HEARTS ARE BROKEN, LIVES ARE SHATTERED
Chapter Five
November 30, 1912
Jack and Rose were finally in Chippewa Falls
and visiting Jack's cousin, Joseph.
"Come on, Rose," Jack urged.
"Jack, I don't know. Will they accept
me?" Rose asked. Jack looked deep into her eyes. How they reminded him of
his childhood friend, Emily. Just as they were going to knock on the door, it was
flung open and Emily's arms were around him. "Jack, I knew you would come
back!" she cried.
"Emily, this is Rose, my wife," he
said. Rose stepped up and Emily offered her hand.
"Nice to meet ya, Rose," Emily
said. Jack could tell she was unhappy just by hearing her voice.
Jack suddenly snapped back to the present and
asked, "So, where's Joseph? Who is he married to?"
"First of all, he's in the house, and
second of all, he is married to me!" Jack hugged Emily, and he knew for
the first time that she was really happy. Suddenly, Emily took a really good
look at Rose and she knew she was expecting.
"When's the baby due?" she asked.
"Two months," Rose answered. Emily
walked over to Rose, took her hand, and led her inside. Emily knew no matter
how bad she felt about Jack being taken, this was the start of a strong
friendship.
Three Days Later
Joseph had finally started to notice Rose, a
young woman of only seventeen or eighteen. When Jack had gone to the store,
Rose was asleep, but he knew Joseph would do her no harm. Finally, Rose woke
up.
"Where's Jack?" she asked Joseph
when she woke up.
"He went to the store. Coffee?" he
asked.
"Yes, please," she replied
sleepily.
"So Rose how long have you and Jack
known each other?" he asked.
"Well…since April," she replied.
"And you're already married?" he
asked.
Rose knew what she had to do when Emily
walked in. "Joseph, Emily, I need to tell you something."
"What?" they asked.
"Wait until Jack gets back. We need to
discuss this."
*****
An hour later, he was back, and Rose took him
into the guestroom.
"Jack, we need to tell them about
us," Rose said.
"I was thinking that at the store, but
we should tell them together," he said.
As they emerged from the bedroom, Emily and
Joseph stood up. "What is it?" Emily asked. For three hours, their
story was told, from the time they met to the time they found each other on the
sidewalk to when they were married. By the end of the story, Emily had tearstains
on her cheeks and Joseph was thinking…nobody him knew what he was thinking
except for him. He had been jealous of Jack when they arrived, but now he knew
Jack and Rose belonged together, even in heaven.