JACK AND ROSE: TOGETHER FOREVER
Chapter Sixty-One
Late September, 1917
The loud ring of the doorbell startled Rose.
She wiped the baking flour from her hands onto her apron and quickly checked on
two and half year old Michael and one and a half year old Jillian. They were
still engrossed with 'drawing' on some scrap paper, so she ran quickly to the
door. Tucking some hair that had escaped from her braid behind her ear, Rose
opened the door. A boy about fifteen or sixteen was standing on the front
steps.
"Mrs. Dawson?" he asked.
Rose nodded. "Yes, I am she."
The boy looked behind her. "Mr. Dawson
around? I have a telegram for him."
Rose's heart skipped a beat. Telegram? What
was Jack getting a telegram for? "No, I am sorry, he's at work. I'll take
it, though," she said, holding out her hand.
The boy placed the slip of paper in her hand.
"Have a nice day, Mrs. Dawson," he said, before walking quickly away.
"Thank you," Rose called before
closing the door. She looked down at the slip of paper and quickly read the
printed words. "Oh, my God," she whispered before sliding down to the
floor and leaning back again the door.
Rose's eyes filled with tears, and then she
started sobbing uncontrollably. How could this be happening? Michael and
Jillian came in and saw their mother sitting on the floor, knees pulled up to
her chest and head resting on her knees. They could hear Rose's loud sobs.
"Mama?" Jillian asked timidly.
Rose lifted her head and made an attempt to
stop crying, but it really didn't work. She looked at her children. Michael
looked scared and Jillian was looking at her with big blue eyes. Rose opened
her arms and Jillian and Michael ran to her. She pulled them close to her and
held them tight.
"It be okay, Mommy," Michael
whispered to her, and Rose just cried harder.
*****
Jack pushed opened the front door and walked
inside. Immediately, he was met with his two children running toward him.
"Dada," Jillian called excitedly.
Jack reached down and picked her up just as Michael collided with his leg.
"Hey," he said excitedly to them.
Jillian laughed and wrapped her arms around Jack's neck.
"Hi, Daddy," Michael said looking
up at his father.
"Hello, Mike," Jack said. "How
are you two?"
"Good!" Michael yelled, and Jillian
nodded before saying, "Mama sad."
Jack raised his eyebrows. "What’s wrong
with Mommy?" he asked Michael. Michael shrugged as he looked up at Jack
again.
"Hello, Jack." Jack looked up and
saw Rose standing in the doorway, her face expressionless. "Can I talk to
you a minute?" she asked quietly.
"Yeah," Jack mumbled. He put
Jillian down and pried Michael from his leg. "Go run and play you two.
I'll be in with Mommy in a few minutes," he commanded sternly. Jillian and
Michael nodded and ran back into the living room.
Rose came over and handed Jack a slip of
paper before going and sitting on the stairs. Jack came over and sat next to
her. "Go on, read," Rose whispered, leaning against him.
Jack looked down at the paper and quickly
read what it said. Rose heard his gasp and then he turned to her. His eyes were
filled with tears. Rose started sobbing again and fell into Jack's arms.
"It will be okay, Rose," Jack
whispered, stroking her hair.
Rose cried against his shirt.
"You...you...can't go to war, Jack! I...I...won't le...le...let you!"
she sobbed loudly.
Jack held her close, and he too had tears
running down his face. "It will be okay," he whispered bravely again.
"No, it's not go...going to be
okay!" Rose yelled, before sobbing loudly again. Jack pulled her away from
him and looked into her eyes. He wiped the tears from her cheeks and held her
face in his hands.
"We'll get through it, Rose. Don't
worry. It'll be all right," he whispered.
Rose stopped crying and looked at Jack.
"How can you be so calm?" she asked shakily.
Jack looked at Rose. She looked scared and
upset at the same time. "I don't know," he whispered. He pulled Rose
back into arms and held her as she started to cry again.
That Night
Jack sat out on the balcony, a big blanket
around himself, looking at the water. He was thinking about the war. The United
States had entered the war last April and ever since they started drafting in
May, he had been worried about having to go. Now it was becoming a reality. He
only had a little over a month left until he would have to leave home. Leave
Rose and the children. And all his familiar surroundings. When Jack had first
heard about the drafting, he had thought that maybe because he had two young
children and an unemployed wife, he wouldn't have to go. But that wasn't the
case. More then anything, Jack was worried about Rose. He knew that financially
his family would be okay, but what about mentally? Jack sighed and leaned back
in the chair. He was scared for himself, too. What was going to happen?
"Jack?"
Jack heard the balcony door open and then saw
Rose step out. She closed the door behind herself and came over. Dressed in
only a light nightgown, she looked cold. So Jack opened up his arms to her.
Rose came over and curled up in his lap. Jack wrapped the blanket around the
both of them and then Rose snuggled up closer to him. They sat for a few
moments, not talking. Finally, Rose broke the silence.
"I am sorry, Jack," she whispered.
Jack looked down at her and raised his eyebrows. "I haven't really been
thinking about what you are going through. I was only thinking about myself and
the children," Rose explained. "But," she sighed. "As I sat
there trying to get Jill to go to sleep, I thought about you. And what you must
be thinking and feeling." She looked up at Jack, tears in her eyes.
"I don't know how you can be so strong. I would be going crazy if I was
you," Rose whispered.
Jack looked away, afraid of crying. "I
am going crazy inside, Rose," he whispered a minute later. He looked back
at Rose, tears now running down his cheeks. Rose sniffled and then pulled Jack
into her own arms. Jack started to cry harder and Rose too had tears running
down her cheeks.
"It's going to be okay," she
whispered as she held him close. "It's going to be okay."
Jack sobbed into her chest and held onto her.
For a change, Rose comforted Jack instead of another way around. As Jack calmed
down, she continued to offer comforting words and sentences. After about ten
minutes, Jack pulled away and sat sniffling while Rose looked at him.
"How much time have we got?" Rose
asked gently. "I didn't look at dates before."
"Only a month," Jack whispered.
Rose's heart was breaking looking at her
husband. Never in her life, with the exception of the Titanic sinking, had she
seen him looking so scared or worried. She wiped the tears from his face and
then took his hand under the blanket.
"We'll just have to make each day count
then, right?" she whispered.
Jack nodded and sniffled some last tears
away. "I promise, Rose. That’s what we'll do," he said, before
leaning down to kiss her.
Rose savored the kiss, wondering just how
slow they could possibly make the hours go, until Jack had to leave.