MEMORIES
Chapter Ten
Friendship Revealed/Alone Once
Again
Present Day
Rose sighed in contentment as she
picked up another picture. Jake’s graduation. Looking closely, she saw the
image of Jack standing behind their son, a wide grin on his face. Smiling, she
remembered a discovery when Jake had turned seven.
1920
Not surprisingly to Rose, her son
had inherited his father’s artistic talent, to her and Jason’s delight. One
day, Jake had gone on and on about his imaginary friend. Having had enough,
Rose told her son to go and draw a picture of this friend of his. When Jake
returned with the picture complete, Rose had almost dropped the portrait. It
was Jack. Jack was their son’s imaginary friend.
Present Day
Picking up another picture,
Rose’s smile faded. It was a picture of herself at Jason’s memorial service.
She remembered that day so clearly, it could have been yesterday.
1965
Rose sat in the parlor. She was
surrounded by flowers, but she was alone and depressed. She didn’t think she’d
ever be cheerful again. This was the second man she had loved and lost. Of
course, she had had more time with Jason, but that didn’t make it any less
painful. She missed him terribly.
"Mama." Josephine
entered, her blue eyes sparkling with tears. "Mama, come out of here. Come
into the living room with the rest of us. You shouldn’t be alone right
now."
Rose smiled sadly, hugging her
daughter tightly. "He loved you so much. You were his heart." She
sniffed back more tears as she followed Josephine into the semi-crowded room.
"Mom!" Jake waved, his
blue eyes shining with tears of his own. Quickly, he led his wife Meredith and
their daughter Lizzy over to where she stood. "They said his heart was too
weak. That it had just given out." Rose tearfully nodded, letting her son
pull her into a comforting embrace. "I loved him, too. He was like a dad
to me."
"He loved you like his
own." Rose sniffed. "He loved both you and your father so much."
"I know." Jake moved
closer to her ear to whisper, "Father said that he’s happy now. That Dad
is surrounded by everyone who’s ever loved him."
Rose smiled at this news, because
she knew that the father Jake spoke of was Jack. Their son had always had a
special connection with his true father, and it had gotten her through so much.
Now Jack was comforting her through their son.
"Nana’s sad?" Lizzy
looked up at her mother.
"Yes, Lizzy. Nana’s very
sad." Meredith patted the girl’s head.
Present Day
Yes, that day had been one of the
saddest days of Rose’s long life. She was just happy that she hadn’t only had
family and friends to help her through it…she had had Jack as well. Looking at
the clock, she gasped. It was later than she had thought. She must get some
sleep now, for tomorrow was the flight home. Glancing at her pictures one last
time, she closed her eyes, ready for a good night’s rest.