Rose winced, sore from the birth of her son, Jacob Jonathan Dawson. It had been a hard labor, starting with a backache and reaching into ten hours of rough labor, but she had gotten through and had given birth to the most beautiful baby boy she had ever set eyes on. Jacob had his father's blond hair and his mother's green eyes. He had Jack's nose and her mouth. He was absolutely perfect. Rose's happiness would have been just as perfect as her new son, except for one thing. The absence of the baby's father.

"Look who wants his momma," The nurse came in carrying a bundle wrapped in blue. Rose felt tears in her eyes as the nurse slid the baby into her arms.

"He's so tiny and perfect...how am I to take care of him?" Rose looked up at the nurse, almost pleadingly.

"You will. You'll figure it out. All new mothers do," The nurse kindly smiled. "Is the father here with you?"

Rose's heart ached. She wished that Jack was there to see his son. She wondered how much longer he'll be absent from their lives. It was so unfair. "Sadly, he's in Vietnam right now. Hopefully, this war will be over soon and he can come home to us."

"He'll have a nice little gift here waiting for him," The nurse smiled. She took in the scene of mother and child when the idea struck her. "Hey, would you like me to take a picture? I can have it developed and ready for you before you're discharged."

"That would be wonderful! Thank you," Rose's face lit up. She could send the picture to Jack! Proof of their love and that he had two people to come home to.

Five minutes later, the picture was taken and now Rose was left alone with her son in her arms. Staring at that beautiful little face, Rose felt her heart swell with a love she had never thought possible.

"I am so sorry that your daddy isn't here, Jacob. I know he would be if he could if it wasn't for this damn war. I haven't heard from him in so long...I must admit, I'm scared. But there has been no word of his death or his being missing in action, so he must be still alive, he's just been unable to write back...for whatever reason. I do miss him. But now that you're here, maybe I won't miss him as much. I just wish he was here to see you."

"Oh good, my grandchild is here," Ruth entered the room, the very picture of upper-class elegance, yet the gleefulness of a new grandmother was written all over her.

"Hello mother," Rose smiled. To her surprise, Ruth had seemed to have changed from the cold woman she had been in Philadelphia. She had seemed to accept that Rose was now living the life that she wanted to live. She had made herself more available to her daughter, renting a house big enough to move Rose into so she could help with her pregnancy. Helping Rose purchase things for the baby and ready herself for the child. Keeping her mind off the lack of letters from Jack. It was the assistance that Rose had never expected from her mother but found herself grateful for.

"Let me take a look," Ruth held her arms out for the child. Rose was reluctant, but after a second, she handed the child over to her mother. "Oh, Rose! He is absolutely gorgeous!"

"He has my eyes, but Jack's hair," Rose nodded.

"He is going to be quite the gentleman when he grows up," Ruth nodded. "I am so glad that we have the nursery all prepared at the house! There is so much more I want to buy for the child…"

"Mother, you are going to spoil him," Rose laughed.

"Well, Rose, that's my duty, is it not? Grandmothers are to spoil the grandchildren."

Rose rolled her eyes and again laughed. "Just don't spoil him too much."

"Oh, I had stopped by that apartment of yours and this came for you," Ruth used one arm to dig into her purse and pulled out an envelope. "I think it's from the boy, at last."

"A letter? From Jack?" Rose eagerly took the envelope and read the information. It was dated weeks ago, which meant that Jack wrote this a while ago and she was just getting it! Feeling like she had just received a glass of cool water after weeks in a desert, Rose ripped open the letter and began to read…

Dearest Rose,

I know it's been a long time since I last wrote to you and I don't even know when or if you'll get this letter, but I have to try. I know that you're probably thinking the worse right now. You probably think that I'm dead. But I am not, Rose. Not yet anyway. What happened? Why the long pause in letters?

Well for one, we are no longer in the fishing village. There was an attack there and we had to fight our way out. I won't go into detail. Just know that I survived and now I'm at a new camp. One that's closer to the front line. Things are hectic here, so that's why I haven't been able to write and I don't know if this letter will even get to you. I just wanted to let you know that I am safe and I am still coming home to you and our baby. Don't worry about me too much, Rose. I may not be able to write to you as much, but you are always in my thoughts. Take care, Rose. Hopefully, soon this war will be over and we can finally have our life together.

Forever Yours,

Jack

"The news is saying that there may be peace talks coming soon," Ruth watched as her daughter folded the letter and put it back into the envelope.

"I hope so. That means that Jack will come back, just in time to meet his son," Rose sighed, having a mixture of emotions. Relief having heard from Jack, fear because the letter had been mailed weeks ago and there was no telling what may be happening to him now, and hope. Hope that peace will happen and Jack will come home so they could be a family at last.

"Well, I hope that you don't plan to return to that apartment, Rose. That place is so tiny and there's plenty of room at the house and…"

"It's home, mother. For me, that apartment is home and it will remain home until Jack comes back and says otherwise. I appreciate the offer, but...it's time for me to stand on my own again. Besides, I can't depend on you forever."

"But still, it would be for the best…."

"Mother. We've talked about this before. I know what is best for me. I appreciate your advice, but the final say is mine and mine alone. That is the condition for you to remain a part of my and Jacob's lives."

Ruth sighed, biting back any further comment. She did not want to be tossed out of her daughter's life, just when her grandbaby had arrived. Nothing was worth losing her daughter over.

"Mother, I want you a part of our lives and you will remain so as long as you remember that my decisions are just that. Mine. And Jack's when he returns….if...no when he returns. He'll return. He promised…"

Ruth just gave her daughter a sympathetic look. This was exactly what she hadn't wanted for her daughter. A young mother left to wait for a young man that may not come back from this ridiculous war. If only Rose had listened to her. But of course, young love never listens to the wisdom of elders.

Dearest Jack,

I don't know when or if this letter will reach you. I just know that I live for your words when they do reach me, no matter how late the letter may be. I do live in fear of the notification that you had perished, but so far no notification has come. I am not like my poor neighbors who had been hand-delivered the news of their loved one's demise. I pray that I never will be…

On to good news, your son, Jacob Jonathan Dawson is now born and Jack he is so beautiful. I'm going to include a picture that the nurse had taken of us. He has your hair and my eyes, Jack. He is the sweetest baby. He hardly ever cries. Mother of course dotes on him constantly. As horrible of a mother as she had been, she's a great grandmother. She is spoiling him already.

All in all, mother and I get along. She realizes now that she cannot rule my life and that all decisions are to be my own. But somehow she had talked me into moving into the house she's rented. I was going to go back to the apartment, but she made some good points. I'm going to need help with Jacob as I heal and I'm going to need someone to watch him once I return to work. So for now, I'm living with mother until I heal or you come home...whichever one comes first. It's not too bad. In fact, I think mother has changed from the woman she had been in Philadelphia. She's so much more relaxed now. More calm and understanding. It's rather unbelievable, but I am glad about it. Despite it all, she is my mother and I do love her. It's easier to forgive her than to remain angry and keep her out of our lives.

Anyway, despite my new location, I am still waiting and praying for your return. I hope this letter finds you alive and well. Come home to us soon, Jack. Our son is waiting to meet you…

Love Rose

(A/N: The next chapter will be the last for this story, at last! Thank you to everyone who has stuck with this!)