PROLOGUE: Lost Love
Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin
June 15, 1912
Rose nervously steps up to the boarding house. What was she
doing? Why did she come here in the first place? To feel close to
Jack? Or to run away from the pain that follows her everywhere.
Or maybe Jack himself had led her here. Maybe there was something
he wanted her to know...to find out. But what could that be?
Whatever the reason, she was here now and she had to ring the
bell. Hopefully the landlady would let her stay. She knew that a
lot of landlords hated to rent to single women...especially when
they were pregnant.
Taking a deep breath, she rings the bell and waits for the door
to open.
"Hello?" a middle-aged woman opens the door.
"Hello," Rose nervously smiles. "I was wondering
if you had a vacancy available."
"You mean a room? Sure I do. Are you wanting a room?"
Rose just nods, fear shining in her eyes. "Yes please."
"It's five dollars a month. Can you handle that?"
"Oh yes," Rose readily agrees, remembering the money
she had found in Cal's coat pocket along with the heart of the
ocean necklace.
"Well then come on in. We only have a few rules. Breakfast
is at seven o'clock, lunch at twelve, and dinner at seven. No
smoking, drinking, or loud noise of any kind, unless you have a
baby. Then the loud noise can't be helped. And no men up in the
rooms. If you have suitors, you may meet them in the sitting
room. Now come. I'll show you to your room," the woman
disappears into the house, beckoning Rose to follow. "By the
way, my name is Mrs. Bloom. What's yours?"
"...Rose...Rose...Dawson," Rose forced out the last
name, unsure if she should use the name here or not.
Mrs. Bloom stops in her tracks, her brow furrows in
concentration, like she was thinking of something, but it
wouldn't come to her. She shakes her head. "Must be a
coincidence. Very common name anyway. Come along. Your room is
waiting."
She must be thinking about Jack of course. This woman must have
known him. Oh what was she doing here? Was she here to tell the
people that loved Jack too of his untimely death? Was she here to
mourn along with them? Well, they always said that misery loved
company. But she wasn't going to tell anyone about Jack...not
yet. She still wanted to keep him to herself for a little while
longer.
"Now this is your room. Keep it clean because I will not
clean up after you. You'll meet everyone else at dinner
tonight," Mrs. Bloom nods, before exiting the room, leaving
Rose alone to her thoughts.
The room was small and simple. Enough for herself, and maybe her
baby if she hadn't found a place of her own by then. Her baby.
What was she going to do about that? How was she going to explain
it? Should she say that she's the widow of Jack Dawson and that
the child was his or should she leave Chippewa Fallss before the
baby's born?
This was too much to think of right now. What she needed to do
was get some sleep. Maybe things will seem clearer about her
future when she woke up. Laying back on the bed, she falls asleep
and dreams of the happy times she had spent with Jack.
The old Dawson place was dark and cool. One
would think it was empty if it wasn't for the form on the porch,
looking out to the horizon, his thoughts filled with the moments
he had shared with the love of his life. The girl that would
haunt him forever.
Jack sighed forlornly, as he remembered the first time he saw
her, standing on the boat deck, so sad and alone. He want to
reach out to her then, make her feel happy and loved, but she was
out of reach. He was third class and she was first. Then that
night his dream had come true. By some strange twist of fate, he
talked her out of ending her life, and they both embarked on the
adventure of their lives.
"Rose," He sighed. "What happened to you?"
When he had woken up in the freezing waters and resurfaced, his
Rose was gone, no where to be seen. Climbing aboard the debris
she had been floating on, Jack found another board and was
somehow able to row to the life boats. Once on board a life boat
and wrapped in some warm blankets, he fell unconcious. When he
awoke onboard the Carpathia, he looked on the survivor's list and
she was listed under deceased...his heart broke. He knew she was
forever lost to him.
Once in New York, he had found a job at one of the factories, and
raised enough money to get back to Chippewa Falls and he's been
here ever since, stewing in his own grief. Nothing his friends
did or said would cheer him up. The only thing that would make
him happy was to have his Rose back in his arms...but that was
impossible.
The world, once so bright and full of opportunities was now a
dark place for Jack Dawson. He knew for a fact that he would
never be happy again.