8
It’s a beautiful day for a philadelphian wedding. The weather was sunny and bright. The breeze was warm and carried the fragrance of a variety of flowers. Not a drop of rain was in sight. But the bride was anything but happy. Rose Dewitt Bukater detested the man she was about to marry. She sighed as she sat at her vanity, staring at her reflection. Indeed, she was a lovely bride, despite her trembling hands and eyes that were red from hours of crying.
Her life wasn’t supposed to have been like this. She was supposed to be marrying Jack, not Cal. Rose smiled as she thought about the now defunct plans that her and Jack had made one night as they laid in their warm bed in New York. They were supposed to have gotten married and headed out to Santa Monica, where they were going to do everything that they had talked about aboard Titanic. After that, Jack was going to introduce her to some friends of his in LA, who could have hooked her up with the moving pictures industry. Jack was so determined to help Rose make all her dreams come true. They probably would have, too. With Jack, Rose had felt like she could do anything. She could have been happy. She could have been free and whole. If only…no! No, she couldn’t think like that. Not anymore, now that she was marrying Cal. Jack was in the past. She had to forget about him if she was to move on with her life.
Looking at the clock above her bed, she knew that it was almost time for her to start down the aisle. Taking one last glance in the mirror, Rose stood, ready to leave for her destiny. She gasped in surprised to see a familiar face staring in at her through her bedroom window.
"Jack," She rushed over to let him in. She knew that she shouldn’t. That she should just order him to leave, but she couldn’t. She needed to see him one last time…to have a final memory to keep with her always. Glancing one more time at the clock, she knew that there wasn’t much time left. She was going to have to hurry. "What are you doing here? I thought we’ve said everything we had to say to each other at the train station."
"Rose…I know that what you said was a lie. True, it shocked me for a while, but then I began to think. Everything we’ve done together…everything we said…it couldn’t have been a lie. It would have taken a lot more time to plan then what we had. We hadn’t known each other long enough for you to plan something so elaborate. You still love me. I know you do."
Rose looked away from Jack, lacking the strength to lie to him any longer. "Ok. Fine Jack. You win. I do love you. I never stopped. You were never a fling, nor a distraction. You…you were the one true thing in my life. But don’t you see…that’s why I left. That’s exactly why I’m marrying Cal. You deserve so much more then me Jack. You deserve perfection and this is the only way to give you that. Now you can find someone else. Someone who can be the wife you deserve."
"I don’t want anyone else Rose. I want you. You’re perfect, just the way you are. I don’t care what any of those nosey housewives back in Chippewa Falls said. You’re perfect for me, and that’s enough. I love you Rose. Everything about you. Please…don’t marry Cal. If you do…you can say good-bye to your dream of becoming an actress and a novelist, or any other dream you may have. Sure…. They may not come true with me, but at least you’ll have a chance to try to make them come true. Cal will never give you that chance. You know he won’t."
Rose was speechless, she was so touched by Jack’s speech. He was so right. Any chance she had to achieve her dreams would be gone for good if she went through with this wedding. With Jack, the sky was the limit. How could she turn away from such a wonderful man, especially when she loved him so much.
Jack took Rose’s hand and pulled her close; memorizing the feel of her in his arms, just in case she decided to remain in her gilded cage. "I love you Rosie and if Cal is who you really want to be with, that’s ok. I’ll leave and never bother you again. But if I’m whom you want…I’m right here. All you have to do is take my hand and we’re out of here," he tentatively held a hand out to her, hoping for the best.
Rose, in the meantime, was stunned by Jack’s loving kindness. Oh how could she even let him go now? "Jack…I do love you…"
"Well then come with me, Rose. Let’s leave this place far behind and start anew."
Rose bit her lip, knowing that people would frown upon her for what she was about to do. But she couldn’t help it. She loved him so much and just couldn’t let him walk out of her life forever. Carefully, she took his hand and followed him out the window into the bright beautiful world full of love and happiness.
~*~
For the first time in years, Ruth Dewitt Bukater was proud of her daughter. At last, Rose had settled down and was ready to marry the man of Ruth’s dreams. Cal was everything Ruth wanted for her daughter. He was tall, dark, handsome, and filthy rich. It was the perfect match and now Ruth no longer had to worry about becoming a seamstress.
"Rose dear, are you ready?" Ruth knocked on her daughter’s door, as a thrill of anticipation ran through her. "Rose?"
Ruth opened the door and what she found dashed all of her hopes and dreams for the future. Rose was gone. By the look of it, she had climbed through the window. Shock flooded Ruth’s system. Everything had been so perfect. Rose had returned from her little fling with that boy and was going to marry Cal after all. But now, the girl was gone again. What had happened? What had changed Rose’s mind about the wedding?
Cal!" Ruth called her voice full of desperate anger. It was imperative that they find Rose and bring her back. If anyone could find that wayward daughter of hers, Hockley could. He had found her once before. He could do it again.
"What is it woman?" Cal stepped into the room. He frowned when he found only Ruth in the room, no Rose in sight. "Where’s Rose? The wedding’s to start any minute now."
"She’s gone. She probably went back to that Dawson boy. Cal, you must find her again and bring her back. This wedding must take place."
Cal sighed, tired and irritable. He was so sick and tired of dealing with Rose and her unruly spirit. He had worked and worked to get the girl to love him, but nothing worked. She still hated him and had now left him at the altar. He was not a glutton for punishment. No more. The girl was untamable. It was time he accepted that and let her go.
"I’m sorry Ruth, but I’m not going after the girl again. She’s made it clear that I’m not what she wants. I probably never was."
"But Cal…" Ruth was coming apart at the seams. What was to become of her if there was no wedding? How was she going to survive? "What’s going to become of me now?"
"I’ll provide for you Ruth. At least until I find another bride. By then the bill collectors will be paid their money and no more worries."
Ruth bowed her head, grateful for Cal’s generosity. She had no desire to see Rose ever again as Cal escorted her out of the empty room.
~*~
3 days later…
Newlywed, Jack and Rose lay in each other’s arms on a beach in Santa Monica, drowning in a world of their own. The breaking waves of the ocean were the only sound disrupting the lovely moment.
"I am so happy," Rose sighed, snuggling closer to her husband. "I can’t believe that I had almost given this up."
"It’s a good think that I’m so stubborn," Jack chuckled. "I love you so much Rose."
"I love you too, and I promise never to leave you again. No matter what anyone else has to say. I guess I was just being hormonal from the pregnancy."
Jack’s breath stopped in his throat as his eyes widened in shock. Pregnancy? Was she serious? How long had she known?
"I found out two days after I left," She bit her lip, afraid that Jack would be angry with her. After all, she was going to marry Cal without telling Jack that she was carrying his child. He had every right to be mad.
"Rose…this is great," a bright smile lit up his face, forgetting about the leaving and marrying Cal part.
"So you’re happy?"
"Of course. Our love created another human being. What is there not to be happy about?" Jack pulled her close. "Ah, we’ll be great parents. You’ll see."
Rose smiled, leaning her head against his shoulder. Her life had gone from dark and stormy to bright and sunny. Jack had brought the sunrise that now colored everything in happiness and love. It was into his sunrise that she fled, to be warm, loved and safe for all eternity.
THE END
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