JACK AND ROSE: TOGETHER FOREVER
Chapter Fifty-Seven
September, 1915
Jack held Michael as he walked quietly along
the beach. Addy was running in front of him, barking at things and jumping into
waves. Rose was back at home, taking a much needed nap. She hadn't been feeling
well lately and trying to deal with that, Michael, and the household was
starting to get to her. Jack had finally said this morning that he would take
off with Michael and Addy for a few hours so she could rest. For a while, Jack
had walked around Santa Monica enjoying the September weather. Then he and
Michael had stopped for a quick lunch and then it was off to the beach. Jack
looked down at his son as Michael squirmed and made baby noises. Jack grinned and
kissed him on the cheek as they walked along. Michael was a good baby, most of
the time. He didn't cry a lot, but he did move and squirm and 'talk' a lot.
Rose seemed to have developed this way of knowing what Michael wanted by what
baby noises he was making. It fascinated Jack to watch his wife. Michael would
make a certain giggle noise and Rose would know that he was hungry, not needing
a diaper change or anything else. Suddenly, Jack saw what he had been looking
for while they had been walking. It was a big piece of driftwood that he and
Rose sometimes came out and sat on when they went for walks.
"Come on, Addy," Jack called as he
sat down on the driftwood. Addy came running over with a stick in her mouth.
She lay down next to Jack and started gnawing at the stick. Jack stretched his
legs out and sat Michael facing him on his lap. "Well, Mike, what are we
going to do about Mommy?" he asked of his son, who just made a noise and
waved his arms around. Jack chuckled and smiled at Michael. "She isn't
feeling well right now, is she?" Michael just made a face and then tried
to move out of his father's arms. "Okay, Mike, I know what you mean. Let's
go home and see what Mommy is up to."
Jack stood up, lifting Michael to his
shoulder as he did so. Addy abandoned her chew toy and started following Jack
back to the house. As they walked, Jack saw the Langstons house lit up. He
smiled. Jennifer's parents were down this weekend celebrating with their
daughter. Jennifer had, just yesterday, announced that she was pregnant with
her first child. The fact that Dianna had announced that she too was pregnant a
few days before had made it a very exciting week. They also knew that
Jennifer's and Dianna's babies were due within a few days of each other,
something Jennifer and Dianna were most excited about. Jack whistled to himself
as he started up the lawn and up the deck stairs. Telling Addy to stay outside,
he opened the door and stepped into the kitchen. The moment he had closed the
door behind him, the telephone rang. Rose raced into the kitchen from somewhere
in the dining room.
"Hey, Jack," she said, seeing him.
"Hi," Jack said back.
Rose smiled and picked up the phone.
"Hello," she said into the mouthpiece. Jack held Michael in his arms
and took off his shoes, setting them by the door as he listened to Rose.
"Well, no," she said to the person on the other end of the line.
"I haven't been feeling the best. But, I think it's just what you thought,
a cold." Jack sat down at the small kitchen table and watched Rose. The person
she was talking to said something, and then Rose asked, "Well, what is
it?" A moment later her face went white and she gasped. "What?"
Rose glanced at Jack and he raised his eyebrows at her. Rose just shook her
head and looked down. "Well, yes, that stopped. But, I figured it was time
anyway," she was saying. "Yes, that to. But, it's been weird since I
had Michael," she said a moment later. On Rose's face was still a look of
shock and excitement. "Well, yes, thank you. I'll come in tomorrow. Thank
you." A moment passed before Rose said, "Thank you again.
Good-bye."
She hung up the earpiece and turned to Jack.
He stood up and came over. "Who was that?" he asked. Rose looked down
at the floor and then up at Jack.
"That was Dr. Lennox," she said
quietly. Jack immediately was worried. Rose had gone in to see Dr. Lennox a few
days ago because of the fact that she hadn't been feeling well. Dr. Lennox had
told her that it was probably just a cold and then had run some tests just to
make sure nothing else was going on. She said she would call if it were indeed
something else.
"What's wrong?" Jack asked
worriedly.
Rose took a deep breath and then smiled.
"Nothing's wrong," she said. There was a pause and then she said,
"Jack...we're going to have another baby."
There was a dead silence and then Jack
breathed a sigh of relief. "Well, that’s good...what?"
Rose laughed and threw her hands up
excitedly. "I'm pregnant!"
Jack gasped and his eyes grew large.
"Oh, my God," he whispered as a huge smile broke out on his face.
"Are you serious?"
Rose nodded and let out a little scream.
"I am! God, it’s unbelievable, I know," she whispered, tears forming
in the corners of her eyes. Jack transferred Michael into one arm and pulled
Rose to him with another.
"Oh, my God...Rose, we are so
lucky," he whispered in her ear.
He felt Rose nod, and then she whispered,
"It's due in May. Right in-between Jennifer and Dianna's due dates."
Jack chuckled and kissed Rose on the cheek. "Oh, come on, Jack, I know you
can do better then that," Rose whispered teasingly.
Jack raised his eyebrows and then smiled.
Rose smiled back and then reached up to kiss Jack, and as she did so wrapped
her arms around his body. Poor Michael was slightly squashed between his
parents and started to whimper. Rose broke away and started laughing. Jack
laughed along with her and then kissed Michael on the cheek. Rose smiled and
took Jack's free hand in her own.
"I love you," she whispered.
Jack smiled. "I love you, too."
Just then, Michael began to whimper again.
"Oh, I love you, too," Rose cried
teasingly as she kissed her son. She then looked up into Jack's eyes and tried
not to laugh. Jack laughed through his eyes and then squeezed Rose's hand.
*****
Rose sat out on the deck off the kitchen
looking out at the ocean. Michael was almost asleep against her shoulder and
Addy was lying at her feet. Jack was inside, doing the dishes. He had offered
to completely clean up the kitchen for Rose so that she could sit down for a
while. Rose sighed happily and closed her eyes. The day had been so
unbelievable that Rose could hardly imagine it. She and Jack were going to have
another baby! It just seemed too unreal to believe. Of course, Rose and Jack
had both hoped to have more children. Things had just happened a little faster
then they thought. Rose really had no idea until Dr. Lennox told her that she
was pregnant. Oh, sure, there had been signs the past couple of weeks. The
tiredness, skipped period, headaches. But Rose had just ignored them for the
most part. Or tried to ignore them. She had told her self that the headache and
tiredness were all part of a 'cold' she was developing, and that the skipped
period was not that big of a deal. Hey, she had thought, it had been off
schedule since Michael had been born, coming about every four weeks instead of
three.
'Boy was I wrong,' Rose thought as she opened
her eyes back up. Gently, she kissed the now sleeping Michael on his forehead.
Rose studied her son as he sighed in his sleep. A soft smile formed on his face
and then he snuggled up closer to Rose's chest. Michael really was starting to
look like Jack. Even at only four and a half months old. His eyes were the same
piercing blue color that Jack's were and his hair was already that dirty blond
that Jack had. The only thing was, Michael's hair was slightly curly and looked
like it would hold the same texture as Rose's hair.
Rose sighed and looked up at the sky. The sun
had just gone down, and the stars and moon were just beginning to come out.
Rose silently thanked God for the millionth time for giving her Jack, Michael,
and now this new little baby growing inside of her. Suddenly, the light from
inside the kitchen switched off and Rose saw Jack coming out onto the deck. He
came and sat down next to her on the bench, putting his arm around her. Rose
leaned against Jack and laid her head on his shoulder. She smiled up at him and
then took his hand and placed it on her stomach, under her own hand. They
didn't have to say anything to each other. Words weren't necessary. Both Jack
and Rose knew what each other were thinking. How in the world had they gotten
so lucky?