CHAPTER TWELVE
Two days later. The boarding house was all decked out for the coming Christmas holiday and Rose and Gretchen were seated on the couch, going through the ornaments for the tree.
"This is going to be so much fun
Rose," Gretchen giggled. "Decorating the tree gives so
much meaning to this holiday."
"We never did that back in Philadelphia. Mother always had
the servants do the decorating," Rose sighed wistfully.
"I remember one time when Father and I had attempted to join
them, but mother found out his plans and there was nothing but
arguing for the rest of the night."
"Well then you’re in for a treat today. Where’s Jack? I want him to help too. He helped the year before he left and it was so much fun. All the singing and the cookies…brings back so many memories."
"Tell me about Jack back then. What was he like?"
"Fun. Curious. Friendly. Mischievous…enormously caring. A great friend. You would have liked him. Heck, you already do," Gretchen laughed.
"What are you two laughing about?" Jack asked, rubbing the sleep from his eyes as he came downstairs. "I wake up and find my wife gone but find her down here getting into a box full of ornaments."
"Rose is helping decorate the tree. She’s never done it before. Why don’t you help me teach her. I’m sure she’d prefer your help in hanging these things," Gretchen smiled, noticing the way Rose was looking at her husband, whose blond hair was still messed up from sleeping.
Rose thought he looked adorable. She got up and pulled on his hand. "Come on sleepy head. This will be fun."
"Anything for you I guess," Jack yawned, still very tired.
"Isn’t he adorable?" Rose smiled at Gretchen, ruffling up more of Jack’s hair.
Gretchen laughed. She couldn’t help but wonder how William looked after just waking up.
"Hey, stop that. My hair is already messed up as it is," Jack sighed. "I guess I better go comb it before I do anything else. I’ll be back," He went back upstairs."
"You two are so cute together. It’s funny, five years ago, I could only picture Jack with Christine. But after meeting you and seeing you two together, how you’re a part of each other…I don’t know how I ever thought otherwise. I’m glad he found you Rose. You’ve been good for him."
"He’s been good for me. He’s taught me so much Gretchen…I love him more than anything."
"I know."
"Ok. I’m ready. Where do you want to start?" Jack
asked, standing at top of the stairs.
Gretchen smiled, ready to present her friends
with the surprise she had been planning since thanksgiving.
"With this," She held up a blue-green ornament.
"Will you two do the honor?"
"Sure," Jack shrugged. He walks over and takes the
ornament and stops when he sees the writing. "Oh my
god."
"What?" Rose stood up and glanced at the writing and gasped, tears appearing in her eyes. "Jack and Rose and family. Oh Gretchen this is so beautiful. I don’t know what to say."
"Thank you," Jack hugged his friend.
"This means a lot to us."
"I just wanted you two to know how much you’re loved
here. You’re apart of the family now and we look forward to
sharing more holidays such as this one with you."
"Thank you," Rose sniffed hugging her friend.
Two hours later, the tree is fully decorated. Jack and Rose stand back and admire their hard work.
"We did all of that?" Rose was in awe.
"Yeap. Pretty good," Jack nodded.
"Thank you. The both of you," Rose looked at Gretchen and Jack. "This has been so much fun, I can’t believe I missed out on so much."
Jack just tightened his embraced and kissed her on the cheek. "Well there’s more fun to come. It’s not over yet."
"What’s going on down here?" Maggie yawns, drifting downstairs. "Who did the tree?"
"We did," Gretchen answered.
Maggie just snorted, "I’ve seen better."
"Where at? Cynic’s corner?" Gretchen crossed her arms.
"Times square last year for your
information. Really Gretchen, you didn’t really think you
did the works of professionals do you?"
"Maggie that’s enough! We worked hard on this tree and
you’re not going to ruin it," Rose glared at
Jack’s cousin. "If you can’t say anything nice, I
suggest you not say anything at all."
"Jack are you going to let your wife talk to me like that?" Maggie looked at her cousin who had remained silent through out the exchange.
"She’s right Maggie. You shouldn’t put other peoples work down just because you can," Jack sighed, not wanting to darken the day with another argument between the girls and his cousin. Something that’s been going on for the past couple of days and Jack was always ending up caught in the middle. "Rose, I think we should go for a walk before this gets out of control." He whispered to her.
"Fine," Rose shrugged, knowing Jack wanted to save the peace of the house. "I’ll get my coat."
*
Jack and Rose walk along the edge of Lake Wissota in silence. It’s Jack who spoke first.
"I wish you girls wouldn’t fight so much," Jack sighed.
"She starts it," Rose defended herself and Gretchen. "She always starts it Jack. It’s like everything we do she has to put down."
"She doesn’t mean any harm Rose. Maggie just doesn’t know how to respond positively to people."
"Why do you always defend her Jack? She treats you horribly yet you defend her to the death. Why?"
"Because she’s family Rose. Just like
Ruth is your mother, Maggie is my cousin and I love her. I
can’t just turn my back on her or be mean to her."
"But she has no qualms about being mean to you. Jack I love
you, I do. But I can’t stand her and the fact that you stand
up for her," Rose sighed miserably. "I just can’t
stand the way she is with you Jack."
"Rose…I don’t know what else to say to get you to give Maggie a chance."
"I have given her a chance Jack! You know I have! It’s her! Every chance I gave her she threw it back into my face! Please, tell her to leave. I just can’t bear her presence any longer," Rose cried out burying her face in her hands, hot tears streaming from her eyes, the past few angry days finally colliding on her. "Please make her leave."
Jack sighed, and hugged his wife tightly. He didn’t realize that things was this bad between Maggie and Rose. Rose was in tears. This stress couldn’t be good on the baby. But he couldn’t ask his cousin to leave. Something in him just wouldn’t let him do it. There had to be a solution. Then it came to him. They still had those tickets to Santa Monica. Why don’t he take Rose to the pier like they planned. It’d be a nice vacation for the both of them. And this was the perfect time to go. In the dead of winter. Sure they’ll miss Christmas with the Blooms, but this would be a nice little get away for him and Rose. A chance to reconnect and bring the romance back into their marriage. Plus it’d be nice and warm, no bad memories of Titanic…only good ones. By time they come back, tensions would have simmered down and everyone might be on good terms again.
"You know Rose…we haven’t had our honeymoon yet. Those tickets to Santa Monica are still good and Molly said we can use her beach house for as long as we want. Why don’t we go now for the next three months. Get away from the cold weather…and our relatives."
"We’ll miss Christmas with The Blooms and mother…she’ll be all alone…"
"Ruth will be fine with Mrs. Bloom and they’ll understand our need to get away…Rose we haven’t had a romantic moment for so long…let’s go and have three months worth."
"And the baby?"
"We’ll be back way before the baby is due to arrive. And as for the gallery, I’ll mail my artwork to New York from Santa Monica. Come on Rose. Say yes. Say we’ll go to Santa Monica and make the next three or four months something to remember," Jack tenderly stroked her face.
"I’m going to miss this place," Rose sighed. "Gretchen. Mrs. Bloom…even my mother…."
"Rose…"
"And these nice walks by the lake…"
"We’ll have a whole ocean to walk next to," Jack smiled.
"…Well…I can’t think of a
reason not to go…ok. Fine. We’ll go to Santa Monica.
And when we come back Maggie will probably be gone."
Jack smiled, grateful that Rose had agreed to his solution for
the time being. And hopefully she was right. Maggie will be gone
by time they return. "Come on. Let’s go tell the others
we’ll be leaving…"
"Day after tomorrow. That gives me a full day to pack and for you to go cash in those tickets. I’ll go down to the post office and make a call to Molly telling her we’ll be using that beach house of hers after all," Rose smiled, kissing her husband tenderly, lovingly stroking the back of his neck. "Oh Jack, this is going to be the best three months ever. I just know it."