Chapter 26
I let go of the rail, thinking I would fall, but someone was holding onto my forearm. I looked up, surprised to see Cal holding me. "Give me your hand," he instructed. Not seeing any other choice, I took his other hand and let him pull me back over. He held my torso in one arm, making my heart skip a beat out of fear. He placed me back on the ground, and I sighed in relief. "What the hell were you thinking?" he asked. He rolled his eyes and left, slamming the door behind him.
I put my head in my hands and sighed. What the hell had I been thinking? I was a mother, I was pregnant, I knew now that I was loved. How could I do something so stupid, so thoughtless? A part of me believed that there was still a solution, a way out of this, so how could I do this?
Jack would be heartbroken if he read in some newspaper that I was dead. He would lose yet another person he loved. He would have to tell Mia and take care of her while he took care of himself. He may have even blamed himself for letting me go back. Most of all, he would want to kill Cal with his bare hands. I couldn't do that to him.
I went straight back to my room and sat on the floor. I instantly started to sob, frightened by what I had done and by the fact that I was trapped here. After a few minutes, I stood up, changing into what I planned on sleeping in: it was one of Jack's night shirts, one that I took from his drawer as I was leaving. I put it on, only standing in my underwear and his shirt. I hugged myself for warmth and stared down at myself, the shirt going all the way to the top of my thighs. I missed having his arms around me, I missed how he could make all of my troubles disappear with one kiss, and I missed the way I could lose myself in his eyes.
I climbed into bed, laying my head against my pillow and holding Mia's pillow in my arms. I hoped I would be able to sleep, now that I had parts of both of them with me. I knew, of course, that having their belongings and having them were two very different things, but thankfully I was tired enough to fall asleep after only a few minutes.
I stood outside the house in Chippewa Falls, the setting sun illuminating the house perfectly. The house looked older, more worn than the last time I saw it. I took a deep breath and knocked on the door, and within a minute, it was opened.
Standing in front of me was Jack. He looked older, much older, though still as beautiful as I remembered him. His jaw dropped as he stared at me. "Rose?" He wasn't prepared to open the door and find me standing there, I knew that for sure, but now that Mia was eighteen, I knew I could escape from Cal. He didn't have any leverage anymore, now that Mia was legally an adult.
Without a second thought, he wrapped his arms tightly around me, pulling me into a tight hug. "I missed you so much," he whispered, and I began to cry in his arms. We both let go of each other, and Jack invited me inside. I smiled politely and set down my bag. "Rose, what are you doing here? Did he let you go?"
I shook my head. "No," I replied. "But Mia's eighteen now. He has nothing to take from me now." I smiled at him and thought about kissing him, hugging him, falling asleep next to him, all the things I still wanted to do, even after all these years. Then I remembered: Mia. She was here, and I could see her. "Where's Mia? I need to see her-"
"Mommy?" I turned around and saw her standing there. She looked exactly like me, exactly as I did on Titanic. Her hair was a dark red, straight at the top but curly at the bottom. Her eyes were blue like mine, light but with dark rings around the outside. She was my daughter, I would recognize her anywhere.
After staying frozen for a moment, she ran towards me, wrapping her arms around me as I did the same to her. "I missed you so much, sweetheart," I whispered. We finally separated and I saw tears running down her cheeks. Before giving it a second thought, I wiped her tears away, then held her damp face in my hands. "You're so beautiful," I smiled, and she chuckled. "You're so… grown up."
That was when I woke up, tears running down my cheeks. I didn't want to stay here for twelve years, until Mia was eighteen. I didn't want to only find them again once Mia was grown up. I wanted to be with them every second of every day. I wanted to be with them throughout everything.
•••
February 16, 1921
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Five days had passed since my return to Pittsburgh. Nothing felt normal yet, and I doubted it ever would. I felt so isolated. No one talked to me or acknowledged my presence, which I was fine with, but it still bothered me. I missed Jack and Mia more and more each day, if that was even possible. The only bit of joy I got was when Samantha handed me back my necklace from Jack, all fixed.
It was late at night. I was reading my favorite book, The Picture of Dorian Gray. Something about it struck a chord in me the first time I read it: the superficial nature of society, the negative consequences of influence… not to mention a main character who commits several crimes, yet looks just as appealing to the world.
I heard a knock at the door. It was loud, like Cal's. "Cal, please, just leave me alone," I said quietly, staring at my bookmark. I knew he was here to scold me for trying to kill myself. "That night was just a moment of weakness. I'll never do it again."
"It's not Cal," said a woman's voice, and I turned around. Standing by the door was Elizabeth. She was closing the door behind her and walking towards me, sitting down on the couch across from me. "I was wondering if I could talk to you for a moment." I nodded slowly, still confused by the sudden change in her behavior. "Well, I guess the first thing is, I know you're with child."
My jaw dropped a bit, shocked that someone realized so soon. I thought I had a few weeks before anyone found out. "I-I don't know what you're talking about," I said, crossing my arms in front of my stomach. "I just ate a lot today. I've got to eat healthier from now on."
"Rose, you and I both know you eat almost nothing," she smiled, and I chuckled nervously. "It's alright, you can tell me that you are. I won't tell anyone." I hesitated, knowing how manipulative people in this world could be. "Fine, I'll talk." She clasped her hands on her lap and stared at me. "You and I are not as different as you may think."
"Really?" I asked, still nervous. "How so?"
"Well, I was forced into a marriage to someone I didn't love… to someone I disliked, actually. I wasn't strong enough to walk away. My parents pushed me into this life, and I was too afraid to look for a way out. I was only used as a way to get heirs for Hockley Steel. I had to step back from taking care of my son, and watch him become someone I didn't know or like. And finally, I had to watch the same thing happen to you." she smiled sadly. "I was relieved when you left Cal the first time; I thought you would find your way to love and life in a way I never could. Then, when you managed to turn Cal into someone else, I was even more thrilled. I didn't understand how, but you gave me my son back."
"I didn't though, did I?" I asked, my arms no longer trying to hide my stomach. "He went back to the way he was. I thought I was successful too, but I wasn't."
Elizabeth shrugged. "You were, at least for a while," she said. "Even if you weren't successful in changing Cal, I watched the way you were raising Mia, and I knew that that would be the end of raising children the way Nathan and Cal were raised. I was raised the way you were raised, Rose. Even though I couldn't change things for myself or even for Cal, I want Mia and this baby to have that." She paused for a moment, and I tried to absorb everything I had learned in the last few minutes. "Which is why… you need to escape from here, Rose."
I couldn't believe what I was hearing. "I'm sorry… what?" I asked. "H-How?"
"Alright, here's what we'll do," she began, and she told me exactly what to do in order to free myself from here. I listened intently, still surprised by the fact that all this time, I thought Elizabeth had hated me, when she really liked me.
"I'm sorry… I don't understand," I said finally. "I thought you hated me. The way you stared at me while I played with Mia in the garden, watched as Cal and I fought… I just don't understand. You liked me this whole time?"
Elizabeth smiled and nodded. "When I watched you play with Mia in the garden, I was jealous of the way you seemed to disregard the societal norms, the way you managed to put Mia first even when you knew it would get you in trouble. And when you and Cal fought, I felt sorry for you because I have been there. And I never wanted that to happen to you and Cal." I sighed and nodded. "I suppose my point is… I couldn't have what I always longed for, but you can have that freedom. Now, tell me," all of a sudden, her face grew serious. "This man-"
"Jack," I said, and I smiled.
"Jack," she said, nodding once. "He treats you well?"
"Yes," I smiled. "He treats me very well. He loves me in a way Cal never did." I hugged myself, now knowing I'd be back there, with Jack and Mia. "I know he'll take care of me, and of Mia and this baby. Forever."
"Alright, then it's settled," she smiled. "We're getting you out of here."
•••
Later that night, I snuck into Cal's office. He was sitting at his desk, holding a glass of scotch, "Do you have a moment?" I asked. He looked up at me and didn't answer, so I just continued. "I wanted to talk to you about our situation." He still didn't look up. "Cal, you don't love me. I think you may have, years ago… or maybe you just thought you did, but I don't think you love me. You certainly don't want to be with me anymore." He looked up at me then. "You want someone who wants what you want: the giant wedding, the heirs, the endless galas. That's not me, Cal, and it never really was." Now was the moment to ask for the divorce that I was sure we both wanted, just the way Elizabeth told me to. "We both want out of this marriage, let's just admit it."
He stared at me for a moment, then looked back down at his papers. "There's no way to do it, Rose. Not without tarnishing my reputation."
I nearly rolled my eyes. His reputation. I didn't care about his reputation, and I never had. "That's where you're wrong," I said, sitting in the chair on the other side of his desk. "We get a secret divorce. You pay off the lawyers so that they don't ever tell anyone about it. You tell everyone that I died of an unknown cause, that I was sick for a week or two and that a maid found me dead. I will go back to Chippewa Falls in a car, and you'll be free after an appropriate grieving period to remarry."
He stared at me in shock, and I couldn't tell if it was because he thought I had gone mad or because he realized I was right. "I have to talk it over with my father, but I don't see why not."
My heart soared as I realized that I'd be returning to Jack and Mia, that no one would ever find out about the pregnancy. "Thank you, Cal." Without saying another word, I went back to my room, and began to pack.
Determined to get everything taken care of as quickly as possible, Cal and Nathan brought in the lawyers and had us sign the divorce papers first thing in the morning.
My bags were being brought downstairs to the car, and I took one last look around. I looked into Mia's room, which was the same but emptier: I had packed some of her old things to bring to Chippewa Falls. I smiled, realizing neither of us would ever be back here again. "I'm coming home to you," I whispered, before closing the door and walking away forever.
•••
The drive back to Chippewa Falls was a long one, especially as my eagerness to get back to Jack and Mia and anticipation of being with them grew. I looked out the window and counted the hours until I got there. Once we entered Wisconsin, my excitement grew exponentially, and it felt like eternity before we finally arrived in Chippewa Falls. Five minutes, I thought to myself. Five minutes until I see them again, until I can hold Mia in my arms and tell her that everything is alright, until I can kiss Jack and feel his arms wrap around me. None of our problems were problems anymore: Cal was gone, my marriage was over, and I was free to be with Jack and Mia.
My heart started beating faster and faster as I grew closer and closer to the house. Finally, after what felt like forever, the car stopped in front of the house. I smiled, my heart bursting in my chest, as the chauffeur placed my bags on the front stoop. I stepped out of the car and walked up to the front door. "Alright," I whispered to myself. "Here goes." I brought my hand up to the door and knocked twice.
I heard as footsteps approached the door, then the sound of the knob turning, and finally, the door opened. Standing in front of me was Jack, who had bright red eyes and damp cheeks. He was frozen to the spot, not even breathing.
After a moment's hesitation, he reached out and took my hand, and I could feel his rough yet comforting skin against mine as I wrapped my fingers around his hand. He let out a slight gasp, surprised, I believe, that he could actually feel me, that I was really there. From there, he quickly wrapped his arms around me, holding me in a tight hug. "Rose," I heard him whisper. He didn't say anything else, presumably too shocked to form words.
I started to cry, trembling in his arms, unable to contain the relief I felt that I was finally safe. Jack cried too, and we just cried in each other's arms as we got used to the fact that we were together again. My crying stopped, and Jack's arms tightened around me, before I leaned closer to Jack so I could whisper something in his ear:
"I'm home."
A/N: Sorry it's been so long since I've updated this story! I've been going through hell personally, and I haven't been writing or feeling like posting since. I want to keep going with this story though, because I love the characters and the storyline and everything, so I'm going to try to keep posting. Hope you enjoyed the chapter!