Jack waited until he thought she would be alone before approaching the house. He went around to the kitchen door and knocked three times, rapidly, just as he'd always done. She wore a strange expression. For a moment they just stood here, eying each other. "What do you want?" she asked.

"I came to talk," he said. "If you're willing."

Lucy frowned but stepped aside to let him in. "I can't see what we have to talk about," she said, closing the door with a bang.

The kitchen was the same. Jack could only stare as memories flowed over him. How could this room stay the same while everything else changed so much? "We should talk," he said. "You know we should. I—"

"What?" You came back out of nowhere, after all these years, married?" she snapped. "And now you've come to tell me about it?"

"Not exactly. Lucy, listen, I never thought I'd come back. Remember, I told you I wouldn't."

"So why did you?" she asked coldly.

"We needed to," he answered. "Rose and me. I had to give her a home, a real one. I can do that here."

"How nice for her."

"Please, you gotta forgive me," he said. "I'm sorry for everything. I asked you to come with me. You didn't want to."

"I didn't think you'd really go," Lucy said. "And when you did, I thought you'd come back. I didn't think you'd make it out there, alone. You had nothing. I figure you'd be back. It wouldn't be long, and then—" Her voice cracked.

"And then I'd settle down and marry you," he finished quietly.

"Wouldn't you have? If you hadn't met her?"

He shook his head. "No."

"That's not true!" she cried. "You would've."

"No, Lucy, I would'tve," he said gently.

"She's what kept you from it," she insisted. "You met her, and she—"

"She didn't do anything. I left. I asked her to marry me. Rose didn't know anything about this. I hadn't thought about you in so long," he added guiltily. "I just figured you'd gotten married and moved on. I never thought you'd be waiting for me."

"I love you," she said. "How could I not wait for you?"

"It's been five years. If I were gonna come back, I woulda done it already. Didn't you ever think that?"

"My brothers said that. I told them they were wrong. My mother said it too. I wouldn't listen. I wouldn't listen to anyone." Lucy began to cry, soft hiccupping sobs. Jack was at a loss for what to do. Should he comfort her? Would touching her only give the wrong impression?

Finally, he settled for putting a hand on her shoulder. "I'm sorry," he said. "Lucy, I'm so sorry. I would've never come back if I knew it would hurt you like this. I never wanted to hurt you. Please, believe that. I still care about you. You'll always be a friend, more than that, really. I—"

"You care for me, but you don't love me," she cried angrily. "You never did."

"Not the way you wanted me to. I thought I could at first, but it wouldn't have worked out between us. You'll see that, if you let yourself," he said.

"How do you know? You ran away and left me here, alone, not caring what would happen. You were free to do what you wanted, but what about me? I couldn't run away!"

"You didn't want to, You said—"

"Maybe I didn't want to. Maybe I didn't see a reason to leave," she said. "But if I'd wanted I couldn't have. I couldn't just abandon my life here to go running off with you, to wherever, with no money. Who would do that?"

Jack wanted to say, Rose did, but he knew better. "You're right," he said. "You belong here. You were better off here. But I had to leave. I might leave again, one day, who knows?"

"And she'll go with you."

"Yeah. She'll go with me."

"I hate her," Lucy spat. "I hated her the first time I saw her. Why would you want a doll like that?"

"You don't know her," he said.

…..

Rose was in the garden when he came back. "How did it go?" she asked.

Jack dropped down next to her. "I'm glad it's over."

"Not well then."

"She's angrier than I thought," he said. "And hurt and—" He stabbed at the freshly dug earth with a trowel. "It's all my fault. I ruined her life."

"It's not all your fault. You can't force yourself to love her."

"It's easier to blame myself," he said. "I feel responsible."

"She's blaming me, isn't she?" Rose said.

"She blames you."

"You didn't tell her—"

"Of course not," he said quickly. "I tried to make her understand. Explained how I felt. Told her I was sorry. I don't know what else to do. We can't leave, and even if we could, we shouldn't have to. We ran away once. I'm not doing it again."

"I don't want to run anymore, Jack," she said. "I like it here. I like the way we live here."

"So do I."

"I feel useful here," she said. "I feel like I can do things. I'm not just a burden on you."

"You've never been a burden, Rose."

"Would you tell me if I were?"

"I'd tell you," he said. She believed him, and that was comforting.

Fabrizo was gone when Darrin came back. There was nothing to show anyone had lived in the little apartment. All of Fabrizo's things were gone. What food he couldn't take had been given away. The furniture, which came with the place, could have been anyone's. Darrin went over every inch of the rooms, looking for some forgotten clue, but there were none. Cursing, he finally left. As he widened his search to include the whole neighborhood, Fabrizo was asleep on a train, heading for Wisconsin.

…..

Rose polished every corner of the house. She left the window in Fabrizo's room open so it could air out even further. The bed linen was freshly washed and smelled like the summer sun. But no matter what she did, she couldn't shake the feeling of unease that had settled over her. It was important that Fabrizo see how well they were doing—how well she was doing. He had to see she wasn't just a weight around his friend's neck. He had never said such a thing, but she was still sure he must be thinking it. She didn't blame him. It made her all the more eager to gain his approval, and in a way, she decided, this was a good thing. Jack loved her. He was patient and kind. But she still wasn't used to that sort of treatment, and at times, she didn't know what to do without a critical eye watching her. Maybe having him there would help her be more comfortable. At least she knew Fabrizo wouldn't hurt her.

"Alright, you've gotta stop," Jack said, taking the dust rag from her hands. "Everything is perfect."

"I just want to make a good impression," she said.

"Rose, he's our friend. He's not gonna be looking for dust in the corners. The place looks great, especially if you think about what we started with."

"I know. I know. And he's your friend, not mine, not really. He tolerates me because you like me."

"That's not true." They'd had this discussion before, in New York, and he'd hoped it was settled. Part of him knew, though, it wouldn't be until Fabrizo told her so himself. Jack wasn't sure that would happen. It wasn't Rose's fault. It wasn't her he didn't trust. Jack understood how Fabrizo felt, and he hoped now, away from Cal and everything else, they could get past it. They were the two most important people in his life now, and he wanted them to be friends.

"It doesn't bother me. I understand," Rose said. "I came in and upset your lives. But I do want to try and become his friend, and the best way to do that is by showing I'm not just decorative."

"I guess I'll leave you to it then."

…..

It was too hot for sleep. The sheet had been tossed from the bed, and they lay, naked, not touching, wishing for a gust of wind to blow across them. But the air was still. Sweat covered their bodies like a thin layer of icing on a moist cake. Rose's hair was spread over the pillow, but it still felt too heavy. Sighing, she rolled over, hoping the change in positon would help.

Jack looked at her bare back; her skin gleamed in the moonlight. It reminded him of the way a full moon reflected off water. The lake. How could he have forgotten the lake? "Rose, you awake?" he asked.

"Yes."

Jack moved closer. "You feel like getting up?" he said.

"Why?"

He kissed her shoulder. "I know a way to cool off."

"I think that would just makes us even hotter," she replied, sounding intrigued.

She felt his grin. "No. Let's go swimming."

Rose turned toward him. "Now?"

He nodded. "Now."

"What if someone sees us?"

"It's the middle of the night. Who's gonna see us?"

"I suppose you're right," she said. "It does sound fun."

It didn't take long to get to the lake. They ran once it was in sight, hands clasped. They stopped at its edge and slipped out of their clothes. Rose couldn't help looking around, half-expecting someone to be watching. But there was no-one. The world was silent and still—that is, until Jack threw himself into the water, yelling happily.

"Jack!" she whispered loudly.

"It's okay," he assured her. "Rose, no-one can hear us. We're alone." He held out his hand, and she ran into the water.

"I know," she said, sheepishly. "I'm still not accustomed to being alone like this." She took his hand. The water was cool, but the muddy lakebed felt strange on her feet. She didn't know whether she liked its squishy texture or not.

"Careful," he cautioned. "Don't step too hard. You might hit a sharp rock."

"I've never swam in a lake before," she said.

"I'm glad I'm here for it, then."

A fish brushed her leg. Rose cried out in surprise, leading toward him. Laughing, Jack caught her in his arms. "It's just a fish," he said. "There's nothin to be scared of."

"Stay with me?"

"I'll stay with you," he said.

Jack held her hand as they swam together. Slowly, they moved in a circle that took them further out. Rose tried to reach the bottom but couldn't. Panicking, she put an arm around Jack and held on tight. He wrapped his arms around her, holding her against him. "It's alright," he said. "It's not the ocean. We won't get swept away."

"I'm being rather silly, aren't I?" she said.

"No." He kissed her. "Don't worry about how you look. Just have fun."

"I've never—I learned to swim, but I didn't go out in the water very much," she explained. "I've never been in water this deep before."

"You're safe," Jack said. "I've got you."

They looked into each other eyes and knew they weren't just talking about swimming.

Rose shivered as they ran back to the house. Fat drops of water rained from the ends of her hair, making her even colder. Was it still the same temperature outside? Had they really been sweating before, too hot to sleep?

They spread their clothes across the back porch to dry. Jack kept hold of her hand as they hurried back to bed. He moved his fingers across it, caressing her palm. It was a move she had come to know well. It didn't always mean anything. Jack liked physical contact. He craved touch as much as she did. No-one else had ever understood that about her. No-one else had taken seriously the idea that a simple touch could make a person feel loved. Wanted. Safe.

Rose always felt those things with Jack, but right then she mostly felt wanted. Looking at him was still so odd; it felt forbidden. In all the times she'd slept with Cal she had never seen him naked, not completely. Of course, she hadn't really wanted to either. But things were different with Jack. The longer they were together, the more she wanted to see him.

….

They borrowed a horse and cart in town to pick up Fabrizo at the train depot. "We'll have to get some horses of our own," Jack said.

Rose petted their velvet heads. They looked at her with gentle eyes, and she felt an instant connection to them. "Can we ride them when we do?" she asked.

"Of course," he said. "I still hafta teach you to ride like a man."

"What about the tobacco?"

"Do you really want to learn that?"

"No," she said. "Do you know how?"

"Yeah," he nodded. "It's alright. I didn't like it much."

"I'm glad. Kissing you wouldn't be nearly as fun if you did."

"Good reason not to try again," he said.

It was a cloudy day, which provided some respite from the heat. Rose sat close to Jack, amazed by how well he drove the cart. He barely had to move his hands to tell the horses what to do.

"I can't believe you're so skilled," she said.

"What do you mean?"

"Just look at the way you're handling the horses."

"It's nothing," he said. "They knew know what to do." His modest couldn't hide his pleasure at her praise. Most of the time Jack took his skills for granted. He knew what any man of his background knew, maybe a little more thanks to travel, but still, he wasn't special. The only thing that might set him apart was his drawing, but he knew he they weren't worth much, no matter what they meant to him. "I can show you how, if you like," he offered.

"You mean, I would drive?" she said hesitantly.

"Sure, if you want." He held the reins out to her. Rose looked at them for a moment before taking them. She felt a rush of power.

"What do I do now?" she asked.

"Just hold them. Pull back when you want the horses to stop. Don't pull too hard," he explained. "Use them to steer when it's time to turn. But don't hold them too loose either. You might lose control."

Rose nodded, taking in his directions. "Alright," she said. "I can do this."

"Sure you can," he said encouragingly.

She drove the rest of the way, without incident. Jack had to help when it was time to stop, but she didn't let that bother her.

The depot wasn't crowded. The only passenger getting off the train there, aside from Fabrizo, was the mail. He looked around the small platform curiously. He smiled when he saw them. They hurried forward. Rose hung back as the two friends embraced. Fabrizo turned to her, holding out his hands. "Rose," he said. "It's good to see you again." They hugged tentatively.

"It's good to see you, too," she said sincerely.

"How was the trip?" Jack asked.

"Fine," Fabrio said. "Long. Hot. I'm glad it's over."

"We're not too far from home," Jack said.

"I don't mind," Fabrizo replied. "Now that I'm here, everything's fine."

The talk during the journey home was light. Rose knew they were avoiding the reason he'd come, the reason they'd all come there, but she couldn't bring herself to mention it. Fabrizo admired the house and garden. He was impressed by how much work they'd done.

"You shoulda seen Rose chopping wood," Jack said proudly. She ducked her head.

"Really?" Fabrizo said, impressed.

"I didn't do as much as Jack," she said. "He can get a lot more done than I can." Fabrizo looked as if he wanted to reply but didn't.

…..

"I hope this room is alright," Rose said. She lingered in the doorway, as he looked around.

"It's nice," Fabrizo said. "I like it." He gestured toward the jar of flowers on the table. "Thank you for these."

"I thought they would be nice in here," she said. "They match the blanket."

"So they do."

There was an awkward pause. They looked at each other, both waiting for the other to speak. "Well—" Rose said.

"Rose—" he began. It always startled her, hearing her name spoken in his thick accent. More often than not he said it the Italian way, and she felt as if he were speaking to someone else. "You're nervous around me, no?"

"No," she said, shaking her head. "Maybe, a little," she admitted reluctantly.

"Why? You have no reason to be."

"I know. It isn't you. It's—I want to make a good impression on you," she said. "Better than I did before."

"Why would you need to do better?" he asked.

"I know you would rather I wasn't here. You would prefer if I hadn't dragged Jack into my problems."

"I'd like things to be simpler," he said. "For you and for Jack. I don't—I don't dislike you."

"But?"

"But I worry about him," he said.

"Because of me."

"Because of your husband," he replied. "He is a rich and powerful man, and from what I've seen, a mean and vicious one as well. I saw the way he hurt you two, on the ship. I know he hurt you before that, and if he finds you, he'll do it again."

"Yes," Rose said quietly.

"And if he finds you with Jack—"

"He'll kill him," she finished. "He'll kill both of us."

"You're very afraid of him, no?"

"Terrified. But I'll kill him before he can hurt Jack again," she vowed, eyes burning.

"What about you?" he asked.

"What about me?"

"What about if he hurts you, Rosa?"

"It's Jack I worry about," she said. "I know what he'll do to me. I accept the way things are before I ever met Jack. I assumed he would kill me, eventually, possibly without even meaning to."

Fabrizo understand why Jack wanted so badly to protect her. She was so fragile and sad. The more she spoke, the more she seemed to disappear into herself, getting smaller and smaller. It wasn't right for her to be so afraid, so resigned to death and pain. He was touched by her devotion to Jack. "Aren't we friends?" he said.

"Are we?" she said.

"Don't you know?"

"You're Jack's friend," she said. "And I'm Jack's—" She hesitated before saying, "Wife."

"But aren't we friends?" Fabrizo pressed.

"I'd like us to be."

"We will be," he said.

"We both love him," she said.

"Yes, but better for us to learn to care for each other," he said. Fabrizo meant it. Already, he felt better, more hopeful. The farm was peaceful, the countryside lovely. Together, the three of them could make new lives.