Chapter Seven;

Rose sat up in bed, rubbed her eyes and yawned. She looked around the room and was startled to see where she was. She threw the covers to the side and jumped out of bed. She opened her door and headed for the kitchen.

"Morning Mom." Joseline chirped. "You sure did a lot of talking in your sleep last night."

Rose stopped and turned to face her. "What did I say.. was it even audible?" She asked, wanting to know.

"Nope. It wasn't." She laughed.

"I don't even remember going to bed... The last thing I remember was.." she rubbed her head, looking at Joseline. "I've got a headache."

"The last thing you did last night was give uncle Cal a cover and pillow. You told us you were tired and then you went to bed."

Rose wasn't sure if Joseline were telling the truth or messing with her again. She eyed Joseline from the side as she turned towards the steps. "Are you sure thats really what happened?"

Joseline shook her head. "I'm being honest. That is really what happened."

"Mmhmm." Rose muttered as she walked down the steps. She stopped when she reached the living room and looked at a sleeping Cal. She was sure she had sat in her chair last night and watched Cal.

Cal yawned as he turned over and opened his eyes. He saw Rose staring at him, but he didn't mind. "Good morning."

Rose shook her head trying to remove the thoughts. "Morning."

"Aren't you just a delight." He chuckled and rubbed his neck "You need a new couch."

"I only need a new couch because you sleep on it all the time." She laughed as she walked to the kitchen. "I'm going to make breakfast."

"Uncle Cal!" Joseline yelled as she ran and jumped to sit on the couch."

"Don't let Rose see you do that." He laughed as he tickled her. "What is up with her this morning. She seems rather rushed."

"Well, she doesn't remember going to bed last night."

"She didn't drink anything last night did she?"

"Just tea and cola, why?"

"Just wondering." Cal smiled as he stood up. "Lets go see what she is making for breakfast."

Cal and Joseline both took a seat at the counter and looked at Rose. She did look rather bothered and looked as if she were trying to figure something out.

"Rose, may I ask what is wrong with you?" Cal asked.

"Nothing is wrong with me." Rose glanced at him "Why do you ask?"

"No reason."

Rose placed the pan on the stove and looked at him. "I'm sure you have a reason. You don't just ask someone if something is wrong with them... Without a reason..." she snapped.

Cal pulled his head back and gasped. "What was that for?"

Rose sucked her teeth and shook her head, pointing at them with a wooden spoon. "Are you two sure that I went to bed last night.." She eyed both of them. "I mean that I actually went up to my room and got in my bed?"

Joseline and Cal looked at each other, confused. "Mom, you went to bed, I swear to it."

Cal eyed her from the side like she'd done lost her mind. "Yes. You went to bed after you were ever so kind to give me a pillow and cover."

"I don't remember that." She said as she put butter in the pan. "That's not at all what I remember. I remember sitting in my chair... To read."

"Well you did sit in your chair for about five minutes or so." Cal said with a light laugh. "But you definitely weren't reading."

She listened to him and Joseline tell her what happened, while she finished up breakfast. She was a bit relieved when neither one of them mentioned her kissing Cal.

She sighed a big sigh of relief,poured coffee for her and Cal and orange juice for Joseline. "I thought I kissed you last night." She laughed as she looked at Cal. She sat their plates in front of them. "That would just be horrible."

Cal looked at her and frowned. "Well thanks."

"You're welcome."

Joseline looked at them as they ate and laughed "I can't believe you thought you kissed uncle Cal."

"Be quiet and eat." Rose said through laughter. "That'll never happen." She glanced at Cal and then back to her food. "Cal isn't my type."

Cal acted as if he were disgusted "As if you'd ever be my type."

Rose looked at him over the top of her coffee cup and giggled. "You wish."

"You're wrong, Sweet Pea."

Rose interrupted him as she stood up. "Don't you ever call me 'Sweet Pea' again!"

Cal was stammered, his face turning red with embarrassment. "I.. I didn't mean to call you that." He looked down. "I haven't called you that since we were on the Ti..." He stopped as he remembered that Joseline had yet to learn about that.

Rose's mouth flew open and her eyes grew wide with shock. She looked at Joseline and then back to Cal. "Cal!.."

Joseline eyed them both, sensing something more had happened between them, than what they had told her. They told her they met while Rose was pregnant with her, but after watching them, she knew better. "Is there something you two would like to tell me.."

They both looked at her "What do you mean?"

"About the way you two met.."

Rose sat back down looking at Cal and sighed "I already told you how we met."

"No you didn't. You didn't tell me the truth."

Cal looked at Rose and arched a brow, trying to read her. He looked back to Joseline and smiled "I believe we did tell you the truth." Inwardly kicking and cursing himself for lying to her again. He hated that he couldn't just tell her the truth. Him and Rose had conversations about this before, but Rose refused to let him tell her.

Joseline stood up "You both are bad liars."

"Joseline Renee Dawson!" Rose gasped "I think this conversation needs to end right now."

Joseline glared at Rose and Cal "I'll drop it, for now." She didn't want to, but knew not to keep pushing. "I'll find out one day."

"Don't look at me like that." Rose shuddered as she began picking up the dishes. "You look like my mother."

With a look of disgust, Cal chuckled "Don't Tell her that!" Oh how he despised that woman. "That has to be some form or child abuse or something.."

Rose looked at him and laughed. "Oh stop it, Cal, you're gonna give yourself a nosebleed!"

"Oh my." He said in disgust.

"Did Mom tell you that we're going to Chippewa Falls for Christmas?" Joseline asked, tired already of hearing about Ruth.

Cal shook his head and looked at Rose "Why didn't you tell me?"

"I don't have to tell you everything, Cal."

His feelings were hurt. He had spent every Christmas with Rose since they made amends. "It would have been nice to know, I could have made plans to go with you two."

"The trip is for Joseline and I.. We want to spend some time alone."

Cal's expression turned sad "But we always spend Christmas together.."

Joseline sat down beside Cal and placed her arm around his shoulder. She smiled and whispered "Ask her if you can go."

Cal looked at Joseline and then glanced at Rose. "I can't ask her that. Not now that I know why she wants to go." Knowing she wouldn't want him along on a trip like that. She was wanting somehow to he closer to Jack, and he knew that.

Hearing the whispering made Rose feel uneasy. She dried the rest of the dishes and sat back down. "You two need to stop trying to conjure up things."

"We're not conjuring up anything mom." Joseline said.

"Then why were you two over here whispering?"

Joseline and Cal looked at each other. "I was telling uncle Cal to ask if he could go with us."

"No I'm not." Cal sternly said. "I wouldn't want to intrude."

"But Uncle Cal!" Joseline stammered.

"But nothing, Joseline. This is the end of this conversation." Cal said.

"I'm sorry, Cal." Rose placed a hand over his. "This is something Joseline and I need to do, alone."

"I understand, Rose, really I do."

"I'm glad we have an understanding." Rose said as she looked at Joseline. "Now let's get our day started."

"I guess I'll be going." Cal said as he stood up.

"You don't have to, really. I was thinking that the three of us could go catch a moving picture, after we go visit Molly, of course."

"Molly? You've got to be joking, Rose..."

"Nope.. I'm serious as a heart attack, Cal!"

Rose laughed. "I want to see her before she leaves."

They met Molly at a boutique and then they all went out for lunch. Much to Cal's surprise, him and Molly got along rather well.