Ch. 19: A Long Time Coming (Rose's POV)

1920

After the engagement, Rose and Bobby began to save for their wedding. Rose wanted a simple wedding; not only due to their limited funds, but she hated all the fuss that her mother made during her engagement to Cal. Rose was thrilled to be planning a wedding to her liking, and was more than excited this time around. Bobby and Rose planned to marry within the next year, when the unthinkable happened.

America finally entered the Great War in April 1917, and began conscripting young men into service. Soon enough, Bobby received his notice to report to training. It made Bobby sick to his stomach; he had just turned 26 years old and never thought that he would be drafted into the military. Bobby still had a sense of duty, and knew he would have to tell his fiancé the heartbreaking news.

Rose cried when she found out the news. It broke Bobby's heart seeing Rose cry like that. He didn't want to leave Rose or postpone their wedding, but the young couple had no choice. He seriously wanted to marry Rose right away, but Rose quickly said she would wait for him. She knew he was already anxious leaving a fiancé behind; she could only imagine how he would be if they were married. Rose's main wish was for Bobby to return from the war safely. She did not want to lose him like she lost Jack; she felt her heart wouldn't be able to handle losing another loved one.

Rose kept strong for Bobby, but nearly broke down again when she had to say goodbye to him as he left for basic training. Bobby was in training for several months, and would call Rose at his parents' home once a week until his unit was shipped overseas. Bobby spent the entire year of 1918 overseas at war, and it was hard on Rose and his parents. Bobby kept in touch with his loved ones through letters, which helped ease their worries. Bobby faced some close calls, and saw several good friends die by his side during the war. Bobby was more than thankful when the Allies defeated Germany in November 1918; grateful that the horrible war was coming to an end.

Rose tried to live her life normally while Bobby was away at war. She was grateful for every letter that she got from Bobby, since it meant that he was still alive. She was so happy when she got the letter that Bobby was finally coming home. Bobby also told the news that he would be able to be honorably discharged; meaning that he would be able to return to his normal life as soon as possible.

It took some time, but Bobby finally returned home by January 1919. Bobby had a joyous reunion with his loved ones, and was more than happy to be home. Rose and Bobby were more than ready to get married, but decided to wait until they had time to readjust.

Bobby returned to his job at the newspaper; he felt strange after being a solider for so long, but he was happy to return to normal. He saw awful things in the war, and it made him realize how precious life is. He could now relate to Rose on a deeper level; both went through traumatic experiences and survived to tell their stories. Rose had told him her most vivid memory of the sinking was how the screams of the dying were so loud and eerily faded away as the sea claimed them. Bobby at first didn't want to talk about what he went through in war, but Rose told him it wasn't healthy to bottle it up.

Rose felt like she was a bit of a hypocrite, since she never told Bobby about Jack. But she realized that after she finally told Bobby about Titanic is when she finally started to heal. Bobby finally did talk to Rose about his wartime experience, and did start to forgive himself. Rose was more than happy to listen; he had helped her so much when she had needed to talk and was happy to return the favor.

After that Bobby and Rose put their wedding plans back on track. They opted for a small wedding; they only wanted their closest friends and family there. Bobby still felt guilty that Rose was not going to have any close family at their wedding, but it didn't faze Rose one bit. Sadly, Rose found out that her mother had died of influenza in November 1918; even though Rose never had a close relationship with Ruth, she still felt awful when she found out her mother was dead. Rose sometimes wished she would have made peace with her mother, but she was realistic that any reunion with Ruth would not have worked out. She was surprised when she read that Cal and his family had attended her mother's funeral, and that Cal had continued to support Ruth until her death. Rose was grateful that Cal didn't leave her mother out on the streets… deep down she knew there was a decent side to Cal, but to her it still did not make up for how he acted on the night of the sinking. She may have forgiven Cal, but a part of her still hated him. She supposed a part of her would always resent Cal for surviving while Jack died.

Rose and Bobby set a new wedding date, and decided to marry on April 14, 1920. Bobby was surprised that Rose wanted to marry on the anniversary of Titanic's sinking, but she replied that she no longer wanted to associate that day with sadness. Rose corrected Bobby saying April 14 is when the ship struck the iceberg, and didn't sink until the early morning of April 15. She decided that April 14 would be a day to celebrate her happiness, and April 15 would be a day that she could privately mourn for Jack.

The wedding day quickly arrived. The couple decided to have their wedding at a small church nearby the pier, and later have a small reception at the Calvert's home. Rose was so nervous… she was going through so many different emotions. She was happy, but at the same time she felt scared. She was beginning a new chapter in her life, and wasn't sure what to think. She knew she loved Bobby, but deep down she knew that a piece of her heart still belonged to Jack. She secretly wondered if she had the right to be happy after losing the love of her life. She then laughed at herself… she was being ridiculous. She knew that Jack would not want her to be alone for the rest of her life.

Rose knew that if things had been different, Jack would be the man that she would be marrying. Even though she had known him for only three days, he sure left his mark on her heart. But if she had never met Jack, she never would have known what a real love was like. She would still be stuck in that gilded cage, and married to Cal! Jack taught her how to love, and gave her the courage to live a happy life. She felt in her heart that her marriage to Bobby was going to be a happy and loving marriage.

It was a beautiful day, as Rose looked up to the heavens. As she made her way to the church entrance, she smiled as she felt a slight wind softly blow through her hair. Like Jack was wishing her nothing but the best. Her soon to be father-in-law, Richard, walked up to her and gently grabbed Rose's arm and said, "Well, Rose, darling, are you ready for this?" Rose smiled and said, "I'm a little nervous, but I think I am ready for this." Richard said, "I'm so happy for you both, Rose. This really has been a long time coming for you and my son. Promise me that you two will take care of each other; I want you two to be as happy as Lillian and I have been throughout our marriage." Rose chuckled and said, "That is a promise that I intend to keep."

Richard Calvert happily walked Rose down the aisle to his waiting son. He saw the look of love and happiness in Bobby's eyes as Rose made her way down the aisle. When Bobby lifted Rose's veil, Richard could see that same look of love and happiness in Rose's eyes as well.

The happy couple couldn't keep their eyes off each other throughout the wedding ceremony; like they still couldn't believe that they were getting married.

With all the love in his heart Bobby said his vows, "I, Robert, take you, Rose, to be my lawfully wedded wife. To have and to hold, from this day forward. For better, for worse, for richer, for poorer. In sickness and in health. To love and to cherish all the days of my life, until death do us part." He could feel Rose tremble with happiness as he placed the wedding band on her hand.

Rose was tearing up, and couldn't hide the emotion in her voice as she said her vows, "I, Rose, take you, Robert, to be my lawfully wedded husband. To have and to hold, from this day forward. For better, for worse, for richer, for poorer. In sickness and in health. To love and to cherish all the days of my life, until death do us part."

Afterwards, the priest declared them husband and wife. Bobby happily kissed his bride, and the newlyweds made their way down the aisle.

The small wedding reception was full of family and friends. It truly was a happy day for Rose and Bobby. Bobby gently took his new wife aside, so they could have a moment alone. Rose was content… this truly had been the happiest day of her life.

Bobby gave Rose a gentle kiss and said, "Rose, this has been the happiest day of my life. I can hardly believe we are married now!" Rose smiled and said, "I know… this has been a long time coming for us. But I feel that it was worth the wait." Bobby said, "Yes, it was. Rose, thank you for being so patient with me. I know I wasn't the easiest person to be with when I came home from the war."

Rose said, "Bobby… thank you for being so patient with me. I appreciate that you waited for me when I was the one that had to deal with my own personal demons." Bobby said, "I would have waited forever for you Rose…. I'm just glad you gave me a chance. I love you… so now that we're married, what do you want next for our life?" Rose smiled and pulled her new husband into a passionate kiss, "I just want a lifetime of happiness with you… maybe even a family one day." Bobby laughed and said, "Sounds perfect… Mrs. Calvert." Rose pulled away laughing and said, "Hey, that's Mrs. Dawson-Calvert to you." Bobby couldn't help laughing as he said, "Dawson-Calvert, eh? Sounds so first-class, Rose." Rose smiled at the joke and said, "Well, I just can't seem to stay away from having a hyphenated last name. How about you just shut up, and kiss me?" Bobby then pulled Rose closer to him, and obliged.

Later that night, as Rose laid in bed with her husband's arms wrapped her, she could hardly believe that she was now a married woman. Their wedding night was perfect, and Rose truly felt loved and safe with her husband. She began to wonder if Jack had sent Bobby to her; she secretly wondered if that dream she had of Jack all those years ago was his way of telling her that Bobby was going to be the man that she was going to marry. As Rose fell asleep, she knew she had finally kept her promise to Jack and was looking forward to the future. She could see her and Bobby having children, and growing old together. A lifetime of love and happiness was the perfect way to honor Jack, and she couldn't wait for the rest of her life to begin.

I couldn't believe that I managed to finish these two chapters! They were hard to write... but I hope that everyone enjoys them. I'm fixing to start writing the last two chapters... Cal's story will end in the next one and it might take me a while for that one since it going to be an emotional one. The final chapter will close Rose's story. I feel the last two chapters will be so hard to write, but hopefully I can end it in a way that stays true to the characters.