Friendship revealed / alone once again
Present day…
Rose sighed in contentment as she picked up another picture. Jake’s graduation. Looking closely, she saw the image of Jack standing behind their son, a wide grin on his face. Smiling she remembered a discovery when Jake had turned seven….
1918
Not surprising to Rose, her son had inherited his father’s artistic talent, much to both her and Jason’s delight. Well one day, Jack had gone on and on about his imaginary friend. Having had enough, Rose told her son to go and draw a picture of this friend of his. When Jake returned with the picture complete, Rose had almost dropped the portrait. It was Jack. Jack was their son’s imaginary friend.
Present day…
Picking up another picture, Rose’s smile faded. It was a picture of herself at Jason’s memorial service. She remembered that day so clearly, it could have been yesterday, she remembered it so well.
1965
Rose sat in the parlor. She was surrounded by flowers, but she was alone and depressed. She didn’t think she’d ever be cheerful again. This was the second man she had loved and lost. Of course she had had more time with Jason, but that didn’t make it anymore less painful. She missed him terribly.
"Momma," Josephine entered, her brown eyes sparkled with tears. "Momma, come out of here. Come into the living room with the rest of us. You shouldn’t be alone right now."
Rose smiled sadly, hugging her daughter tightly. "He loved you so much. You were his heart." She sniffed back more tears as she followed Josephine into the semi-crowded room.
"Mom!" Jake waved, his blue eyes shining with tears of his own. Quickly, he led his wife Meredith and their daughter Lizzie over to where she stood. "They said his heart was too weak. That it had just given out."
Rose tearfully nodded, letting her son pull her into a comforting embrace. "I loved him too. He was like a dad to me."
"He loved you like his own," Rose sniffed. "He loved both you and your father so much."
"I know," Jake moved closer to her ear to whisper, "Father said that he’s happy now. That dad is surrounded by everyone that’s ever loved him."
Rose smiled at this news because she knew that the father Jake spoke of was Jack. Their son had always had a special connection with his true father and it had gotten her through so much and now Jack was comforting her through their son.
"Nana’s sad?" Lizzie looked up at her mother.
"Yes Lizzie. Nana’s very sad," Meredith patted the girl’s head.
Present day
Yes, that day was one of the saddest days of Rose’s long life. She was just happy that she didn’t only have family and friends to help her through it…she had Jack as well. Looking at the clock, she gasped. It was later then she had thought. She must get some sleep now, for tomorrow was the last flight home. Glancing at her pictures one last time, she closed her eyes, ready for a good night’s rest.