A LOVE NEVER FADING
Chapter Twenty-Seven

Rose felt a light breeze on her neck. She opened her eyes and saw Jack smiling at her. He blew on her face. She felt a few of her curls shift. "It's time to get up," he said gently. Jack wrapped his arms around her and gave her a long kiss.

"I wish we could stay like this forever," Rose said dreamily.

Jack smiled. "So do I, but we need to eat." He climbed off her and the bed. She watched him walk into the other room and return, balancing two trays of food. He set them on the bed and climbed back onto it. He put the one tray in front of Rose and the other in front of the one so he could eat across from her. Jack sat back on his feet and Rose did the same.

"Jack, look at all this food."

"Well, I don't know about you, but I'm starving." He smiled at her and took a bite of the bacon.

"So, what time does the train leave?"

"It's supposed to leave at eleven o'clock, but you know trains. It's 8:30, so we have plenty of time."

"I can't believe we are going to Santa Monica. This is so wonderful."

Jack smiled at Rose's excitement. She looked so adorable. "You better eat up so we can get ready," he said playfully.

"OK, OK."

They ate their breakfast. When they had finished, Jack took the trays and left them on the cart in the hallway. He went back in the room and saw Rose standing in the middle of the bathroom. She seemed to be in awe of something. He walked in and stood beside her. Jack tried to figure out what she was staring at.

"What are looking at?"

"That tub. It's huge. I'm so used to the one at home, I forgot they made them that big. You could fit ten people in that."

Jack raised his eyebrow. "Really? So that means you could fit two people quite nicely."

Rose smiled. "I suppose you could."

"Well, then." Jack began to run the water. "Let's test that theory out." He removed his clothes and slid into the warm water. Rose smiled at him. She let her robe fall off and she sank into the water, right on top of Jack. He put his arms over her stomach and smiled to himself. Jack started to hum a familiar tune then gently sang in his off key voice that Rose loved so much. "Love won't retreat in the autumn. We'll be complete in the autumn. All that we have won't be past...won't be past."

Rose smiled. "Jack, were you always so romantic?"

"No, not until I met you. Of all the women I have ever known, you bring out the best in me." He kissed her neck.

Rose smiled, but something had been plaguing her since she first meet Jack. Something wanted to know. She decided now was as good a time as any to ask. "Jack? How many other women were there?"

Jack smiled. "Rose, I can't count that high."

"Jack!" She tried to yell, but he put his hand over her mouth. She could hear his hysterical laughter.

"I'm kidding. I'm kidding. I liked a girl back in Wisconsin, but I was fifteen, so it wasn't much of a relationship. Then while I traveled, I met some women, but I never really connected with any of them. They were nice, but something was always missing. When I met you, I finally felt complete. You were what was always missing from my life. Honestly, Rose, you are the only woman I have ever been with. That night in the car was my first time."

"Really?"

"Yes. Does that surprise you?"

Rose blushed. "Yes. I thought you would have been with so many women. Everybody loves you."

"Everybody may love me, Rose, but I only love one person, and she is laying in my arms right now."

Rose smiled. "You're the most wonderful man alive. Did you know that?"

"I'm only as good as you make me." He kissed her. Jack picked up the soap and ran it along Rose's arms.

After a little while, the water began to cool, so Jack and Rose got out. Rose put on one of her long dresses. She let her hair hang down except for the very top, which she pulled back into a little twist, and held it there with a comb. Jack put on his regular outfit of pants and button up shirt. They packed up their tiny suitcases--they only had two, one for each of them--and left the suite.

They had so much time that they decided to walk to the train station. "Jack, how long do you think the ride will take?"

"I would say two and a half, three days. Erik gave me a little more time, to account for traveling."

"Oh, I love Erik. He reminds me so much of my father. And..."

"Mr. Andrews."

Rose stopped dead in her tracks, and looked, bewildered, at Jack. "How did you know that?"

"I was thinking the same thing yesterday morning."

She smiled and started to walk again. "Jack?"

"Yes?"

She smiled at him. "I just wanted to let you know I love you."

"I know you do." He smiled. "I love you, too."

Rose didn't know why, but she just wanted to tell him. The walked for a little while in silence. Jack loved the fact that they could be with each other and not have to say anything. That's how his parents were, and he always wanted that in a relationship. He looked over at Rose and noticed she looked deep in thought. "What are you thinking about?"

"I was thinking about our wedding, compared to what mine and Cal's would have been."

"Oh?"

"Yes, before I sailed on Titanic I tried on my wedding dress in Paris. It was covered in pearls and diamonds. The train was--oh God, I don't even know how many feet. And the veil was almost crushing my head. You remember I told you five hundred people would be there. Yesterday, my dress was simple. It had pearls sewn into the top and a light lace veil. We had four guests, but it was the most perfect thing I could ever have imagined. It's really true when people say the settings aren't important. It's the person. If I was getting married to anyone but you, it would have been one of the worst days of my life."

Jack smiled. He took her free hand in his own and kissed her cheek. "You're an angel. A perfect angel."

Rose smiled and kept walking. She thought about how Jack would say those things to her. He would call her his sweet rose, his little flower, his angel. He would sing to her, hold her, the little ways he would touch her. Everything he would do was out of love. He didn't have to say he loved her for her to know. In the morning before he left for work he would pull the covers up around her neck. If was Rose was ever tired he would just sit her down and do everything that needed to be done. Even if she wasn't tired he would still help out. Rose knew how much Jack loved her without him saying a word, but the wonderful thing was, he still said it.

*****

"All aboard!" the man shouted from the train.

"We made it just in time," Jack said as they walked along the tracks.

"I love trains." Rose smiled at all the people busy boarding.

Jack smiled at Rose's excitement. "Up you go." He helped her up the train's stairs and climbed up himself. They walked through the narrow train hallways until they found their section. Jack took their suitcases and put them up top.

Rose sat herself next to the window. She watched as the last few people ran to catch the train. She heard the doors shut and the train began to stir. Jack sat down, but got back up a second later when the ticket man came. "Tickets, sir?"

Jack took the tickets from his pockets and handed them to him. The moment he left, another man came. "Can I get you folks anything?"

Jack looked back at Rose, who gently shook her head. "No, thank you." The man left. Jack shut the little door.

"Now." He sat down next to Rose. Then, just as she had predicted, he pulled her into his arms. He rested his head on her neck and looked out the window with her. They watched the bustling train station grow smaller and smaller, then finally disappear.

"What do you want to do first?"

"I don't care, as long as I'm with you." He smiled to himself. "I would like to do some sketches, though. Especially ones of you."

"Jack, you already have so many of me. Don't you get tired of drawing the same thing?"

Jack laughed. "How could I ever tire of drawing such a beautiful woman? That's like saying you're tired of the sun, moon, or stars. I have so many sketches of you because it seems like every time I look at you I'm discovering something new. And you are so easy to draw. The first time I drew you I was so nervous. I kept thinking, how can I capture her beauty, but my hand just seemed to flow on the paper. I had never felt that before. There are so many things I never felt until met you. That's why I never want to let you go, because I never want to stop feeling this way."

Chapter Twenty-Eight
Stories