Rose and Ruth walked home in silence. Rose knew that Ruth was not happy at all, even though she didn't know why. Since she didn't like Jack, one would assume that the woman would be happy with the change of events. Instead, Ruth seemed unhappier than ever and some of her anger seemed to be directed at Rose.
Having enough of the heaviness between them, Rose broke the silence. "Okay, mother. What is it? You have been brooding all night."
"Have I?" Ruth asked, her voice distant with a hint of ice. It was a tone all too familiar for Rose.
"Yes, you have. Look, I know that you were shocked that Jack has obviously moved on, but that doesn't change anything. He's still going to let us be a part of Cora's life and…"
"Oh, you silly girl!" Ruth snapped, her patience at an end. "It changes everything! Don't you see that? You've ruined us and for what? All because you fell in love with that...boy! Now Cal is gone and thanks to you, the boy is gone too! All hope of some kind of comfortable life is gone for both of us now! Can't you see that?!"
"I ruined us?" Rose frowned. Where was this coming from? Up until now, her mother had seemed...pleasant. There had been no hint of the problems that she had mentioned the other night. This was the first time that she had noticed any signs that their relationship had been less than ideal.
"I had saved us! By finding Caledon Hockley, I had saved us from ruin! But no, you just had to go and run off with...that boy, ruining everything I had worked hard for! You had forced me to resign myself to life in lower society! Then you show up alive and married and I thought that, well at least we could get a decent home and male protection, just to find that you've ruined that too!" Ruth ranted.
Rose winced and looked away. She had no idea about this Caledon Hockley, but the fact that she had ruined any chance with Jack, well that was quite obvious.
"Oh forget it. I just want to get back to our room and go to sleep and forget this horrid day!" Ruth huffed, continuing down the path leading to the boarding house.
Molly was wide awake and ready to hear details when Rose and Ruth returned. She frowned as Ruth shed her coat and walked into the washroom, slamming the door behind her.
"What had gotten into her?" Molly asked, incredulously. The last time she had seen Ruth, she had been in a good mood, looking forward to spending the day with her granddaughter.
"She's mad at me," Rose sighed, sitting at the edge of her bed and staring down at her hands, feeling lost in her own thoughts. "I guess she has a right to be."
Molly frowned. This did not sound like the Rose that had walked out of here that morning. What had happened between now and then? "She does? Why? What went on between the two of you?"
"It's more like, what went on between me and Jack..or rather what's not going to go on."
"You're losing me here, darlin."
"Well, I had met Jack in the park today," Rose began, deciding to start at the beginning. She was sure that by the end of it, Molly will be upset with her as well.
"Well, that's nice. Did you spend the day together?"
Rose sighed and shook her head. "No. This was after I had explored the town and the day was over by then, but we went back to his house so I could spend time with Cora. When we got there, mother was already there visiting with her. She had brought her a doll and everything...but anyway, that's not the problem."
"Well, what is the problem? You both get to spend time with Cora and you got to spend some time with Jack, repairing your bond and..."
"Molly stop. If you're talking about me and Cora, well that's the only bond that will be repaired I'm afraid."
"What?"
Rose took a deep breath, preparing herself for Molly's anger. "It turns out that two years did indeed take a toll on what was left of our marriage. Jack had moved on, Molly. He's in love with someone else."
"What?! Who?!" Molly stared in disbelief, not wanting to believe what she had just heard! Jack Dawson in love with someone that is not Rose? Why that made no sense at all! The first night they were here, he had confessed his love for Rose, stating that he hated himself for it! Now here Rose was, saying that Jack was in love with someone else?
"Her name is Hannah. She's nice. Cora likes her and she seems to be a good person. She loves Cora and she definitely loves Jack."
"Rose...wait...are you sure? You must be mistaken, I mean he had written to me about an old friend named Hannah, but he hadn't said anything about romance…"
"He told me himself."
Molly sat down next to Rose, clearly in shock. She had not been expecting this. Jack hadn't even mentioned Hannah again, especially since her arrival with Rose. "Lord almighty."
"We shouldn't be surprised, right? It's been two years. Of course, he'd move on. Of course, someone would come into his life. I just feel lucky that he's willing to help me and allow me to rebuild my bond with Cora. That's more than I deserve after abandoning them the way I had...right?"
"You deserve a lot more than that, darlin. You deserve to have your whole life back. I mean, this must have been quite a blow." "You know what's so sad, Molly? The feelings I had for him...they're back. I barely remember him, but when I look into his eyes, I see forever. I see his soul and mine. I love him, Molly. I am in love with him."
"Oh Rose," Molly wrapped an arm around the redhead, feeling bad for her. What a mess this all was. It was so unfair. Two years ago, Jack and Rose had started out on their lives together, fully in love and looking forward to the future. Now, it was all in pieces and there may be no way to put it back together again.
"I am in love with him...but I have no right to be. Not anymore. I ruined everything."
"You were sick, darlin. It couldn't be helped."
"I can't even be angry with him. I mean...you weren't there. You didn't see his struggle. I think he does love me...but...he loves her. It's his past and his future and I don't want it to be any more painful for him than it has to be. I've caused him enough pain as it is."
"I just don't understand it," Molly shook her head. To say that she was disappointed was an understatement, but what really got her was that Jack hadn't mentioned a word about him being involved with someone else. If he had she wouldn't have pushed so hard for a reunion between him and Rose.
"And now mother is upset. She claims that I've ruined both of our lives. Something tells me that I'm about to find out why I faked my death when it came to her in the first place. It just has not been a very good night, Molly."
"You ignore that mother of yours. Ruth's bark is worse than her bite, but she barks awful loud I'm afraid. Jeez, I'm sorry, Rosie. I really am. I was rooting for you and Jack. I was hoping that maybe you'd find your way back to each other."
"Maybe it's for the best, Molly. This way, I can give all of my attention to Cora and really concentrate on getting well for her. This way, it's clear. She's the reason to get better."
"But what of your feelings for Jack, darlin? They're still gonna be there."
Rose could only shrug her shoulders. "I can't think about them right now, Molly. They simply can't factor into my recovery. Not anymore. He's moved on. He's kind enough to help me and remain my friend, but a friend is all he'll be."
"I still want to have a few words with him. I mean, this just isn't right."
"Yes, it is, Molly. I mean I had abandoned him. He didn't know what had happened. As far as he knew, I had met some other artist and ran off with him. Don't you go yelling at Jack for living his life and healing from what must have destroyed him. He had Cora to think about and his own mental health. I don't blame him. In fact, I rather he did move on instead of living his life in limbo. I prefer it that he did something to be happy. Even if it's without me."
"You love him that much?"
"I do. I don't want to see him in pain. I never want him to be unhappy."
"Well, that is why you deserve to be with him, darlin. Ain't no one, I don't care who she is, is gonna love him the way you do. He'll see that and he'll come running back, I bet ya."
Rose sighed, doubting Molly's words. Jack was lost to her now. She was just going to have to accept it and be glad that at least she had Cora and that will be the one thing still connecting her to the man she loved.
…..
Jack was sitting on the back stoop once again, cigarette in hand, his mind going over the night's events. Rose finally met Hannah. The truth was out there. The cards were on the table and now Rose knew that there was no hope for a reconciliation where their marriage was concerned. Her reaction was as well as it could be, but he saw the familiar spark in her eyes when she looked at him and he also saw the heartbreak mixed with resignation. She loved him, but she was going to accept things the way they were. He was relieved, but he still hated himself for hurting her.
"Jack?" Hannah stood in the doorway watching him. She had been watching him throughout the night and knew that he was feeling some kind of way about her appearance there that night.
Jack sighed and turned to face his soon to be fiancee. He wasn't angry with her. He knew that her showing up had been because of Lisa. But still, he had hoped that she would have waited a little bit longer. "Hey."
"Are you angry with me? I mean, I know that we agreed to wait, but I had no idea that she was going to be here and I was wanting to see Cora and Lisa said that it was okay..."
"I'm not angry. I just wish that you had waited like we had discussed."
She sighed and walked over to sit next to him. "She didn't seem too upset. That's good, right?"
"Yeah...it's just that..."
"What?"
Jack sighed, remembering the look in her eyes when she looked at him and knowing that his heart felt the same. "I think I hurt her. She still loves me."
Hannah nodded. She had figured as much and she really couldn't be mad at it. After all, Jack was Rose's husband. They would probably still be together now if Rose hadn't gotten sick and lost her memory. What she had with Jack now, it was just by chance. Heck, maybe Jack still loved Rose. What if he did? Was it enough? "Do you still love her?"
Jack frowned then nodded, his shoulders slumped in defeat. "I never had any real closure when it came to what Rose and I had. We went through something...intense together and what we had...it created Cora, so yeah. I'll always feel something for her. But...I can't trust that what happened in Santa Monica won't happen again. I don't trust it like I once did and trust is such an important thing in a relationship. I love her, but I can't be with her. Besides, I've done moved on with you. I like what we have. I don't want to lose it."
"I like what we have too, but Jack...if you want to be with her and not me...just say so. I'll understand. She's your wife and you two had made something beautiful out of a tragedy in little Cora. If she's in your heart, you should be with her."
Jack couldn't believe his ears. Most girls would be freaking out over the situation, but not Hannah. She seemed to be taking everything in stride and had faith that he would make the right decision, a faith that Jack didn't seem to have in himself. "It's not that simple Hannah. I may still love Rose on some level, but I love you and I want the future that we had planned together."
"I just want you to be happy, Jack. That's all. I see that you're struggling with this right now and it's breaking my heart."
"Wouldn't it break even more if I decided to leave you to go back to Rose?"
"It would...but at least I know that you would be happy."
Jack smiled and took her hand, raising it to his lips to kiss her knuckles. "I am happy. Really, I am. Don't ever doubt that you make me happy, okay? I love you and I want our life together. I just can't help but worry about Rose. The fact that she's Cora's mother and not to mention she had saved my life on Titanic...she's important to me too and I just hate to see her hurt, that's all."
"You just want everyone to be happy and to have what they want. Unfortunately, that can't happen. We can't cut you in half and each one gets a Jack," Hannah chuckled. "Even though that would solve this triangle, huh?"
"Nothing could ever be that easy," Jack got to his feet and held his hand out to her. Hannah just smiled and took it. "I better get you home before your pa has a search party out here."
"It is getting late. Hmm, just think. Someday, I won't have to go home anymore. I'll already be here. That'll be nice, won't it?"
"Yeah," Jack simply replied, not giving himself enough room to even consider what needed to be done before he could even set a date on when to marry this girl that had brought him out of his shell not too long ago. He did love her, though. Despite the feelings he still harbored for his current wife. It just didn't help that he still loved Rose as well.
"Come, Jack. I think father wants to talk to you anyway. Something about taking you and Weaver on a fishing trip in the near future."
"Really? I haven't really been fishing in quite a while."
"Which is why he wants to take you. It's kind of like a family tradition with us. You know that," Hannah giggled, walking beside him, all thoughts of their current situation nowhere in sight.