THE HEART GOES ON
Chapter Five
October 1, 1912
Rose
The water lapped at the golden
sands of an empty Santa Monica beach. The sun was rising slowly, casting a
golden glow over the sands. It was five AM, and Jack and I were walking
hand-in-hand through the surf, catching a quiet moment together. I felt utterly
at peace. We walked slowly, in unison, feeling the water swishing over our bare
feet.
"Today’s the day, Mrs.
Dawson," Jack said. "We are so lucky, Rose, to have this opportunity
to have our lives when so many lost theirs." I nodded, the gentle wind
blowing my curls around my face. We walked on silently, in thought. "I
miss my friends," he said quietly. "I miss Fabrizio. I miss Tommy.
They didn’t make it, I know. What I wouldn’t give to have Fabri as my best man
today. We did everything together." I could hear the sorrow in his voice.
"He’d be happy for us,"
I said gently. "He was a good man."
"Yes, he would have. I have
lost a good friend," he said, and stopped, embraced me tenderly, and laid
his head on my shoulder like a child.
"Jack, it’s all right. I will
always be here for you." I stroked his vivid blond hair, soothing him.
"I know. We will always be
together, my Rose," he replied. We continued walking. The sad moment
passed.
"I want to meet your
aunt," I said quickly.
Jack stared at me, eyes wide with
surprise at my suggestion.
"Okay," he said at
length. "I suppose I should see Aunt Janette again. I haven’t seen her
since I was fifteen. Tell you what. We’ll go and visit her in Chippewa Falls
after the art exhibition in a few weeks."
"We must go back," I
said at last. "We have a wedding to get to. Ours!"
Jack grinned at me suddenly and
started to tickle me. I squealed and tried to get away. He chased me playfully
across the sands as I moved slowly, due to my pregnant state. "Come here,
Mrs. Dawson!" he yelled. We held each other and laughed.
Then we stood and gazed at the
roller coaster in the distance.
"Rose," Jack said.
"When the child is older, we will ride on the roller coaster and go
horseback riding--all of us--all us Dawsons!"
This was a happy day. The start
of all our tomorrows.
Jack
"Dearly beloved, we are
gathered here today to join this man, Jack Charles Dawson, and this woman, Rose
Elizabeth DeWitt Bukater, in holy matrimony."
The minister’s words echoed
around the small beachside church. Rose stood beside me in a plain, simple
white gown with her hair pinned up and dainty white flowers in her luxuriant
red curls, holding a tiny bouquet of baby red roses. We were standing, looking
deep into each other’s eyes, her eyes dancing.
How I had longed for this moment,
this beautiful girl who was my wife. In the space of six months, I had gone
from my rootless existence, to quote Ruth, to being a married man with a home,
a wife, and I would be a father in the new year.
I slipped the narrow gold band
onto her finger. We gripped hands tightly. I could feel the gazes of Ruth,
Molly, and our friends on us as we became united in matrimony.
When the minister said, "You
may kiss the bride," our lips met in a soul-searing kiss, like the one we
had in the Titanic’s boiler room, passion enveloping both of us. The strength
of our feelings was bigger than both of us, some infinite life force that could
not be explained.
We were interrupted by the cheers
and rice being thrown on us. Rose was laughing. She was my wife!
My soulmate. My years of
hopeless, lonely drifting were over.
"Thank you, God," I
whispered.