to myself."

"No--no, it’s all right," Jessica said. "I’ll be fine. It happened five years ago...I’ll get over it."

"Jessica, I know you miss her. I know you do," Rose said. "The only way you will feel better is if you let all your pain out. And the only way you can do that is to cry. I cried a lot this week, all for the same reason. The tragedy, the disaster, that changed my life. Also, I cry because I mourn for the fifteen hundred people who died, and for my father, who was the only man before Jack who understood me and loved me for who I was. I miss him. I really miss him, but I remember all the good times I had with him. That’s all that matters, remembering all the fun times you had together. Then you’ll know that you had that person in your life for so long that it’s just hard to let go. And you don’t have to. Daniella will always be in your heart, just as my father is. Don’t hold your pain inside you. That will only make it worse." Jessica looked at Rose, allowing the tears to flow, mourning over her best friend for the first time in five years. For the past five years, she had kept the pain locked up inside her, not wanting to let Daniella go, not wanting to believe that she had passed away--that she had drowned in the lake. She felt Rose’s arms go around her, pulling her into a friendly, comforting hug. Jessica buried her face in the crook of her neck, crying on her shoulder. Rose patted Jessica’s back, allowing Jessica to cry on her shoulder, to relieve her pain and lift the weight off her shoulders.

"I just wish I could’ve helped her!" Jessica cried. "I just wish I could bring her back."

"I know, Jessica. I know," Rose said, trying to hold back her tears. They stayed that way for a few minutes, Rose comforting Jessica and Jessica crying on her shoulder. Jessica pulled away, wiping her tears away with her fingers. "Jessica, just remember that she will always be watching over you. She’ll be right here in your heart." Rose placed a gentle hand over her heart. "I don’t want you to hold your feelings inside you. It will only make matters worse." Jessica nodded.

"Thank you," Jessica said. "Thank you for your help. I really needed that."

"Not a problem at all," Rose said, a smile across her face. "I’m glad to help my friends out." Jessica smiled and hugged Rose.

"I really appreciate it, Rose. I never had a true friend like you after Daniella," Jessica said. She pulled away to look into Rose’s eyes. "I’m glad you followed your heart and married the one you love."

"Me, too, Jessica," Rose said, smiling. "Me, too."

"Jess?" Charles called from the parlor. Jessica looked over her shoulder. "Are you ready to go?"

"Yes, Charles. I’m ready," Jessica said. She turned to face Rose. "Well, I’d better get going, then. Charles and I are going to visit his relatives." Rose smiled. "We haven’t seen them since last Christmas!"

"Well, then, you’d better get going. You wouldn’t want to be late," Rose said, smiling and motioning for Jessica to go.

"I’ll probably visit here tomorrow. You’re going to be here, right?" Jessica asked.

"Yes. We’re staying here for the remainder of our honeymoon. Katherine insisted that we stay here instead of in a hotel," Rose said. "Besides, I don’t mind staying here at all. I love her little girl."

"Who doesn’t?" Jessica asked. "She’s the sweetest thing I’ve ever seen!"

"Are you planning on having some of your own?" Rose asked.

"Of course. I would be delighted to become a mother someday. And you?" Jessica asked.

"I feel the same way," Rose said. "It’s just that I don’t know if Jack wants to have children yet."

"I’m sure he will. If he adores Amanda, he’d love to have children of his own," Jessica said. "Just give him time. Before you know it, you’ll be carrying that child inside you." Rose smiled, blushing at her words.

"Well, I’ll see you later then, Jessica," Rose said.

"Of course," Jessica said. "Good-bye, Rose." Rose gave her a smile, watching her leave the kitchen.

Rose stood in the kitchen alone. Sighing, she turned to find the table full of dirty dishes. Heading towards the table, Rose began gathering up the dishes, placing them in a neat pile, and carrying them towards the sink, where she turned on the faucet. Rose began washing every dish there was to be cleaned. She heard the door open, so she looked over her shoulder, finding Katherine standing in the doorway. Rose smiled, continuing to wash the dishes.

"Oh, Rose, you don’t have to--" Katherine began.

"Nonsense," Rose said. "I want to. Besides, I don’t want to be treated as a guest. I’ve been served all my life, and for once I want to do things on my own. I have no problem whatsoever with helping you wash the dishes." Rose placed a clean dish in the dishrack. "You already have enough to do. You have to take care of that daughter of yours. Don’t you worry about me. I’m fine. Why don’t you worry about yourself, and get some time off?" Katherine smiled.

"Thank you, Rose," Katherine said. "I really appreciate it."

"No problem," Rose said, continuing to wash the dishes. "So, what were they doing in there?" Rose asked, referring to Jack and Charles.

"Oh, they’re just talking," Katherine said. "You know, catching up on the good old times, as they say." Rose laughed.

"They must really be good friends," Rose said, placing another clean plate on the dishrack.

"They are," Katherine said. "But I have a feeling that Jon isn’t his best friend...like, he really isn’t that one person he could call his brother, you know." Rose stopped what she was doing and looked over her shoulder.

"Well, he did have a friend with him, aboard the Titanic, and I should say that he was like a brother to Jack. Someone who cared for Jack...who treated him as a brother. But...he died on that night," Rose said, her voice getting choked up. "He was a nice man, Katherine. I can tell you that."

"I’m sorry," Katherine apologized.

"There’s nothing to be sorry for, Kat," Rose said. "I only knew Fabrizio for one day. I hardly knew him, to tell you the truth. All I knew was that Fabrizio meant a lot to Jack, and now he’s gone. Taken away from him because of a stupid iceberg!" Tears threatened to escape Rose’s eyes, but she prevented them from doing so. She closed her eyes, taking a deep breath to calm her nerves. "I’m sorry. It’s just that so many people died that night...died for no reason. Innocent people who wanted to see America died on that dreadful night because of an iceberg. They said that the Titanic was unsinkable. But look at it now. She’s under the North Atlantic, with fifteen hundred people. A lot of them were third class, because those officers wanted to get the rich and famous into lifeboats first." Rose felt a tear slide down her cheek. "Jack could’ve been one of them...and I...I just can’t get it out of my mind, that he was very close to death on that night...I...I’m sorry!" Rose cried, turning to finish washing the dishes. Katherine went towards her, placing a hand on her shoulder.

"Rose, it’s okay to cry," Katherine said. Rose turned around and let all her tears out. Katherine just wrapped her arms around her, bringing her into a friendly, comforting hug. "Shh. I’m here, Rose. Everything will be okay." Rose wrapped her arms around Katherine’s back, crying on her shoulder. Katherine had tears shining in her eyes. "Don’t worry."

"I just wish I could bring them back!" Rose cried. "I want to bring them back."

"I know, Rose, but you can’t change the past," Katherine said, pulling away from the hug to look into her face. "Rose, I know it hurts you, but there’s nothing you can do about it. You’re a survivor of the tragedy, and because you are, that tragedy is going to play in your mind over and over, no matter how many times you try to forget it. There’s no way you can forget a tragedy like this. This was a famous ocean liner, a ship that was said to be unsinkable, but that was proven wrong. Rose, don’t strain yourself. I don’t want to see you end up depressed and lonely. Jack is here. He’ll always be there for you. Remember that. He won’t leave you. He loves you." Rose looked down, more tears sliding down her porcelain cheeks.

"I know he does," Rose said, her voice a bit shaky. Katherine smiled.

"Why don’t you just sit down and relax while I finish the dishes. Okay?" Katherine asked. Rose nodded, going to take a seat on one of the chairs. She watched as Katherine finished washing the dishes that were left. Rose heard the kitchen door open. She lifted her head to find Amanda smiling up at her.

"Hey, Mandy." Rose smiled.

"Hi, Mrs. Dawson!" Amanda said, running towards her.

"No running in the house, sweetie," Katherine said over her shoulder, putting a plate in the dishrack with the others.

"Sorry, Mommy," Amanda said. "Mrs. Dawson, can you come play with me?"

"Mandy, leave Mrs. Dawson alone for now. She’s--" Katherine began.

"No, it’s fine. I’d love to, Amanda," Rose said, getting up and allowing Amanda to lead her out of the kitchen. Katherine just shook her head, smiling. Amanda led Rose to the parlor, where she found Jack sitting. Jack turned, smiling at his wife. Rose smiled back and went up the stairs, where she went inside Amanda’s room and played with her.

Chapter Twenty-Three
Stories