Ch. 16: An Unwelcome Visitor (Cal's POV)

January 1916

After Cal and Abby found out that they were expecting, they immediately told their families. Abby figured out that she was most likely going to be due sometime in late April or early May. The two families were very excited, but Abby wanted to wait to announce her pregnancy until she was showing more. Rumors began to swirl around November, since Abby's body was beginning to change. It wasn't until January when Abby's pregnancy really became noticeable.

Abby had to get a whole new wardrobe as the pregnancy progressed… she also had to deal with the everyday symptoms of pregnancy. She was miserable during the first months of pregnancy, but she was excited that she was having a child.

Cal was also excited about the pregnancy, and was hoping that the child was a boy. Cal wasn't opposed to having a girl, but in high society it was preferred that boys would be the first-born, then followed by girls. A son would secure his legacy, but he would be happy no matter what. He could picture a son that looked just like him or a daughter that had the beauty of his wife.

It was a cold January morning, when someone from Cal's past stopped by for a visit. Abby was working away in her office, while Nadine was busy cleaning downstairs in the living room. Nadine heard a knock on the door; she was surprised as her mistress hadn't been expecting any visitors. She assumed that it was Cal's mother wanting to see her daughter-in-law; the Hockley matriarch had been making frequent visits as Abby's pregnancy progressed.

To Nadine's surprise, it wasn't Elizabeth Hockley. It was a middle-aged redheaded woman who was obviously part of high society, but appeared to be very bitter in life. The woman had an air of authority in her voice as she asked the maid, "Excuse me, but this is the home of Caledon Hockley?"

Nadine said, "Yes, mam. Mr. Hockley isn't home right now, but Mrs. Hockley is. Shall I announce you?" Ruth said, "I wanted to talk to Caledon, but it will be fine talking with the new Mrs. Hockley. I'm Ruth Dewitt-Bukator."

Nadine ushered the woman inside, and Ruth took a seat in the living room. Nadine quickly rushed upstairs to let Abby know about her visitor.

Abby was working away on another drawing, when she heard a knock on the door. She heard Nadine say, "Mrs. Abigail, may I enter? I need to talk to you."

Abby told Nadine to enter, and saw that the maid had a surprised look on her face. Nadine said, "Mrs. Abigail, you have a visitor in the living room." Abby said, "Is it my mother-in-law? You know that all you have to say that Elizabeth is here." Nadine said, "No, mam. It's someone that I've never met. She came asking for Mr. Hockley. She said her name was Ruth Dewitt-Bukator."

Abby dropped her pencil in shock. Abby said, "That is Rose's mother! I wonder what she wants." Nadine was surprised that Abby was familiar with the woman and asked, "You know this woman? And who is Rose?"

Abby sighed and said, "Rose was Cal's former fiancé that died in 1912; Ruth is her mother. I never met the woman, but I heard Ruth Dewitt-Bukator is someone to cautious with. If she wants to see Cal, she obviously wants something."

Nadine said, "I didn't get any friendly vibes from the woman. I don't think it's wise to talk to her, especially in your condition."

Abby said, "I appreciate your concern Nadine. I may be pregnant, but I am more than capable of handling this situation. If I can handle my father-in-law, I sure can handle this woman."

Abby steeled herself to meet the mother of the woman that Cal would have married. Even though pregnant, Abby was a woman not to be underestimated. Abby had intelligence, and even helped Cal secure several deals. She learnt a lot from her father, and wasn't afraid to use her intelligence when it was needed. She wasn't going to let this woman intimidate her.

Ruth remained seated, when she heard the click of heels coming down the stairway. Ruth looked up to see a rather young and beautiful brunette make her way towards her. The young woman was also clearly pregnant, but still had grace and poise. This obviously was Cal's new wife… the woman who quickly had replaced her daughter Rose.

Abby could see the flash of resentment in the woman's eyes… Ruth was obviously bitter that Cal had married after Rose's death. Abby kept her composure and confidently made her way to the woman. Abby said, "Hello, Mrs. Dewitt-Bukator. I'm Abigail Dawson-Hockley. It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance."

Ruth said, "Likewise… I wanted to talk to Caledon about a few things. Do you have any idea when he will be home?" Abby said, "Cal is currently at work, but he'll be home for lunch in a while. If you want, maybe I could help you."

Ruth said, "I'm surprised that Cal lets you handle visitors, especially in your condition." Abby bristled and said, "I may be pregnant, but I am not disabled. I am perfectly able to handle guests while Cal is not here." Ruth said, "Hmm… you have quite a spark. Reminds me a lot of my daughter; god rest her soul. You know that my Rose was supposed to be Cal's wife."

Abby calmly responded, "Yes… Cal told me about Rose, and about her death on Titanic. He also told me that Rose was never in love with him."

Ruth said, "I'm surprised that Cal told you that much. My Rose was too stubborn for her own good. It's what led to her death. Did Cal ever tell you the whole story? Of what he did to my daughter… most likely he didn't. You wouldn't have married him if you knew."

Abby said, "What are you accusing my husband? Your daughter died in a tragic accident; her death wasn't Cal's fault." Ruth gave out a rather cruel laugh and said, "If only you knew. You should ask your dear husband of what happened on Titanic."

Abby said, "You are just bitter that your precious Rose is dead, and that I am Cal's wife. The difference between me and your daughter is that I love my husband. I saw pictures of Rose; she looked so unhappy. Did you even care about her happiness before you forced her into an engagement?"

Ruth said, "You insolent girl… I loved my daughter. I regret her death every day; I pushed her too much. I only wanted what was best for her."

Abby said, "And marrying Cal was what was best for your daughter; even though she made it clear that she was not in love with him."

Ruth said, "You wouldn't understand. You come from a powerful family… you didn't need to marry Cal for his money. I'm even surprised Cal married you with that maiden name you have. The only reason why Cal probably married you is because you are a Boston Dawson."

Abby knew it was the hormones getting to her when she snapped and said, "Yes, I am a Boston Dawson, and proud of it. I am fully aware that one of the reasons Cal married me was to form an alliance between our families. But we fell in love along the way, and I will not have you disrespect my husband in my presence."

Suddenly a very harsh voice interrupted saying, "Ruth, it would not be wise to continue to upset my wife. What are you doing here?" The two women turned to find a rather upset Cal standing in the doorway.

Ruth was shocked hearing the menacing tone in Cal's voice. Cal was more than upset with Ruth; he heard the last bit of the conversation and how she insulted Abby. Insulting him was one thing, but insulting Abby was crossing the line. Abby was more than relieved seeing her husband, and quickly rushed to his side. Cal pulled his wife into a hug and asked, "Darling, are you okay?"

Abby said, "I'm okay now that you're home. I was just about to throw out this hateful bitch." Cal wanted to laugh seeing Ruth's eyes grow wide in shock hearing his wife curse; Ruth had no clue that Abby was a firecracker and could curse as well as any man when someone made her angry.

Cal said, "Darling, calm down. I'll handle this… Ruth, follow me to my office. We can talk there, and I have a few choice words for you myself."

Abby gave Ruth a pointed look, and excused herself. Cal and Ruth headed to his office, where Cal immediately shut the door so they could talk in private.

Cal said, "Ruth… I heard what you said to my wife. That was uncalled for and rather cruel. You can insult me all you want, but you crossed the line insulting Abby. Abby does not know about our history, and did not deserve your venom. She is my wife and is pregnant with my child, so you will respect her!"

Ruth said, "Your little wife insulted me as well. You've changed Cal; the Cal I knew wouldn't let his woman be so outspoken." Cal growled, "Watch it, Ruth, or you will definitely see the old Cal. Insult Abby again, and so help me I will throw you out of this house myself."

Ruth said, "You wouldn't dare… not when I could ruin your reputation." Cal didn't bother to hide the menacing tone in his voice; it felt as if the old Cal did take over as he said, "Try me… I'm more than tempted to take away your allowance. You know I have a lot of influence and power; you wouldn't last in a fight against me."

Ruth saw the anger take over Cal, and honestly became a bit scared. She decided to stand her ground as she let out a loud, bitter scoff and said, "And there's the old Cal that my daughter hated rearing his ugly head. I never thought you would behave this way with me. Rose was right… you didn't deserve her. No wonder she ran off with that Dawson boy."

Cal said, "How dare you bring up Jack and Rose like this? Let them rest in peace. You have no idea how much I loved Rose, and how it nearly killed me when I lost her."

This shocked Ruth; she never realized that Cal really did love her daughter. She saw the pain in Cal's eyes, and realized that Cal meant every word he said.

Cal said, "Do you even realize that it was because of me that you weren't left out in the streets? My father wanted me to cut off all ties with you after Rose's funeral and not give you another dime of our money. And this is how you repay my kindness?"

Ruth said, "You mean to tell me that it was because of you is why I continue to get an allowance from your family?" Cal said, "Yes, Ruth. I'm not completely heartless… I did it because Rose would have wanted me to make sure that you were cared for. I figured it would be a step in the right direction after the way I had treated her."

Ruth became ashamed of her actions and said, "Cal, I'm so sorry. Please accept my apology… I'm just so miserable without my daughter. Rose was my whole world, and I pushed her away from me. I was so worried about our situation, that I completely ignored what she wanted. Rose was right… I was the selfish one. I was being selfish by forcing her into an engagement."

Cal softened his tone and said, "Ruth, you need to forgive yourself. It's not easy, but you need to realize that you shouldn't carry all the blame. I blamed Jack for ruining my relationship with Rose, but I had to see that I was also responsible in the breakdown. That there were cracks before Jack came into our lives."

A small, but sincere smile came across Ruth's face. Ruth replied, "Cal, you really have changed. You are not the same man that was on Titanic." Cal said, "I'll take that as a compliment. I can't change what happened to Rose, but her death helped me become a better person. I wish that these changes had happened while Rose was alive."

Ruth said, "I think Rose would have liked this Cal… it truly is a shame that we will never know. Please apologize to your wife for me… I must be on my way." Cal said, "Very well. I also must apologize for my actions. I tend to get very overprotective when it comes to Abby."

Ruth said, "Well, it is understandable. She is your wife… and it is obvious that she loves you very much. And I realize that you love her as well." Cal said, "I do… she is the best thing in my life right now." Ruth said, "Then you should tell her the truth about what happened on Titanic. She deserves to know."

Cal sighed and said, "I know. I'm afraid she'll hate me if I tell her the whole story." Ruth said, "If she loves you as much as I think she does, she will forgive you."

Cal said, "It's still frightening… I don't want to lose her or our child. But you are right… I need to tell my wife the truth. Thank you for the advice."

Ruth nodded, shook Cal's hand, and made her way out the door. Ruth left feeling a bit better after talking to Cal; she had only come to demand more money out of Cal, but left deciding the amount that he was giving her was more than enough. If Cal had managed to change for the better, maybe she could as well. Ruth left with a lot to think about, but was finally starting to let go of her bitterness.

After Ruth left, Cal made his way downstairs. He found Abby waiting in the living room, who was more than anxious to find out what happened. Abby was relieved to see that Cal wasn't angry or upset, but he looked like he was lost in his thoughts.

Abby said, "Is everything okay, darling?" Cal managed to give a small smile and said, "Yes, Ruth and I managed to come to an understanding. And she actually apologized to me… that's a first."

Abby said, "I still can't believe that woman was Rose's mother! She was completely horrid to me… I can only imagine how she treated her daughter! No wonder Rose was so miserable!"

Cal said, "I appreciate that you stood up for Rose; no one ever did. Sometimes it was curious to me how that woman had such an extraordinary daughter. Rose had spirit, but she had a warmth that you couldn't help but like her."

Abby said, "Even though I never knew Rose, I feel that it wasn't right what had happened to her. I could have very well turned into her… engaged to marry a man I didn't love. That's why I was so fearful of marriage… my parents were getting desperate for me to marry."

Cal said, "So were mine. My father was the one who made the match between me and Rose. When we met, I was still grieving. But you managed to open my heart again."

Abby said, "I'm glad Cal… I feared that you could never love me. When we got engaged, I was already in love with you. It wasn't until our wedding that I felt that you truly loved me."

Cal said, "Abby, I turned into a better man because of you. I was arrogant and thoughtless with Rose; I was so confident that I could buy Rose's love and affection. I should have been kind and treated her with respect. If I had done that, maybe Rose would still be alive today."

Abby said, "Cal, do you blame yourself for Rose's death? It was not your fault… you didn't make the ship sink."

Cal said, "No, but I drove Rose away from me. I'm so ashamed… I couldn't tell you the whole story of what happened on Titanic."

Abby said, "Cal, I always suspected that you were a different person before Titanic. I've heard the rumors that people thought you were a rather arrogant and pompous bastard before we met. But I could see that you were trying to become someone better; it's one of the reasons I fell in love with you. I saw someone who honestly wanted to change their ways. I never pushed you to tell me about your experience on Titanic since I knew it was painful for you."

Cal said, "Titanic is more than painful… it's a dark stain on my soul. I was a completely different person; I was well on my way into turning into my father."

This shocked Abby... the Cal she knew was nothing like Nathan Hockley, but the Cal of 1912 could have very well been another Nathan! Cal saw the surprise on his wife's face and continued, "I know it's hard to believe, but the Cal of 1912 was an unimaginable bastard. In a way, I'm glad that you never got to see me that way. I was rather cruel and possessive of Rose, that it cost me her love and respect. I drove her into the arms of another man."

Abby remained silent as Cal told her the entire story of what happened on Titanic. Abby was amazed hearing the tale… she still couldn't believe that Rose had a love affair with a young third-class man named Jack Dawson! No wonder Cal was reluctant when they first started courting… her last name had been the same as the man that had stolen his fiancé!

Abby began to understand Rose a whole lot better after hearing the tale; the old Cal didn't cherish the young woman, and Abby felt bad that poor Rose felt stifled by the engagement. Abby began to understand that Rose wanted a life of freedom and wanted to be independent; Rose wanted to more than a rich man's wife. She didn't understand how Rose managed to fall for a stranger so quickly, but she didn't doubt Cal when he said that he saw a genuine love between Jack and Rose. Abby was sad at the tragedy of the story; it was too much like a Romeo and Juliet story, where the two star-crossed lovers died in the end. Abby was a bit upset that Cal didn't tell her the story at the beginning of their relationship, but she understood his fear. Appearances were everything in their world, and this story would have completely stained his reputation. Abby knew her father would have never allowed her to marry Cal, if the truth had been revealed.

Cal was nervous as he ended the story; Abby was way too quiet. Finally, Cal broke the silence and said, "Well now you know my whole story. Abby, please tell me something."

Abby then gently reached over and gave her husband a comforting hug. Abby softly said, "Cal, thank you for being honest with me. I wish you would have come to me sooner. No one deserves to live with that pain that you been carrying."

Cal let out a sigh of relief and said, "You don't hate me?" Abby said, "No, I don't hate you. I am a bit disappointed in your actions, but I can't judge you too harshly since you did it out of a broken heart. I didn't know the person you were back then, but now I understand the person Rose was."

Cal said, "You do? How do you feel about the whole story?" Abby said, "Honestly, I'm conflicted. I don't understand how Rose fell in love so fast, but I don't blame her. She was so unhappy, but she obviously found a love in someone that understood her. She was unfaithful, but at least you two weren't married yet. Cal… I hate to say this, but maybe it was meant to be. You weren't the person that Rose needed, and that marriage would have been a disaster. You both would have been miserable… she would have pining for this Jack throughout your marriage, and you would have continued to try to force her to love you."

Cal said, "You are probably right… I was so angry with her for giving her heart to another, especially after everything I had done for her and her mother. For the longest time, I wondered why she chose a poor artist over me. I did love her and I would have given her everything."

Abby said, "Cal, I know you loved her, but did you ever make the effort to show her? I know you told me that you gave her that fancy necklace, but a woman needs more than gifts to know that a man loves her. A woman wants to know that she is truly loved; not just because she is beautiful, but for who she really is. I feel that Rose resisted you because you didn't make the effort to know the person she truly was."

Cal said, "That is one of my biggest regrets. Rose was a wonderful woman; she was so different from the other girls that I met. I fell in love with her because of her unique spirit, but I tried to control it. I should have never done that. I didn't know how much I loved her until I lost her; it broke my heart seeing her with Jack."

Abby said, "Cal, you can't change the past. At least you learned from your mistakes… Rose taught you how to love properly." Cal smiled and said, "Yes, she did, and I'll always be grateful for that. I'm glad that I took a chance and allowed myself to love again… I can honestly say that I love you with all my heart."

Abby said, "I love you too, Cal. But we need to continue to be honest with each other… no more secrets. We are partners in this marriage; we have to trust each other. We have to have faith that our love will get us through any hardships, especially once our child is born."

Cal smiled and said, "How did I get so lucky to be married to such a wonderful and understanding woman? I honestly don't know what I do without you."

Abby gave a cheeky smile and said, "You'd probably be miserable without me." Suddenly the baby gave a strong kick and Abby quickly put Cal's hand on her stomach. Cal laughed and said, "Looks like our baby agrees. My, that was a strong kick. This child will surely keep us on our toes."

Abby said, "I know… the baby has been very active lately. The doctor is pleased that so far everything is going so well. He expects the baby will be quite strong and healthy. I can't wait to meet our child, but I'm a little nervous about giving birth." Cal said, "Darling, you will be a wonderful mother. I can't wait to meet our child either, and I promise I will be there to support you."

Abby said, "You better… this is your fault after all." Cal laughed and said, "Darling… I hate to say this, but you are as much to blame as I am." The couple laughed at their joke, and just held each other.

Cal felt grateful that Abby didn't judge him for his actions after he told his story about what happened on Titanic. After finally telling Abby the whole story, Cal felt like another huge weight had been lifted off his chest. Even though Cal had mostly come to terms with his guilt, he never realized that it was still weighing on his conscience. He had needed to be honest with his wife, and was happy that Abby wasn't angry with him. He did not expect for Abby to be so understanding, and she gave him some great insights into his relationship with Rose. He was also glad that Abby didn't hate Rose; she may have been conflicted about the whole situation, but she was right that the relationship was turning into a disaster. It hit Cal like a ton of bricks when Abby told him that he wasn't the person that Rose needed; it hurt even more that it was true. Hearing Abby's honest opinion made Cal realize that the person he was didn't deserve Rose's love. It had taken a while, but Cal finally regretted how he treated Jack and Rose.

Cal hadn't known how to love Rose properly, but he promised himself that he would love Abby and their child unconditionally. Abby and the baby deserved that; he wanted them to be a proper, loving family. He did not want his marriage turning into his parents; he knew all about his father's affairs. Cal knew that his mother sincerely loved his father, and that it hurt her very much every time his father cheated. Cal hated that he had been quite a wild playboy in his youth, but he vowed that he would never hurt his wife that way.

Cal was amazed how he handled the situation with Ruth; the old Cal would not have been so understanding with that spiteful woman. But it surprised him that the old Cal still lurked underneath the surface… he was glad that he could reign it in before he made the situation worse. He was glad that he ended the confrontation on a good note with Ruth. He finally had closure with Ruth, and felt that he could now finally close that painful chapter of his life. He was now ready to move on the next chapter of his life.

Well, this was a fun chapter to write! I didn't realize how much I wanted to bring Ruth back until I wrote this chapter! I figured she would be sort of nasty to Abby, and I wanted Cal to walk in the middle of their argument! I figured it would be best for Cal to come clean with Abby after Ruth so cruelly brought up the past. But I also wanted to showcase how far Cal has come since 1912; be prepared I am gearing up to start getting into the 1920's which Cal will face hardship. I'm back in school so updates won't happen quickly. I've also been battling some writer's block, but I promise I am working on the next chapters. Until next time! :)