JACK'S ROSE
Chapter Thirty-Three
Rose leapt from the bench again and clapped
her hands together. Susan giggled.
"I feel like a schoolgirl, Susan! I feel
as if I'm about to burst!"
"You look it, Rose," her friend
told Rose through her own laughter. Rose smiled and sat back down.
"I can't remember ever having been so
excited before, Susan." Rose looked about the train station. People were
waiting impatiently for the train, chatting among themselves. Rose looked up at
the clock hanging on the wall a few feet down from them. "They're ten
minutes late, Susan!" Rose exclaimed loudly. Susan chuckled again.
"Don't worry, Rose. They'll—ah! See?
It's here," Susan said as the train pulled into the station. Rose leapt up
again. Susan could feel the excitement radiating off of Rose as she stood on
her toes, straining to see the people as they flooded out of the train. She
could feel her friend's excitement and shared it, but her excitement began to
fade as minutes passed and Rose had still not greeted anyone. Susan bit her
lip. But then, Rose sprang up off the ground and began waving her hands in the
air.
"William! William!" Rose called,
shoving her way through the crowd. The people gathered in the station eyed Rose
queerly, but she ignored them. "Oh, William!" Rose cried, throwing
her arms around a tall, brown-headed man. He returned her embrace, picking her
up and swinging her about.
"It is so good to see you again,
Rose," he whispered in her ear. She smiled as the two parted.
"You have no idea, William." And
Susan could tell that, unlike what Rose's fierce arguments had said, something
was still there between them.
But of course, she said nothing.
"Cora!" Rose exclaimed, embracing a
tall, dark-headed young woman. "You look wonderful!"
"As do you, Rosie!" Cora smiled
warmly at Rose. The two smiled at each other a second more, as if both were
wanting to make sure this was real, then Rose turned to the blonde-headed young
woman beside Cora. "Lilly! Goodness," Rose laughed as the two hugged,
"you're taller than me already!"
Lilly giggled and stepped away, smiling.
Then, as Rose's eyes fell upon the small
fair-headed boy standing beside Lilly, Susan could feel Rose's heart soar.
"Nathan," she whispered
breathlessly as she dropped to her knees in front of him. He smiled sheepishly
and hugged her.
"Hi, Aunt Rosie!" he exclaimed
happily.
And Susan felt Rose's heart stop.