Jack and Rose decided to let a week pass before heading to Eau Claire to get married. Jack wanted to make sure that Tommy and Fabrizio had the day off so that they wouldn't get in any trouble with their job. Rose had also wanted to take the time to get settled into Jack's life in Chippewa Falls and make sure that Lily was adjusting as well.
The day started off foggy with a little bit of sunshine. Rose had felt like it was a bad omen, but with one look into Jack's eyes, she allowed all superstitions to fall away. The weather was not going to ruin her mood. Today was the day that she was going to officially become Rose Dawson and she wasn't going to allow anything to bring her down. Not today.
The men were nicely dressed in a suit and tie while Rose wore a simple white dress that she had purchased a few days before. It wasn't anything fancy. It wasn't even a wedding dress really, but in Rose's opinion, it was perfect. Lily also wore a simple white dress. Both of their hair was braided in an intricate style. Rose held Lily in her arms as she made her way to the car, where Jack was waiting alongside Tommy and Fabrizio.
"Are you ready?" Jack asked, unable to take his eyes off his girls. Rose was gorgeous and Lily was the cutest little girl in the world in his eyes. He couldn't wait to make them officially his. Once the vows were taken, nothing would be able to come between them. Not Rose's mother and certainly not Caledon Hockley. Even though Rose had assured Jack that both Cal and her mother thought her dead, Jack couldn't help but worry that they would show up here in Chippewa Falls somehow and drag Rose out of his life for good. Taking the vows was going to ensure that his worry would never become a reality.
"Yes. I'm ready to really become Mrs. Dawson," Rose held out her trembling hand. "I'm just so nervous...I don't know why…"
"Hey," Jack took her hand and held it between his own. "There's no need to be nervous, okay? It's just me. It's still you jump I jump. That will never change. Trust me."
Rose nodded, remembering the last time he had told her to trust him. She had back then and it had saved her life. There was no reason not to trust him now. "Of course."
"Let's go get married," Jack kissed her hand before ushering her into the waiting car.
…..
The city hall in Eau Claire was bustling with activity. Rose wondered if they would even be able to get married today or would an appointment be needed?
"I got the wedding license the other day. All we need to do is say the vows and sign it with Tommy and Fabri as witnesses," Jack explained, tightly holding Rose's hands in his as they searched for the justice of the peace office.
"Mother would faint out of horror if she saw me now. This was definitely not what she had planned for my wedding day," Rose chuckled. "Which makes this the perfect wedding day. I don't need a huge church, fancy dress, and five hundred guests. I just need my man, my daughter, and my friends."
"And we're all here. We just walk right through that door," Jack grinned, spotting the door that read justice of the peace on a plaque. "Are you ready to become Mrs. Dawson for real?"
"More ready than you'll ever know," Rose leaned in for a short kiss and then followed Jack through the door, where her life really will change for good.
Thirty minutes later, the small group come out of the office with Jack and Rose each wearing a simple golden band on their left ring finger and smiling into each other's eyes. It was clear to everyone who saw them that they were newlywed.
"Well, that was a right nice ceremony. The first one I've attended in America!" Tommy grinned happily, lifting a yawning Lily up into his arms.
"Jack, Tommy, and I talked this morning," Fabrizio cleared his throat, ready to present the couple with their wedding gift. "You and Rose deserve time alone. So Tommy and I will take care of Lily while you and Rose spend a night at the Eau Claire motel. The night paid by us."
Jack's eyes widened in surprise. He had not been expecting this. "Tommy, Fabri...you didn't have to do that. That's your money. You should spend it the way you want. And we're fine going back to the house. Lily's our responsibility…"
"She's like a niece to us, boy-o. What good are Uncles if we can't watch her for a night while you and your lady take a small honeymoon, yeah?" Tommy chuckled. "As for the money, yeah. We should spend it the way we want and we want to spend it on a night in a nice motel for you and your new wife there. Between us, it's not really that much. It's not like we're spending it on one of those big fancy hotels...even though if we could…"
"Thank god you can't," Rose laughed, hugging Tommy tightly. "But thank you. Thank you so much! You know...growing up rich, I've never experienced so much kindness and generosity than I have since after Titanic and from people who don't have much themselves."
To her embarrassment, Rose felt tears in her eyes. She couldn't say how much all of this meant to her. Not only the honeymoon but indeed the kindness that had been shown towards her on Titanic. It broke her heart to think of the kind people she had met in steerage and how most of them had perished, thanks to the thoughtless greed and arrogance of the upper class.
"Rose, we not want to make you cry," Fabrizio frowned in concern.
"It's just...I...I never thought I'd have so good, genuine friends like you and Tommy or a loving husband like Jack. I may no longer be financially rich...but personally...I'm the richest girl in the world thanks to you guys."
"Thank you, guys. Rose and I...we don't know how we'll ever repay you for tonight, but we will…"
"Hey, letting us stay with you guys is repayment enough, boy-o. That and giving the goddess a night to remember. That is all the repayment we need. Now is there anything we need to know for Lily?" Tommy grinned.
"Um... make sure she eats by six and don't let her drink anything before bedtime. We tend to avoid accidents that way. She likes a bedtime story. She has a storybook in her room, but she also likes it when you make up something as well."
"Ah, I have a deep well of Irish tales I can tell the lass," Tommy chuckled.
"Looks like she's in for a good time," Jack grinned, picking up Lily once again. "Hey, Momma Rose and I will be away, but only for tonight. We'll be back tomorrow. In the meantime, Uncle Tommy and Uncle Fabri will take care of you. They're fun guys, I promise. Especially Uncle Tommy. You remember all the stories he used to tell on the big ship?"
Lily simply nodded, not really happy about being away from Momma Rose, but accepting it all the same. She didn't want to be clingy, afraid that they would get mad and give her away, like that one man before Momma Rose had come.
Sensing something, Rose took Lily from Jack and looked into her eyes. "Darling, if you're not ok with this, just let us know. We won't be mad, I promise."
"You won't give me away if I don't want you to leave me?" Lily asked, trying not to cry.
"Of course, we won't! We love you, Lily! Jack had just taken a vow to love and take care of you. Neither of us takes that lightly. We won't abandon you if you don't want to be without us," Rose felt tears in her own eyes. How could Lily even imagine that she'd ever let her go?
"Rose is right, Lily. I'll never leave you. Not purposely. And not just with anyone. You're precious to me, as well as to Rose and Tommy and Fabri loves you too."
Lily looked at Rose then at Jack and nodded her head, feeling reassured. "I'll stay with Uncle Tommy and Uncle Fabri."
"Are you sure?" Rose asked once again, still feeling apprehensive about leaving Lily now that she knew that the child had a fear of abandonment.
Lily just nodded her head.
"Well...alright then. We'll be off," Rose hugged Lily one more time and kissed her cheek before handing her to Tommy. "Telegraph us if you need anything."
"We will. Now off with you. Enjoy your honeymoon," Tommy shooed the newlyweds away.
"Come Rose. I know where the motel is located," Jack took Rose's hand, also feeling reluctant to leave Lily behind.
Rose looked back once, spying Tommy and Fabrizio flagging down a car to take the three of them back to Chippewa Falls.
"I hope we're doing the right thing by leaving them," Rose chewed on her bottom lip, unable to stop worrying. "I don't want to traumatize her any more than she already has been."
"She'll be alright. The guys will keep her preoccupied. Then we'll be back and it'll be like we weren't away from her at all. She'll see that we always come back and we haven't abandoned her."
"I'm just so worried about her, Jack. I don't even want to chance messing up her childhood."
"You won't. We won't. She'll be alright Rose. Trust me."
"I do. I trust you more than anyone."
"Then let's relax and enjoy this one night alone that we'll have together, probably for a while," Jack chuckled, stopping in front of the motel where they were to spend the night. He wrapped his arms around her and kissed her deeply, feeling his love for her swell up once again.
Rose smiled as the kiss ended. Looking into his blue eyes, she knew that he was right. Everything would be fine. One night away from her daughter will not hurt. Lily will have fun with her two uncles and Rose will have fun with her new husband.