A Life Never Imagined

The tiniest whimper came from the hand carved crib and a tiny, fisted hand waved in the air slowly. Jack opened his eyes to see his son baring his tiny pink gums. He knew what time it was. Silently, he removed the blanket from his body feeling the chill from the room. Through the dark heavy curtains, dawn was breaking. He could just about see the sun through the window. Jack felt his heart fill with warmth. His tiny sons body swamped by layers of blankets and laid in the cot which he had spent hours making with his own hands to ensure it was just right for their child. He had made it a little bigger so his sons small body could grow into it. Another whimper came and Jack scooped the baby into his arms, he glanced over to see his wife Rose, still sleeping soundly. He hated having to wake her, but it was breakfast time for their son. Tiptoeing to the other side of the bed, he saw her face. He smiled, her lips slightly parted as she slept peacefully. He glanced at the clock, it was almost quarter to six. She had been asleep some five hours. A good night's sleep to say their son was just over a month old. In the first few weeks they had survived on two to three hours a night, stealing sleep here and there between feeds and living in a bubble which was just the three of them. Jack felt the warmth from his son's blanket and felt him fidget slightly. It was still hard to believe the little treasure was his and Rose's.

He couldn't lie; her pregnancy had come as a shock to them both. They hadn't even married when she had passed out during a trip to the park but once the initial surprise had settled in, they had been overjoyed. The first time they had been intimate, they hadn't exactly been careful but that awful night had brought them so much joy too. He had been born in the early hours of January the 20th and they had finally settled on the name John after both of their fathers.

He had a small tuft of dark blonde hair and a perfect pert nose just like his fathers. His lips were his mothers, soft and full. People always said to both Jack and Rose 'you won't know what the baby inherits from who until its older,'' but this little boy was a perfect mix of both. He opened his eyes slightly and then opened his small mouth and let out a small wail. His tiny bare gums were visible as he wailed. Jack gently rocked him in his small blanket from back to forth. He soon closed his eyes again but his soft whimper continued. Jack smiled, knowing it was breakfast time.

''Rose...'' Jack gently shook his wife. He hated waking her up but she had always told him to wake her when it was feeding time. She opened her eyes a little, closing them and groaned. It felt as though she hadn't slept at all.

''It's breakfast time.'' He whispered softly, smiling. Her mouth curved into a small smile and she opened her eyes, slowly, this time they readjusted and she fully saw her husband hovering beside her, their son in his arms.

''Is he always hungry? I fed him two hours ago.'' Her voice was low and sleepy. She stretched a little before rubbing her eyes.

''Actually, you slept for about five hours, darling.'' He sat beside her on the bed. ''It's the longest he's slept through without a feed.''

Rose propped up her pillows getting herself comfortable.

''I slept for so long?'' Jack gently kissed her forehead. Her hair fell perfectly around her shoulders and even when she had just woken up with little sleep, she was still the most beautiful woman in the world. She turned to Jack who gently touched her cheek and then kissed her forehead lightly again.

''You were so exhausted.'' Rose held out her arms and Jack passed their son to her. They were still both so in awe by the small person laid in his mother's arms. Jack sat on the edge of the bed and placed one arm around his beautiful wife and watched as Rose unbuttoned her nightgown and allowed her son to feed. He could feel his warmth and he loved the smell of the baby. He was so pure and innocent and so unexposed to the horror of the night he was conceived and Jack hoped he never found out. Jack knew he would do everything in his power to shield his son from the world's horrors. John opened his blue eyes for a brief moment and Jack smiled, seeing them gaze around in wonder.

''Hey, handsome.'' Jack whispered as him just as he closed his eyes and wriggled as if getting comfortable. Jack smiled, he would be sat here for some time. He had a hungry son. For hours after his birth, both of them had sat and watched his small movements, inspected his limbs and his face, just to believe he was real and actually here. His existence had cemented the love they had for each other.

''Look at him, Rose. Look at how perfect he is.'' Jack could feel his eyes brimming with tears again. He gently touched his little boy's tiny fingers. He stroked them gently and it seemed to have a calming effect on his son. It was as if he knew his father was there to comfort him.

''I never knew one could feel this way.''

''What do you mean?''

''The love I have for this little boy is more overwhelming than I thought. I feel I have to do everything I can to keep him safe and happy. And you, too.''

Jack pulled his wife closer to him, his hand stroked her hair and she leant against his body feeling just how tired she was. They may only be young eighteen and twenty respectively but they knew this was what they had always wanted. They were both grateful to have boarded the Titanic, it had brought them together. ''I will keep you both safe from harm Rose, I promise.''

Little John suckled loudly and Rose touched his little cheek. It was so soft and he closed his left eye when she touched it as if it tickled him. She giggled quietly, so not to disturb him feeding. It was obvious he was still tired; his eyes were constantly opening then closing.

''I could cry for hours now just looking at him. I've never felt so emotional.'' With that a tear ran from her eye and she did her best to conceal it. Since finding out she was pregnant she had cried for unknown reasons, some were legitimate reasons, others had made them laugh afterwards at how emotional the pregnancy and birth had made her.

''I'm so new to all of this. I'm so in awe I could just gaze for hours at his small perfectly beautiful face.''

''We're both new to this, Jack. But we'll learn.''

Rose felt the tiny body within the blanket begin to stir and he whimpered a little before opening his eyes. His beautiful sea blue eyes. He let go and finished feeding.

''I think he's ready to sleep again.'' Rose buttoned up her nightgown once again with her one free hand. Jack gently kissed Rose's hair and smelled her. Her body was warm as she leant against him. Her fingers gently touched her son's tiny feet and she smiled simply and tiredly.

''I love you, Rose.'' He whispered softly, hoping she heard him.

''I love you too.'' She replied.

Minutes later, Jack saw her eyes were closed and she was sound asleep. He smiled a fully content smile, he would be sat here for some time. Rose was asleep against him and John asleep in his mother's arms but Jack didn't care, this was where he wanted to be now and forever.

Jack thought though, as he sat with his own family, of all of the tragedies which had occurred in the world. The Titanic; the magical ship where he had first laid eyes on his Rose.

He had lost his best friend, Fabrizio who was almost the brother he never had. Together, they would do everything. Fabrizio knew of Jack's feelings for Rose and had backed him all of the way, he was a big believer in true love and Jack had hoped someday Fabrizio would find his. He never did.

Tommy too, was a proud Irishman. He'd become something of a friend and, he too, was never recovered from the wreck. A small tear ran down his face, since the disaster he hadn't allowed thoughts of those who were lost. Instead, choosing to block it out and concentrate on Rose and the child she was carrying. He knew he had a lucky escape, as he sat here now with his wife and son he knew the ending could have been very different.

The sun continued to shine through the thick curtains, dawning on a new February morning. It was cold, damp and he knew that he would need to return to work soon, to provide for their new family and give Rose a life which she deserved. in the back of his mind, he had wrestled with worries of self-worth for his wife deserved the luxury and the life which she had left behind, but it hadn't made her happy. He did, and their son.

The next few months would be spent adjusting to their new lives as parents. Since arriving in New York, they simply had a mere few months to get to know each other before the pregnancy was revealed, and then they had spent the final months up until Christmas finding a suitable, safe home for Rose to give birth. he had married her in September and they had saved enough money to rent a three roomed home. They had a long way to go, but Jack knew that once John was a little older, they wouldn't be settling in one place. When the weather turned warmer, he hoped to board a train and take them out to California. Jack smiled, as he closed his eyes with thoughts of his wife whirling around on a rollercoaster, riding horses and swimming in the surf crossed his mind and within minutes, he too, fell fast asleep.