When Jack and Rose got home, it was still dark.
"I'm so tired", she said leaning against Jack.
"You can sleep now as long as you want. You don't have to worry anymore."
Rose was so worn-out she simply sat down on the nearest couch, closing her eyes. Jack positioned himself next to her.
"Hey, don't you want to sleep in bed?" he didn't get an answer however as she was already sound asleep. Jack decided to get her a sheet. He had originally planned to carry her over to the bedroom, but as soon as he was sitting beside her again, taking her into his arms to warm her up, he was sleeping as well.
…
Jack didn't know how long he had slept. Looking on the grandfather clock told him that it was four in the morning, still about two and a half hours before everyone else would get up.
"Jack", Rose suddenly whispered. "Where are you?"
"Hey, I'm right here, my angel. You don't need to get up, you've got to sleep", he told her stroking her hair.
"I don't want to sleep…I'm only dreaming about…well you know", she said opening her eyes and looking at him. "I don't know what I would've done last night, if you hadn't come."
"But I was there. I'll always be there for you."
Rose had sat up by now, letting Jack hold her.
'I saw them together your little gutter rat and another woman.'
'Oh Rose I told you that this boy is no good.'
But why had he rescued her last night, if he had already found a replacement for her? Rose felt Jack's eyes on her.
"Is everything alright with you?" she heard him ask her.
"Well yes…depends. I…I've to ask you something…"
"Of course, go on."
Rose remembered the image of Jack and this woman loving.
"I…I saw you yesterday", she choked out. "In the opera…with this woman…"
"So it really was you", Jack said.
"What?"
"I thought I had heard your voice, but I couldn't find anyone."
So Jack was actually trying to get to her? If only Cal hadn't come up. And why didn't she just go inside.
"I heard you talking and laughing and I thought that…Cal told me that he saw who and this woman kissing a few days before", Rose was now really insecure about his feelings for her.
"And you believed him?" Jack asked.
"I don't know…I…I was so confused Jack. I mean I told that you should find someone else…"
"Well and I told you that I don't want someone else, didn't I? Look Rose, I don't trust Hockley. The truth is I was showing this girl around New York, because a customer of mine asked me to you it. I told her that I've a girlfriend. I never kissed her. And yesterday when you saw us together she was just telling me a story from school."
"I don't know what to think."
"Hey, it's alright. But please my sweet little angel you've to believe me that I would never cheat on you. I love you Rose. I'm so happy to have you back", he said. "Yesterday Josephine was there too and the uncle of this woman with his wife. He had invited us. And believe me I would rather have gone there with you."
"I'm sorry Jack…I…"
"No, no, no…you don't have to be sorry…" he said holding her tight and kissing her.
"Cal had just talked me into believing it…I should've just gone into the room to you…but I was so bewildered by everything…"
"It's alright. In fact I feel bad now because I didn't search for you enough yesterday. If I had nothing like that would've…" he began but was stopped by Rose, who put a finger on his mouse to silence him.
"Jack it isn't your fault what he did to me", she firmly told him. "And I'm stronger than you think I'll surely get over it. I just don't want to talk about it anymore. I only want to forget about it."
Jack remembered his talk with the doctor. He knew that Rose couldn't just forget it.
"I'm just happy that my…I mean our baby is alright and I plan to continue with my life as nothing like this ever happened."
"Do you think that this is a good idea?" Jack asked her out of the blue.
"Why wouldn't it be a good idea? Jack that's my thing…it happened to me" she placed her hand on her chest to emphasize the last word "not you and I've to deal with it in my way."
"If you think so…it's just that I talked with the doctor…and she said that well…it would be better for you to see a psychologist."
"A shrink? Jack, I'm not insane. I know perfectly well what's good for me and what's not. We're together again and that's all that matters for me. I don't have to see a shrink."
Jack knew better than to reason with her now.
'She may however act strange in front of other men.'
Jack wondered if this really was the case; if she was just shutting everything up inside.
"Alright my dear if you say so."
"I think I'm going to sleep a little bit" she said leaning her head back on his shoulder.
"I've too to sleep. I need to get to work tomorrow."
"Work?"
Jack realized that she didn't know anything yet.
"Yes, remember the Edisons, Josephine's school friend Becky? Well I work for them now in their antiquarian shop. That's actually how I came to this opera tickets and how I came to know the woman, you saw me with. She's the niece of a customer."
"Mmh…can I go with you tomorrow?"
"You mean today", he laughed "Of course you can. Rose…"
But she was already asleep.
…
Josephine got up at seven. She had no idea of course what had happened last night. She just wished that her father would get over his depressed state.
She saw him sitting on the divan and wondered if he had slept at all.
"Papa", she said "you know you shouldn't be up so long. You've to sleep as well."
"Shhh", he whispered placing a finger on his mouth. "She's sleeping, you'll wake her up."
"Wake whom up?" she asked confused.
She moved up to him and was shocked, but also happy when she saw her mother laying there.
She looked up at her father again, who was smiling brightly.
"Mama. Oh my god…how did she…?"
"It's a long story. I'll tell when you get home from school."
Rose had also woken up by now.
"What's going…Josephine…hey…" she said rubbing her eyes still dizzy from sleeping.
"Mama", Josephine came up to her crying in and hugging her "it's so good to have you back."
"You too my darling", Rose too had tears in her eyes.
Molly was getting up as well, wandering where all the noises came from.
"Hey", she said in the direction to Josephine "Shouldn't you be going to school by now?"
"However are you…"
She jumped to her feet when she saw her: "Rose…oh my god…oh my god."
Rose leaned her head back on Jack's shoulder, both smiling happily.
