Chapter 34

August 26, 1921

Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin

"We still haven't figured out what to name the baby if it's a boy," I whispered. Our heads were close as we talked about whatever was on our minds. "I love the name if it's a girl… but it could be a boy, and we don't have a name."

Jack placed his hand against my stomach and moved his hand back and forth. "I know," he whispered. "Do you have any ideas?" I shook my head. "Well, we can wait until we see him to decide. We don't have to decide now."

"That sounds smart," I smiled, placing my hand on top of his. "The baby can come anytime now. These last few months have flown by, it doesn't feel real."

"It is real," Jack whispered, and he kissed my forehead. "Are you nervous about it?"

I shrugged. "A little," I admitted. "I just hope it's different this time. Not just in terms of who the father is, because that really couldn't be more different… but I hope it's just not as scary or dangerous."

Jack touched my cheek. "I will do everything I can to make sure everything goes alright," he whispered. "And I will do everything I can to keep you safe."

"I just need you to do one thing for me," I began. I took his hand and stared at him. "Please don't leave me alone. I-I can't do this alone, Jack."

"You can do anything, Rose, and you don't need me for any of it," Jack squeezed my hand. "But I promise that you won't have to. I'll be with you the whole time."

"Thank you," I whispered, and I kissed him lovingly. "Things really seem to be coming together now. They have been this whole time, but now it really feels almost perfect. We're married, I'm pregnant, Mia's happy, the town gossip has stopped… All we need now is the baby, and we'll be perfect."

"Mommy!" I heard suddenly, and then quick footsteps moved up the stairs.

"Can you please help me sit up?" I asked, and Jack nodded, slowly helping me up. My back had been hurting for some time now, making it even harder to move. Mia finally ran in and sat down on the bed, right next to Jack. "How was the lake?"

"It was so much fun!" Mia exclaimed. Since I had been staying in bed for most of the time and Jack had been taking care of me, Bella had been taking Mia with her and Oliver when they went out. Today, they went to Lake Wissota. "I got to go swimming with Oliver, and then we got ice cream. I wish you could've come."

"I know, sweetie, me too," I touched her hair and held her as close to me as I could. "I know it's been a bit hard since I can't really move around and play with you like I used to, but I promise things will go back to the way they were soon."

For the rest of the day, Mia and I rested in my room. Jack had disappeared for a while, needing to pick something up from a store. Mia had her head rested in the crook of my arm, sleeping soundly. She looked so peaceful, gripping my neckline the way she did when she was a baby.

"Hey," Jack said with a smile. I put a finger to my lips and pointed to Mia. "Can I show you something?" I looked down at Mia and eased her head onto the pillow, taking his hands and slowly standing up. "Are you alright?"

"My back hurts, and I feel absolutely humongous," I placed my hand on my stomach. "What did you want to show me?" I asked.

"Come on," Jack smiled. Whatever this was, he was excited about it. We walked right across the hall to a room I hadn't been in: Clara's room. "I wanted to show you this."

Jack slid a key into the door and turned the knob, opening it. I expected to see some old, half burned possessions and a bed that would have belonged to Clara, but that was not what I found. Instead, I found a room with yellow painted walls, a wooden crib, a chest of drawers, and a rocking chair. "Jack, what is all this?"

"A room for the baby," Jack smiled. "I thought I'd bring up my old crib, then I painted the walls and brought in some of my old furniture." I smiled as I looked around. "So… do you like it?"

"Jack, it's perfect," I held the side of the crib and smiled. "You didn't have to do this, though. We could've just kept the baby with us in our room." I picked up a teddy bear and knit my eyebrows. "Isn't this Mia's?"

"Oh, Mia wanted the baby to have it," Jack answered, and I smiled. "And I know we could've kept the baby with us. We can still do that if you want. I just thought… Well, we have three bedrooms, so why make the baby share with us? Besides, Clara would say that it was a waste to just leave her room as a shrine to her when our baby needs a room."

I touched his cheek and smiled. "Well, if it's alright with you…" I looked around and noticed packed boxes in the corner. "What are you doing with all of this? You certainly can't throw it away." I noticed a drawing at the top: it was a girl leaning against a man's chest, while they were staring at each other. The man was obviously David, I recognized him immediately. The girl, however, wasn't Bella. It was Clara.

I had never seen a picture of her before, I really never even pictured her. She had long straight blonde hair and a beautiful smile. Suddenly, I felt Jack's arms wrap around me from behind. "What are you looking at?" He asked. He looked down at it and sighed. "Oh…"

"I've never seen any pictures of her or anything," I said, staring at the picture. "She's beautiful."

"Yeah, she was," Jack said sadly. "I miss her every day." He tightened his arms around me and kissed my cheek, and I could tell that he was trying not to 'ruin' the happy moment we were having with his sadness. "Anyway… you like it?"

I turned around and hugged him tightly. "I love it," I whispered, kissing his cheek. I pulled away, holding his face in my hands. "You know you don't have to hide your emotions from me, right?" I whispered. "You can tell me anything, I promise."

Jack smiled. "I know," he whispered. "Come on, let's get you back to bed."

•••

I stood in the entryway outside the house and walked in after going out to the store. I was no longer pregnant, and I was both happy to finally have the baby and have my body back. "Jack? Mia?" I took off my shoes and carried the bags into the kitchen. "Anyone home?"

"Shh!" I heard a voice coming from the living room. "The baby is sleeping." I recognized the voice: it was Mia. I walked into the living room to find Mia on the couch with the little baby in her arms. Jack was sitting next to her, of course, making sure she was supporting the baby's head.

Mia loved the baby so much, and I loved seeing them interact more than anything. Mia would hold the baby in her arms and sing, make funny faces to make the baby laugh, and more.

The location flipped immediately, and I found myself standing outside Mia's room, watching as the children played together. Jack's arms wrapped around me. "They're so perfect," I whispered, placing my hand atop his. "We have the two best children in the world."

"Yes, we do," he whispered, kissing my shoulder. We stood there for a moment and watched as they played with the stuffed animals. "Come, let's put them to bed."

I took Jack's hand and followed him into our room. Jack lifted our daughter into his arms, making her roar in laughter as he put her under the covers. I lifted our son, holding him close to me as I walked over to the bed. I placed him next to her and pulled the blanket over them both, as Jack and I sat on the foot of the bed. "Sing the song, Daddy!" Mia pleaded.

"Yeah, sing the song!" He reached his arms out for me, and I smiled. I lifted him into my arms and sat next to Mia, holding our little boy in my arms.

"Okay, if you insist," Jack smiled. He cleared his throat, and our eyes locked. "Come Josephine in my flying machine going up she goes, up she goes…" he continued to sing the verses, which we had actually learned the lyrics to over the years.

I looked down and noticed that both children were asleep. "That works every time," I whispered. I placed our son in the bed next to our daughter, pulling the blanket over them both. "Good night, Mia," I whispered, kissing her forehead. I leaned over to our son. "Good night Joseph."

My eyes flicked open. "Joseph," I whispered to myself. That was a beautiful name, I thought. It was from our song, Come Josephine, and it was Jack singing it that calmed the baby down in the first place.

I turned my head and saw Jack sitting next to me, reading a book. "Hey, you're awake," he smiled, and he leaned down and kissed me. "You slept late. Mia's playing downstairs."

"I wasn't feeling well," I rubbed my eyes, then carefully sat up, putting my hand on my stomach. "I'm feeling better now. Sleeping helped."

"Good," he whispered, and he leaned forward, kissing me once again, more passionately than before. I felt something all of a sudden, causing me to pull away quickly. "Rose, what is it?"

I stared straight ahead, trying to figure out what was happening. I picked up the blanket and looked underneath. "My water just broke."

Jack's jaw dropped. "Okay, okay," he rushed out of bed and got dressed. "So I'm going to get Bella, tell her to get the doctor, and I'll be right back. And then Bella will keep Mia with her, just like we planned. Everything will be fine." Jack walked over to me and kissed me. "Will you be okay while I'm gone?"

I nodded. "Yes, I'll be fine." I kissed him one more time before he ran out the door.

"Okay, okay, I can do this," I whispered. "I'll be okay, I'll be o-" I felt a pain in my stomach, and gripped the sheet beneath me. I squeezed my eyes shut in anticipation for the contraction to get worse.

I waited for Jack to return, just trying to breathe through the pain. Jack finally returned, running into the room and standing by my side. "Bella's getting the doctor, he should be here soon." He kissed the top of my head. "Are you okay?"

I nodded. "It hurts," I said breathlessly. I reached out my hand for Jack's, and he took it, holding it tightly in his. "I'm scared," I whispered, a tear running down my cheek.

"Everything will be fine, I promise." Jack held me close while another contraction hit. I squeezed my eyes shut, desperately trying not to scream so I didn't scare Mia. "I'm so sorry, Rose."

"It's fine," I sighed, gripping Jack's hand. "It'll all be worth it."

The doctor showed up soon after, and Bella took Mia to her house. As the doctor prepared to examine me, he shot Jack a look, almost asking why he was there. "Mr. Dawson, would you mind waiting outside?"

"I'm not leaving," Jack replied sternly, holding my hand up to his chest. Of course he would keep his promise not to leave me alone.

"Please, Mr. Dawson, it's highly inappropriate-"

"No," Jack responded. "I'm not leaving. I'm not leaving my wife alone when I can be here with her, supporting her. I'm Rose's husband, I'm that baby's father, and the only way I'm leaving is if you forcefully remove me!"

I inwardly smiled, squeezing Jack's hand. "Thank you," I whispered. I looked back at the doctor. "I want him to stay."

•••

I was overwhelmed with emotion when that sharp cry filled the room. I threw my head back and cried, knowing that it was over and that we were both alright. "It's a boy," the doctor said, and I quickly picked my head up and saw the doctor holding him up for us to see.

"It's a boy," I smiled at Jack, and he squeezed my hand. The doctor carried him over and laid him down on my chest. "He's so beautiful." I touched his little head and smiled, tears running down my cheeks. He was a real miracle, one that survived so much, just like the rest of us.

Jack had his arm wrapped around me, his hand on mine. "You're amazing," Jack whispered in my ear. "I can't believe you did this." He touched the baby's head. "Thank you."

"For what?" I asked.

"For everything," Jack's eyes filled with tears. "For being my wife, for giving me a family."

I looked up and smiled. "Of course," I whispered. I gave him a kiss, it was brief and quite chaste, but it was all we needed to say how we felt. "This was a walk in the park compared to Mia, and I know it had something to do with having you by my side, so thank you." I turned to Jack and saw him smile before kissing my temple.

"Alright, you're all taken care of," the doctor said, snapping off his gloves. "I'll check on you in a few days. In the meantime… do you have a name picked out yet?"

"Joseph," I smiled as I looked down at him. He was wrapped up in a blanket, asleep against me. I looked up at Jack and chuckled. "I know we didn't really discuss this, and if you don't like it, we don't have to do it, but-"

"I love it," Jack smiled. "Joseph Dawson."

•••

I had gotten the baby to latch quite easily, and he was suckling away while I rested. I rested against Jack's chest, as we both looked down and stared at the baby. "Do you feel alright?" Jack asked.

I nodded. "I'm just a bit sore," I whispered, then turned back to look at the baby. "It's all worth it now. He's here, and we're both healthy. What else could I need?"

Jack kissed the top of my head. "I love him so much," he whispered. "I just… hearing the heartbeat, seeing him when he was born… it was all so magical." He smiled. "You know how much I love Mia… this is just a different feeling."

"I tried to tell you," I shrugged, smiling up at him. "Having a baby, witnessing it all from start to finish… there's nothing like it." I touched Joseph's face and smiled. "He looks just like you, Jack."

"He is quite the heartbreaker, isn't he?" Jack chuckled. "I hope he and Mia get along. Clara and I were so close growing up, I hope they're close too."

"That reminds me," I turned slightly to look at him. "Yesterday, you were going through Clara's things. I wanted to ask you, are you alright?"

Jack nodded. "Yeah," his lips curved up into a beautiful smile as he looked down at his son. "I'm great." He touched Joseph's face and Joseph responded to the touch by moving into his hand. Jack let out a soft chuckle, then looked at me. "I couldn't be better."

"Do you want to hold him?" I asked, after realizing that Jack still hadn't actually held his son. He must have wanted to, but he hadn't asked about it or anything.

Jack shook his head, his eyes glued to the baby. "He looks so comfortable in your arms, I don't want to bother him." He only looked up at me then, and I knew immediately that he was hiding something.

I raised my eyebrows. "Jack…"

Jack looked at me and shrugged nervously. "He's brand new, and small and delicate. I don't want to drop him or break him or anything…" he rambled quietly.

"Oh my goodness… you're nervous," I smiled. "I've never seen you nervous before." I took my free arm and touched Jack's cheek. "You're not going to drop him or break him, I promise. Here," he arranged his arms in a cradle of sorts, and I slowly put the baby down. "Make sure you support his head…" He finally had the baby in his arms, and he sighed as he realized nothing would happen. "See? What did I tell you?"

"You're right," he whispered as he smiled down at the baby. "I guess I'm just nervous. You've done all of this before… I just don't know what I'm doing."

Since I now had both arms free, I looped one around Jack's and rested my head on his shoulder. "You know, with Mia, I didn't actually take care of her a lot of the time. I mean, I took care of her sometimes when she would cry, I changed a few diapers, but I didn't do everything, not even close. This time… it's new for both of us. I've never raised a child with a real partner, I've never taken care of a baby without any nurse or maid to help me. And, to be honest with you, I wouldn't want it any other way." I kissed Jack's shoulder, since he was sitting too high up in the bed for me to reach his lips or his cheeks, and I couldn't really move at the moment. "You're going to be an amazing father, Jack. You already are."

Jack turned to me and smiled. "You're an amazing mother."

•••

I heard the door open and close, then footsteps moving into the house. "That must be Mia," I whispered. "Would you mind getting her and telling her what happened and to come in quietly?"

"Sure," Jack smiled, and he kissed my cheek.

I fixed the blanket that the baby was swaddled in and smiled. "You have the best daddy in the world," I whispered. "He took such good care of us these last few months. And he loves you so much."

The door opened, and Mia tiptoed in with Jack behind her. "The baby is here?" she asked. She looked scared… sad in a way.

I nodded and motioned her over. "Mia… this is your baby brother, Joseph." I smiled at him, then looked over at Mia. "Are you alright, sweetheart?"

She nodded. "He's so cute!" she whispered. "Can I hold him?"

I instantly thought of the dream that I had, where Mia was sitting on the couch and holding Joseph. As much as I wanted to let her, Joseph was asleep and incredibly delicate. "He's asleep right now, but maybe later," I whispered. "You can give him a kiss if you want."

Mia leaned down and kissed his forehead. "Hi Joseph," she whispered. "I'm your older sister. And I love you." Mia leaned over to me and kissed my cheek. "I love you Mommy."

I smiled. "I love you too."