Jack, Rose, and Lily returned to the house with their arms full of groceries. Lily happily went up to her room to play with her dolls while the adults made their way into the kitchen.
"I can not believe that you had invited them to dinner just like that, Jack! I mean, I can barely boil water! I mean...don't get me wrong, I'm happy to see them but…what can we possibly talk about? What is the point?" Rose ranted, placing her bags on the kitchen table.
Jack remained calm as he walked up to Rose, cupped her face in the palms of his hand, and cut off her rant with a soothing, lingering kiss. Her words cut off abruptly as she closed her eyes and savored the taste of his lips against hers. She took a deep breath as he pulled away after a few minutes.
"Feel better now?" Jack asked, his blue eyes smiling as they examined her face.
"Damn you, Jack. You know how to shut me up, don't you?"
Jack just chuckled. "Not shut you up, but calm you down so I can remind you that it's Fabrizio's turn to cook tonight. You have nothing to worry about."
"But we did all of that grocery shopping…"
"He had sent us out with a list, remember? Rose, you're so worked up over those two girls, you had totally forgotten that Fabrizio is making his mama's lasagna tonight, which is a shame because his mama's lasagna is chef's kiss."
Rose felt her cheeks heat in an embarrassed blush. "I am so insane. You have to regret marrying me now."
"Never," Jack laughed. "I love your insanity. Now let's get this put away before Fabri shows up to shoo us out of his kitchen."
"He doesn't even know about Sarah and Leah coming. We should warn him."
"Nah. I think the surprise would be good for him. Something needs to get him moving on from...what happened...says the guy who was in the same boat this time last year," Jack gave a grim sigh, as he began to unpack the groceries. "I just worry about him. I don't want him to spend his life grieving. I want him to enjoy his life. Make his dreams come true. Find love again, even if it's just a brief fling. I want Fabri to live again and he's not doing that right now. I think...one of those girls could be a good shock to his system. Bring him back to life."
"And if it's Cal's sister? Would you really be okay with that?" Rose arched a brow. "Don't get me wrong. Sarah is more like me than Cal. She's a lovely girl...but Cal is still someone who will have to be dealt with. Are you ok with that for Fabrizio?"
"If this Sarah is anything like you, as you claim she is, I have no worries," Jack gave a half smile. "Besides, I'm an expert on dealing with Cal by now. I'll give Fabri some pointers."
"Ugh! I want to enjoy Sarah and Leah's visit, but I can't help but worry that Cal will show up and will try to drag me back to that horrid life!"
"He can't. We're married now, good and proper. There is nothing that he can do about that now. He knows that."
Rose sighed and looked at Jack with sad green eyes that made his heart ache. "I just...I don't want him to come here, Jack. For the first time since Titanic, I'm happy. I'm home. I have a family that I love and friends that I adore. The world for the first time is full of opportunities that I can explore and he'll come here and he'll destroy all of that. I know he will…"
Jack walked over and wrapped his arms around her in a warm protective hug. "Hey, it's alright. He won't destroy anything. I won't let him. This is our life, Rose. Yours and mine, and Lily's. I'm not going to let Caledon Hockley take it away from us. I'll fight him to the death if I have to."
"That's what I'm worried about."
"Don't worry. If anything, Hockley is a coward. We'll get rid of him easily enough, that is if he even shows up here."
"Oh, he will. Nathan Hockley sees his kids as his property. He won't let Sarah go that easily. He'll tear the country apart until he finds her and drags her back, using his son to do so."
"We'll deal with him then, alright? For right now, let's not give Hockley a second thought. Let's enjoy this visit with your friends. Watch Fabri and Tommy flirt, and just enjoy being together. After all, we've been through, I say we deserve it, yeah?"
Rose just shrugged and gave a little laugh. "I suppose you're right."
"You know I am."
"Alright, vamoose! Out out out! Time for me to cook!" Fabrizio came storming into the kitchen, waving Jack and Rose away.
"Ok, ok. We're going," Jack laughed, grabbing Rose's hand. "Oh and be sure to make enough for two other people. We're having dinner guests tonight. Old friends of Rose's."
Fabrizio frowned. "Really? You tell me this now?"
"We ran into them in town and I thought it'd be nice for Rose to catch up and for us to have some new company for the evening. Which is why it's great that it's your turn to cook. That way we know dinner will be delicious," Jack simply stated before pulling Rose into the living room.
"Jack, maybe this isn't a good idea after all. I mean, we had just sprung this on him like…"
"Stop worrying. Fabrizio always makes more than enough food when he cooks. We usually have leftovers for days," Jack chuckled. "Now, what do you want to do while we wait for our guests now that we've been run out of the kitchen?"
Rose frowned, not really having a clue. "I don't know. I guess you're tired of hearing me fret about our last-minute dinner guests."
"I'm never tired of hearing you fret, Rosebud. But it's not healthy for you. How about I draw your portrait? We haven't done that in a few days."
Rose simply rolled her eyes. "Haven't you drawn me enough? I mean, this has to be the hundredth picture you've drawn of me since I arrived in town."
"I can't get enough of drawing you. You're my favorite subject."
"Really...I rather go through the purchases we made in town. Like those different patterns, I brought for Lily's dress...oh, I forgot to tell you in all my excitement over running into Sarah and Leah! I got offered a job!"
Jack blinked in surprise. "Huh? What? How?"
"Well, a well-dressed lady and her daughter, I think the last name is Flowers, came into the diner and the poor child was having a hard time with her french. Well, the child came up to talk to Lily in french and I translated since Lily doesn't know french and the mother was impressed and asked if I would tutor the child as well as prepare the girl for finishing school. She offered transportation and pay. What do you think Jack? It's so close to my old world, I'm kind of reluctant...but it's been a year and it would help us with money…"
Jack had to admit he was surprised. "Wow, Rose that's great. It looks like all the stuff you learned in finishing school can actually be of use to you and others."
"Oh and the lady invited us to dinner. Something about how you were friends with her son and how he'd love to catch up with you. A Harold Flowers…?'
"Oh, I remember Harold...well, yeah. I guess we had been friends back before I fled town...I'm kind of surprised he remembered me though. As you can tell, we're kind of from different worlds. Even by small-town standards."
Rose simply giggled. "I am not surprised that you were even able to charm the high society of Chippewa Falls."
"Pfft, his mother hated me! I'm surprised that she even mentioned our old friendship."
"Maybe she didn't hate you as much as you thought she did. We high society types have a habit of behaving in ways we're not, so it can be hard to read. But do you think it's a good idea for me to accept the job, Jack? I mean...what if she recognizes me? It's bad enough that Sarah now knows that I'm alive and can alert Cal and mother."
"Would she even know about Philadelphian high society?"
"I don't know."
Jack took her hand and sat down on the couch, pulling her onto his lap, where he gently stroked her cheek with gentle fingers. "Tell me, what do you want to do, Rose? Have you ever thought about teaching? Would it be triggering to go into such an environment? Are you really afraid that you might be recognized and your mother and Cal contacted?"
"I haven't really thought much about teaching. I mean...I never thought anyone I'd meet after Titanic would have any need for what I had learned in finishing school. But now that I know there is a need for it...and someone would actually pay me to teach their daughter all that I know...it's an option. As for being afraid of being recognized...well, I already have been by Sarah and Leah. Any danger of Cal finding out that I'm not dead would most likely come from them, so no. I have no fear of that from working for the Flowers. It might be triggering for me when it comes to remembering my own childhood, but that's not so bad. It'd just be another reminder of how I don't want to raise Lily and our own children."
"How about we do this. We'll accept their dinner invitation. See how being in that atmosphere affects you?"
"That's a good idea. I kind of do want to accept the job, I must admit. The little girl is so adorable and I want to help her in any way I can. If I can somehow help her not only learn how to be the perfect lady while keeping sight of her own wants and needs and not get lost in it all...that would be great," Rose sighed, wrapping her arms around Jack's neck, feeling herself relax in his arms.
"Whatever you decide to do, I'll support you fully. I promise."
"Hmm...we should get back to reading Anne of Green Gables book one. Which chapter are we on again?"
"Morning at Green Gables," Jack chuckled, picking up the book that they had left on the table. "I really love reading with you. You know...that can be my next sketch...if I can do it without looking. Me and you together, reading."
"I like that. And we can hang it over the mantle, there!" Rose pointed to a spot.
"Nice!"
Rose just giggled, feeling full of happiness and love, she could barely believe it. How had she gotten to this place? From the sad trapped debutante to a happy wife that was in love with her husband and was now looking forward to something as mundane as hanging a picture? She couldn't really say, she could only be glad that she was here and never wanted to leave.