THE SHIP OF DREAMS
Chapter Seventeen

Rose, meanwhile, made her way to Coddie Anna’s room, knocking gently on the closed door. When she received no reply, she tried knocking again and called her daughter’s name, a slight pang of fear filling the pit of her stomach. After a moment or two, she reached for the knob, twisted it, and pulled the door open. Her daughter’s bedroom was empty and dark, causing her to feel a little faint. She checked the desk and the bed for a note, and found nothing. Where is she? she thought, taking a deep breath and deciding to go and find her mother to see if she knew of Coddie Anna’s whereabouts. Her first worry was that Cal had done something to her, but would he really?

She knocked on the door to her mother’s room, and a soft voice answered, "Who is it?"

"Mother, it’s me," Rose called, her heart pounding.

"Come in, dear. The door is unlocked."

Rose opened it and stepped inside, finding her mother sitting on the couch and reading. "Mother, have you seen Coddie Anna anywhere?" she asked, trying to sound as calm as possible. "She’s not in her room where I left her, and there was no note."

Ruth turned the page of her book, peering over the top of her reading glasses. "I’m afraid I haven’t seen her, Rose."

Rose’s eyes widened, and she ran her fingers through her hair, shaking her head. "Oh, no." She started for the door again, but Ruth stopped her.

"Now, just a minute. I used to lose you all the time when you were a child. Think for a moment, and try to remember your favorite places to hide." There was a hint of amusement in her mother’s voice, and Rose decided that it was better to comply than to argue.

"I hardly think she’d hide from me, Mother, but I remember that I always liked to go to the lake, and…" She stopped in mid-sentence. "There isn’t a lake on the ship, but there is a pool!"

Ruth nodded. "And if I remember correctly, Coddie Anna does like to swim."

Rose sighed with relief. "Thank you, Mother."

"And Cal is most likely with her. I doubt she’d go alone without permission."

Rose smiled and headed in the direction of the swimming pool. She’d never been there, but when they had taken a tour of the ship earlier that morning, Mr. Andrews had pointed out the door to it. She could hear Coddie Anna’s laughter mingled with the splashing of water. Sighing, she pushed the door open and found her daughter and Cal in the midst of a water fight. Rose stopped short, just as Coddie Anna dove under water, coming up and wiping a bit from her eyes.

"Ahem!" Rose cleared her throat, causing both wet heads to turn towards her.

"Mama!" Coddie Anna cried in delight, swimming towards the pool stairs. She clambered up the steps and dashed along the cement floor, preparing to embrace her mother in a tight hug.

"Oh, no, you don’t!" Rose exclaimed, stepping back. "Not sopping wet, you’re not!"

Coddie Anna blushed. "Sorry, Mama. I didn’t think you’d be coming back yet." She looked at Cal, who was swimming backstroke, and then turned back to her mother, panting. "The water’s warm! Like a bathtub! It feels nice—want to come in, too?"

Rose shook her head. "No, dear. Not at the moment."

"You don’t know what you’re missing," Cal called, making a face at Coddie Anna, who immediately ran and did a cannon ball into the water, spraying him with a large wave. As soon as she came back up once again, Rose moved towards the edge.

"Coddie Anna, come out, because I want to talk to you about something."

"I can talk to you from the edge of the pool, Mama." Coddie Anna swam to the side, holding on.

Rose gave her daughter a warning look, convincing the child to climb back out for a second time. She brought the girl over to the corner and lowered her head so she could whisper into her ear. "We’re invited to have lunch with Jack and his girls in steerage this afternoon. I would like you to join us."

Coddie Anna’s face screwed up in disgust. "Steerage?" She cringed. "But it’s all dirty down there!"

Rose shook her head. "No, it isn’t. And honey, I want you to give it a try at least once. If you absolutely do not like it, I will not make you come again."

"But…"

"Please, Coddie Anna? I don’t ask much of you."

Coddie Anna sighed. "Oh, all right. I suppose I will. But can I swim for a little bit longer? I don’t get to very often."

Rose nodded. "Very well, but I will come and fetch you at 12:30."

"Okay." Coddie Anna dove back in, swimming over to Cal, who was floating and kicking himself into motion with his feet. Rose shook her head, leaving the swimming room and walking back onto the deck. Was it just her imagination or did she and Cal suddenly seem a little bit too chummy? What has he bribed her with? she thought as she aimlessly made her way back to her room.

*****

Jack, Mac, and Anastasia decided to rest around their cabin for a bit while they waited for the lunch hour to arrive. Mac and Anastasia curled up with Jack on his bunk, listening as he read from Mac’s Complete Book of Shakespeare, given to her by Tatiana as a going away gift.

"Papa?" Mac asked as Jack finished a sonnet and was preparing to turn a page. He sniffed and looked down at her.

"What, sweetie?"

"I love you," Mac replied, snuggling against his chest. Jack stared at her, feeling his eyes mist a bit. Anastasia grinned, kissing Jack’s shoulder, feeling for a moment as though he were her own father instead of a good friend.

"Oh, honey, I love you, too," he stroked her cheek.

"Is it true what you said to Rose earlier?" Mac whispered, as Anastasia sat up to stretch but accidentally whacked her head on the above bunk.

"Ow!" she yelped, glaring at it.

"Anastasia! Are you all right?" Jack asked, laughing as she cursed under her breath.

"I’m fine," she grumbled, massaging the bruise that was forming.

Mac snorted. "Way to go, Anastasia," she teased, glad she could use her friend’s real name when they were alone in the cabin. Anastasia stuck her tongue out at Mac, and climbed down from the bunk.

"I’m going to write a letter home. I know we won’t be able to send it until we dock, but I want to keep kind of a diary of what happens on the ship." She sat down at the desk, pulled out a piece of notepaper and her pen, and began to write. When she was preoccupied, Jack turned back to his daughter, shutting the book and setting it beside them.

"Now, what were you going to ask me, sweetheart?" he whispered, wrapping an arm around her and kissing the top of her head.

"Is it true what you told Rose earlier? That every moment you spend with me, even if it restricts your time to do things, is well worth it?" Her eyes shone with love, and Jack held her tight.

"I meant every word, baby. Every word. I love you so much…I don’t know what I would do without you."

Mac sighed in contentment. "And you’re never going to leave me, right? Never ever? We’ll always be together, won’t we?" Her voice was filled with hope, and Anastasia looked over her shoulder with a half smile. Jack hesitated, taking a deep breath.

"Sweetie, I can’t promise you’ll I’ll be around forever. Forever is a long time, you know."

Mac frowned. "Yeah, but…" She paused. "Will you at least live until I have my own children?"

Jack laughed. "I’ll try, honey." He closed his eyes, feeling suddenly sleepy.

"How long do we have until lunch, Jack?" Anastasia asked, waking him up.

"Mmm? I think about an hour. Lunch starts at 12:30, and it’s only 11:30. I might rest my eyes for a few moments, girls."

Mac nodded, untangling herself from him, and sat up straight on the bed. "I’ll squeeze your hands like this when we have to wake you up," she explained seriously, demonstrating. He grinned and reached up to caress her cheek.

"Sounds good to me." He closed his eyes, trying his best to relax to the sound of the ship’s rumbling engine. Mac took the book and lay down on her bunk, opening it to Romeo and Juliet. Before she began reading, she looked at the inside cover of the old volume, smiling at the note.

I do hope you enjoy this book as much as I have. As much as it is a shame to part with it, I believe you should have something to remember me by, darling. Do keep safe and well, and perhaps one day we will meet again.

Your Tatia

"Hey, Mac," Anastasia spoke up, causing her friend to glance at her. "Do you remember that time when we locked Olga and Tatiana in the closet with the mice?"

Mac nodded, covering her mouth with her hand as she giggled, being mindful of her father. "I do remember that. We got into—well—you and Maria got into a lot of trouble for that."

Anastasia rolled her eyes. "Yes, because it was my idea and Maria’s mice."

Mac snickered. "I think I’m going to read until it’s time to wake my father up." She lay back down and propped the book open on her knees, sighing deeply. When 12:15 arrived, Mac woke her father. The three of them changed clothing before finally making their way to the dining room.

*****

"Mama, do I have to go?" Coddie Anna mumbled as she followed her mother down the flight of metal steps to steerage. She wore one of her less formal dresses, and her curly hair was tied back into a single ponytail with a ribbon.

"Coddie, please try to be kind to them, dear. It will be all right, I promise," Rose insisted, taking her daughter’s hand and gently urging the child along. They found Jack, Mac, and Anastasia sitting at one of the first tables, waiting for them. Jack immediately stood, smiling at Coddie Anna and kissing Rose’s hand. "Are you both hungry?" he asked.

"Starving." Rose chuckled, allowing him to pull out a chair for her, and thanked him as she sat down. Coddie Anna insisted on helping herself, and sat next to her mother. She refused to meet Jack’s eyes, and stared at the table, her hands clasped tightly in her lap. Mac nudged Anastasia’s arm and nodded towards Coddie Anna, rolling her eyes. Rose gave Jack an apologetic glance, mouthing, "I’m sorry," and nodding towards her daughter.

"Jack won’t bite you," Anastasia suddenly spoke, causing everyone to look at her.

"I know," Coddie Anna mumbled, turning pink.

Anastasia scowled. "You could at least say hello if you wanted to be a proper lady."

Mac blinked, covering her face with her hands and shaking her head. No one was safe from Anastasia’s tongue.

"Ana," Jack warned, narrowing his eyes.

A waiter soon came to their table to pass out menus and take their drink orders before hurrying away again. An awkward silence passed between them until Jack cleared his throat in an attempt to start a conversation. "Coddie Anna, your mother tells me you enjoy acting. Do you have a favorite performance that you’ve seen?"

Mac and Anastasia turned to the newcomer, fighting the urge to get up and leave. Coddie Anna shrugged, not speaking. Rose frowned.

"Coddie, Jack asked you a question. Answer him, please."

Jack felt Mac take his hand under the table and squeeze it. He smiled at her, returning the gesture.

"Parle vous Francais?" Anastasia asked, causing Mac to stifle a giggle with a cough.

"What?" Coddie Anna looked at Anastasia, confused.

The Grand Duchess shrugged. "Well, I thought you didn’t speak English so I thought I’d use French."

"I speak English," Coddie Anna snapped.

"Ana, please," Jack begged, knowing Anastasia’s history with mocking and teasing unexpected victims. She was a cut-up, and certainly knew it. It had taken Mac a little while to figure out Anastasia’s game, and that had only happened after she’d been punched. Coddie Anna seemed did not seem the violent type, or so he hoped. The drinks soon came, and everyone focused on them--gratefully--for a time. For some reason, Mac felt compelled to look over her shoulder when the door to the dining room opened, and smiled when she saw Michael enter, followed by Callista and Sam. They sneaked to a table in the corner by the door, pretending not to be watching. Eventually, Michael caught Mac’s eye, and he nodded to her, raising his hat. Callista and Sam gave him a strange look, hiding their faces with their menus. She smiled at him.

"Mac, sweetie, what are you looking at?" Jack asked, causing her to gasp and whirl around, blushing furiously.

"N-nothing," she insisted.

"You look flushed." He felt her forehead, checking for a fever.

"I’m fine, Papa, really," Mac insisted, looking at Anastasia with wide eyes. Jack nodded, smoothing her hair.

"I just want to make sure you aren’t catching my cold." When he turned to face Rose again, Anastasia took the opportunity to glance over her own shoulder, and turned around immediately afterwards, giggling to herself and ignoring Mac’s glare. Anastasia suddenly leaned across Jack and tapped Mac’s arm, pulling her so she could whisper in her ear.

"Girls? Would you like to sit next to each other?" he asked, laughing as he tried to avoid falling backwards.

"Yes, please," Mac replied, kissing his cheek as she stood, and they rearranged themselves so Mac and Anastasia could sit side by side.

"I didn’t know you could stretch that far," Mac teased, and Anastasia stuck out her tongue. Rose smiled over her tea as the girls whispered to each other, and rubbed Coddie Anna’s back. Her daughter looked miserable.

"So, what do you plan to do when we arrive in America?" Rose asked, realizing that she’d never actually found out.

Jack leaned his chin on his palm, feeling drowsy again. "In all honesty, Rose, I’m not entirely certain. My parents left their home in Wisconsin to me in their will, so my plan is to work in New York until I can make enough money for our travel there."

Coddie Anna cocked her head to one side, an eyebrow raised. "Mr. Dawson, you have an accent," she told him seriously, and Jack chuckled.

"Well, when you live in a foreign country long enough, you tend to pick it up. The three of us lived in Russia for three years."

"But why is she with you?" Coddie Anna pointed to Anastasia, who stopped talking to Mac to stare.

"Because my parents are dead and I’m living with my Uncle Jack now," Anastasia lied, and it took Mac a lot of willpower not to spit out the milk she had in her mouth.

"And what exactly happened to your wife?" Coddie Anna asked Jack, and Rose felt her heart skip a beat, starting to stop her daughter, but Jack shook his head.

"She died during birth complications." His voice shook and his eyes misted, as though he’d been thinking about it all morning again. Mac frowned, knowing that these bouts of depression came upon him at random intervals. Rose reached over and took Jack’s hand, squeezing it affectionately. He gazed into her eyes, finding them to be filled with unconditional love. Coddie Anna watched the two of them, feeling suddenly angry.

At last, she stood, pointing at Jack. "I can’t! I'm not going to let you marry my mother and kill her with your baby like you did her mother!" she yelled, pointing a finger at Mac. Her loud voice caused the entire dining room to grow silent as all heads turned in their direction. Rose gasped, watching as Jack’s face turned white. Mac and Anastasia were staring at the furious girl before them, taking a moment or two to comprehend what she had said.

"W-what was that?" Jack asked, shaking.

"She didn't die because of the birth, she died to get away from you!" Coddie Anna screamed before dashing out of the dining room as fast as she could. Michael, Sam, and Callista watched as Coddie Anna burst through the door, and Callista covered her mouth with her hand.

"Holy shit," Sam murmured under his breath, sinking into his chair.

Jack sat very still in his chair, staring at Rose blankly.

"Oh, my God, Jack…" Rose gulped, horrified at her daughter’s atrocious behavior.

Mac nervously turned to her father, feeling suddenly sick to her stomach. At that moment, the waitress came to their table, trying to act as though she hadn’t heard anything. "Here you are," she announced, setting down their lunches.

"No…no, thank you," Jack croaked, shaking his head when his lunch came to him. He’d lost his appetite.

"Are you sure?"

"Please," Jack told her, his voice no more than a whisper. "Oh, God. Excuse me." He suddenly stood up, pushing his chair away, and walked quickly out of the dining room. Mac and Anastasia looked at Rose, who was watching as he left in her daughter’s wake. Coddie Anna would not get away with this. That was certain.

"I’m going to go and see if he’s okay," Mac told Rose.

"Do you want me to sit with you?" Anastasia asked, feeling bad about leaving Rose by herself.

"No. I’m going to go and give my daughter a talking to. That was absolutely uncalled for." Rose stood and hurried out next, leaving Anastasia by herself for the moment. She found Jack vomiting over the rail, gasping for air after each bout. Mac stood on a bench, rubbing his back and smoothing his hair away from his forehead. Rose stood on his other side, grimacing a bit.

"Oh, sweetie. I’m so sorry about this, Jack. I wanted this to be…" She swallowed. "Coddie Anna’s personality is so hard to predict sometimes, and I swore she was going to be fine today."

Jack threw up again, his eyes closed tightly to block out the pain. When he finally finished, he covered his mouth with the back of his hand, turning slowly around to face her. Tears were streaming down his cheeks, and his eyes were bloodshot. "Maybe you should just go now," Mac whispered, not wanting her father to feel worse. Anastasia came out of the dining room a moment later, followed after that by Callista, Michael, and Sam, who sneaked around a bend.

Rose paused, chewing on her lip. "All right." She nodded.

"No, Rose, don’t," Jack begged, wiping his cheeks with the heels of his hands. "I’m sorry. I…"

"You need time to recover," Rose told him with a small smile. "I’ll meet up with you later, I’m sure." She came over to plant a small kiss on his cheek, reaching into the pocket of her dress and retrieving a plain white lace handkerchief. "Here." She pressed it into his hand and caressed his forehead, brushing a few wisps of his bangs away from his eyes.

He watched her leave before properly wiping his eyes and blowing his nose loudly. Mac hugged her father tightly, burying her face against his shirt. "You know nothing Coddie Anna said was true, Papa."

Jack hugged her back, sighing. "Oh, sweetie," he sniffed, just as Anastasia puffed out her chest.

"Russia has never lost a war," Anastasia added with a matter-of-fact nod. "And we will continue to triumph."

Mac smirked. "We’re not Russian," she pointed out.

"You’re more Russian than any American ever was," Anastasia retorted, grinning. "Someone very important said that," she added. "And anyway, what I meant was…you haven’t lost her yet, Jack. And we won’t let you."

Jack blew his nose again, clearing his throat, and went over to hug Anastasia. "Thank you."

"How are you feeling?" Mac asked, glad to see that her father had calmed down. "Maybe you should lie down or something for a while."

Jack shook his head. "No, honey. I’m all right. Just a bit queasy still, but I’ll survive that." He went to sit down on the bench, wrapping his coat more tightly around his body, feeling suddenly chilled. Mac and Anastasia sat down with him, and Mac lay with her head on his lap. She loved her father so much, and was so completely devoted to him, that to see him hurting like this broke her heart. He sneezed suddenly, causing her to yelp and nearly fall to the ground.

"Bless you!" the two girls told him, blinking.

"Thank you. I’m sorry, honey," Jack apologized, helping Mac straighten up on his lap. "Here, lay like this…it might be more comfortable." He let her lay on her back, using his arm to support her head. Anastasia sat at his feet, resting her back against his legs.

"No matter what anyone else says," Mac replied as he stroked her cheek, "we’ll always be here for you."

Jack nodded. "And I’ll never forget that." He rested against the back of the bench, closing his eyes and letting the sound of the sea relax him.

Chapter Eighteen

Stories