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Chapter Three
Rose was two months pregnant when
she found out. That meant that she got pregnant the night that the Titanic
sank. Slowly, she got bigger and bigger around the middle. By the time Burt’s
opened, she was already five months pregnant, and people were starting to be
able to tell. Burt’s became an overnight success. The first few nights they
were packed, but slowly, they got just the regulars, people who came nearly
every night and became part of the family. The young men and women came to
adore Cora, and would often force Rose to take it easy. Rose loved her life.
She didn’t have to worry about parties or soirées that she had often had to go
to before. She now had a schedule. She would get up at 8:30 every morning, no
matter what. Jack would already be up for several hours, cleaning up the bar.
Rose would get Cora ready for school and walk her the four blocks to the
Catholic Girls’ School. Molly graciously paid the young girl’s tuition, despite
Rose and Jack’s protests. Rose would stop at the bakery on the way home and
pick up two cinnamon rolls. That would be their breakfast. The couple would
spend all morning getting ready for the crowd that night. They would cook,
bake, clean, and shop. At 3:15, Rose would leave to go to get Cora. By the time
they got back, it would be close to four o’clock, and Burt’s would be open.
Every day, it was the same thing, rain or shine, and Rose loved it!
*****
"Hello, beautiful,"
Jack whispered into Rose’s hair one morning as she stood behind the bar. Jack
proceeded to kiss Rose’s neck.
"Daddy!" Cora
exclaimed, trying not to laugh.
"Oh, I’m sorry!" Jack
said. Then, he leaned over the bar and kissed Cora’s cheek. "Happy
now?"
Cora shrugged and slid off the
stool. "Come on, Mommy! It’s time to go to school!"
Sighing, Rose put away the glass
she was cleaning and picked up her coat. She was now nine months pregnant and
due any day. Many of the women at Burt’s had offered to walk Cora to school and
pick her up, but Rose declined. It was her only chance to spend some time with
her daughter.
Rose took Cora’s hand, and they
began to walk to school. They were about halfway there when Rose let out a gasp
and grabbed her middle. She had just had a painful cramp.
"Mommy, are you all
right?" asked Cora. Rose looked at her and nodded quickly. She stood up
and began walking again. Five minutes later, Rose was standing outside of St.
Mary’s Catholic School for Girls when she had another painful cramp. This time,
one of the mothers of Cora’s friends came rushing over.
"Mrs. Dawson! Mrs. Dawson,
are you all right?" she asked.
Rose nodded. "I’m fine. Must
be something I ate," she replied.
The mother, Jessica, took Rose’s
arm and began leading her back to Burt’s. "Well," she said, "I’m
going to make sure that you get home safely."
Rose waved her away. "No.
No, I’m fine. Really. Just some really bad cramps."
"When is your baby
due?"
"Any day now. Why? That
can’t be what’s wrong with me. The baby’s healthy. I saw the doctor last
week."
"No, Rose. I think you’re
having the baby."
Rose froze and began shaking her
head. "I can’t be having the baby. I just can’t be having the baby. We’re
not ready. Jack and I aren’t ready to have the baby yet! The doctor said
another two weeks or so!"
"Doctors can be wrong, Rose.
They’re people, too. People are wrong all the time. Just look at the people who
said that the Titanic was unsinkable! Now, the grandest ship in the world is
home to a bunch of fish!" Jessica laughed slightly, but Rose froze.
"Is it another contraction?" asked Jessica. Rose shook her head.
"Is it something I said?" Rose nodded. Jessica gasped. "Did you
lose someone on the Titanic?"
Rose shook her head, and said in
a low voice, "The three of us were on the Titanic. Jack almost died, and
that’s what killed Cora’s real father. Jack and I adopted her after the accident."
Jessica hugged Rose. "I’m so
sorry. I didn’t know," she said quietly. Her apology was interrupted by
Rose crying out in pain. "We should get going. Come on. We need to get you
home."
When Jessica and Rose got to
Burt’s, Jack was eating breakfast at the bar. He immediately stood up when he
saw the two women.
"What’s wrong?" he
asked as he helped Rose upstairs.
"Rose is having the
baby," explained Jessica. Rose sank into bed and closed her eyes.
"Where is the doctor’s office?"
"Down the street. Send Maria.
You stay here to help," Jack ordered. Maria was the blonde German girl who
rented the spare room above the pub. She worked in Burt’s, and also helped to
look after Cora. Maria immediately ran down to get Dr. Johnson, whose office
was three blocks away.
*****
After several hours of painful
labor, Jessica left to go get Cora. The young girl was going to go to Jessica’s
house for the night. Jack packed a bag for Cora and gave Jessica a quick hug.
"Thank you so much," he
whispered in her ear.
"Um…Mr. Dawson, your wife
told me about the Titanic. If you want to talk, I’m always here," she
offered.
Jack smiled. "I think we’re
fine. Thank you so much though. I don’t know what we’d do without you."
With one final hug, Jessica left.
*****
Rose was in labor for twelve long
hours. With one final push, she heard the distinct cry of a baby. Jack smiled
and kissed her forehead.
"It’s a girl!" Dr.
Johnson announced. He cleaned off the child and handed her to Rose. Rose held
her new daughter close. This was her child…her and Jack’s.
"She’s beautiful," Jack
said quietly.
Rose nodded. "She has your
eyes," she observed.
The couple decided to name her
Marlene Elizabeth--Marly for short.