Chapter Eleven
"I cannot believe you!" Mary stood in the doorway and watched Sarah as
she followed Katie around her flat. Katie frantically moved about the
room throwing clothes and other possessions into her suitcase. Annie
stood motionless by the window, clutching Maribelle, her favorite doll,
in her hands.
"Well, I'm sorry to disappoint you," Katie replied dully as she shoved a
hat inside the suitcase.
"This isn't like you, Kat! You're not the type of girl who just GIVES up!
You have to go after Jack, you still have a shot at saving him!" Sarah
protested.
"Are you insane?!" Katie shouted as she spun around. "What shot do I, ONE
woman, have at going up against the Royal Navy?! And by the time I even
GET to Port Royal, Jack will already be dead. Annamaria and Jack's
friends left—the Pearl is gone—I don't even have a way to GET there let
alone save Jack once I do."
"You LOVE him!" Sarah shouted back. "How can you just sit back and let
him die?! And what about Annie, she needs her daddy!"
Katie was too tired to fight back the tears—she just let them fall down
her cheeks. She glanced over at Annie, who wasn't even paying attention
to what was going on. She just stared out the window and pulled Maribelle
closer to her.
"Annie and I have made it 11 years without Jack just fine. We can live
the rest of our lives without him," she said, even though inside she had
no idea how she was gonna live to see tomorrow knowing she was letting
Jack go once and for all. "And he was right. I can't do anything stupid
and allow our daughter to lose BOTH her parents."
"Is that what you think?" Sarah asked. "That Jack is always right??
You've made decisions for yourself for the past 11 years without his
influence, I think you can make another one."
"Sarah, this IS my decision. I just can't keep doing this anymore." Sarah
stared back at Katie blankly.
"You're wrong," she whispered before turning out the door and walking
away. Katie took a deep breath and swallowed as she watched her friend
leave. Mary stepped further into the room, a gentle smile on her face.
"You have to admit, Kat, she has a point," Mary said.
"I know. I know she does," Katie clutched the blouse in her hands so
tight her knuckles turned white. She shook her head, shaking it free of
thought and turned back to the suitcase, throwing it in before buckling
it shut. "But he really was right, Mary. I can't risk Annie losing both
her parents. It's not fair to her."
"That it's not," Mary nodded in agreement. "I know you're only doing
what's right for both of you, but I wish I didn't mean you were leaving,"
she whispered as she pulled Katie into a hug.
"Hey now," Katie replied back as she pulled away. "No tears, remember?
You promised."
"I never could keep a promise," Mary said as she forced a smile onto her
face. She lugged the heavy suitcase off the bed. "Come on. I'll walk you
and Annie down to the docs to make sure you get off alright."
--- --- ---
A sulking Sarah stood next to Mary and James as they all said their final
goodbyes to Annie and Katie. The large passenger vessel awaited to take
them off to England, where Katie would go to her Aunt and her Uncle for
support.
"Don't stay a stranger!" Sarah immediately burst into tears when her turn
came as she wrapped her arms around Katie. "You have to write us everyday
to tell us how things are going and if you ever need anything you can
always come back," she promised.
"I know," Katie gently kissed Sarah on the cheek, unable to cry one more
tear. "No more tears, luv," she gave her hand a squeeze and picked up the
suitcase. She took Annie's hand in her own and walked away towards the
ship without looking back.
--- --- ---
The voyage to England was going to take them four weeks. After watching
other passengers die of sea sicknesses and after fearing she or Annie
would get sick themselves, they finally crossed the British passage near
on the beautiful American coast; the newly settled colonies dotting the
shores. Maribelle made the voyage as well—true, she was more tattered and
worn than before, but still Annie's favorite doll.
As the ship got closer and closer to docking for supplies, Katie sat on a
bench on deck as everyone else crowded around the railings. The suitcase
lay open at her feet and a wooden, hand carved box sat on her lap. It was
filled of remnants from Jack—her wedding ring and engagement ring, a lock
of his hair she had taken once when he was sleeping, a key on a chain
that he said he found on the beach shortly after meeting her, and
countless love letters straight from him.
Her Jack.
"I cannot believe you!" Mary stood in the doorway and watched Sarah as
she followed Katie around her flat. Katie frantically moved about the
room throwing clothes and other possessions into her suitcase. Annie
stood motionless by the window, clutching Maribelle, her favorite doll,
in her hands.
"Well, I'm sorry to disappoint you," Katie replied dully as she shoved a
hat inside the suitcase.
"This isn't like you, Kat! You're not the type of girl who just GIVES up!
You have to go after Jack, you still have a shot at saving him!" Sarah
protested.
"Are you insane?!" Katie shouted as she spun around. "What shot do I, ONE
woman, have at going up against the Royal Navy?! And by the time I even
GET to Port Royal, Jack will already be dead. Annamaria and Jack's
friends left—the Pearl is gone—I don't even have a way to GET there let
alone save Jack once I do."
"You LOVE him!" Sarah shouted back. "How can you just sit back and let
him die?! And what about Annie, she needs her daddy!"
Katie was too tired to fight back the tears—she just let them fall down
her cheeks. She glanced over at Annie, who wasn't even paying attention
to what was going on. She just stared out the window and pulled Maribelle
closer to her.
"Annie and I have made it 11 years without Jack just fine. We can live
the rest of our lives without him," she said, even though inside she had
no idea how she was gonna live to see tomorrow knowing she was letting
Jack go once and for all. "And he was right. I can't do anything stupid
and allow our daughter to lose BOTH her parents."
"Is that what you think?" Sarah asked. "That Jack is always right??
You've made decisions for yourself for the past 11 years without his
influence, I think you can make another one."
"Sarah, this IS my decision. I just can't keep doing this anymore." Sarah
stared back at Katie blankly.
"You're wrong," she whispered before turning out the door and walking
away. Katie took a deep breath and swallowed as she watched her friend
leave. Mary stepped further into the room, a gentle smile on her face.
"You have to admit, Kat, she has a point," Mary said.
"I know. I know she does," Katie clutched the blouse in her hands so
tight her knuckles turned white. She shook her head, shaking it free of
thought and turned back to the suitcase, throwing it in before buckling
it shut. "But he really was right, Mary. I can't risk Annie losing both
her parents. It's not fair to her."
"That it's not," Mary nodded in agreement. "I know you're only doing
what's right for both of you, but I wish I didn't mean you were leaving,"
she whispered as she pulled Katie into a hug.
"Hey now," Katie replied back as she pulled away. "No tears, remember?
You promised."
"I never could keep a promise," Mary said as she forced a smile onto her
face. She lugged the heavy suitcase off the bed. "Come on. I'll walk you
and Annie down to the docs to make sure you get off alright."
--- --- ---
A sulking Sarah stood next to Mary and James as they all said their final
goodbyes to Annie and Katie. The large passenger vessel awaited to take
them off to England, where Katie would go to her Aunt and her Uncle for
support.
"Don't stay a stranger!" Sarah immediately burst into tears when her turn
came as she wrapped her arms around Katie. "You have to write us everyday
to tell us how things are going and if you ever need anything you can
always come back," she promised.
"I know," Katie gently kissed Sarah on the cheek, unable to cry one more
tear. "No more tears, luv," she gave her hand a squeeze and picked up the
suitcase. She took Annie's hand in her own and walked away towards the
ship without looking back.
--- --- ---
The voyage to England was going to take them four weeks. After watching
other passengers die of sea sicknesses and after fearing she or Annie
would get sick themselves, they finally crossed the British passage near
on the beautiful American coast; the newly settled colonies dotting the
shores. Maribelle made the voyage as well—true, she was more tattered and
worn than before, but still Annie's favorite doll.
As the ship got closer and closer to docking for supplies, Katie sat on a
bench on deck as everyone else crowded around the railings. The suitcase
lay open at her feet and a wooden, hand carved box sat on her lap. It was
filled of remnants from Jack—her wedding ring and engagement ring, a lock
of his hair she had taken once when he was sleeping, a key on a chain
that he said he found on the beach shortly after meeting her, and
countless love letters straight from him.
Her Jack.