THERE'S NO PLACE LIKE HEAVEN
Chapter Twelve
Due Date
Santa Monica was a good vacation for Rose.
She had loved the way Jack had made love to her. But now they were back in
Wisconsin. Jack was working hard at the gallery again and Rose started to learn
how to knit. Violet had taught her, and from time to time Rose asked her if she
was doing it right, and if not, Violet corrected her. It seemed that all
morning she had been having a back pain. She was now nine months and as big as
a house. She felt tired, so she put her knitting aside and went to lie down.
Just as she was about to lie down she had to go to the restroom. As she sat on
the toilet she thought nothing of it until she wiped herself and noticed blood.
She thought to herself, Please, not now. Jack's at work. She decided to
call him at the gallery.
The phone started to ring.
"Hi, Brenda. Is Jack there?"
"Yes. Hold on, Rose."
Brenda walked to his office and knocked on
the door.
"Jack, your wife's on line one."
"Thanks, Brenda."
"De nada," Brenda said, as she
closed the door.
Jack picked up the phone.
"Rose, what's wrong?"
"It's time, Jack. They're coming."
"All right. Don't panic. I'll be right
there."
Jack picked up his jacket and flew out of the
office and told Brenda to close the gallery for the day. He also gave her the
week off, with pay, of course. He was generous and kind hearted. That's just
the way he was. He got into his car and headed home in a hurry.
*****
Rose called the doctor and went back to bed.
The pains had increased. Luckily, Violet was there. She told her not to be
afraid. She knew the pain was unbelievably painful, but there was nothing she
could do about it, because that was the price of bearing children.
When Jack arrived, the doctor was already
there. He could hear her screaming. Jack's dad and Violet waited outside of the
bedroom.
"Hurry, Jack! She's been calling for
you!" Violet yelled as he went to the bedroom.
Jack got there just in time.
"You shouldn't be here," the doctor
told him.
"No, I want him here, doctor.
Please." She gritted her teeth in pain.
"All right, Rose," the doctor said,
but disagreed with her.
"Has her water broken yet, doctor?"
Jack asked.
"Yes. She was just about to push."
Jack went to Rose's side, holding her hand.
Even though Jack's hand grew numb from Rose's grip, he didn't care, because he
could imagine the pain she was in.
"Come on, Rose. Push."
"I am, Jack." She started to cry.
"Come on. Where's that fire I love about
you?"
"I don't know." Rose continued to
cry.
"Come on, Rose. Do it for them."
At that moment she gave it her all.
"Hold it," the doctor said.
The baby started to cry.
"It's a boy."
"Okay, Rose. Let's get this
through." She pushed again.
Weakened by the pain, she didn't have the
strength. Jack closed his eyes, and Rose's hand started to warm up. She saw
Jack, and then suddenly she had the strength. She pushed, and with that the
next baby was out.
A girl.
Lauren Josephine Dawson and Jack Christopher
Dawson.
They had their pair. They were both in
perfect condition. Jack looked at Rose, and he was overjoyed and in love. He
had three people in his life now that he would cherish forever.
"Jack?"
"Yes, Rose?"
"I want to go to Philadelphia. In about
two weeks or so."
"Sure, Rose, but what about Cal?"
"What about him, Jack?"
"Do you want to see him?"
"No. Why?"
"Just asking."
"I want to see my mother and
father."
"Fine. We'll leave in two weeks."
"Jack, do you think I would have left
you back then, when I said I would go with you when the ship docked? Because I
want you to believe that I meant it. I don't care if you had no money. We would
have made it somehow, because our love is what makes us live on."
"I had often thought about it."
"Don't worry. I would have lived in the
streets just to be near you."
"I love you, Rose."
"I love you, too, Jack."
"Okay, who wants to hold them?" the
doctor asked, as he noticed them kissing passionately.
Jack held his son and Rose held her daughter.
At that moment, the grandparents were let in. The doctor checked Rose over, and
when everything was okay, he left.
Violet and Frank were so happy. They had a
grandson and a granddaughter in one shot. The nursery was done in little white
ducks. It reminded Rose of the time she saw ducks in the pond in Philadelphia
with her father when she was a little girl. Her father was her idol; she was a
pistol just like he was. Ruth had often called them two of a kind.
When Rose was a little girl she was never
prim and proper like all the other girls. She used to play in the dirt, climb
trees, and play with bugs. Ruth had often yelled at her. But Rose had never
paid attention to her. When Rose had grown into a lady, her mother had
introduced her to the neighbors, the Hockleys. When Cal first saw her, his
heart had skipped a beat. When they had courted, he always tried to influence
her to let him make love to her. He thought that would make them closer. Rose
liked Cal, but he always tried to control her. Rose didn't like that. That's
why she rebelled. She had told her mother she would only marry Cal for the
money, not for love. But Rose wasn't that kind of person. When she married, it
would be for love. That's why when she married Jack. Money or no money, she
loved him deeply. She didn't care if she wore rags. She just wanted to be with
him. And that's what counted, love.