Cal and Lavinia had decided to spend a day together in the city. They knew that if they wanted their marriage to work they had to discuss their plans with each other.
For a while they just walked silently ahead besides, unsure of what to do. They would look at the other one, but quickly turn their head in the other direction, when they noticed that the other one was aware of their stare.
Lavinia had heard the last days that Nathan's father wasn't happy at all about his son's decision.
"What do we do, if your father doesn't change his opinion about us?" she choked out unexpectedly.
Cal turned his face to her suddenly stopping walking. He took both of her hands in his, looking her deeply in her eye before speaking: "I know that my father will never expect us. But he isn't the one married to you.
Lavinia was somehow shocked that he was still standing with her after what she had done.
"You really mean that…?"
"Of course I do. It's our life and our marriage. I don't see why my father should be a problem in this," he stated firmly.
"But your inheritance…," she stared being stopped by Cal with a kiss on her cheek.
Although they were married for years now and had of course shared a bed together, they were complete strangers still to each other. Lavinia had been shocked, when she had seen Jack and Rose together openly kissing in front of everyone. That was something she had believed to be totally unacceptable.
"Why don't we sit down somewhere, find a nice restaurant?" Cal offered her still holding onto her hand.
"Sound nice."
Lavinia let Cal lead her way, not really caring where they went. She had been used since childhood to always be told what to do. Her mother had led her clothes out for her, telling her whom she was supposed to meet and whom she should avoid.
Later on with Cal it wasn't much different. She had never made any important decision in her life. Cal's question came as a total surprise.
"What do you want to eat?"
He received a confused look.
"I mean you're hungry, aren't you?"
"Ahem yes…I…of course…I was just…you never asked me, before what I wanted," she finally told him the reason of why she was perplexed.
In fact no one had ever asked her what she wanted, which as a consequence meant that she had never actually thought about her desires.
"Look, I've…," he stammered realizing that it was true.
He had been brought up in an environment where it was usual that the man told the woman what to do, the only exception in this had always been his mother, whom his father was never able to control. But with his mother Cal accepted this, not so later on with Rose.
"Why don't we just have some ice-cream?" she suggested Cal snapping out of his daydreams.
…..
They ordered two cups of coupe-Denmark.
No one really dared to bring up what they had come here to talk about. Lavinia was still thinking of Jack, though not in the way that she used to. She was concerned now that Cal might never forgive her.
"Of course any child we adopt needs to fit in our family," she heard Cal say.
"Mmh…," she mumbled silently eating her ice not paying much attention.
What if Cal still thought that she really loved Mr. Dawson?
"Cal, I, before we discuss this any further I need to tell you something," she said her tone indicating that she was speaking a very serious thing.
Cal looked at her wondering what she meant.
"The thing with Mr. Dawson…I…I believe I've gotten on the wrong track. It was stupid of me to think that I could ever…that he would ever leave his wife for me," she told him. "What I want to say is, I regret what I did asking him about…it wasn't right, especially not for you and your feelings…I'm sorry for that...," she finished.
To her surprise instead of raving about her behaviour, Cal also started with excuses.
"You're not the only one, who did wrong. I also have done many things I'm not very fond of…"
"But it must've been hard for you realizing that it was in Mr. Dawson again, whom one of your love interests had turned to."
"Of course, it wasn't pleasant and yes I was hurt. I couldn't believe it at first and I wanted to smack you, after all I had been through this already once with Rose…but you know what? I gave it a second thought and I realized that I too haven't been completely innocent myself. I wasn't actually a very good husband to you…what I want to say is we both made mistakes…you with Mr. Dawson and I with my favourite whore as you call her…," he voice drifted off. "If I been there for you more then..."
"But nothing ever happened between us," Lavinia felt committed to say.
He wasn't so sure, if this nothing happening was so much Lavinia's doing and not more Jack's, who had simply refused her offer. But he didn't want to speak with her about that now. Obviously Lavinia knew now were her duty lied; there was no need to dwell on it any longer.
"I know that and I wish that I could say the same from me," Cal mumbled still thinking of Jack. "I don't want to lie to you anymore, because I think we've done this enough already. That you and mother had thought out Jack Dawson for your plans even though you both knew of his and my past with each other...it didn't make it actually better, but...it was partly my fault as well..."
"It wasn't your fault that your mother lied to you," she stated not really knowing what he wanted to tell her.
Cal took her hand in his before continuing.
"That's not what I wanted to say. None of us is innocent in this and that's why I think that it's time for us to start over with..."
Lavinia's face was even more confused now.
"Let's not talk about Mr. Dawson or anyone else again, like my father and his opinion. They're not important. Let's talk about us and our life," Cal finally stated smiling at her refusing to let the image of Lavinia admiring his all-time rival get the best of him.
She had apologized for her behaviour so what more did he want?
And she was right nothing had really happened between them. Cal moved forward removing a stain of hair out her face.
"I like that very much, Cal," Lavinia smiled back.
The first real step for a successful marriage had indeed been done.
