A LOVE NEVER FADING
Chapter Twenty-Nine
"Come on, Rose. Wake up." Jack
smiled as Rose turned over and moaned.
"Oh, I don't want to." She finally
opened her eyes and looked up at Jack.
He kissed her forehead. "Come on, get
up. We have an appointment."
"How can you be wide awake this
early?"
"I had a good night's sleep. I told you
we needed to rest."
"Your forgetting, dear, that we didn't
do anything along the lines of sleep last night. That is why I'm tired."
Jack laughed. "How could I ever forget
that?" He sighed. "Seriously now, I'm all dressed and I have your
clothes out..."
"My clothes?"
"Uh-huh. You need to dress special for
where we're going. So I picked your most suitable outfit." He smiled.
"Now please get up."
"You're the devil." Rose picked up
a pillow and threw it at his head.
*****
Rose watched everything around her disappear.
Now there was nothing but desert surrounding her and Jack. She was truly
baffled. Where is he taking me? she thought. After she had dressed in
the pants that Jack had laid out, she ate breakfast. Then a car pulled up in
the driveway and Jack said they needed a car for where they were going. Rose
knew they weren't going to the pier, because they could have walked there. They
were now sitting in the back of a car and bumping along a desert road. Jack was
smiling. He was holding her hand, like always, so she knew whatever they were
about to do would be wonderful.
"You won't even give me a hint?"
she asked.
"Nope. We'll be there soon enough, and
then everything will be clear."
Rose smiled. "So mysterious. I like this
side of you." She poked him in the stomach.
Jack laughed.
They rode for about another forty-five
minutes. Rose looked out the window. She had stopped trying to guess where they
were headed. She didn't even want to think about it because it got her too
excited. Jack seemed so happy and pleased with himself, she knew it was going
to be incredible. Then she saw a faint shape in the distance. As they drew
nearer, it began to take the form of a building with a large field beside it.
Upon closer looking, she could make out tiny objects that almost looked like
planes. And then she realized they were planes. Rose gasped a little. She saw
one take off. Now they were so close, she could read the sign. Black's Flying
Field.
"Jack..."
He put his finger on her lips. His smile
could light up the world. "I took you flying before. Now I want to do it
for real."
Rose smiled brightly. She threw her arms
around his neck. "You're the most wonderful man alive. I love it. I love
the idea. I love you! You really didn't have to."
"Anything for you. And I mean that with
all my heart and soul."
Rose sighed. "Everything is so
perfect."
"Here we are!" the driver shouted
as he stopped the car.
"Thanks," Jack said. He got out of
the car and helped Rose out.
"I'll be back in a few hours." The
driver smiled and sped off.
Jack kissed the top of Rose's head.
"Come on."
They walked towards the big building. Rose
giggled when she heard the yelling coming from inside. Two men were fighting
over something technical and they were using words that would make a sailor
blush. Jack looked over at Rose and smiled. They walked to the door and watched
the two men go at it for a second. Then one of the men noticed them. After he
turned fifty shades of red he walked over to greet them.
"I...uh...sorry you had to hear that,
Miss."
Rose smiled charmingly. "That's quite
all right, really."
He smiled. "Well, how ya doing?" He
shook Jack and Rose's hands. "The name's Hank Black. That back there is my
brother Ned." He paused for a second. "You must be the fellow who
called up and wanted me to teach his wife to fly a plane."
"That's me. Jack Dawson, and this is
Rose, my wife."
He smiled. "So ya interested in flying,
are ya? Well, ya come to the right place. Come on, let's go out to the
field."
The three of them walked out to the field and
started the lesson. Ned joined them a few minutes later. He had brought a
camera. The brothers told them it was custom to take photographs of the people
they taught. For the next two hours the brothers explained everything to Jack
and Rose. They decided that they would take them up separately, then if they
were comfortable, Jack and Rose could go up by themselves. Hank took Rose up,
and Jack went with Ned. When it was all complete, Rose decided she really
wanted to fly the plane herself.
"Okay, Rose, you get in the driver's
seat..." Hank was interrupted.
"Wait!" Jack smiled. He ran back to
the building, and when he returned he had a jacket and white scarf in his
hands. "Put these on." He held them out to Rose.
"Jack, where did you get these?"
she asked, baffled.
"I bought them back in New York. As soon
as I found out we were going to Santa Monica I knew I wanted to take you here.
I had to buy you something suitable to wear. So I did."
"But you've given me so much..."
"Don't say that." He put the jacket
on her, and while he did that he moved his mouth the her ear so Ned and Hank
wouldn't hear him. "You've given me more than you could ever know. Just
you looking into my eyes means the world. A jacket and scarf is nothing."
He stepped back and draped the scarf around her neck. "Now, you're
ready."
Rose walked over to the plane. Ned asked her
to pose for a photo. She put her foot on the rest and held onto the seat. Her
right hand rested on her hip. Rose gave a dazzling smile and the bulb flashed.
"That's going to be a beauty," Hank
said to no one in particular.
Jack helped Rose into the plane, and then
hopped into the back seat. The engine started and she took off and glided into
the air like it was second nature. She gasped at the sights. Rose felt so much
power in her grasp. Everything was heightened. The wind blew in her face.
"It's so beautiful," she said to herself. The plane soared around the
sky. She wanted to fly forever, it felt so free. Rose became like a new person
up in the sky. It was almost surreal. It was hard to believe that she was
actually doing this. Something she had dreamed about for so long was actually
happening. And the person she had to thank for all of it was sitting right
behind her.
Rose stayed in the air as long as possible.
She noticed the gas was getting low so she landed. Jack got out of the plane
and was going to help Rose but she jumped out herself and flew into his arms.
"Oh, thank you, thank you, thank
you." She kissed his face over and over. "That was the best thing I
ever done. I love you. Thank you a million times."
Jack laughed and pried her arms from his
neck. "I'm glad you enjoyed it."
She beamed. "It was so perfect."
The brothers smiled at each other.
"Well, it was a success then," Hank said.
"If you ever want to do it again, please,
please, please come back. We would love to see more of you two." Ned shook
their hands.
*****
"I can't wait to get the pictures back.
I bet they're magnificent. The whole thing was so exciting. Maggie will never
believe it. Brian will never believe it! Oh, this is too much." Rose was
speaking a million miles a minute.
Jack smiled across the table at her. They had
decided to eat an early dinner at an ocean front restaurant. All Rose kept
talking about was flying. He couldn't be happier. He knew she would enjoy it,
but he never figured she would like it this much. "There's only one more
stop on our trip now."
Rose arched her eyebrow. "Really? And
what and when is this?"
"Tomorrow, my darling Rose, we will
finally go to a certain pier..."
"Oh, Jack! You spoil me."
"Nonsense. What did I tell you? You pay
me back every day by coming and sleeping in my bed and waking up in my
arms."
"But I feel guilty."
Jack put his hands over hers. "Listen,
I've never had money in my life. When I was a kid we just had enough money to
get by. My dad loved my mom so much, but I know it killed him that he wasn't
able to buy her all the nice things she deserved. Now, I work for a wonderful
man who pays me much more than he should and he supports us when we do extra
things. We have the money from Cal and selling your ring. I love being able to
buy you nice things that you more than deserve. I know your old life made you a
prisoner, but I have to say you do deserve to wear diamonds and dresses that
are made in Paris."
"Jack..." Rose couldn't finish. She
was too emotional. What he had just said was one of the most beautiful things
anyone had ever said to her.
"Tomorrow...tomorrow is the day
everything comes true." Jack kissed Rose's hand. "Everything."