It was the next day. Rose and Jack were on the couch, reading a book to Lily, who sat comfortably between them with a teddy bear in her arms. It was the picture of the perfect family and Rose loved it. She rested her head against Jack's shoulder as he continued to read, letting his voice lull her into a light sleep. That was until there was a knock at the door.
"Papa, someone's here," Lily looked up at Jack with her wide innocent eyes that made Jack want to melt.
"I'll get it," Rose yawned, making herself get to her feet. She was shocked to open the door to her mother and a grim-looking Randall. "Oh, hello. You two are back?"
"Of course, we're back, Rose. We are here for a visit...but I'm afraid that this time it's not strictly a social visit. We're here to see Jack. Or rather, Randall is here to see Jack. He has some news for him about his family. It turns out...my husband knows some things that Jack may not be aware of," Ruth nervously explained, not wanting to do anything to anger her daughter.
Jack got to his feet and scooped Lily up into his arms. "You're here to see me?" He asked, having heard what Ruth had said.
"Yes, can we come in?"
"Oh, of course. I'm sorry, mother. How rude of me," Rose stood to the side, allowing their guests to enter. "Are you two hungry? I can make some tea."
"Oh, that won't be necessary, Rose. We had just enjoyed a nice lunch," Ruth waved away the offer after their coats and hats were taken.
Jack had taken Lily up to her room and settled her down to play with her toys and then returned to take a seat on the loveseat next to Rose. "So you have something to tell me?"
"Yes. I'll just let Randall tell you. It is his revelation," Ruth nervously smiled, taking her husband's hand in a show of support.
Randall cleared his throat, again struck by the resemblance between Jack and his friend who may just have been his missing best friend. "I'll just start from the beginning. When I was a boy...I lived in Boston and I was best friends with Eric Dawson. The middle son of what everyone knows as the Boston Dawsons. Eric was a free spirit, artistic person. He never cared much for the trappings of high society. In fact, he despised it."
"Kind of like Rose?" Jack smiled at his wife who just smiled back.
"Yes, exactly like Rose, and like Rose...he ran away. Despite his family's best efforts, they were never able to find him and I had never seen him again. This happened when he was about Rose's age. My family soon left Boston for Philadelphia and that was that."
"Jack, isn't your father's name Ric?" Rose asked.
"Um...yes, but forgive me, what does this have to do with me?" Jack turned his attention back to Randall.
"Well...when I got back to the hotel last night, I realized that...well...you're almost the spitting image of Eric. The same blond hair, the same blue eyes. The same face shape. Your smile and nose is different and you're an inch taller, but you look exactly like my runaway friend."
"Oh my god...Mr. Drake, Randall...are you trying to say that you think that Jack's father is…"
"Eric Dawson, yes. I believe he ran away and ended up here and had a wife and child with his family none the wiser."
Jack frowned, his mind mulling over this bit of news. Could it be possible? "Pa never talked about his parents or his childhood. It was like they had never existed. Mother's parents had died a few years before the fire and she had no siblings, but she always had stories about them, but Pa's past...it was never discussed. It was like he had no parents or siblings…"
"If he is who I think he is, he has an older brother, a twin sister, and a younger brother. His parents are elders now and don't run the business but his elder brother does...his sister Enid...she's never been the same since Eric ran away…"
"You think Jack's father is Eric Dawson?" Rose stared in shock.
"The resemblance is uncanny, so yes, I do. The fact that man's name was Ric…"
"Oh my god, Jack...do you know what this means?"
"If your stepfather's right...I'm not alone anymore. I have family...I actually am a Boston Dawson," Jack gasped, his mind reeling.
"Is there anything here of your father's? A picture, anything?" Randall asked, needing some kind of confirmation before making a decision on whether to contact the family or not.
"Hold on, wait here," Jack got up and ran up to his bedroom and opened the bottom drawer of his bureau. When he returned home, he had gone through his parents' belongings and found a wedding picture that he decided to keep hidden away so he could just take it out and remember his parents whenever he felt in special need of their presence. He ran back down and handed Randall the picture. This is my mother and father…"
Randall's eyes widened and he nodded. "The lost Dawson son has been found...several years too late it seems. How...how did your parents die again?"
"A barn fire. My mother had gotten trapped and my father went to save her...and then it had collapsed and no one could get to them. By the time it was over...I couldn't even recognize them they were burned so bad…"
Seeing the tears in Jack's eyes, Rose wrapped her arms around him and rested her chin against his shoulder. "And you took off right after?"
Jack nodded. "I couldn't take their pity and I knew that I had no other family to take me in…"
"And all this time, you did have a family. A very rich one in Boston who had no idea you existed or what happened to your father," Randall sadly added. "I am so sorry, son. Eric was a good guy. He just didn't like to be caged in by society's rules...I wish that he had kept in contact with his family thought. Maybe things would have been so much different for you."
"Or he'd end up like Rose and his father both. I doubt very much that Jack would have wanted to be hedged in by high society as well," Ruth commented, not meaning anything rude, but knowing from her experience with Rose. "I do wish they had been different. Maybe if you had been with the Boston Dawsons, you and Rose would have met sooner and saved everyone a lot of misery."
"Or, maybe things were meant to happen the way they did. Goodness knows, if Titanic never happened, we wouldn't have Lily."
"And if I hadn't left and traveled on my own, I would never have met Fabrizio and Tommy. I wouldn't take knowing them back for all the money in the world," Jack smiled, kissing Rose's cheek. "And I definitely wouldn't take back meeting you, my beautiful Rose petal."
Rose blushed and giggled, for a second, forgetting about Randall and her mother. "You are such a charmer, Jack."
"So was Eric," Randall laughed. "I used to be jealous about how easily he had gotten girls' attention. I'm glad to see that charm has been passed down. I bet he was proud of his son."
Jack just smiled. "I hope so."
"So what do we do now?" Rose asked, curious. "Are you going to write to the Boston Dawsons and let them know what became of Jack's father?"
"Why of course!" Ruth blurted, not considering any other option. Why wouldn't they tell them? Why keep it a big secret.
Jack sighed, looking down at Rose's hand that was tightly gripped in his own. "I don't know...I mean...if it was just me...maybe I'd let them know...but it's not just me. Rose was miserable in that life. So was my father. I don't want to do anything that would put her back in the situation that she had run away from...a life that was suffocating her."
Rose felt touched that Jack was considering her needs in all of this, but she knew that he had a need too. She could see the wonder and relief in his eyes to know that he wasn't the only Dawson left standing after all. That he actually had blood family out there! She didn't want to stand in the way of him getting to know them!
"Jack, darling. I appreciate your consideration and concern for me...but I see it in your eyes that you want to get to know your father's family. Besides, it wasn't being rich that I hated. It was being controlled and I don't think that will happen again, not with you as my husband."
"Are you sure? We don't have to, Rose. We can keep on going as we are, just the three of us. You, me, and Lily."
"I know and I'm positive. You want to get to know your family and I want that for you too. I won't stand in the way."
Jack smiled and touched her cheek with a gentle hand. "I love you more than anything."
"I love you too, darling."
Jack turned to Randall and nodded, his decision made. "You may write them. Tell them that they are invited to come here if they have a desire to meet us. That way, the ball will be in their court."
Randall nodded, understanding Jack completely. This way, it won't be him throwing himself at them, wanting to be a part of their family. It will be them, actually wanting to get to know Eric's son. "I'll let them know right away. You're doing the right thing, Jack. You are. They deserve to know what became of Eric and that he has a son."
Jack simply smiled and nodded his head, hoping that he and Rose wouldn't regret this decision.