LOVERS LOST AND CHILDREN FOUND
Chapter Seven
A young woman went for a walk on
the pier to find someone. She walked into a tented area. It was empty.
*****
"Jack, you made my house
look wonderful with all these things!" exclaimed Rose.
"I love our room," Eva
and Summer said.
"Great, everyone. Let’s
celebrate with a nice dinner," Jack said.
They walked towards a restaurant.
They sat down at a table and discussed everything from boys with Eva to toys
with Summer. Jack and Rose sat next to each other, usually just whispering into
each other’s ears the whole evening. When dinner came, they ate quickly and
went to walk on the beach. The children ran ahead, racing each other, and Rose
and Jack held hands behind them, talking.
"Jack, I want to know
something."
"Okay," Jack said,
something different in his voice. "What is it, Rose?" Jack’s
expression was becoming puzzled.
"Well…if you had never found
me, would you have remarried?"
Jack looked into Rose’s beautiful
eyes. "No, because I felt trapped. I realized what you felt with Cal,
except I got myself into this. It was my fault. With you, your mother was
pushing you, which made it not your fault," Jack finally got out.
"Oh," was all Rose
could get out.
"Now, with that said, Miss
DeWitt Bukater…now, I know that’s not your name, but that’s how I met you, so
let me go on…" Jack said, kneeling down.
Rose didn’t realize that the
children were so far ahead that they looked like dots.
"Will you marry me?"
Jack asked, his piercing blue eyes glistening.
"Yes…no, I mean yes!"
Rose shouted.
The children came running towards
them.
"Thank you," Jack
whispered into Rose’s ear, and put a ring on her finger. He picked her up,
swinging her around and kissing her. The sunset looked exactly like the night
Jack had taught Rose how to fly.
"What’s happening?" Eva
and Summer asked.
"We’re engaged!" Rose
announced, showing her hand to the two girls.
"Nice ring, Dad," Eva
said.
"Yeah, Daddy! It’s
pretty," Summer said.
"Let’s go home,
everyone!" Jack said, picking up Summer and holding Rose’s hand. Rose was
holding Eva’s hand.
*****
Jack went to leave for work. When
Rose awoke, she went into the kitchen to make some breakfast. She knew today
was going to be different.
*****
"Thank you, sir," said
a woman, walking towards Jack’s new home.
*****
There was a knock on the door.
"Coming!" Rose called,
wiping her hands. She walked towards the door and opened it. "Hello?"
Rose was puzzled at the sight of the strange woman standing in front of her.
"Hello. I am looking for
Jack," said the woman, who was trying to look behind Rose.
"He’s not home right now. Do
you want to leave him a note or something?" asked Rose, pointing inside
the house.
"No, but may I ask who you
are?" the woman asked, starting to get angry.
"I should ask you that. You
came to my door."
"I’m Nicole!"
"Now I know who you are, and
don’t raise your voice. The children are sleeping." Rose was prepared to
fight, but she was choosing not to, because if her notion was right, she might
hurt someone inside of her.
"Well, I think one of them
might be my Summer Rose!" Nicole was getting furious.
"All right. Now we’re
getting off track. My name is Rose. Rose Dawson," Rose said, trying to
make Nicole feel guilty for leaving Jack.
"Wait. Jack already
remarried?"
"No, he didn’t. That’s the
name I took when we used to be together and I thought he had died. All right?
That’s to make a very long story short! For your information, Jack is going to
marry me. He proposed last night!" Rose said.
"I am coming later to see
Jack. Good-bye," Nicole said with a wave, and she was gone.
Rose shut the door and went back
to cooking breakfast.
"Breakfast, everyone!"
"All right, Mom! Let us
finish getting dressed!" Eva called.
They ate. Rose didn’t mention
their visitor.
"All right. Your father
won’t be home for lunch today, and I am going to the doctor. Oh, please
remember to feed your sister, all right?" Rose said, frantic to get out
the door. "One more thing--don’t answer the door for anyone--not even your
father!"
"All right, Mother. I love
you. Good-bye!" Eva said, giggling.
*****
Rose sat in the doctor’s office.
"Mrs. Dawson, you are in fact pregnant," the doctor said.
"Oh, I am so happy!"
Rose said gleefully. "Thank you, Dr. Metcalfe," Rose said, leaving
the office.
*****
"Eva, Summer, I am
home!" Rose called, walking in.
"All right, Mom! We’re in
our room!" Eva called back.
Rose walked into the room to see
that they were playing with dolls.
There was a knock on the door.
"Oh, let me get that. You
two lock the door and don’t come out for anything unless I call you! All right,
Eva and Summer?" Rose asked sternly.
"All right," the
children said.
"I’m coming!" called
Rose. She opened the door. "Oh, look who it is! Little Miss Nicole…whatever
your last name is," Rose said sarcastically.
"It’s Smith now. Anyway, is
Jack home yet?" Nicole sounded fed up already.
"No, but he should be soon.
Even if he was, I am certainly not going to tell you!" Rose was getting
ready to fight.
"That’s it! I’m coming
in!" Nicole said, starting to get closer to the door.
"Why?" Rose asked,
disgusted with Nicole already.
"Because I know he’s
home!" Nicole said, getting ready to push Rose out of the way.
"No, he’s not! Now,
leave!" Rose said, pushing Nicole away.
Just then, Jack came up to the
house and saw Nicole punch Rose.
"Rose!" Jack shouted.