JACK AND ROSE: TOGETHER FOREVER
Chapter Eighteen
Christmas Eve
December 24, 1912
"Jack the buzzer is going off, will you
take the last batch cookies out of the oven!" Rose shouted out of the
bedroom at about 10:30 on Christmas Eve.
"Sure!" Jack called back from the
living room. He ran into the kitchen and took the cookies out of the oven. It
was all he could do not to taste one; they looked so good. Sighing he put the
sheet on the top of the oven next to the other sheets.
Rose was in the bedroom looking through her
dresses that were hanging up. She had deiced to leave her really good fancy
dress for tomorrow, when Jack and Rose would have their own little Christmas
dinner. But for now she had to find one that she could wear to bake in and be
seen in case any callers came. Finally Rose selected a cute little dark green
cotton dress. Smiling she put it over her head and went into the bathroom. She
put her hair half up and half down. Looking at herself in the mirror, she
decided she looked O.K. Rose walked out of the bathroom and through the
bedroom. She found Jack sitting on the couch with the paper in his hand.
"What are you doing?" Rose asked
coming over.
"Reading the paper." Jack answered
his head still in the paper. "Those cookies smell good." Jack said
finally taking his head out of the paper.
"I know. What to help me make the
frosting to decorate them with?" Rose asked.
"Sure." Jack told Rose jumping up
and following her into the kitchen.
"Jack get out the powdered sugar, milk,
and a the vanilla, please." Rose directed as she put on an apron. Jack got
all the stuff out plus a bowl to mix everything in. Rose smiled as she turned
around and walked over to Jack and started mixing everything. Jack helped her
by measuring everything out and putting it into the bowl. When Rose had gotten
everything all mixed together, she divided the big bowl of frosting into three
smaller bowls. Than she added food coloring into two of the bowls making red,
green, and white frosting.
"Now it's time to decorate." Rose
said walking over to table where Jack had laid out the cookies onto paper
towels. She also brought over the frosting and some sprinkles. Together they
decorated the different shaped cookies and had put them into containers, but
lest out one plate for the two of them before dinner.
"Rose can I have a cookie now?"
Jack asked. Rose nodded and she handed him one as well as herself.
"Mmm, I love Christmas cookies."
Rose said to Jack as soon as she took a bite.
"I love them too, but I love you even
more." Jack told Rose coming over to her and wrapping his arms around her.
"Jack I am trying to finish this
cookie." Rose told Jack, but did not pull away.
"I already finished mine." Jack
said pointing to his open mouth.
"See all gone!" he exclaimed in a
child's voice. Rose just laughed and broke off a piece of the cookie.
"Open your mouth." She directed and
popped some cookie into Jack's mouth.
"Yummy." Jack said when he was
finished, and Rose just laughed. "Can I have another piece?" Jack
asked again in that little kid voice. Rose nodded and together they finished
off the cookie.
Rose stayed in Jacks embrace for a little
while longer before whispering. "I'd better go and start on the
cooking."
"Ya, I have to wrap some stuff
anyway." Jack replied pulling Rose away from her.
"What?" Rose questioned looking at
him.
"Never you mind." Jack simply said
giving the top of her nose a little poke with his finger.
"All right Jack." Rose said.
"That's my girl. I'll be come help you
in a while." Jack said giving her a kiss on the check. Rose gave him that
smile that he loved and scampered into the kitchen. Jack watched her go and
silently laughed.
"This is great chicken Rose." Jack
said smiling up at her and started on his second helping of chicken. It was
much later in the day, around 6:30, and the couple had just sat down to a
wonderful Christmas Eve dinner. Rose had been slaving in the kitchen all day on
their food for tomorrow and still she had been able to make dinner for that
night.
"Well you helped me make it, that's
probably why it tastes good." Rose replying to Jack.
"Rose you are too good to me." Jack
said smiling. He looked at their dining table on it was a chicken, some baked
potatoes, and some cornbread. All of food looked very tempting and Jack could
not wait to eat all the food that they had prepared for tomorrow. For it also
looked wonderful even though most of it was in the icebox for tomorrow.
"Jack are we going to go to church
tonight and or tomorrow?" Rose suddenly asked breaking the silence.
"Umm, I would rather go tonight. Maybe
the 8:30 mass. Cuz the next one starts at 7 and we won't make that."
"That's sounds great. I would rather go
tonight anyway. I hate getting up early to go to mass." Rose told him
rolling her eyes. Jack laughed and took a bite of his cornbread. Now that Rose
did not have to get up at the creak of down because her mother made her, she
could sleep in, and always did. She was obsessed with it. For over a mouth she
had only gotten up only to kiss Jack goodbye and than she would go back to
sleep.
"What are you laughing at?" Rose
demanded looking at Jack.
"Rose you just love sleeping in. It's
funny to hear you talk about it." Rose thought about it for a minute and
than started laughing too.
Finally she calmed down, "Are you almost
done?" Rose asked.
"Ya, why."
"Cuz mass starts in a while and I just
wanted to get the dishes done before we go."
"Ya, I am stuffed." Jack told her
leaning back and patting his stomach.
"You are crazy." Rose teased.
"Will you help me bring this stuff over?" Jack nodded and started to
help Rose clear the table. Before long, the table was cleared and the dishes
were washed and dried. The two put the dishes in the cupboard and than left to
go and get ready for mass.
Later after Mass
"Jack that was a beautiful mass. I loved
the music, it was so beautiful. And the church looked wonderful with all the
decorations." Rose announced to Jack as they were walking home from church
later that evening. Jack squeezed her hand that was holding his.
"I know. I have always loved Christmas
mass. I am glad we went also. On the road I never went to church. It fells good
to ya know to kind of get in touch with God again." Rose laughed at what
he was trying to say, but stopped when she realized that it was true.
"We really should try to go more
often." Rose told him.
"Ya I think so too." Jack replied
giving her a kiss on the check.
"So how is work going?" Rose asked.
"Fine, but it's wired though. I kind of like
just doing my own art than teaching others how to do art because half of them
don't know how to do art at all. But they pay well. So."
"I wish you could have more time to work
on your art Jack. Maybe this summer when you aren't working you could work on
some and than try to sell them to that local gallery downtown."
"That's a great idea Rose. If they like
them they will ask for more and than other galleries will see them. It would go
be great business. And maybe I could look for an another job too. One that
let's me draw or sketch or my work." Jack told Rose getting really
excited.
"Jack calm down, just take one day at a
time. Make each day count remember." Rose replied to him.
"I know Rose." Jack said laughing a
little. "And you know what?" He asked.
"What."
"Tomorrow's Christmas!" Jack yelled
like a little kid and started running to the apartment. Rose screamed and ran
after him. When they reached the entrance to the apartment, panting and out of
breath, Jack pulled Rose to him and kissed her. Rose kissed back and than
started laughing.
"What?" Jack asked.
"Well it's 10:00 at night and we are
outside the entrance to our apartment kissing. I think it's funny."
"You are very right Mrs. Dawson."
Jack replied. And than he opened the door held it with his foot and picked up
Rose.
"Jack what are you doing?" Rose
asked as he walked inside carrying her.
"Carrying you up to are room." Jack
told her simply as he walked into the elevator and told he man what floor.
"Jack put me down." Rose said.
"Nope."
"Jack! Why not?"
"Because I don't want to." Jack
told her playfully. Rose just rolled her eyes and gave up.
"Here you are." The elevator tendon
said.
"Thanks." Jack told him and stepped
out. Walking over to the door, he put Rose down for a minute to get the key. He
opened it and the door flew open. Jack picked up Rose again and carried her
into their apartment, closing the door with his foot. Than Jack walked over to
the couch and set Rose down.
"Jack what are you doing?" Rose
asked as she watched him run into the bedroom and light a few candles. He
didn't answer and quickly came back out. Picking Rose up again, he brought her
into the bedroom and sat her on the bed. Rose laid back and Jack walked around
to his side and, like Rose, laid down. Rose looked over at him, the candlelight
was making him look very tempting. She stared into his eyes for a little while
longer, than leaned in to kiss him. Jack kissed her back passionately and than
slowly made her way down her neck.
"Jack, I love you." Rose whispered
into his ear as he kissed her neck.
"Oh I love you to darling." Jack
replied looking up. He stared at her for a moment than got up. Rose was
confused for a moment, but when she saw what he was going she figured it out.
He was blowing all the candles out. When the room was dark, Jack came over and
got next to Rose again. Rose leaned over and kissed him again, this time with
much more passion than before. When the kiss finally broke, Jack rolled onto
Rose.
She looked at him for a moment before saying,
"Merry almost Christmas Jack."
Jack smiled, "Merry almost Christmas too
Rose." Rose than pulled his head down and kissed him like tomorrow was
never coming.