25
Two months later…
After two weeks of searching, Jack was pronounced dead. A week afterwards, they had held the memorial service. Everyone got up on the podium and shared their memories of the bright young man with the artistic talent and the laughing blue eyes. Poor Rose was devastated. Molly had rushed to Chippewa Falls to be by her side and Ruth had sent a sympathy card. All Rose could do was stare out in space, lost in her memories.
After the service, Molly took Rose back to the house and sat with her while she cried over her loss. Molly left a couple of days later, leaving the Dawson’s to deal with the young widow by themselves.
During those two long months, Old man Bill tended to his mysterious patient. The young man woke up two days after he was rescued. Two weeks later the man was well again. All physical signs of his sickness gone. Only one thing remained…the only thing he could remember was his first name and he was haunted by nightmares. Nightmares of running through a sinking ship with a beautiful red-head. He couldn’t remember her name, only that she had meant more to him than life itself.
"Another nightmare kid?" Bill grunted, hobbling into the living room where his young guest had made his bed for the time being.
"I’m sorry I woke you up. Really, I don’t know where they’re coming from. Sometimes I even wonder if it’s just a dream or a memory instead," The man sighed.
"Listen Jack…whatever it is, it’s now in the past. It’s time to move on. Now get some sleep because I’m going to need your help bringing in fire wood tomorrow morning. Good night," Bill hobbled back into his bedroom.
Jack layed back, his mind still on his dream. A sinking ship? What could that have to do with him and who was the woman he couldn’t get out of his head? Who was she to him? His sister? Girlfriend? Did she even exist? She was like a ghost, haunting the fringes of his mind. So close, yet always out of reach.
Unable to get to sleep, Jack sat up and picked up the newspaper setting on the endtable. On the front page read: Titanic inquisitions winding down.
Titanic? At the word Jack felt a shiver go up his spine. The name obviously meant something to him, but what? Oh why couldn’t he remember?! Was he a passenger? Someone who worked on the ship? What?!
Laying the paper down, Jack leaned back and drifted back into a dreamless slumber. Tomorrow was a new day to try to figure things out and find out who he truly was.
*
They were back in the freezing waters. Rose again was on the board and Jack was in the water clinging tightly to her hand.
"I can’t feel my body," Rose choked back a sob. It was the truth. Ever since he disappeared from her life, she couldn’t feel anything. Only her deep sorrow.
"Don’t you do that. Don’t you say your good-byes Rose," Jack intently stared at her. "You’re going to get out of this. You’re going to go on. And have lots of babies. You’re going to die a old woman. Warm in her bed. Winning that ticket was the best thing that ever happened to me. It brought me to you. And I’m thankful Rose."
"Jack…I can’t do this without you."
Jack’s tightened his hold on her hand. "You must do me this honor Rose. Promise me that you’ll survive. That you won’t give up, no matter what happens. Promise me now Rose and never let go of that promise."
"…I…I promise Jack," She’d promise him anything.
"Never let go."
"I’ll never let go Jack. Never let go," Rose sobbed as Jack smiled at her then closed his eyes for the last time. The North Atlantic had come out of nowhere and reclaimed her love, taking him into it’s cold depths. This time there would be no rescue for her Jack.
"I’ll never let go," She sobbed.
"Rose?" A gentle voice entered her dark world. She opened her eyes to stair into Jolene’s concerned brown eyes. "Are you ok?"
It was a dream. She wasn’t back in the North Atlantic with Jack. The only thing real was that Jack was gone. Even though they never found his body, the North Atlantic had reclaimed him.
"I just had a dream," Rose forced a smile. "I’m sorry I woke you up."
"That’s ok. The baby woke me up anyway. I’ll be glad when this kid is out of me," Jolene softly smiled, attempting a joke, but Rose only sadly smiled in return, remembering that her baby will never know it’s father. Jack will never see his son or daughter. He’ll never hold it or sing to it or draw it in one of his sketches. Tears appeared in her eyes as she thinks of how unfair it was. After all they’ve been through, Jack deserved to be here with her now. To raise his child and head out for the horizon with them both.
"Oh Rose I’m sorry," Jolene wrapped her arms around Rose’s shivering shoulders.
"I miss him Jolene. It’s so unfair. We’ve gone through hell and back to be together and this is how it ends!"
"Shhh Rose. Jack wouldn’t want you so upset. He’d want you to be happy for the time you did have together. It could have been worse. He could have died that night and then you wouldn’t have all these memories and a baby on the way. Rose…this baby is a part of Jack too. He left you a part of himself to keep forever. Most of those widows don’t even have that."
Rose pulled away from Jolene and wiped away her tears. "You’re right. Jack would want me to be happy. But I can’t Jolene. I see him everywhere and realize that he’s gone forever and I’ll never see him again."
"Oh Rose," She hugged her friend again. She felt so guilty because she had Richie and Rose was all alone.
"You two breakfast is ready," Jacklyn flatly replied, sticking her head through the door. Like Rose, Jacklyn’s world was turned upside down with the death of her twin. It was unfair. Jack was so vibrant and full of life. He had everything to live for. A beautiful wife, a baby on the way…it just wasn’t fair that he was taken from them so young and when he was needed the most.
"Come on Rose," Jolene helped her up and the three women went downstairs with the rest of the family to start another day without Jack.