THERE YOU’LL BE
Chapter Sixteen

The tiny saloon situated at the side of the pier certainly hadn’t changed. It was still a welcoming and popular locale.

There was a new dancehall open further uptown and Jack had promised Rose some dances while they were there. They hadn’t been dancing as a married couple yet.

There was so much to do and so little time. After Jack and Rose had downed a couple of beers, Jack had let Rose go on the roller coaster.

She screamed until she thought her lungs would give out. She laughed until her face hurt and her hair was flying all over the place, but she didn’t give a damn. Her stomach churned and churned over and over as they rode it four times in a row. Rose professed that she had a cast iron stomach and didn’t throw up very easily. Jack was quite the opposite and made himself ill after another two times on the ride.

It was like magic. She felt so free--like she was flying for real.

Jack heard her squeals of laughter and joy. This was the happiest he’d ever seen her. The familiar glow had returned to her cheeks and her fire was back. The fiery woman he once fell in love with was back and here with him. Nothing could take her away again.

By late afternoon, the sun was already beginning to set on what was one of the best days of her life. Anne had telegrammed Rose telling her Meggie was doing all right and sending her best wishes.

Rose always loved hearing news from Anne about her daughter. She was the dearest little thing. Her small giggles made Rose melt inside. At such a young age, Rose had thought that being a parent wouldn’t suit her, and she was scared of not being a good parent. But as soon as she’d held her wailing daughter in her arms for the first time, she knew this was the path fate had chosen for her.

Jack had promised to take Rose dancing that evening. He had gone out to find a late evening snack for them while Rose dressed.

She opened her very small wardrobe and scanned inside. Five dresses was all she had with her. She had been reluctant to bring that many. Selecting the most fancy one she owned, a dark purple one with three-quarter length sleeves and a matching lilac shawl, Rose dressed herself.

The full-length mirror showed her reflection, a girl of eighteen who’d been through so much, but her face showed the biggest smile she’d ever seen. She was finally happy.

Rose fiddled around in a small chest of drawers and found what she was looking for. She carefully applied some rouge and lipstick. She hadn’t worn makeup since before Meggie was born, and so she had decided to make an effort for Jack. Spraying a small amount of perfume on her neck, Rose sighed. She was happy with her reflection. As she finished pinning her hair up, there was a knock at the door.

Intrigued, Rose went to answer it. Who would knock at this time? They knew no one. Jack wasn’t due back for a half hour.

Upon opening the door, Rose gasped in surprise. It was Jack in his Sunday best, a black blazer and trousers and a crisp white shirt. They were the most expensive items he owned. A single red rose hung from his mouth and he wiggled his eyebrows comically.

"Good evening, Mrs. Dawson." Jack handed her the rose before taking her left hand in his and kissing it tenderly.

"Hello," Rose replied, not quite knowing what to say. Jack was up to something, and she knew it.

"You look stunning." Rose blushed slightly. He always told her she was beautiful and she had never quite grown used to the compliments, but tonight she felt good.

Rose placed the rose on her dresser before heading out the door.

It was quite a walk from the hotel to the dancehall, but Rose didn’t care. She took in everything around her--the streets, the houses, the people. Everything was new to her.

The music blared out from Newton Dancehall. The band there played everything from classical music to Irish jigs.

The night was spent dancing rapidly to songs they didn’t even recognize, dancing steps they didn’t even know. Rose’s wild copper curls flew carelessly, Jack’s hand in hers.

Sitting back at the table they occupied, Rose breathed heavily. They had just danced to an Irish jig. Rose loved Irish music and had loved her visit there the year before. It was so cultured and historical. Nobody cared what people thought as long as they were happy. The Irish immigrants she had met aboard the Titanic had been friendly and gracious people. She would love to go back there one day.

Her faced was flushed and her hair was everywhere. Most of her makeup had rubbed off and her dress was slightly ripped at the bottom, but she didn’t care.

Jack appeared with another two beers for them both. She knew she had drunk a little more than usual tonight, but she didn’t care.

Downing at least half of his beer, Jack smiled. He knew she could drink a beer or two. He sometimes joked about her drinking more than him.

Soft music began, slow and quiet. The lights dimmed slightly, and couples began to retreat to the dance floor.

They glided elegantly and swayed to the soft music. Jack gazed at Rose in the lowered light. He had been right earlier. She certainly did look stunning--her fiery hair, her glittering blue eyes. Even out of breath from dancing, her hair in tangles, he thought of her as beautiful. A lot of other men in the room had gaped in awe as soon as they had seen her. Some were still gaping. This stirred feelings inside Jack. Not jealousy--far from it, for he was the one who once longed for this princess, who wanted nothing more than to rescue her and make her happy, and now he was succeeding. The feelings were that of him being proud of her and her happiness. Happy that she was happy and that she was his wife and would be forever. He would never call her his. That was almost like she was a possession. She was a person, with feelings and the right to do what she wanted, when she wanted, not to be told what to do like some servant.

The music continued. Rose, finally feeling Jack’s eyes on her, gazed up. He smiled gently, his face full of love. He held his hand out to her. She took it gently and rose from her seat.

He led her to the dance floor, where other couples were dancing, too. He began to lead her in a waltz. A slow, sensual waltz.

Rose held onto Jack’s hand and shoulder as Jack held her waist. He slowly glided her across the floor and she followed. It had been years since she had danced this way. She’d almost forgotten how. She had loved dancing, especially as a child. She had taken ballet classes up to twelve years old. She had also learned to play the piano and the violin. She had loved music all of her life. Some things never went away, no matters where fate led a person in life. Her love of music and dancing would never fade.

Jack held onto Rose’s waist tighter and pulled her closer to his body. He gazed down at her lovingly, and she was surprised at how well he could lead. Another hidden talent of Jack Dawson.

Rose shivered slightly as Jack adjusted his fingers on her waist. He moved closer to her and leaned her head on his shoulder as he lightly kissed the top of it. She could feel the sensations inside of her that hadn’t seemed to go away these past few days stir. She hadn’t felt them this strongly in a while.

Gently, she felt Jack’s fingers softly begin to run through her hair. She closed her eyes. Feeling the closeness between them, Jack’s heart began to pound. He was overcome by emotions and love for this woman who stood with him dancing. He softly kissed the top of her head once more as she removed her head from his shoulder and gazed fixedly at her husband’s eyes. She had felt his heartbeat when she was close to him. She had butterflies and the world seemed to disappear as he lowered his head and gently kissed her lips. It was a soft, long, and sweet kiss, enough to boil over Rose’s emotions. She hadn’t felt anything like this since, well, since Meggie was conceived. That one and only time they had made love. Rose had a feeling that tonight might be special.

Pulling away, Jack pulled Rose closer to him again and softly kissed her hair.

"I love you," he whispered softly into her hair. He was unsure if she heard him, but he had to say it at that moment. It was all he felt.

*****

Rose awoke earlier than usual on the morning of April seventh. She was excited and ready for what the day held.

She remembered Jack’s words he’d spoken a long time ago.

"I love waking up in the morning, not knowing what’s going to happen, who I’m going to meet and what’s lined up."

And she understood exactly how he felt.

Jack stirred in his sleep, turning on his side and facing Rose. Resting her head back on her pillow, she softly stroked the small strands of hair from his sleeping face. A smile appeared on her face, remembering the night before. It had been the best night of her life.

They had made love for the first time in almost a year. Rose had felt the same unfamiliar feelings she’d had that night of April 14, 1912.

Her heart had pounded the entire time. She had never been so nervous. Back then, she had been a child, impulsive and spontaneous. Now she was a woman with a child. Her body had certainly changed in some areas since giving birth to her daughter. There were marks around her stomach, and her breasts were larger than usual, due to her breastfeeding. But Jack had embraced each new mark and line on her body, kissing her gently. It was slow and sensual and she had never wanted it to end. All of these months of not making love had killed Jack. He’d wanted to show his wife how much he loved her, to be close to her, make her feel wanted. But she had shunned him for a long time, mostly due to her pregnancy and the fact that she didn’t feel ready to be touched in that way again since that night.

It had affected her in more ways than she had thought imaginable.

They had taken precautions, though, to make sure she didn’t conceive another child just yet. She definitely wanted more children, but for now, she wanted to concentrate on Meggie and the new life she was adjusting to.

Feeling a gentle hand touching his face, Jack awoke from his slumber and opened his sleepy eyes to Rose’s smiling face.

He, too, smiled. It was contagious, for the previous night had been magic. Their lovemaking had turned out to be one of the best experiences he’d ever had. He’d loved her in a way neither had thought possible. All of their time apart and not being able to touch her had made him even more eager to make it special, and my God, it was.

Jack moved his arm and gently touched her lower back before planting a lingering kiss on Rose’s lips.

"Good morning, darling." Rose smiled.

"Hey, you." Jack sighed before turning and stretching.

"Last night was--" Rose trailed off. The night been unexplainable.

"Beautiful--" Jack answered for her. His eyes shone in the morning sunlight.

*****

The day was warm again, another perfect day. The beach was almost empty except for a small, round man with a horse tied up near him. Jack recognized the man instantly, for it was the same man who, six years before, had loaned him the horse for an hour to ride in the surf.

Jack immediately pulled Rose in the direction of the man and she followed, intrigued.

"Hey," Jack greeted, smiling, and he held out his hand. The man obviously didn’t recognize him, so he just cut straight to the chase. "How much for a horse ride, sir?" Jack asked.

Rose’s mouth opened wide, looking up at the great horse.

"Twenty cents for the hour. You interested?" the small man asked, looking somewhat bored. He twiddled his dirty thumbs around in a circular motion.

"Yes, indeed. I am. We’ll take him for the hour, sir. Thank you."

Jack tossed the man twenty cents before untying the horse from the fence and leading him further across the beach.

Rose was frightened.

"How on earth can I ride this, Jack? Look how tall he is."

He was at least seventeen hands high. He was a beauty. Black in color, his hair glistened in the sun.

"Don’t worry. He’s sturdy. Trust me?"

"All right."

Trust. It was one of Jack’s biggest traits. Rose knew to always put her trust in him.

Jack held Rose’s hand as she pulled up her skirts, stepped up onto the stirrup, and lifted herself onto the steed. Her heart pounded hard from nerves and the fact that she was actually doing this. It was almost a dream.

"Now put your other leg over, Rose," Jack instructed. Rose laughed as she straddled the horse as a man would.

"So, this is what it feels like to be a man," Rose teased. Jack gazed at her and saw her beautiful face, so full of happiness. Jack almost wanted to burst with pride and being so proud of her.

Adjusting her skirts around her, Rose looked straight ahead, off into the distance. The sun was about to set. Brilliant shades of red, orange, and yellow merged and created a magical sunset.

Rose let out a small squeal of joy before beckoning Jack to climb up and ride with her.

She’d never controlled a horse before and was a little afraid. So, Jack climbed on behind her and took the reins. The horse slowly began to walk forward and Rose giggled hysterically. This was a whole new experience to her. When Rose felt comfortable, she gently took over holding the reins. Jack’s arms slid around her waist and he rested his chin on her shoulder.

She could feel him gently kiss her cheek and the smile on her face widened.

Her heart soared. The horse slowly trotted across the warm, sandy beach. The warm breeze caused her red curls to billow freely. Another giggle and squeal escaped her lips. She let her left hand gently entwine with his. He caressed her fingers softly, playing with her wedding band.

Rose tilted her head slightly. Her face met Jack’s. His breath tickled her cheek. His eyes darted from her glittering eyes to her full, soft, and slightly parted lips. He gently kissed her once and then again before turning their attention back to the beautiful sunset before them.

The horse walked slowly towards the surf, and water splashed gently around her ankles on the stirrups. Rose looked out to sea. It was amazingly blue and seemed endless. Right into the distance, it was pure blueness. She shivered slightly. She had always loved the sea, but certain events in recent times had changed that.

"This is it, Rosie--the horizon, and it’s ours--now and forever."

Rose felt a single tear slide down her porcelain cheek.

They had talked of this moment, thought about it, and even dreamt of it.

But the reality was even more wonderful.

This was an indescribable feeling. Nothing had prepared her for this moment.

She was lucky. She knew that. The life that she thought once upon a time wasn’t worth living had turned into perfection.

Chapter Seventeen
Stories