Jack stared at his menu, mentally scolding himself for being an idiot. He had gotten swept away in the story they had been laughing about, and he had basically told Rose she was the prettiest girl he had ever met. To be fair, it was true. She had an elegant grace that he had noticed even when they first met, as she was laying on the sidewalk. But for God's sake, he had just met the girl, and now he was going to scare her away! It was much too early to feel anything like that, wasn't it?

Thankfully, before their silence got too awkward, the waiter was back with two waters, and asked if they were ready to order. Jack nodded quickly.

"I'll have the, uh, salmon," he said, then glanced at Rose. Her head snapped up, and she blushed.

"I...forgot to look at the menu...what do you recommend?" The waiter thought for a second.

"The lamb is my favorite," he responded. "Rare, with little mint sauce. Care to try it?"

Rose made a face. "No...I never liked it much..."

"Okay, Miss, um...the caviar?"

"No!" Rose burst out suddenly, and Jack had to cover his mouth with his hand to stop from laughing.

"Miss?"

"Sorry...I'll just have the...salmon, same as his, please," she said, handing him her menu, motioning for Jack to do the same. Jack quickly complied, and the waiter tucked them under his arm and left to place their orders. Jack watched as Rose took her water glass, taking the lemon off the side and squeezing it in, then taking a sip. She stopped when she noticed Jack staring at her.

"What?" She asked, a slight smile curving on her lips. Jack shook his head in confusion.

"What's the lemon for?" He asked, feeling out of place in this rich restaurant.

"It makes the water sweeter," she informed him.

"But aren't lemons sour?" Jack asked, completely flabbergasted.

Rose laughed. "Yes, but when you but a little in water, it enhances the flavor." She pushed his glass toward him. "Go on, try it!"

Jack hesistantly grabbed the lemon that was on the side of the glass. He held it and squeezed it over the water.

"There you go," Rose said approvingly. Jack lifted the glass, aware of Rose watching him closely. He took a tentative sip, then immediatly spit it out. Rose burst into peels of giggles. Jack felt his face turn red, wiping off his mouth.

"Why can't you rich people drink normal water like the rest of the world?" Jack demanded.

"Because we're superior, so our water is as well," Rose said, still giggling. Jack rolled his eyes and pushed the water glass away from himself.

"Well, I'm not buying it," he said.

"But the salmon is okay for you?" Rose asked him.

"Yeah, I guess," Jack replied. "But I've always been a big fan of fish, especially the part where you actually go fishing and catch the fish for yourself."

"Really?" Rose asked, and Jack was surprised she was so intrigued. "Have you ever tried ice fishing?"

"Just once," Jack said, shivering at the memory. He noticed Rose studying him closely.

"Why just once?" She asked, sounding genuine in her interest.

"Well, it was when I was ten," he began. "My father took me out on the lake to fish...but I, uh, I fell through some thin ice."

Rose stared at him, enraptured. "Did it hurt?"

"Oh, yes. Water that cold..." Jack shivered again. "It hits you like a thousand knives all over your body. You can't breathe, you can't think...at least not about anything but the pain. The doctors say I would've died if my dad hadn't reacted so quickly and pulled me out. I would have frozen to death. Course, I had bad hypothermia, almost lost a few fingers."

Rose's eyes had widened in horror. It almost looked like she was living his story herself.

"Rose," he said softly. "It's okay, I'm fine now, I barely remember it."

She nodded slowly, hesitantly, and apologized. "Sorry, your story...I've experienced a similar thing...but my...friend..wasn't as lucky as you were then. That's how he died."

Jack was appalled. Why did he have to tell her that story? It obviously upset her and brought her grief, reminding her of how a close friend died. He was curious about this friend, because Rose seemed very close to him, but he was a stranger and figured she probably didn't want to talk about it.

"I shouldn't have brought it up, Rose, I'm sorry," he apologized as well.

She shook her head. "No, it's fine. It kind of made me happy, too."

"Happy?"

"Yes...I used to ice fish all the time," she told him, glad she could tell him this now, without snapping at him that she knew what ice fishing was.

"You? A first class lady ice fishing?" Jack asked in awe. This woman never ceased to amaze him.

"Yes, my father and I would sneak out whenever my mother was at tea with the other ladies. Mother, of course, would have never approved. Father always knew where the perfect spot was, and we would always bring home a big bucket of fish. If we had enough time, we would scale them and cook them, then we would bring them all around town to poor people who couldn't afford warm meals," Rose looked warm and happy as she remembered this sweet memory.

Jack was coming to the conclusion that Rose had always been kind-hearted and selfless, and it made him like her even more. He was extremely lucky to have run into her this morning. He had never expected this to happen when he had woken up.

"That's...extremely selfless of you," he told her. She blushed.

"It was mostly Father's idea," she said, waving off his remark. "I'm...not as great as people may think."

"Why would you say that? You're one of the nicest people I know, and I don't even know you that well," Jack exclaimed.

Rose just smiled weakly at him. Soon, the waiter came with their food and they started to eat. Even with all the herbs and oils on the fish, Jack had to admit it reminded him of home. He kind of wished he could go back. He enjoyed his lifestyle of living free, each day a fresh start, but sometimes he wondered what would happen if he settled.,

"What's the matter?" Rose asked him, able to see his thoughts were elsewhere.

"Hmm? Oh...just...thinking of a past life," he said, sighing. Rose squinted.

"A past life?"

"In a figurative way," he explained. "I haven't been home in...a long time, and sometimes I miss it. Wisconsin was where I was born, where I was raised, and I haven't been back since I left at fifteen."

Rose looked at him sympathetically.

"I'm sorry, Jack," she told him. He shrugged.

"It's alright. This is the life I chose," he said.

Rose looked him in the eye. "Some day, Jack. Some day you'll go back. I'll help you."

He felt a tidal wave of emotion flood over him, filling his core with warmth.

"Thank you, Rose," he whispered. He knew somehow or another, this was a promise she would keep.