The next morning when Rose awoke, she couldn't believe it was the same world. The sun was shining brightly outside the windows, from what she could see, and she was already in a better mood. She felt fantastic. She reached over to tell her children good morning, and they weren't there. She quickly sat up, and was stunned by the room. It wasn't the bedroom in the small apartment back in Cedar Rapids she had stayed in last night.
"Jacquelyn? Sophie? Isaac?" she shouted, and she noticed her voice sounded very different. It was then that she recognized the room. It was the room that her family and she had stayed at while in Europe for the engagement. The room that she had last seen the day they left to go back to America on the Titanic. She got up, and thought, maybe this was a mistake. She had to be dreaming at least. This wouldn't be the first time she had dreams about the Titanic, or her previous life.
She looked into the full-body mirror, and saw the youthful version of herself right in front of her. She touched her face to make sure it was real, and she felt the flesh. Could dreams feel this real?
"Rose, get up! I'm shall not call you again," screamed an all too familiar voice from the other room. Rose darted to the door, and saw her mother dabbing make-up on her face. An instance case of Déjá Vu rushed upon her, and she realized this was the exact morning she boarded the Titanic. "Mother? Is that really you? What day is it?" Rose asked suddenly. Maybe this really wasn't a dream.
Rose's mother gave her the most peculiar look, and rolled her eyes. "I should hope you are alright and not getting sick. The ship wouldn't allow us on if you were," said her mother in the sarcastic tone Rose remembered her Mother to have. "But to answer your question, today is April 10th 1912. The day Titanic will leave port, and the day we leave to go back home." Rose couldn't help but to then smile, because somewhere deep inside she knew she was getting the second chance she deserved and she didn't want to ruin it.
She had to make sure it played out the same exact way it did the last time she did this, up until a point anyways. She then remember what she had said almost seventeen years ago, because no matter how much it had hurt, she remembered everything. "Mother, I was just being childish," she spoke out of the ordinary, and started the old dialogue.
"Mother, I really don't think I'll find anyo-anything spectacular out of this ship. Why can't we just back on the Mauretania?" she asked, completely acting. Thank God she had been an actress. She laughed to herself about the irony here. The most spectacular thing in the world would be on that ship. She started to fiddle with her undergarments, knowing exactly what piece of wardrobe she was going to wear.
"Rose, Titanic will have the most of the finest first class people, and it will be the grandest voyage there has ever been. We might as well call ourselves third class if we don't go," spoke her mother in an elegant accent. The dislikable feelings Rose had for mother were suddenly returning fast. "Well, what are you waiting for, Rose? Get dressed and be presentable in an hour or so," her mother murmured.
An hour or so? She could be ready in twenty minutes if she needed to be, but the she remembered the corset when she saw it on the closet shelf. "I'm not putting that on," she told herself. She then realized she would have to on the ship, and she silently agreed. She would do whatever she could to get things the way they were with Jack. She remembered the messy, yet sophisticated bun she put her hair up in, and she hoped she could remember how to do it. Luckily, it looked somewhat similar to what it did almost seventeen years ago.
Even though she loved her new life with the freedom that Jack gave her, she did feel quite comforted with the reassurance of money. For the past few years, she had to scavenge for what little money her family had, but now, she was able to spend it for a couple of days, and she would with out a doubt go back to the way she had been. A girl who Rose remembered as Trudy came gracefully through the door then, asking Rose if she needed help with anything.
"Miss, would you need me to tie your corset?" asked Mrs. Trudy politely. Rose had known Trudy had died on the Titanic and she welcomed her presence with open arms. "Oh, Trudy! I missed you! You have no earthly idea how I've- I mean, no Trudy, I'll be needing no help this afternoon," Rose stuttered. Trudy tried to keep a straight face and not to laugh but Trudy had a close relationship with Rose and giggled.
"Oh, miss, you make me laugh. You might want to hurry and get downstairs, though. Cal is sort of in a rush to leave. He wants to make a proper entrance in Southampton," Trudy suggested. Rose had forgotten the detail of being Cal's fiancée, and she groaned. "He always has been impatient," sighed Rose, "Tell them I'll be right down, Miss Trudy," smiled Rose as she gave her another hug.
Rose bent over to grab her luggage pieces, and Trudy gasped, "Ma'am, no! I'll get those; your mother would have a fit if she saw you carrying your luggage by yourself." Rose knew her mother would get angry if she didn't take advantage of their maid when Cal had spent money on paying her so gratefully. "Well, you can carry this one. I'll get the rest," Rose said trying to compromise. Trudy nodded unconditionally, and followed Rose down the stairs.
Breakfast was waiting for her on the dining room table when she got there and it looked absolutely wonderful. The part that didn't look wonderful was the people who were at the table waiting for her openly chatting. She took a deep breath, and gracefully walked over to the table to take her seat. It had been so long since she had had to use proper manners, so was quickly refreshing her memory. "Good Morning, Sweet Pea," Cal spoke properly, barely looking up, and Rose's mind filled with hate. "Good Morning," she said plainly, without emotion.
Awful memories were flowing in from the way that Cal had acted while the ship was sinking, and she decided she would only show affection until the point when she didn't have to.
"Rose, darling, I was thinking we could get Brooke's Bakery to cater the wedding," suggested Cal while briefly skimming the newspaper. Rose remembered her father taking her to the bakery when she was a child to buy hot sweet rolls. It was always such a treat. Her father would always take Rose when he knew she was upset. If he would've been alive after the ship sank she would've been fat. Rose snuck in a laugh, and calmed her expression.
"Darling, I would get great relief from this if Mr. Brooke were more a gentleman other than a large, obnoxious man just take up occupancy," Rose tried to keep her voice steady, but she couldn't believe she had said that at one point in her life. Maybe she could get away and say at least one nice thing. "His food is absolutely delicious, though. Bless his soul," Rose spoke truly from the heart finally.
Cal looked up from the newspaper, and stared at Rose with one eyebrow perched. Rose looked back in return and looked away eating the scrumptious food with delight. "Rose, good Heavens, why are you eating that fast. It's not proper," fussed Ruth. Rose immediately started to eat slower in response. She was trying her hardest to keep things the way they were, and that meant using her attitude towards them both. She remembered how trapped she felt that day, and how much she didn't want to go on another social cruise ship.
"I'm sorry mother; I'm just terribly hungry, and ready to get out of this house. Can we leave already?" asked Rose anxiously. Those words had two advantages to her now. Maybe she could have time to look for the place Jack and Fabrizio had played poker to win their tickets to board the ship, and the meaning to get out of that house. It was that moment that she decided she wouldn't interfere with the poker game. It would be her luck that he wouldn't win the tickets, and their love wouldn't be the same if her presence were there.
Then again, they were soul mates, so would it really matter one way or the other? She smiled at this thought. "Good idea, sweet pea, if we leave now we'll make more of a significant entrance," Cal said with his small smile that Rose hated. Rose tried her best to smile back and got up from the table. Cal was over to her chair in a second, and grabbed her arm. "I'll escort you to the automobile, dear," Cal said like a gentleman. Rose cringed when Cal's arm wove through hers but nonetheless, she walked forward.
Lovejoy, the man who babysat Cal, waited outside the house for them. He opened the car door for her, and memories hit her like a million stones. Where to, miss? To the stars. Nervous? No. Put your hands on me Jack. Rose directed her attention to the window so that she wouldn't show emotion for Cal or her mother to ask about. She remembered how long the ride to Southampton was, and she cringed the whole time. Life felt like it would pass her by so suddenly and she was so anxious to get on the ship. She would prevent it from sinking this time.
"Are we almost there?" she asked like an impatient child waiting anxiously to get to a destination. "Almost there, Sweet Pea," reassured Cal. When she saw the ship in the background tears flowed from her eyes, and she couldn't stop them. There it was in front of her, and Jack was near. People were currently alive. All of the people she loved deep in her heart were there. "Why on earth are you crying Rose?" asked Ruth to her daughter. Rose made a coughing sound and looked to the blooming trees that were being brought to life by spring. "It's just allergies, Mother. I'm fine," she stuttered as an excuse.
The closer they got to the docks, more of the memories flowed in. These memories were never forgotten in the first place, but they were being emphasized like she had just relived all of them. The sound of the horn alerted her when they were there, and the automobile stopped. The driver got out of the seat, and opened the door for Rose. He grabbed her hand and she stepped out the same way she had many years ago.
Those very few short days on the Titanic let get a view of a lot of people and she almost recognized everyone standing at the port. Over at a distance, she saw little Cora in her Father's arms holding a porcelain doll. Horse Drawn carriages and other automobiles were arriving just as they had in the great excitement. People were waving, and hugging to their lovers, friends, and family as they started to board the grand ship.
"I don't see what all the fuss is about," Rose said mocking a lesser version of herself, "It's no bigger than Mauretania." This was a lie of course. This ship deserved a fuss. It was the biggest ship in the world. She felt like screaming to everyone on the pier to go home, that this was dangerous. No one in their right mind would believe her though.
Would they think she was a mad woman, out of her mind? It would seem unimaginable for a first class woman of sense to be shouting. It certainly wouldn't be more unimaginable than the sinking of the Titanic itself.
"You can be blasé about some things, Rose, but not about the Titanic. It's over a hundred feet longer than the Mauretania, and far more luxurious," stated Cal trying to impress Rose. Ruth approached from behind the two and stared at the grand ship in front of them. "Your daughter is far too difficult to impress Ruth," smiled Cal. Ruth laughed and kept staring.
"So, this is the ship they say is unsinkable?" asked Ruth rhetorically. Rose quickly turned to her mother at the words. She was screaming inside her head, but couldn't speak. "It is unsinkable. God himself could not sink this ship," commented Cal.
"I would hold your tongue on such words, Mr. Hockley," Rose finally remarked. Surely that sentence wouldn't change her fate. Cal stared at her in utter amazement. Rose had never talked back to him before. A servant then approached Cal and Lovejoy informing where to take luggage. Rose didn't listen to most of the conversation this time. She was busy scanning the crowd and reading the familiar faces. Before she knew Cal was almost pushing her through the crowd with his hand trying to intertwine hers.
They finally reached the gangway ramp, and she looked up. This was it, her one and only chance to recreate her life. The metal clacked and made noises as her heels walked across it. "Welcome to Titanic," a man said from the door welcoming in passengers. She turned around and saw the land for the last time. What if she died this time? She took a deep breath and stepped aboard the Titanic for the second time. It was a wise choice for a second chance.
