35
It’s been a week since Jack’s accident. Unfortunately, the relationship between Jack and his mother had deteriorated. They both were now avoiding each other on the daily bases. Rose meanwhile was growing more and more concerned for her husband. She knew that Jack still loved his mother dearly. It was just that he felt betrayed right now. He couldn’t understand Lily’s actions. If only there was a way to make him understand. Maybe Lily was going the wrong way about her explanations. Maybe Jack needed to hear the explanation from someone he both loved and trusted. Yeah, Jack loved his mother, but trust…that was a different issue all together.
So Rose came up with a plan. She’ll set down with Lily and have a woman to woman talk. She’ll get the full story from Lily herself. And then she’ll try to explain it to Jack. Hopefully that will bring the family back together again.
Quietly she slipped out of Jack’s embrace one Saturday morning and went downstairs to fix some tea. Hopefully, the next person down was Lily. Rose was just pouring a cup when Lily arrived, surprised to see her daughter in law up so early on a Saturday, when Jack was off and could afford to sleep later, his wife snuzzled close. She had to smile each time she saw Jack and Rose together. The only time she ever saw her son truly happy was when he was with Rose.
"Rose, you’re up early. I thought you’d be in bed a couple of more hours with Jack home and all."
"We need to talk," Rose looked at Lily, knowing that her straight forwardness was taking the other woman by surprise.
"We do? What about?"
Rose took a deep breath. Her heart was threatening to burst out of her chest. Why was she so nervous? She really had no reason to be, especially since she was doing this for Jack. For once it was her turn to do something good for him instead of the other way around. "Jack…he does love you. You’re his mother. But he’s angry. He can’t understand how you could just marry someone you didn’t love and carry on an affair. He can’t understand how you could pretend to be in love with his father, while the whole time you wanted to be with Dean. It’s incomprehensible to him."
"And you want me to explain it to you?"
"Only so I can help. Maybe, if someone he trusts explains it…maybe he won’t be so angry. Maybe he’ll be happy for you after all."
"I love him Rose. You have to know that. No matter what I felt for his father, I have always loved my son. Leaving him had ripped my heart out. I hope that you’ll never have to know that pain Rose. I wouldn’t wish that pain on anyone."
Rose swallowed nervously, realizing that this was opening up recently healed wounds. But it couldn’t be helped. If she was going to help Jack reconcile with his mother, she was going to have to know everything. "Lily…I need to know about you, Dean, and Jack’s father. I need you to make me understand why you had an affair and left Andrew Dawson to die in that fire."
"It’s a long story Rose," Lily tugged at her hands.
"I have the time. Tell me…when did it all get started?"
Lily looked at Rose as if pleading to be let out of this. But Rose was back to being that stubborn debutante she had once been. "Ok," Lily sighed in defeat. "You want to know my reasons? Well set back and listen."