JACK AND ROSE: TOGETHER FOREVER
Chapter Seventeen
December 11, 1912
Rose opened her eyes to someone shaking her
and the first thing she saw was Jack's piercing blue eye's looking right into
hers.
"Good morning sleepyhead." Jack
told her. Rose moaned and rolled over to look at the clock.
"Why are you waking me up at 9:00?"
Rose asked rolling over to look at Jack again.
"Because we are going to go and get a
Christmas tree today." Jack replied.
"Now get up missy we have a lot of
searching to do before we find the perfect tree. One good enough for us that
is."
"I don't want to, can't I sleep for a
few more minutes? Or maybe like 30." Rose asked him rolling over to go
back to sleep.
"Nope. Up now." Jack told her
pulling the blankets off.
"Jack!" Rose exclaimed at the
sudden coldness.
"Sorry Rose but you have to get
up." Jack said.
"Why? Give me two good reasons."
"Alright. One: If we don't leave now all
the good trees will be gone. Two: Its going to be crowded so I want to get an
early start." Jack replied. Rose studied him, and finally agreed.
"OK Jack, but I get to sleep in tomorrow
as late as I want, OK." Rose told him.
"Fine, as late as you want." Jack
answered her smiling.
"Now get up." Jack told Rose
pulling her up out of bed.
"What should I wear?" Rose asked
Jack walking over to her dresser.
"How about one of your less good
dresses. And some comfortable shoes. We might be walking around a lot."
"OK." Rose answered, taking an old
dress out and slipping off her nightgown. Putting her corset on, she pulled the
dress over her head and put on her shoes. Turning around she saw that Jack was
gone.
"Jack!" she called.
"I am in the living room!" Jack
answered her. Rose walked out of the bedroom and into the living room and found
Jack re-arranging the whole room.
"What are you doing!" Rose
exclaimed.
"I am making a place for the tree."
Jack answered simply.
"Now go and eat some breakfast."
Jack said pointing to the kitchen. Rose smiled at him and walked off into the
kitchen.
"What should I have." She muttered
to herself. Selecting a piece of bread to toast, she popped it into the oven to
toast. Next she turned the oven on low and pored herself a cup of newly made
coffee. When the toast was as brown as she liked it, she took it out of the
oven, switched the oven off, and spread some butter on it. Than she sat down
with toast and coffee and read the paper while she ate her breakfast. Finishing
the toast off, she chugged down the rest of the cup of coffee, and set her
dishes in the sink. Walking into the living room, she saw that some of the
chairs and the couch had been re-arranged to make room for their tree.
"Jack, um, I am ready." Rose announced. Jack looked up from part of
the paper that he had with him.
"You are. Good let's go." Jack said
jumping up and walking over to Rose.
"Jack where are we exactly going?"
"Well yesterday I saw some Christmas
Tree lots in town. I thought we would look at those."
"Sounds good to me." Rose told
Jack.
"You have everything?" Jack asked.
Rose nodded and Jack started for the door.
"Jack this is like the 5th lot we have
been to, can't we just get a tree and go home? It's already past noon and we still
have to get ornaments."
"Just a few more lots Rose, than we will
get one, take it home, and than head out to get some ornaments. O.K."
"All right Jack." Rose answered
him. The two had been 'tree shopping' for about two hours and Roses' feet were
beginning to get tired and she was tried of looking at trees. To her, all the
tree's looked the same. But to Jack, all of them were different. They were
either to fat, skinny, tall, short, or 'not them' as Jack would say. But Rose
decided he knew what he was doing because she had never gone Christmas tree
shopping. Suddenly Jack's voice cut through her thoughts.
"This is it!" Rose turned to look
at Jack. He was holding up a tree about 7.5 feet tall, not to fat and not too
skinny.
"This is it!" Jack exclaimed again.
"Do you like it Rose?"
"It look's nice to me." Rose told
him.
"Yes, but do you like it?"
"Yes I like it."
"Do you want to get it?" Jack
asked.
"Sure. I like it." Rose answered
him. Jack smiled.
"Let's get it than." Jack said
putting the tree down and taking it by the trunk. He dragged it to a man with
Rose not far behind.
"Yes how much for this tree." The
man looked at the tree.
"Bout 95 sense. Why."
"Well we would like to get it."
Jack told him.
"Can I pay you?" Jack asked.
"Yep." Jack handed over 95 sense to
the man. Jack nodded to the man and started pulling the tree out of the lot
with Rose following.
"Oh my Jack! That look's great!"
Rose exclaimed. Jack turned and smiled at Rose. After bringing the tree home,
setting it up, going to by some ornaments, two of which were special ones that
they had not put up yet, they had came home and begun to decorate. Jack and
Rose were almost done, but they still had to put their two special ones up. One
was a small gold tree with Our First Christmas, 1912 on it. And the other one
was a flat gold ball with Jack and Rose: Together Forever on it with a 'J' and
a 'R' intertwined on the other side. Rose picked up the ball and walked over to
Jack. Kissing him on the check, she put the ornament on the tree with Jack's
hand over her own. Than turning around, Jack picked up the gold tree and Rose
and himself put it on. Stepping back, they looked at their work.
"It's beautiful Jack." Rose
whispered as Jack put his arm around Rose. Jack nodded. The tree had their two
ornaments on it, some different colored Christmas balls, some little wooden
trains and such and some small delicate angels, and a big star on the top. With
also some tinsel here and there and candy-canes around. Jack and Rose had
decided not to put candles on this year because of safety reasons. But they had
put candles around the room. Jack took his arm off Rose and went to go and get
a match. He lit the candles, and than turned of the lights. He sat down next to
Rose who had moved to the couch that was now directly in front of the tree
which was in a corner of the room, next to a window. And the fireplace, that
was glowing a little, was to their right.
"Oh Jack this is so nice." Rose
whispered snuggling up toward Jack.
"I can't wait for Christmas." Jack
told her.
"It was always my favorite holiday.
Although it will be a little weird with no snow." Jack went on.
"Ya I know, we most always had snow in
Philadelphia." Rose told him.
"Maybe next year we could have Christmas
in the mountains?" Jack suggested.
"You know, snow, a small one room cabin,
a fireplace." Jack told Rose.
Rose smile, "Yes, but let's just get
though this Christmas. OK." Jack nodded and pulled Rose closer. Seeing
what Jack what she was doing Rose laid down and rested her head in Jack's lap
so that Jack was at one end of the couch with Rose stretched out across the
rest. Jack ran his fingers through her hair and softly sang, "Come
Josephine come in my flying machine, up she goes, up she goes." Rose
joined in and they softly sang the song to each other. When the song ended,
Rose tilted her head up to Jack and looked at him. He was looking at her with
those looks that made her weak. Rose reached up and caressed his face.
"I love you Jack." Rose whispered.
"Um, I love you to Rose." Jack
whispered back. Rose closed her eyes and just thought how lucky she was, when
suddenly she felt Jack's arms slip under her arms and legs. Rose opened her
eyes at that.
"Jack what are you doing?" Rose
asked as he held her up.
"Shh." Jack whispered. Than, with
Rose in his arms, he ran around the room blowing out the candles. When the room
was dark, Jack told Rose.
"Now close your eyes. " Rose obeyed
and the next thing she heard was the sound of the bedroom door opening and than
closing behind her.