A/N: Thanks for all of the reviews! They were great and motivating. My summer class recently started this week so I've been a bit busy with that but truthfully I had a hard time writing this chapter and it made me want to pull my hair out at times. So I apologize in advance if it didn't live up to anyone's expectations. It turned into somewhat of a filler to get the story rolling along. I thought that after all the drama in the first couple of chapters there needed to be some light-hearted fun, and that comes along at the end of this one. I promise you all a better and longer chapter next time around. Thanks, and don't forget to review!

May 15, 1912

As the days wore on for Rose, the weight in her chest that she had carried since the sinking seemed to lighten its load on her heart. Although she had settled into somewhat of a routine; sharing breakfast and supper with Cal and having the afternoons to herself, her freedom was still something that would take time to get used to.

She awoke early on the morning of the 15th, so early in fact that it had to be no later then dawn, for the sun had just barely started to peak over the horizon. She dressed quickly, pinning her hair simply up into a twist before making her way out onto the balcony of her room. It had quickly become her favorite place for privacy, especially when she wanted a moment or two alone and today was no different.

It was hard to believe that it had been a month since the sinking.

Oddly enough, it was as if she was slowly coming to peace with everything, and although she was sad today, particularly over Jack, she had a hope that the day would turn out better than she had hoped.

She made her way out carefully on to the balcony, running her hand over the soft lavender material of her dress. Just as carefully she rested her arms loosely on the railing and gazed out into the gardens, inhaling the fresh scent of the gardenias and roses, two of her favorite flowers. She was surprised to find that she was not alone.

As Rose had glanced down onto the backyard patio, she made out Cal's tall figure, and in the dim light she could see that he was still dressed in his robe, silk pajamas and slippers. His hair was slightly disheveled, and she could smell the scent of tobacco coming from the cigarette his was smoking. So she had not been the only one having trouble sleeping.

Just at that moment it seemed as if Cal had sensed her presence and he glanced up at the balcony, an expression of equal surprise on his face. He managed a tight-lipped smile and nodded to her, lifting his hand in a wave.

She smiled and waved back, but was surprised to find him motioning to her.

"Join me?" he called up to her, and Rose found herself nodding in agreement.

"I'll be right down," she answered back.

Cal exhaled the cigarette smoke, crossing his arms over his chest as he waited for Rose. He had been unable to sleep, and after tossing and turning for most of the night, he gladly gave in and rose for the day. His thoughts had been preoccupied since late yesterday with thoughts of the sinking, and of his actions. Had it really been a month already? How much had he truly changed?

He scowled as he old actions slowly started to haunt him; his memories nearly overwhelming him. Of course he had changed. It was absurd of him to discourage himself by thinking he had not. Change was a process and did not take place overnight. He knew this well enough from his work at the mills. They did not change overnight; and neither did he.

The patio door slowly creaked open and Rose appeared, a shawl covering her upper body. Although it was May, a chill still hung in the air in the early morning hours, and he was glad he had come out in his robe.

"Good morning," she offered with a slight yawn.

He nodded and put out his cigarette. "I was surprised to see you up at this hour."

"You're not the only one who has been having trouble sleeping," she replied.

"Has it not been comfortable for you here?" he frowned.

She simply shook her head. "For the most part, no, it hasn't. Although at times, I can't help but feel that things are awkward between us."

He sighed and motioned for her to sit at the patio table, where he poured her a cup of tea from the teapot set on the caddy. "Have I changed, Rose?"

She sipped the lemon tea slowly and paused as she set the cup down on the table. "Yes, in some ways I believe you have."

"In what ways?" he gently pushed, pouring his own cup of tea and resting his chin in his palm.

"You're more patient, more caring, less controlling. Less angry." She glanced at him and sighed. "Can I be honest?"

"Of course," he agreed. "I wouldn't want you to be anything but."

"Part of me loves that you have changed, yet the other part believes you're trying too hard."

"Hmm," he groaned. "That's exactly what I've been feeling myself, that I am trying and pushing myself too hard to be a better person for you. Yet sometimes I feel it's as if I'm going two steps forward and three steps back."

"I know the feeling," Rose smiled at him. "I've felt like that every day since the sinking. It's as if I finally think I've come to peace with everything when the memories come back to haunt me full force."

"Agreed," he remarked. "It's been a month since the sinking."

"A very long month," she added. "But I've learned a lot in this past month, especially about myself and about you."

Cal leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms over his chest. "What do you think our lives would have been like if we had gone through with our wedding plans and married?"

She laughed sipped at her tea once again. "I think it would have been a disaster. We would have been each other's throats."

"Again, I agree," he chuckled back. "Very much so, as a matter of fact."

She rubbed her hands lightly over her arms. "I think I owe you an apology."

Confused, he cocked his head to the side and shook his head at her. "Rose, I don't understand—"

She held up her hand and he immediately stopped speaking. "I wanted to apologize to you for saying anything that might have seemed…unusual for me when I first arrived; anything that might have made me sound ungrateful, or…"

"Crazy?" Cal chimed in with a laugh. "I have to admit that when you first arrived on my doorstep I was a little taken aback, but just because I simply wasn't used to seeing this side of you. You were outspoken and tempestuous, and I didn't know how to respond. And then when you started talking about Jack, I was lost. I didn't know what to say or do." He sighed and began pacing along the patio. "I know you said not to ask you, but I have to know, Rose. Did you love him? And if so, what did he have that I didn't?"

"He had nothing that you didn't have, or didn't possess. The difference between you and Jack was what he represented and how he presented himself," she replied, rubbing her temples. "He represented freedom, and that's what I loved about him. With him, for the first time I felt like I could be myself. I could say and do whatever I wanted to a point without being criticized or reprimanded. And with you—the old you--, when I tried to speak out and shared my hopes and dreams I was criticized. Not just by you, but by others, by society, by my mother. That's the true difference."

"I see," he responded grimly. "I'm sorry, Rose. I wish I could go back in time and take back every illogical and hurtful thing I ever said or did against you but I can't. I can only move forward and prove to you that I am a different person and that I have changed, and I hope one day you'll grow to trust me again."

She nodded sympathetically. "It seems that we have a lot to learn from one another. And to answer your question, I loved everything that Jack stood for, but I don't think I truly ever loved him. Not in such a short period of time. What we shared I will always hold dear to me in my heart but…" she trailed off, not able to finish her sentence.

"I think I'm beginning to understand now," he replied, taking a swig of his tea. "And I won't ask you again."

"Thank you," Rose smiled at him. "All along I've wanted you to understand what happened between Jack and I. I just couldn't give you a simple answer without sorting through my feelings first."

"We did have a way of spiting each other, didn't we?" Cal grinned back at her.

"Yes, we did."

He drummed his fingers lightly against the table and sighed. "It's too early for any more heavy conversation. Would you like to go to the theater tonight?"

Rose's face lit up at his suggestion. She had always enjoyed theater, ever since her father had first taken her to see The Nutcracker ballet during Christmastime. It was the perfect suggestion for an otherwise gloomy day. "I'd love to."

He nodded, standing up and setting his empty teacup on the caddy. "I'll be downtown at the mill for most of the day, but be ready for say, six o'clock?"

"All right," she agreed. "What we will be seeing?"

"That," he smiled, "Is a surprise."

Rose had been ready for six o'clock as promised, and after having Marion help her find something suitable to wear, she had settled on an ivory satin gown with a beaded bodice, complete with elbow length white gloves and shoes. She had swept her hair up loosely and pinned it with leftover pearl hairpins that Marion had discovered in Mary's old trunk, careful to leave several of her auburn strands down to frame the nape of her neck and her face.

She had been satisfied with the outcome, and as she descended the stairs to meet Cal and the waiting Renault, by the stunned look on his face she could tell that he was more than taken aback.

"You look…stunning," he complimented, not able to pry his eyes off of Rose as he extended his arm.

She had accepted it with a shy smile. "Thank you." She eyed his fancy suit and cuff links and nodded. "And you look very handsome."

Rose couldn't remember the last time she had ever laughed so much, and with Cal. The evening had been truly enjoyable, as they had taken in a revival of Fendrich and Cohan's Forty-Five Minutes from Broadway, a show about the antics and catastrophes of a Broadway show's cast.

As the night ended, she had to stifle back yawn after yawn, and as the Renault slowly rolled up the entrance of the mansion, she allowed Cal to assist her out of the car. They entered the foyer and as Rose removed her shawl, Cal came up behind her and gently rested his hand against her arm. She turned and smiled at him politely.

"Did you enjoy yourself tonight?"

She nodded enthusiastically. "Of course I did. Thank you so much, Cal. It's just what I needed."

"I thought you would enjoy it. A few of my business partners had been raving about the revival and I was waiting for just the right time to see it myself."

"It was wonderful, and I'm glad you decided to take me," she chided him.

"Simply put, I love to see you smile," he remarked with a grin. He removed his suit jacket and swung it over his arm. "Goodnight, Rose," he added as he kissed her cheek lightly.

And as she followed him up the stairs, she couldn't help but think that something had finally changed for the better.

Disclaimer: Forty Minutes to Broadway belongs to its respective owners, Fendrich and Cohan.