LET’S LEAVE THE PAST BEHIND
Chapter Four
Two days later, the Carpathia
docked and the Titanic victims went their separate ways. Somehow, Jack and Rose
had stayed out of the way of Cal and Ruth. When they disembarked the ship, they
didn't loiter. They linked hands and disappeared into the bustling New York
crowd, unnoticed by the press and the rest of the disembarking passengers.
"So, where to now,
Jack?" Rose looked at him. She'd been to New York before, but she wasn't
familiar with the streets like Jack might be. He was going to have to be their
navigator wherever they went, since she had led such a sheltered life. A little
part of her was afraid, but she knew she'd be all right with Jack. He would
take care of her.
"We'll find a hotel. If we
stay at a hotel, there might be a chance of running into your mother and Cal.
Is that okay with you?"
"As long as we're together,
it's fine." Rose smiled reassuringly.
After two hours of walking, they
finally found a decent hotel room in a rather rough part of town. Jack wanted
to look for a safer area, but an exhausted Rose insisted on that hotel. That
night, they lay in each other's arms, so exhausted that they were awake. Rose
turned to face Jack and lovingly stroked his cheek.
"Where do we go from here,
Jack? We can't stay in this hotel forever, and I don't necessarily want to stay
in New York. It's too close to Philadelphia."
Jack sighed. He wanted to take
her to Santa Monica, but right now, they were better off saving for the future.
Wait until they were more settled and able to really enjoy the pier. Right now,
the Titanic was just too fresh in their minds to really enjoy anything. The
only reasonable place he could think of taking Rose that was far away from
Philadelphia was Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin. Despite his misgivings, that was
the only suitable place. Besides, he wanted his family to meet the love of his
life. To let them know that he was alive and had actually found someone to
spend the rest of his life with.
"How about Chippewa Falls,
Wisconsin? My hometown? I really want you to meet the family." Rose pulled
him closer, kissing his forehead.
"Hmm…I think that's a
wonderful idea." Rose smiled. "I can't wait."
Jack smiled and kissed her
forehead as she drifted off to sleep. He pushed back his misgivings about the
move to Chippewa Falls and drifted off to sleep himself.