The Show Must Go On
(I don't take claim for the names I used here. They're for the greater purpose of understanding the characters and having a mental image of these events.)
April 1912
Rose stood at the side rail, watching the water churning beneath the propellers below. It seemed that only a moment ago that Jack was on the back of the Titanic with her, saying he'd have to jump into the cold North Atlantic with her. A lone tear rolled down her cheek and she wiped it away with the rough sleeve of Cal's jacket. She looked down in disgust at the coat. Such horrible memories of her betrothed. She looked back to the murk of the sea and let out a light sob. Only a short distance away the body of the only man she'd ever loved lay.
Turning at the sound of someone behind her, closer than the other passengers, Rose turned to face the one and only Molly Brown. A sudden fear gripped her soul as she looked around frantically, afraid her perfectly poised mother was creeping around with Molly. Relaxing only a little, she asked Molly what she was doing there.
"Well, young'un, I reckon that I was sent to look for you, but I haven't found you yet and I'm sure I won't."
Rose breathed a sigh of relief as Molly walked to stand close to her.
"A part of me just died out there Molly..." Rose whiseperd.
"I know baby...I know..."
Rose put her head on Molly's shoulder and let out a long sob. The torrents of tears mixed with the frozen seawater on her salty cheeks and she closed her eyes. All she could see was his face...drifting deeper into the blackness of the Atlantic. The frozen look of peace upon his face and the shade of purple his soft lips had turned. She looked up through blurry eyes.
"Molly, what am I going to do?"
"Well, what did that young'un say to you before he died?"
Rose brought back the painful memory of the last conversation she had had with Jack. His words came through her memory and out through her lips. "Rose, you're going to survive. You're going to go on and have babies, and live." She wasn't sure if she had gotten the words out right or not, but she had proven the point. Molly looked down with a thoughtful look on her face.
"I reckon he only wanted the best for you. If you want you can come back to the home with me. You're mama's locked in her room, not comin' out til someone finds a certain Rose DeWittaker. She's sent Cal out but all he's done so far is nurse the bottle back to health. You can come with me, make somethin' of it and meet my son. Good boy he is."
Molly beamed a little bit, but then sobered as her looks grasped the situation.
"Hunny, I know this is hard for you, but you're gonna have to put that boy's memory to good use. Use the things he taught you. Live."
Rose turned her back to the deep dark of watery death and sighed the energy out of herself.
"Thank you Molly. I really appreciate it. I'm going to get some sleep now I think. I'll meet you here tomorrow to tell you my answer."
Rose jolted quickly away to the cot they had set for her in the dining room. Blowing out the small candle they had by her cot, she rolled over to face the walls. As the silent torrent of tears streamed down her face and over her nose, she closed her eyes to meet Jack again by the clock, for now it was the only place she could meet him. On the decks of the Titanic, never to be seen again...
