TITANIC ROSE
Chapter Twenty-Five
Rose felt the warmth of Thomas’ hand on hers
as she woke up. The pounding of rain against the roof was the second entity she
noticed. The sun was covered by thunderous clouds, and sheets of lightning were
the only lights that filled the room. Indeed, it was going to be a caliginous
morning.
"Is Andrew awake?" Rose asked,
squeezing Thomas’ hand while pulling the covers of the bed closer to her chin.
"The thunder is earsplitting."
"He’s sleeping like a log." Thomas
chuckled. "Amazingly so. That child will awaken to the quietest whisper,
but will slumber through a thunderstorm."
Rose smiled and held Thomas’ hand closer to
her. He didn’t have to go to work at the law firm this morning, and Rose was
glad. Thomas had gotten a job at one of the smaller companies, and already he
had been hired as a lawyer for a case. Rose was proud of him, but wished she
could do something to help their financial situation.
An unbearably loud shot of thunder
reverberated through the house, and a strong cry could be heard in the adjacent
room. "It seems we spoke too soon." Rose laughed, reaching for her robe
next to the bed.
"You stay here." Thomas stopped
her. "I’ll get Andrew. After all, you have been the one caring for him all
week."
"Thank you, Thomas," Rose said,
leaning back into the downy pillows she had piled up behind her. It wasn’t the
type of morning where you wanted to wake up and actually do something
beneficial. Like work.
Thomas returned with the baby, chubby and
crying. Rose took him in her arms, wiping the tears from his plump little
cheeks. "It’s okay, sweetie. Thunder won’t hurt you. Thomas, this is his
first real storm."
"We never had storms like this in Cedar
Rapids." Thomas nodded his head in agreement. "And it came on so
fast. When I woke up, it was bright and sunny. And that was only moments before
you awoke."
"It’s so different here. I don’t know if
that’s good or bad."
"At least people here don’t believe we
sacrifice animals or worship the dead souls of our ancestors," Thomas told
her, attempting not to laugh, but failing. "Your mother certainly caused
us enough trouble out there."
"I’m positive she doesn’t think she
caused us enough," Rose replied, bouncing Andrew on her knee. He began to
smile and giggle, cute dimples forming by his mouth. "I’m just glad she
won’t be around to raise Andrew. He’d be scarred for life."
"There are many things that happened in
your life, aren’t there, Rose?" Thomas asked seriously. "Things you
have yet to recount to me."
"It is too painful, Thomas. My mother is
a great cause of the hurt, and so are other people whom I loved very deeply. I
just don’t think I’m ready to relay every point of my life to you, being as
agonizing as they are."
"Will you ever tell me?"
Rose was silent for a moment, pondering what
he was asking. Did he want her to tell him now? Was he beginning to become
curious as to why Rose was so secretive? "I need more time, Thomas. Lots
more time. Perhaps an eternity."
"Are you hiding something from me?
Something that could possibly hurt us?"
"I’m just afraid that the things that
are opprobrious to me now might start hurting you, as well. And I certainly
don’t want that to happen. I want our marriage to be blissfully happy, and it
couldn’t be with Mother around. I wish I could make you understand, Thomas. I
truly do."
*****
Lora brushed through the brown curls on
Andrew’s head, making them shine in silken waves. She and Rose sat in the
foyer, relaxing after a long, tempestuous day. Thomas had been called in to
work to do some last minute errands on his current case, and the thunderstorm
outside had begun to ease up. The moon cast argentine light onto the ground
beneath it, and Rose was taken aback at the beauty outside the window.
"Did you have any more encounters with
Mr. Hockley or your mother?" Lora asked quietly, interrupting Rose’s train
of thought.
"My mother discovered our home in Cedar Rapids,"
Rose replied after a few seconds. "She tried to let everything out. I
wouldn’t permit it, and sent her away. The reason we are here is because she
turned the entire town against us."
"Mr. Hockley is married. Did you
know?" Lora asked. Rose shook her head. "Some girl named Anne
Dumas."
"Anne? I’ve known her since were but
children! She detested Cal! Why on earth would she marry that rogue?"
"Money, perhaps." Lora nodded,
thinking to herself. "That must be it. Do you still have the
necklace?"
"It is locked away in my jewelry
box," Rose answered, redirecting her attention to the world on the
opposite side of the window. "Thomas doesn’t yet know about it."
"Have you revealed anything to
him?"
"Lora, there is much more to the story
than just Cal and my mother; things I have not yet even told you. My life, my
world is a secret to anyone who hasn’t lived it with me. If it had been a
better life, I would have disclosed everything to everyone. But it wasn’t a
nice life I led."
"I’m sorry, Rose. It’s unfortunate you
have to keep your entire past hidden from everyone who loves you."
"Almost everyone who loves me is
dead," Rose replied. "Now, all I have are you, Thomas, and
Andrew." She looked up into the midnight sky and watched the stars
glisten. Jack came to mind, and tears clouded her eyes. "It seems like
only yesterday my life was on a downward course."
"Your life is wonderful, now. Look at
everything you have. You should be forever grateful."
"I’m happy I found love in the right
place when I met Thomas. He, too, saved me."
"He, too?" Lora asked. "Who
else saved you?"
Rose again looked up at the twinkling stars.
"An angel."