Chapter Ten;

This time they had a room on the train, instead of just seats. Rose had swallowed her pride a few weeks ago and asked Cal to loan her the money, with a promise that he would allow her to pay him back. The room was small with a bunk bed and a small desk with a chair. It had a window, which Joseline thought was nice, as she enjoyed watching the scenery go by.

"Mom I need to go to the restroom." Joseline said climbing down from the top bunk.

"Go on ahead, I'll wait here." Normally she wouldn't allow her to go alone, but the bathroom was down the hall and she didn't think anything could happen, not on a train.

The minutes flew by and Joseline had yet to return. Rose placed her book on the desk and stood up. She stuck her head out of the room "Joseline.." she called out, but she didn't hear an answer. She ran out of the room and flew down the hall to the restroom, pounding on the door. The door flew open, but it was vacant. Panic set in as she ran back to their room and checked there. She wasn't there either. She knocked on every door that was close to the restroom asking if they had seen her daughter. No one had. "JOSELINE! JOSELINE RENEE DAWSON!" She was now screaming. She ran the opposite way pounding on doors asking if they'd seen her, no one there had either. She ran to where the seats were and was relieved when she caught sight of her.

"Joseline!" She cried as she ran up to her grabbing her and picking her up. "I was so worried!" She said, relieved.

"I am sorry Mom. As I was leaving the restroom, I saw this lady here." She said, pointing towards the woman sitting beside her. "She has red hair like you."

Rose looked over and was in total shock when she saw the woman. "It's you!" She said through gritted teeth, her grip on Joseline tightening.

The woman looked just as shocked as Rose. Her face went pale and her eyes grew wide. "You're.. dead.. you.."

Joseline looked from Rose back to the woman, trying to figure out why she said that to her mother and why Rose was being so harsh. "She isn't dead.."

"I am to her." Rose said harshly.

"Mother..." Joseline gasped "Why are you being so harsh?"

"I'm not being harsh." Rose spat, looking at the woman. "She is! Why don't you ask her who she is, Joseline..." Rose nodded her head, letting go of Joseline "Go on and ask her.."

Joseline turned towards the woman and politely asked "Ma'am, who are you?"

The woman looked at Rose and then back to Joseline. She placed her hands in her lap and smiled. "I am Ruth DeWitt Bukater."

Joseline gasped and clapped her hand over her mouth, too stunned to say anything. She stared at the woman and then glanced at Rose.

"Don't look at me, I'm not the one who tried to force her daughter to marry so I could keep my social status." Rose spat, as she glared at Ruth.

"Why would you do such a thing?" Joseline asked Ruth.

Ruth was now stunned. Why was this child questioning a grown-up in such a way? "Why, such behavior is unheard of where im from." She said. "Children should be seen and not heard.."

"First of all, Mother, don't you ever talk to my daughter that way. My daughter has a mind of her own and free will to use it. She is simply questioning your decision to basically sell me to a man for your own gain." Rose said vehemently. "She knows the difference between right and wrong."

Ruth hung her head in shame. Rose's words had stung and she wanted to apologise to her, but would it do any good? "I know what I did and I know that it was the worst thing I could've ever done."

"Mhm. Go on." Rose said waving her hand.

"I really am sorry and I think I've suffered enough. I had a memorial service for you back in June of 1912. I had waited two months to see if you would turn up. I thought you were dead." Ruth said sobbing. "When I lost you, I lost my will to live. I wanted to die, but nothing I did worked. I picked up drinking brown liquor for three years straight."

Rose listened to her talk and felt sorry for her. She placed her hand slightly over her mouth. She thought about Joseline and what she would think and do if anything were to happen to her.

"Even being drunk didn't numb the pain of losing you." Ruth wiped at the tears and frowned. "Not a day has gone by that I haven't cursed myself or blamed myself for you leaving the life boat..."

"You can stop right there!" Rose demanded, not ready for Joseline to hear about any of that.

"What about a life boat?" Joseline asked.

"Nothing..." Rose replied.

"You're lying!" Joseline huffed "When are you going to stop lying to me, mom? I'm not dumb, I know you've been lying about a bunch of stuff."

Ruth watched and listened to Rose and Joseline bicker back and forth, reminding her of the way her and Rose used to bicker, before she lost her. She wished she could turn back time and change the way she treated Rose. She would be a better mother and would do a lot of things differently.

"I do not lie to you, Joseline Renee Dawson! You're so much like your father and sometimes I could strangle you!" Rose screeched.

Ruth wondered who her father was, but didn't think she should ask, not yet. She sat there quietly watching and listening to them a bit longer.

"You and Uncle Cal are such liars! I know Uncle Cal wants to tell me stuff, but you don't want him to. I see the way you look at him when I ask him stuff about your past."

"Uncle Cal?" Ruth questioned, glaring at Rose.

"Yes..." Rose said.

"Caledon Hockley?"

"Yes, Mother! Caledon Hockley!" Her tone demanding she not say anything about it.

Ruth understood her tone, but she had something to say and she was going to say it. "He told me that he didn't know if you were dead or alive... That.. that bastard!"

"Yeah, because I asked him not to tell you anything.." Rose said. "He's a very dear friend of mine, well, more like a brother."

Joseline gasped "Don't call my uncle Cal such a thing!"

Ruth looked at her and sighed "I am sorry." She wasn't really sorry, she really wanted to go ring his neck.

"I'll let it go, this time." Joseline growled. "I love my Uncle Cal and don't appreciate anyone calling him out of his name."

Ruth was looking at Joseline, her eyes, oh her eyes were so blue. The way she arched her brows looked like someone she had met years ago. "Who was it?" She asked herself. Then she remembered "Jack Dawson!" She said, louder than she intended too.

Rose snapped her head in Ruth's direction. "He's dead!"

"What? How.. when.. oh I'm so sorry." She frowned, truly saddened for Rose and her daughter.

Rose hung her head "He died that night..."

Without thinking, Ruth stood up and walked over to Rose. She wrapped her arms around her and rubbed her hair. "I'm truly sorry. I knew that you loved him that night at the dinner. I knew he loved you too."

Rose returned Ruth's hug, much to Ruth's surprise. "I will never love anyone the way I loved him. He saved me."

Ruth pulled back looking at Rose, wiping the tears from her cheeks, seeing the depth of sorrow and pain in her eyes. "I am sorry. I wish I had been a stronger person and wasn't blinded by the finer things in life." She sobbed "I wish I could turn back time, I really do I would do so many things differently. I would have accepted you and Jack."

"I don't have Jack, but I have Joseline. She's a part of him and I will protect her with everything I have. She is what gave me the strength to go on all these years, without her I would have died long ago."

Joseline noticed that people were starting at them. "Mom, maybe we should go to the room? People are watching."

Rose sat quietly, staring at Ruth. She had so many things she needed to say to her, so much suppressed anger towards her. Just moments ago she hated her and never wanted to see her again, but now she felt relieved that at least her mother knew she was alive and well. She took the chance to actually look at her. Her clothes were worn and the only piece of jewelry she wore, was her wedding ring. Her hair had streaks of silver and her face was painted in wrinkles. The years of mourning had taken it's toll on her.

"I think maybe we should head to the room, there's so much we need to talk about." She reached out her hands, one to Joseline and the other to her mother.

"Where are you headed to?" Rose asked Ruth.

"I am going to San Diego, California."

"Why are you going there?"

"I am going to work as a maid."

Ruth sat back in the chair and shook her head. "Why are you going to work as a maid... So far away from your home?"

"I got tired of sewing clothes for people and the cafe let me go because of my age." She frowned, looking down at her hands "I have no other options."

Joseline climbed down from the top bunk and sat down beside Ruth. "You shouldn't have to be a maid. Just because you're a woman doesn't mean there are only a handful of jobs available."

"She's right you know." Rose said, looking at Ruth. "You don't have to be a maid. I was a Secretary for years! It's quite repetitive sometimes and the people can be pompus assholes, but it's better than being a maid."

"I don't know the first thing about that. I only know how to sew, clean and serve people. I only learned the cleaning and serving bit a few years ago. I can't even cook!" Her cheeks turned red with embarrassment.

"Don't be embarrassed, Mother. It took me a while to learn the things I know. I only had the secretary job because I worked for Cal. Before that I was a waitress at a cafe, and let me tell you, that wasn't easy. I made so many mistakes." She laughed at the memories. "I once dropped a tray of food on some drunk man and then knocked his coffee in his lap."

Ruth giggled lightly "You were always a quick learner though. You were a very bright child..." She trailed off "I am sorry I wasn't a great mother to you."

Rose could hear the regret in her voice. "Mother, I think it's time we forget about the past. It's over. We can move on from here." She placed a hand over Ruth's and rubbed it. "Let's start over right now. We can make new memories. You, Joseline and I, we can start right now." She paused wiping the tears from her own eyes and glancing to Joseline who was hugging Ruth. "We can be a family."

Ruth couldn't find the words to express her joy so she just grabbed Rose and hugged her as tight as she could, not ever wanting to let her go.

"I'm glad I'll have a grandmother now!" Joseline said with excitement.

"Yes and I'll strive to be the best one ever!" Ruth said as she hugged Joseline.

"Joseline and I are headed to Chippewa Falls, but we'll be staying in a Bed and Breakfast."

Ruth gasped "Someone has done very well."

Rose laughed "Not really. I've been saving since I found out I was going to be a mother." She smiled "I've been saving since 1912..."

"Wow! I could never save, we both know that." Ruth said with a giggle.

"We'll be leaving the first week of the new year, if you would like to join us then."

Ruth stared at her trying to comprehend what she just said. "I wouldn't want to burden you..."

Rose raised her hand "Stop! You won't be a burden. We have a 3 bed room house and you're more than welcome. Although..."

"Although what?" Ruth asked.

"You'll frequently see Cal..."

"Uncle Cal is awesome!" Joseline said "He takes me shopping and buys me stuff mommy won't."

"Could I hide from him somewhere?" Ruth asked. Really not sure if she wanted to see Cal. He had lied to her.

Rose laughed "If that is what you want to do..."

"I have to ask... Why..." She paused almost afraid to ask "Why does Joseline call him uncle Cal?.."

Rose could feel her heart start to race. Quickly she searched for an answer, one that Joseline had heard before. "Because he is family."

Ruth gasped "He isn't family though, Rose! He is your ex fiance..."

Joseline stood up and shouted "WHAT?!"

"Thanks, mother." Rose said. "Now she knows.." Trying her best to keep the anger that was threatening to come to the surface, suppressed. "I hadn't yet told her that."

Ruth stood up and apologized heading for the door. She was certain Rose would want her to leave.

"Where are you going?" Rose asked as she stood up.

"I didn't mean to upset anyone. I will be going back out to my seat."

"No you aren't. You're staying here, with us. I'm not mad at you, mother. I'm just a bit upset with myself for not telling her myself."

"You and Uncle Cal are such liars!" Joseline said as she placed her arms over her chest. "I knew something was off when I asked how you two met."

Rose looked at Joseline and then back to Ruth. "Well, she is my daughter." She shrugged and laughed.

The day turned into night and before they knew it, they were all yawning, ready for bed. "You sleep on the bottom bunk, mother. Joseline and I will sleep on the top."

Rose tossed and turned most of the night, thinking. She would eventually have to tell Joseline the truth about everything else, but she didn't know when or even how she would tell her. She pushed the thought to the back of her mind. She began to think about her mother. Poor Ruth. How horrible it must have really been for her all these years and how alone she must have felt. She hadn't had any intentions of ever reconciling with her mother, but here she was in the same room with her and she wasn't angry at her anymore. She now understood where Ruth was coming from and how hard it must have really been for her. She was looking forward to starting over with her and making a new life together.