LOVE THAT NEVER FADES
Chapter Seven

True Love

Jack and Rose slept beside each other, his arms around Rose’s shoulders and Rose’s head leaning against Jack’s shoulder. Ruth, on the other hand, slept in Rose’s bed, while Jack and Rose slept in Jack’s bed. It was now early morning of April 18, 1912, and Rose was the first to wake up. She looked up and saw Jack’s sleeping face facing her. Rose smiled and carefully slipped out of Jack’s warm embrace. As she did so, Jack mumbled something, but didn’t wake up. Rose smiled and gently kissed his cheek, getting up and stretching.

Rose saw that most of the beds were empty and made. She also looked around and saw that half of the survivors weren’t in the infirmary anymore. Most of them were probably out on deck, while others were still asleep or unconscious. Rose decided to go out on deck for awhile and get some fresh air before Jack woke up. Once she got out on deck, she saw that it was crowded with the survivors that had once been in the infirmary. Rose gave a small smile, glad that they had survived. She was also glad that Jack had survived. She wouldn’t have known what to do if Jack had perished on that dreadful night.

As Rose was making her way towards a deck chair to sit down, she saw two little girls sitting on the deck with their mother, crying. One girl held a doll close and the other was just in her mother’s arms, crying for her father. Rose took a closer look and realized that they were the same children that had been in the lifeboat that she had boarded before she had jumped back on the ship to be with Jack. She remembered their father telling them that he’d be gone for a little while, and that there would be boats for the daddies, but they had to get the mommies and the children in the boats first.

Rose remembered when Jack had told her to get in the boat, and she had refused, but she had ended up in the lifeboat when an officer had pulled her into the boat, leaving Jack on the sinking ship. Rose remembered the look on Jack’s face as she was being lowered. Tears had been glistening Jack’s once-happy eyes, and his face had been miserable, as if he had known that he wasn’t going to see her again. Just by looking at him that way, Rose had known she couldn’t stay in the lifeboat, alive, while Jack was on a sinking ship. Rose had known she couldn’t let Jack die on the ship alone. She had wanted to die with him, if she had to. She had seen the little girls crying to their father, wanting him to be with them, as Rose had wanted Jack to be with her.

Rose didn’t realize that she was crying until the mother looked up at her and saw Rose staring at them with tears streaming down her face. Rose gave her a weak smile, making her way towards the deck chair. She sat down and covered her face with her hands as tears ran down her cheeks. She cried for those who had perished on the ship, for those who had lost their loved ones on that dreadful night. She didn’t realize that the mother was now beside her with her two children. She didn’t notice that the lady had wrapped her arms around her in an attempt to comfort her.

"It’s okay," the mother said, rocking her back and forth as if she was one of her children. "Everything will be okay."

Rose looked up and found the mother comforting her. Rose immediately wiped her tears away and tried to smile, but failed when more tears came cascading down her cheeks. Rose looked at the two children and smiled down at them, knowing how it felt to lose a father, for she had lost hers only a year before. Rose looked back up at the mother and saw her smiling. Rose smiled back and wiped the remainder of her tears away, trying to calm down from crying.

"I’m sorry," Rose apologized. "I didn’t mean to disturb you from your grieving. I truly apologize. It’s just that I was in the same lifeboat as you and your children were, and I remember what your husband was telling your children, and I remember…my…" Rose covered her face with her hands and cried. The mother hugged her and rocked her back and forth to comfort her.

"Shh. It’s okay," the mother said, trying not to cry. "He’s gone, though. That’s why we’re crying. He’s gone." Rose pulled away from the hug and looked at the woman.

"I’m so sorry," Rose said.

"It’s okay," the woman said. "At least I have my two little girls with me." The woman looked at her daughters with love.

"I’m Rose," Rose introduced herself. "Rose Dawson."

"Isabelle Erickson," Isabelle said, smiling. "And these are my girls, Erica and Jocelyn." Isabelle introduced her daughters to Rose. "Go on, girls. Say hi."

"Hi," the girls said sadly.

"Hi." Rose smiled. The one with the doll, Jocelyn, smiled and moved closer to Rose. Erica just stayed where she was, her face still gloomy. "Oh, sweetie, it’s okay." Rose brought Erica into a friendly hug.

"My daddy’s gone. He’s gone forever!" Erica cried, hugging Rose.

"Shh." Rose comforted Erica. "Don’t worry. He’s in a better place now. He’s in heaven with all the angels, and he’s watching over you right now."

"Really?" Erica asked. Rose nodded.

"I know my daddy is," Rose said.

"Your daddy died, too?" Erica asked. Rose nodded.

"He died a year ago. And I miss him very much, but I know that he’s watching over me," Rose said. "And he’s right here." Rose placed her hand over her heart. "Always and forever. And your daddy is with all of you, always and forever." Rose placed her hand over Erica’s heart. Erica smiled and threw her arms around Rose’s neck. Rose hugged her back and let Erica cry on her shoulder. "Shh. It’s okay, Erica. Just remember not to be sad all the time. You have to stay happy for your daddy. He wouldn’t want to see you and your sister sad all the time. I don’t think he would want to see your mommy sad, either, so try to make her happy. All right?" Erica and Jocelyn nodded. Rose smiled and got up. "Well, I’d better go back inside the infirmary to see if my…my husband is all right." Rose wondered if calling Jack her husband was really a good idea.

"Okay," Isabelle said. "It was nice meeting you, Rose."

"You, too. Good-bye," Rose said, walking back into the infirmary to see if Jack had woken up.

When Rose entered the infirmary, she found Jack sitting up and eating his breakfast. Her mother wasn’t lying in her bed, and Jack looked…sad, as if he had lost someone he really loved. Rose slowly went towards him and sat beside him, wrapping her arm around his shoulders. He jumped, and looked at her with wide eyes.

"It’s just me, Jack," Rose said, caressing his face gently. "It’s just me." She saw Jack smile and wrap his arms tightly around her.

"I thought it was all a dream," Jack whispered, holding Rose close to him, fearing that if he let go, she’d disappear.

"I’m here," Rose said, hugging him back. "I’ll always be here. Remember that." Rose pulled away and looked into Jack’s eyes. "I’ll never leave you again."

"Promise?" Jack asked. Rose smiled.

"I promise," Rose said, kissing him with all the passion in herself. "I love you." They pulled apart.

"I love you, too, Rose," Jack said, caressing her red curls, which were tangled and limp from swimming a few days ago.

Rose closed her eyes as she breathed in his scent, wanting to be in his arms forever. She looked into his eyes as she moved a strand of his blonde hair, placed it behind his ear, and smiled. She always got lost in Jack’s eyes, feeling the intensity in them. Just by looking into his eyes, she knew that he loved her, that he would do absolutely anything to protect her from the cruel world. Rose just stared into Jack’s eyes, while he stared into hers. She didn’t even realize that Annie was standing at the foot of Jack’s bed, staring at them with a smile.

"Ahem." Annie coughed. Jack and Rose turned and smiled. "I brought food for you, Rose. This will be the last meal of the day before we dock. I don’t want you to starve, you know." Annie went towards Rose and gave her the tray.

"Thank you, Annie." Rose smiled, beginning to eat her breakfast, leaving Jack to finish his, as well. Annie stood there and smiled. "Uh…if you still want to live with me at my apartment, just wait for me here when the ship docks. I’ll leave with you two." Rose looked up and smiled.

"I was just thinking about that, and I was wondering--does your apartment building have any apartments for rent?" Rose asked. Annie nodded.

"Yeah. They have one just across from me," Annie said. "It’s a nice apartment. It has two bedrooms, a living room, a dining room, a kitchen, and a bathroom. It’s been vacant for a month now." Annie smiled.

"Great. Then Jack and I would like to rent it," Rose said. She turned to Jack. "You don’t mind, do you?" Rose hoped that if she chose the apartment, he wouldn’t get upset with her.

"No, not at all," Jack said, giving Rose his famous smile. Rose smiled back and kissed him gently on the lips before continuing to eat her breakfast. Jack watched Rose eating her breakfast elegantly but hungrily. He smiled, continuing to eat his as well.

After twenty minutes passed by, Jack and Rose had finished their meals and put their trays on the small table beside them. Jack put his arm around Rose’s shoulders and brought her closer to him. Rose looked up at him and smiled lovingly. Jack kissed the top of her head and kissed her lips. He hugged her close, kissing her. Rose placed her hand on his cheek and urged him to kiss her more passionately. Jack obeyed. They were suddenly interrupted when Rose’s mother coughed to get their attention. They looked up and smiled.

"I just went up to first class to retrieve the few belongings I had with me," Ruth said. Rose smiled.

"Mother, Annie’s building has an apartment for rent, and Jack and I agreed to it," Rose said.

"That’s wonderful." Ruth smiled.

"Would you still like to join us?" Rose asked.

"Oh, no," Ruth said. "I couldn’t possibly intrude. I’ll just find my own place to live. I’ll be fine, I assure you."

"No, Ruth," Jack said. "We would like it if you joined us. We couldn’t possibly let you live on the streets. We’d be happy to take you in until you find your own place to live or something." Ruth just smiled.

"Oh, Jack, thank you so much," Ruth said, going over and hugging him tightly. "You don’t know how much trouble you’ve just saved me."

"No problem, Ruth," Jack said. "I’m glad to help."

Ruth smiled as she watched Jack hold her daughter close, as if protecting her from the dangers of the world. Ruth was glad that Rose had found someone who loved her and cared for her like Jack did. She knew it was true love, love just like Thomas and herself had once had before he had passed away. Ruth remembered how devastated and hurt Rose had been when her father had died. It was as if someone had taken Rose’s heart away from her and torn it up into pieces. That was how it had been to Ruth, too, but she had hidden her feelings from her daughter, fearing that she would worry over her, and Ruth hadn’t wanted her daughter to do that. Ruth now saw her daughter happy, something that she hadn’t seen since before her husband had died, and in love, something that Rose had hardly ever shown to Cal. Ruth was glad that Rose had ended the engagement with Cal before it was too late--before her life was completely ruined. Ruth was glad that Rose was set free from her locked cage, which she had been trapped in ever since her father had died.

Rose looked up at her mother and saw that she was in another world, as if she was lost in her memories. She just stared straight ahead, her face emotionless, yet loving. Rose smiled and leaned her head against Jack’s shoulder as he, too, smiled up at her mother. After awhile, Ruth came back to reality and smiled back at her daughter. She sat down beside her and held her hand lovingly. Rose smiled and placed her hand over her mother’s, finally feeling loved by her, which she hadn’t felt since before the engagement to Cal. Rose was glad that she had ended the engagement to Cal before she had ended up marrying him. Rose knew that if she had, she would have been the most miserable woman alive. But now she had Jack. She had the man she loved. Rose looked up at him and smiled. He smiled back, and Rose leaned her head against his shoulder, feeling safe for the first time since her father’s death.

Chapter Eight
Stories