It's before dawn when Rose wakes up. She's momentarily disoriented as she realizes she is on the lounge sofa, and she recalls the afternoon before as she looks back at Jack whom is snoring lightly in her ear. She couldn't even recall falling asleep because she had been so tired and overwhelmed, but at some point in the night they had and must have drifted into laying down fully, as now she had her back pressed into Jack's chest with her head pillowed on one of his arms as his other draped loosely around her waist. This was something she had imagined and dreamed of many times over the years when she felt in need of comfort, and now that it was real it didn't feel it. She hadn't been this close to a sleeping man, ever. If it weren't for the warmth and solidity of him right next to her, she would have assumed the whole reunion had been a dream. Now, with light beginning to dawn outside, and the fire down to embers she has to choose between leaning closer into Jack to fight the cold and spend her time thinking of all that his reappearance could mean for her and her daughter, or getting up to stoke the fire and find a sweater and some food. At the thought of food, she realizes that she hasn't eaten anything since breakfast the previous morning, and wonders when Jack's last meal was, and that makes up her mind toward taking care of the practical things first. She just doesn't know how she's going to escape her current position without waking him.
With some careful maneuvering, she is able to lift his arm from her waist and sit up, replacing the empty space with a cushion, and as she stands she takes an old quilt from atop a nearby chair and drapes it over him before moving to bring the fire back up.
Some time must have passed, and she's still standing a few feet away, arms wrapped around herself, looking into the now roaring flames when his voice startles her from her thoughts.
"You cold?" he asks. He's sitting up now, with the quilt in his lap, hair mussed from sleep and his expression unreadable. She realizes now that he never even removed his coat or shoes the evening before. They had both been so caught up in trying to understand how the other was alive and in the same space and all that had happened since they were separated. They had yet to begin to figure out what this meant and how to move forward, and they had both ignored basic needs already.
Remembering that he has asked a question that needs an answer she shakes her head, and then shrugs, before nodding, and his lip quirks up in a bit of a smile. She had been about to do what she usually did when anyone asked about how she was, and say that she was fine when she's not, and always put others first, before realizing that its Jack, and she doesn't have to do that. She doesn't want to do that with him, and he had already caught on. He's standing before she can protest and has draped the quilt over her shoulders, letting his hands linger for just a moment before moving a respectable distance away and looking at her. The glow from the hearth is setting her hair aflame, and yet she still appears so vulnerable.
"It's been so long," he says, repeating sentiments from the night before, "and yet I've thought about you every day, and just the thought of you— my memories of you have gotten me through all of the days where I didn't want to continue. I've wanted nothing more than to find you, even if at times I thought it was impossible, or believed that you were dead, and here you are. And I am so, so happy, Rose, that you're alright, and this might be totally out of left field and completely inappropriate, but I don't care about that anymore. I never got the chance to tell you back then so I want you to know now; I love you. I loved you from that first day we talked on deck, and at the time I didn't want to tell you and risk losing you or scaring you away, but I've already lost you once, and I have nothing left to lose now, and everything to gain."
"Jack, I.." Her eyes are wide, and her hand comes to cover her mouth a bit as his eyes bore into hers. He feels the need to step closer, and does so, placing his hands gently on her shoulders again.
"Please, let me get this out, Rose. I— I know that its been ten years. I know that's a long time. A lot of time has passed, and because of that we are entirely different people with new sets of experiences, and we never had the time to fully get to know each other, and truly, I am not trying to be presumptuous here. I know though that throughout all that time my feelings for you haven't changed. I realize that the circumstances are different now. You may not have a high class life holding you back anymore, but now you have more than just yourself to worry about in all of the decisions you make, and I respect that. I'm not asking for anything, except that you think about us, and whether we can give 'us' a real chance. If you decide that you don't want to or you're not ready, that's completely fine, and the same goes for Josephine."
He swallows heavily, trying not to get choked up with emotion as he gazes into Rose's eyes and sees the same fear he had seen so many years ago when he had pulled her into the exercise room on Titanic to offer her a way out.
"I may be Josephine's father, but I know that because she has never met me or had me around that it could be a weird adjustment for her. I want to promise you right now that I will never try to force a relationship with my daughter that she doesn't want to have with me. If she wants to get to know me and have me in her life then I would be honored, but I will never push it, and I will never expect anything from either of you. I promise. Just because I'm here now doesn't mean that I expect us to pick up where we left off."
"Jack… I love you too. I have loved you. The reason, actually, that I was so exhausted yesterday was because I was up the night before with thoughts of you. I think that somehow I've always known you weren't fully gone, and this house has kept the memory of you alive for me in a way. When I saw you crossing that yard yesterday I thought I may have been going crazy, and I think its just now settling in that this is real. You're here."
"I am here," he responds, eyes not leaving hers, and she nods.
"I want to be with you, Jack. I want to spend as much time with you as possible. It's all I've wanted for a decade. I just— I think we should start slow. Not just for Josephine, but for me and you as well."
"Alright," Jack says, giving her shoulders a reassuring squeeze. "How about we start slow with breakfast?" He asks. "I don't know about you, but I'm starving."
— — — —
Its later on in the morning when Rose approaches the diner, and upstairs apartments where Mrs. Richardson had taken Josephine to stay the night. She knows that she could have waited longer and spent more time with Jack, and that Miranda, being the only one in the town to know their full story, wouldn't have minded, but Rose felt the need to see her daughter, who was no doubt confused as to what was going on. While visiting Miranda and her son William was something the pair did regularly, It was odd for anyone other than Rose to meet her daughter after school unless it was planned ahead of time, and in the young girl's short life, she had never once spent a night away from home. Needless to say, Rose was feeling a bit guilty, and like she had some explaining to do to her daughter before she or Jack could do anything else. She still felt rather overwhelmed by this whole situation, and she had no doubt that seeing her daughter would calm her nerves a bit.
She lets herself into the empty diner, not open until dinner time on Saturdays, with her own key, having worked there for long enough to earn the trust to be given one, and makes her way to a hallway off the back of the kitchen where she knocks on the door to the apartment above. It's young William who answers the door, still looking rather sleepy as he invites Rose inside.
"Mama!" Jo, dressed in the simple blue dress that Rose had packed for her, with a warm grey sweater over top, runs to her mother, hugging her around the middle. Rose hugs her back, squeezing her tight before placing a kiss on her forehead.
"Hi, my baby," she says, "Did you have a fun time?"
The young girl nods, but gazes at her mother. "Yes, but why did I have to stay here?" she asks, curious. "Why didn't you get me from school?"
"I'll tell you everything in just a little while, darling. Let me just talk to Mrs. Richardson first. Why don't you go upstairs and collect your things?"
Josephine wants to protest, Rose can tell, but with a stern look from her mother, she does as she's told, as Miranda tells William to help the girl, sending him off as well.
"Thank you for keeping an eye on her, Miranda. I don't know what I would have done if it weren't for you."
"Well, I know it must have been a shock," her dark haired friend replies. "I know I had a bit of a shock when I looked up to see Jack Dawson strolling into my diner after fifteen years, asking for you. If only his mother could see him now."
"To tell you the truth, I'm still shocked. It hasn't quite set in. I wanted to come fetch Josephine though, and explain everything to her before she hears it from anyone else around town. Who knows how many people have recognized him walking around."
Her friend nods in understanding. "Where is he now? I would have thought after so much time apart the pair of you would be attached at the hip."
"He's gone back to the Inn while I explain things to Josephine. We don't want to startle her. We decided it would be more appropriate if I explain things and prepare her a bit, and then he'll come by later to introduce himself over dinner."
Miranda nods, a small smile on her lips. "So, are you two back together?" the older woman asks.
Rose shakes her head. "No. Not right now anyway. We decided its better for now to take everything slow. Its a big adjustment for all of us, after all."
They hear Josephine and William coming back down the stairs, both giggling at something, and Mrs. Richardson addresses the young girl with a fond smile. "Well Miss Dawson, it was a pleasure having your company. Why don't you and your mother go have a talk down in the diner and I'll bring you both some tea."
To Rose's amusement, her daughter curtsies to Miranda, thanking her very much, which sends William into another fit of laughter which sends Jo glaring in his direction. Rose thanks her friend, and holds he door open for her daughter, collecting the girl's bag from the floor, and following her out to take a seat with her at the empty diner bar top.
She's about to address her daughter when the girl speaks first.
"Mama, where were you?" Jo has her arms crossed in front of her, looking very grumpy
"Josephine, what I am about to tell you is very serious, honey. Something has happened that is going to change a lot of things in our lives, and it may be very surprising for you to hear. Before I tell you, I want you to know that no matter what, I love you, and if you ever need to talk about anything, you just come to me, okay?"
Josephine nods, some of her sleek strawberry blond hair falling from her braid.
"My dear, do you remember that talk we had about your father the other night? When I said that he loves us very much, and that if he were here we would all be a family?"
Her daughter nods, looking up at her, confused, and Rose bites her lip, unsure what Jo's reaction to the news will be.
"Josephine… your father has survived. He's come back."
The shock on the young girl's face mirrors what Rose's must have looked like the afternoon before.
"Mama, I don't understand…" the nine year old is tearing up now, her face going red. "How…"
Rose herself feels tears coming on again for what seems like the hundredth time over the past twenty-four hours. "He lived, baby. I was wrong this whole time. We just lost each other. He never stopped looking for us, though. And then the war happened, but he's back!" She closes the space between them, hugging her shocked and crying daughter to her chest as Miranda comes in quietly to place tea in front of them before leaving again.
"Where is he?" Jo asks, looking around now as if he was hiding somewhere.
"He is getting some rest at an Inn, darling. He's traveled a long way and we had a lot of talking to do last night. Believe me, I was just as surprised as you are right now. You'll get to meet him this evening."
"Are we really going to be a family?" she asks, and Rose can see with a bit of sadness that she's trying not to get her own hopes up.
Rose nods, wiping some tears from the young girl's cheeks. "Yes, baby. Maybe not right away, but yes, we are. It has been a very long time since your father and I have seen each other, so we've decided to take things very slow, a day at a time, but he knows all about you and is so excited to meet you, if you would like to meet him."
Hope shines in Josephine's eyes, and it lightens Rose's heart, which is starting to grow increasingly less heavy as Jack's survival and what it could mean really starts to sink in.
Comments are greatly appreciated! I would love to hear thoughts on the story so far :)