CHAPTER FIFTEEN
The next day Rose awoke bright and early. To her surprise, Jack was still sleeping beside her. Kissing his forehead slightly, she slips out of bed, throws on a robe and goes downstairs to find Nancy fixing another big breakfast.
"Good morning," Rose greets.
"Oh morning Rose," Nancy turns to grin at her daughter in law. "I reckon that Jack’s still asleep since Charles decided to work Richie today. Jack has always been Charles favorite."
"Oh," Rose nervously rings her hand. She didn’t want to get in middle of a family feud she knew nothing about.
"But it’s good to have Richie home and I’m going to make sure that he knows how loved he is here, will you pop this bread in the oven over there. We’re having his favorite. Buttered toast, fresh orange juice, scrambled eyes, grits, and a pork chop," Nancy grins.
"It smells great," Rose smiles, poping the bread into the hot stove.
"Wow look at all this food," Jacklyn enters the kitchen. "Where is Richie by the way?"
"Your father has him out in the field today," Nancy replies. "Go get your brother up, they may need help."
"Mom, you know Jack. It’s impossible to wake him up."
"I’ll get him," Rose volunteers.
"Thank you Rose," Nancy smiles at her daughter in law.
Jack was still sleeping when Rose enters the room, or so she thinks. She stands in the doorway observing him. Then she walks up the bed, and shakes his shoulder. "Jack darling, time to get up."
Jack only groans and turns on his back, his hair falling into his eyes, making him look younger than he really was. "Jack?"
No answer. So she decides to straddle him, maybe her wieght will make him wake up. "Jack?"
Still no answer. So she bends down and kisses him. To her surprise he kisses her back, his arms wrap around her and before she knew it it was her layin on her back and Jack on top of her. "Good morning," He grins breaking the kiss.
"You tricked me!" rose playfully hits him with her fist.
"Owww," Jack laughed
and begins to tickle her. "You’re gonna pay for
that."
"No Jack! Stop! Stop!" Rose laughed. "Jack
stop!"
"Jack Dawson whatever are you doing? Let that poor girl up," Nancy Dawson stands in the doorway with her hands on her hips.
"I’m just having a little fun," Jack laughed, letting Rose up.
"Your father and brother needs up out in the field," Nancy shakes her head.
Jack rolls his eyes. "Okay fine, but this isn’t over," Jack turns to his wife and kisses her. "See you at breakfast."
Rose nods and smiles, as she stands and joins Nancy out in the hall.
"That son of mine," Nancy shakes her head.
"He’s not so bad," Rose smiled, following her mother in law downstairs.
One hour later, the men come in for breakfast. Jack immediately gets up and helps rose with what looked like a heavy platter of Pork chops.
"Let me help you with that," He takes the platter from her.
"Jack you’re supposed to be setting down," Rose scalded.
"Not when my wife is carrying something heavy like this."
"It wasn’t heavy," Rose sighed. Sometimes Jack was so overprotective of her. But she couldn’t blame him after all they’ve been through.
"Set down Jack. Let the women do their work," Charles Dawson scalded his son, but with a smile on his face. He was in awe of how careful Jack was with Rose, yet the love they had for each other was quite evident.
"Breakfast is served," Jacklyn places the last dish on the table. So Richie, how does it feel to be home?"
"Good. For once I don’t have to worry where the next meal is coming from," Richie grins. "And my favorite meal too."
"Enjoy it because you’re leaving today," Charles gets up from his chair.
"Charles…" Nancy begins.
"No Nancy. I let you have your way last night and that’s it. He leaves this afternoon and that’s final," Charles gets up and leaves the table.
A uncomfortable silence falls over the table as Nancy sobs. She didn’t want her eldest son to leave. She couldn’t understand why Charles was so stubborn about this.
"Don’t cry mom," Jack squeezes Nancy’s hand. "I’ll go talk to him."
"Maybe he’ll listen to you," Nancy sniffed.
"And if he doesn’t, it’s no big deal. I’ll just move on," Riche sighs. "I just wanted to check in anyway, see how everyone was doing."
"I’ll be back," Jack gets up and heads outside where his father was standing on the porch. "Pa? You out here?"
"Yes I am. Jack you do understand why I don’t want your brother here don’t you? "
"Well…to tell the truth I don’t. Pa, it’s been twelve years. I think Richie has changed for the better. Give him a chance."
"What if he hasn’t Jack? What if he brings shame on this family’s name once again?"
"But what if he doesn’t? Can you live with yourself knowing that you sent your son back out into the world? Dad, I may make living out there sound like all fun and games, but it’s not. There’s times where you have to dig in people’s garbage to find a decent meal. I’ve stayed in places where I had to sleep with a weapon just to make sure no one steals what little money I had made. That’s why I brought Rose here after Titanic. She’s a first class girl…she wouldn’t have survived a day out there. Plus…I didn’t want her to have to…especially not after Titanic."
"I see where you’re coming from son, but Richie doesn’t have a wife. He has no one but himself…"
"Which is all the reason more why he should stay. We’re his family dad. Without that…you have no one. Your family is supposed to be the people you can always count on no matter what."
Charles stares down at the ground, taking in what Jack had just told him. He looks back up at his boy and saw more experience than one should have at his age. He wondered how his son had gotten so smart. "Six months. Six months for him to straighten out. The first time he messes up, he’s out."
Jack smiles happily. "Thanks dad. Now go in there and tell ma the good news. She’s terriably upset."
Richard looks over at Rose and smiles. "I guess you never knew how dysfunctional this family was when you married Jack."
Rose only shyly smiles and is about to answer when Jack and his father returns.
"Six months. Six months to straighten up and if you mess up even once, You’re out of here. No matter how hard it is out there on the streets," Charles takes his seat next to his wife. "You have your brother to thank for my change of heart."
"Of course," Richard stares at his brother who at the time was paying more attention to his wife. He loved his brother, but he couldn’t help being jealous of the close relationship he had with his father. Jack was always his favorite. "So Jack. Tell me, how did you meet the lovely Rose here?"
The table falls silent, and Rose squeezes Jack’s hand for support.
"We met on a criuse ship. It was love at first sight," Jack smiled at Rose.
"A cruise ship? Which one? The Californian? I worked on that one before. Pretty nice ship."
"Titanic," Jack replied flatly.
"No way," Richard drops his fork, his eyes wide with disbelief. "How in the world did you get a ticket on Titanic?"
"Well I have you to thank
for that. Remember teaching me how to play poker and keeping a
poker face?"
"Richard," Charles glared at his son.
"Dad it was a long time ago and I insisted," Jack cut in. "But anyway. I won two third class cabins on Titanic. Needless to say me and my Italian friend Fabrizio was ecstatic. Especiall Fabri. He couldn’t wait to see the statue of liberty," Jack sighed sadly at the thought of his best friend. Deep down he knew that Fabrizio’s death wasn’t his fault, but still…if he hadn’t won that ticket…if he hadn’t told Fabri and tommy to go to the other side of the ship…
"Jack?" Rose squeezes his hand, her eyes full of concern at the far off look in his eyes, the deep sadness.
"I’m ok Rosie," Jack snaps out of his memories and smiles reassuringly at his wife. "Rose was first class. I saved her life, we fell in love, and barely survived the sinking."
Richard arches his eyebrows as he stares at Rose, who was beginning to look a little familiar. Where had he seen her before? There was more to the story than Jack was telling. That he was sure of and he was going to to find out. "Wow. My little brother. On the Titanic."
"Jack was so brave and calm…I don’t know what I would have done if I was alone," Rose sighed.
"We got married the day after Carpathia landed and headed here. We’ve been here ever since, laying low sort of speak," Jack shrugged.
"And you were first class? What made you give up all that money for this guy?"
"Love has more power than money ever could," Rose smiled. "Not to mention I terribly miserable where I was. The only time I was truly happy was when I was with Jack."
"What an adventure that must have been," Richard laughed nervously, looking away from his brother
"Yes it was," Jack nods, getting up. "If you excuse me, I’ll go check for the paper."
"Rose," Nancy leans towards her daughter in law. "Is Jack ok with what happened? Truly?"
"I don’t know…he doesn’t talk about it very much, only when asked. I better go check on him," Rose gets up and leaves the table.
She finds him on the porch, staring at the second page of the newspaper. His eyes are intently reading a article.
"Jack? Are you okay?"
He looks up and grabs her hand. "It says here that they’ve recovered the bodies of the people who died. Some haven’t been claimed yet and are laying in Halifax Nova Scotia waiting to be claimed. I wonder if Fabrizio is one of them."
"Oh Jack…"
"I have to go see Rose. I can’t let him be buried in a strange land where no one knew him. It’s bad enough his mother will never see him again or know that he’s dead."
"Jack…if he is there…what are you going to do?"
"Bring him back here. At least here he has us. Plus, he’s always wanted to see America. It’s only appropriate that he should be buried here," Jack sighed. "You don’t have to come with me if you don’t want to. I’m sure ma can take care of you…"
"Jack Dawson we have never been apart since we disembarked Carpathia, I’m not going to start now. Besides, it’s always you supportimg me. It’s my turn. I know how much you loved Fabrizio. He was your best friend. I’m going with you."
"Rose….I love you so much. Thank you," Jack pulls her into a tight hug, burying his face in her hair, so she doesn’t see him cry for his lost friend.
"When do we leave?"
"Day after tomorrow," Jack sighs. "Give us time to pack, buy the tickets and make arrangements for him. Come on. Let’s go tell everybody."