CHAPTER ELEVEN
Thanksgiving day. Rose yawns and stretches as she awakes to the smell of roasting turkey. She sighs happily and snuggles closer to Jack who’s arm is tightly wraped around her as he sleeps. She runs a hand through his blond tresses, knowing that he is one thing she’s thinkful for this year. If she had never met Jack she would be Mrs. Caledon Hockley right now, very unthankful indeed. Or if Jack really had died that horrible April night, she wouldn’t be having a thanksgiving dinner. She would be bitter and alone, blaming the world for her loss.
"Rose?" Jack’s eyes slowly open. "What are you doing up so early? It’s thanksgiving."
"I know Jack. I was just thinking about what I have to be thankful about."
"And?"
"You and our life together. That’s what I have to be thankful about. I love you so much Jack. I don’t think you’ll ever know how much."
"I love you too Rosie. We’ve been through so much together. It has to be fate," Jack smiled. "We survived, Cal, Titanic, the loss of our baby…"
"Ex-girlfriends and blindness," Rose smiled, snuggling even closer. "Now here we are, with our family and close friends, expecting another baby on the day of giving thanks." Rose sighs. "I never thought it was possible to be this happy."
"Me either Rosie. Me either," Jack sighed, kissing her forehead.
"Jack, Rose, are you up?" Gretchen peeks into the room and smiles to see the couple in a warm embrace. She hopes that her and William will be as happy to be together as Jack and Rose when they marry.
"We’ll be down in a second," Jack sets up, releasing Rose. Gretchen just nods and races downstairs to help with the cooking.
"Jack?"
"Hmmm?"
"How long is Maggie staying?" Rose asked.
"I don’t know. Why? Don’t you like her?" Jack turns to his wife. He noticed last night at dinner Rose and Maggie constantly glaring at each other. What was up with them two? Rose usually got along with everyone.
Rose shrugs. "I don’t like how she treats you. She should be more respectful and loving towards her cousin."
"And you’re that way towards your
mother?"
"That’s different Jack. You know how she treated me in
the past. Besides, we’re working towards a better
relationship. It seems that Maggie’s just mean to you just
to be mean and I don’t like anyone to be mean to you."
Jack sighed and takes Rose’s hand. "Rose…you have to understand, Maggie…she was never shown how to show love like we were."
"Are you serious Jack? My mother has just now began showing her feelings…she never once showed me how to return love that I’ve received…"
"But you had your father. He showed you how to love didn’t he? And how to give it when it’s received?"
Rose nods. "Fine. You have a point there."
"Rose…Just be patient with Maggie.
She’ll learn eventually. Right now, just call a truce. This
after all is the holidays. Time for family and forgiveness."
Rose sighed. "Ok. Fine. I won’t fight with Maggie. But
if gets too out of line Jack…"
Jack just smiled at Rose’s fierce protectiveness towards him. "Everything will be fine. You’ll see," Jack kisses her. "Now come on. Breakfast is ready and I’m sure they won’t mind the help in the kitchen today."
Rose is downstairs in the kitchen by herself, while the other women went to the market and Jack was out searching for that year’s christmas decorations. She’s breaking beans when Maggie enters. Maggie stands in the doorway and crosses her arms.
"So how do you like manual labor," She smirked.
Rose sighs and stands to face Maggie. "Listen Maggie…Jack and I talked. For some reason he believes you’re a good person who just doesn’t know how to show love towards people. He thinks you’ll learn how to eventually. So I promised him not to fight with you and try to get along. So I guess I have no choice but to call a truce."
Maggie smirks and turns to go into the sitting room when Rose speaks again. "But that by no means gives you permission to hurt Jack. Say anything demeaning about him, especially in front of guests…truce or no truce…you will have me to deal with. Just be far warned."
Maggie glares one more time at Rose before leaving the room.
"So you called a truce with the witch huh?" Gretchen speaks up. She had entered the kitchen in enough time to hear Rose say she was calling a truce.
"Only because Jack wants me to try to get along with Maggie. And I will try. I’m just not going to let her freely pick on Jack like before."
‘I’m telling you Rose, you should kick her out. She won’t stop picking on Jack for nothing," Gretchen shakes her head.
"Well…I promised Jack I’d give her a chance and that’s what I’m going to do for his sake," Rose sighed. "Do you know how to make stuffing? I’ve tried and tried and it keeps coming out wrong."
Gretchen laughs. "How about this. I’ll make the stuffing and you cut the vegetables. You can’t do much harm that way."
"Good idea," Rose laughs just as Jack enters.
"What’s so funny?" He asked strolling up to Rose and kissing her gently.
"Your lips are cold," She shivers, remembering that cold April night.
"Of course, it’s freezing out there," He laughs. "Where my cousin?"
"I don’t know. She went into the other room," Rose shrugs. "Jack can you stay in here and help me cut vegetables?"
Jack looks at Rose a little strange and shrugs. "Ok. Are you ok?"
"I’m fine. I just want to spend some time with my husband. Is there anything wrong with that?"
"No. No not at all. I like spending time with you too," He takes her hand. "But if there is something wrong, you’d tell me right?"
"Of course," Rose smiles, sighing as she gets lost in Jack’s sparkling blue eyes. Eyes that now look at her with laughter and love. "I’d tell you anything Jack."
"Good," Jack holds her gaze.
"Listen you two, dinner’s not until tonight so if you want to run up to your room or something…" Gretchen laughs when she turns and sees Jack and Rose doing nothing but staring at each other.
"Shut up," Jack throws a green bean at her.
"You two…" Gretchen laughs even harder and shakes her head.
That night everyone is gathered around the table, ready for thanksgiving dinner. William, being the oldest male is the one to say grace and cut the turkey. Jack and Rose sighs happily both thinking of how thankful they were to be able to be here with each other and their families. All those months ago, on that freezing April night both doubted they’d have another thanksgiving again.
"So Jack, tell me. Which ship did you meet Rose on?" Maggie sets back in her seat. "I’m just dying to know."
"That’s not important where they met," Ruth interrupts. "What’s important is they’re here with us now," Ruth didn’t want another rendition of that horrible night when she thought she had lost her daughter. Where she saw that great ship disappear into the ocean and the horrible cries for help and the deadly silence afterward.
"Oh come on. You must want to tell us where you met the love of your life dear cousin," Maggie urged.
"We met on a ship. That’s all any one needs to know," Jack wraps a comforting arm around rose’s shoulder.
"Rose, why don’t you sing that one song you used to love to sing last year. What was it called?" Ruth clears her throat, changing the subject.
"Oh mother no. Not here," Rose glared at her mother.
"Come on Rose sing," Jack urges. "You have a beautiful voice."
"Jack…you’re not helping," Rose hissed.
"Sing! Sing! Sing!" Gretchen and William chant.
"Ok ok! Fine I’ll sing. This is the song mother was talking about," Rose sighed, standing up.
"Oh yes, I love this song," Ruth
grins. Clearing her throat Rose begins to sing. "Beautiful
Dreamer, wake unto me, Starlight and dewdrops are waiting for
thee; Sounds of the rude world heard in the day, Lulled by the
moonlight have all passed away. Beautiful dreamer, wake unto me!
Beautiful dreamer, queen of my song, List while I woo thee with
soft melody; Gone are the cares of life's busy throng, Beautiful
dreamer awake unto me! Beautiful dreamer, awake unto me!
Beautiful dreamer, out on the sea, Mermaids are chaunting the
wild lorelei; Over the streamlet vapors are borne, Waiting to
fade at the bright coming morn. Beautiful dreamer, awake unto me!
Beautiful dreamer, beam of my heart,
E'en as the morn on the streamlet and sea; Then will the clouds
of sorrow depart, Beautiful dreamer awake unto me! Beautiful
dreamer, awake unto me!" when she’s done everyone
except Maggie applauds.
"Have you ever thought of singing professionally Rose? I bet you can do it," Gretchen grins.
"My Rose can do anything," Jack kisses her tenderly.
"Well actually, I want to be an actress," Rose grins. "Be a big star in the moving pictures."
"I remember that," Jack grins. "In fact remember that one couple with that camera?"
"Oh yes. That was so much fun," Rose laughed.
Mrs. Bloom stands up and clears her throat. "We Blooms has a family tradition for every thanksgiving. We all take turns to tell what we’re most thankful for. I’ll go first. I am thankful to have everyone here tonight. We’re like one big family. Gretchen?"
"I’m thankful that I have a wonderful fiancee in William," She grins.
William takes her hand. "I’m thankful Gretchen agreed to marry me."
"I’m thankful to have found my daughter alive and well and that we’re now working on a good relationship," Ruth nods.
It’s Rose’s turns, she looks adoringly at Jack and squeezes his hand. "I’m thankful for a certain young artist coming into my life and making it something worth living."
Jack laughs. "I’m thankful to be here with Rose tonight. To know that we’ll be together forever."
Finally it’s Maggie’s turn. She just shrugs. "I’m thankful for the food."
"Typicial," Gretchen rolls her eyes.
"Come on Gretchen, let’s get along. This is thanksgiving after all," Mrs. Bloom pats her daughter’s hand.
After dinner, Rose stands outside on the porch just staring up at the night sky. She had only seen so many stars once before. That horrible night Titanic sank. She closed her eyes and prayed for the souls that were lost that night and for the families they left behind.
"They’re beautiful aren’t they?" Jack wraps his arms around Rose’s waist and looks up at the stars right along with her.
Rose nods. "They remind me of the sinking Jack. The stars were so bright that night."
"And the water was so cold," Jack Involuntarily shivers. "But Rose that’s behind us now. We’re safe in Chippewa Falls Wisconsin. No cries for help, no freezing water, no dead bodies."
"I know Jack," Rose leans her head back against his shoulder. "But I’m never going to forget how lost I was without you those six months."
"I was lost without you too Rose. I wanted to curl up in a corner and die, but I couldn’t because doing that would be betraying everything we stood for."
"Life, love, and Carpe diem," Rose smiled.
"Huh?"
"Carpe diem. Roman for seize the day," Rose laughed.
"You and your big words Mrs. Dawson," Jack growled in her ear. Rose shivers with delight at the warmth of his breath.
"Jack…I think I’m in the mind to visit those stars again. What do you say?" She turned to her husband, wrapping both arms around his neck.
"Let me lead the way my lady," Jack scooped her up in his arms and carried her up the stairs to the privacy of their room, not coming out for the rest of the night.