Chapter 13

The Reality of Love

"We have to put an extra plate on the table, Rose." Elizabeth rushed into the kitchen and quickly opened the cabinet.

Stirring into the pan, Rose sighed and shook her head. "It's almost eight, he is not coming, Elizabeth."

"Did he tell you whether he would join us or not?"

"No," Rose then turned around to look at her friend, "I told him only to come if he wanted to and to not feel obliged by my invitation."

Elizabeth chuckled and placed a hand on Rose's shoulder.

"Maybe I just have to accept that I'll never be successful in the men department of life."

"Don't say that, Rose."

Her voice started to form a tone of mockery. "Well, it is true, isn't it? First, I get engaged to a man I don't know, Jack is dead, then I meet another man that I thought was all right but made my body feel literally sick and now I think I like someone who doesn't like me back."

"And I have two children with a man whom I despise." A sudden silence fell between the two of them as they stared directly at one another. Then they laughed and shook their heads.

"I'm sorry, Lizzie. I'm complaining about nothing."

"I'm not saying that. Look, you have been through a lot in your life, there is no denying it, but don't put yourself off the market at the ripe age of twenty-seven!"

"You're right. Anyway, it's Christmas Eve! We should only be talking about nice things," Rose turned off the stove and opened the oven, "Could you call for Cora, please. Dinner is ready."

"I'm already here," A voice spoke behind them, "He keeps coming into my room, Elizabeth." Cora sighed as she joined the two women in the kitchen. She was holding Clifford in her arms. The boy had grown into a feisty toddler, living by his own rules and his rules alone. Not even his older brother George was able to tame his feistiness. Elizabeth groaned in frustration as she tried to take her child out of Cora's arms. His little body stiffened by her touch and his arms reached towards Cora's soft curls.

"He's been insufferable lately." The words of Elizabeth's desperation could be felt within the whole house, "Could you maybe take him to the front yard. He loves the snow." She could see in Cora's facial expression that she was far from amused by her request, but her good-spirited heart could not resist Clifford's begging eyes. From the moment he was born, and Cora held him in her arms, she developed a soft spot for him. Elizabeth put Clifford onto the ground, and he rushed towards the front door.

"Can't George take him?"

"No. Not in the dark

"Don't go any further than the front yard, children." Cora instructed him as they stepped outside. There was now even more snow than a few hours prior; it came together with the cold that cut against her skin. George threw his body onto the grass, his red woolen coat turning white with snow.

"Making an angel, Cora!"

"Mommy won't like it when your clothes are all wet!" George yelled at his brother.

Out of protest, Clifford stuck out his tongue and crawled back onto his knees. "Catch me, George!" Screaming out of joy, the two boys ran through the front yard. Cora leaned her back against the outside wall of the house, watching how George and Clifford made their way through the snow. Their voices echoed through the street, and she closed her eyes, trying to listen to any other sound she was able to hear. In the distance, someone played a soft tune on the piano; it paired elegantly with Rose and Elizabeth's voice coming from the house. Christmas was a time that made her both happy and sad at the same time. It was a time of thinking about her life in England and her parents whom she could barely remember anymore. What would have become of her life if disaster hadn't struck. Would it be filled with the same warmth it was now? Suddenly, a bright light pierced through her eyelids, and she could hear the low rumbling sound of a car coming closer. As she opened her eyes, a man stepped out of the vehicle, straightened his coat, and walked over towards the house. Cora reached out her hands, demanding the boys to come towards her.

"Hello?" Cora looked at the man and watched how his eyes widened. The man stood still as he put the bouquet of flowers, which he was holding in his hands, behind his back.

"Hello," he answered and took a step back, "I am sorry. I must be at the wrong address."

His features soon clicked inside her mind. They aligned perfectly with Rose's description of the man she had developed this huge interest in. Before he was able to walk off into the distance, Cora managed to stop him in his tracks.

"Do you happen to be Henry Calvert?"

The man turned around. Snow caught the moonlight and reflected on his flowers. "Yes." He simply said.

"Then this is the right address. Rose is inside."

Henry hesitantly nodded his head and watched how Cora picked up one of the children and walked towards the front door. She turned around and signed for him to follow her. He could already hear a soft tune playing in the background mixed with the sound of voices. Immediately he recognized her voice, and he started squeezing the stems of the flowers.

"Rose, your friend is here!" Cora's voice echoed through the house. Confused, Rose walked towards the hallway where she was greeted by the person she was desperately trying to forget for the evening.

"This young lady kindly let me in." Henry nervously chuckled.

"I wasn't expecting you anymore, Henry."

"I am sorry I am late. I hope I am not too late?"

Rose shook her head, rubbed her hands against her apron and stepped towards him. "Of course not. Here, let me take your coat."

"I can manage. Please, take these instead." Handing her the flowers, Henry then scratched the back of his neck. "I thought it would be too cliché to get you roses."

"You have no idea how many roses I have received in my life. And too be fair," Rose laughed, "I don't even like them that much. These are beautiful. Thank you, Henry." Leading him towards the dining room, Cora and Elizabeth had already taken place and glued their eyes onto the stranger they had been desperate to meet. "You've already met my cousin Cora. And this is our dear friend Elizabeth with her sons George and Clifford. All the way from Oklahoma."

"My," Henry said as he and Elizabeth shook hands, "That must have been quite a journey. Is your husband too tired to join us for dinner?"

"Oh please," Elizabeth scoffed, "if you want to keep this dinner lighthearted, we must not talk about my husband. Luckily, he is at home."

Rose could sense that her friend's remark made the guest rather uncomfortable, and she gave her a warning look which was answered by a smirk and rolling eyes. She took a deep breath and clapped in her hands before sitting down. "All right, I am glad everyone is here now so let me tell you what I tried to cook for you. Roasted carrots, an orange salad, lobster au gratin, mince pies and I even managed to get us a turkey!" Proud at her own creation, Rose looked at everyone's faces, hoping for an expression of shared pride.

"My goodness, Rose," Cora gasped, "This must have cost you a fortune."

"Don't worry, darling." Elizabeth placed a hand on Cora's shoulder, "You don't think I let Rose pay for all of this by herself."

"It must be very nice to be rich, mustn't it?"

Elizabeth winked at her. "Only when it's Christmas."

"It looks delicious, Rose."

Her cheeks started to flush. "Thank you, Henry." She turned her face back towards the rest, "There is enough to feed a family of twelve, so take as much as you need."

Clifford pushed himself off his mother's lap and tried to climb onto the table, his little hands reaching for the giant bird that was right in the middle of table. With a force, Elizabeth pulled him back towards her and warned him with a burning gaze. Cora stood up and took it on the task to slice it.

"I would have almost said you two are sisters." Henry confessed as his took a sip of his wine.

Cora bit her lip and tried her best not to laugh. "I have never heard anyone say that."

"You two look so much alike."

"As a matter of fact, we are related." Rose nervously giggled. "I have even been asked if Cora was my daughter. But that was only when she was little, of course."

"How long have you been her guardian?"

"Since I was seventeen. Almost ten years already, Cora! How time flies by. Anyone more wine?"

Elizabeth quickly managed to change the subject into a lighter affair, seeing her friend's discomfort in her expression. It indeed helped, for her coming to aids always worked and soon the tense but curious energy in the room switched to warmth and laughter. Within a span of three hours, Rose got to know most of Henry's life. He was open, yet direct and in many ways, he came across as stable. Overall, his whole life seemed stable, which was something Rose somewhat envied. Yet, in her envy she could only smile.

As it became close to midnight, Elizabeth looked over her shoulder towards the living room where she looked at the small and sleeping bodies on the couch. She stood up and went over to have a proper look. "I must get these little angels to bed," she yawned, "and maybe myself as well."

"Let me help you." Cora said and followed Elizabeth up the stairs with a sleeping Clifford in her arms. Now they were alone, Henry's gaze reaching for hers. "I must get back as well." He said almost in a sad manner.

"Yes. I don't want to hold you up." She walked him towards the hallway where he slowly put on his winter garments.

"I hope that I haven't startled you and Cora."

Rose raised an eyebrow, "With what?"

"With my questions about your family."

"Oh Henry, please don't worry about that. It's been ages and we are managing just fine."

"You sure?"

"Yes." She smiled.

"All right. Before I go, I have one more question to ask you. A friend of mine is having a small get together for New Year's Eve. Would you like to come with me?"

"That sounds lovely, Henry, but I'm not sure what Cora's plans are, and I can't leave her alone."

He nodded his head. "She can always join."

"I'll let you know, all right?"

"All right," he took her hand and placed a kiss on top of it, "Thank you for tonight, Rose. It was wonderful."

As soon as Rose closed the door, she heard the footsteps of the girls marching down the stairs. They met in the kitchen, where Rose held her breath and waited desperately for any form of response.

"He is a very handsome and decent man, Rose." Elizabeth smiled as she broke the silence.

"I think I'm starting to like him." Rose groaned and moved passed them. In a rush of emotion, she started clearing the table. The house had to be clean again for her mind to be able to rest.

"But isn't that a good thing, Rose?" Elizabeth protested.

"I guess it is, but it feels so strange. I haven't really felt anything for anyone in a very, very long time. What about you, Cora?"

"Me?"

"Yes. What do you think of Henry?"

"I think he's a rather good man. Maybe a bit boring, but good."

"Boring is not good, Cora." Rose placed the plates in the sink and stared outside the window for a minute before the reflection of Elizabeth appeared in the glass.

"What is it that you are so afraid of?"

Taking a deep breath, she started thinking about the question. Wanting to come up with a marvelous poetic answer, she realized she didn't have one, other than the hard truth that she was afraid something bad was about to happen. Another broken heart was something she wasn't sure she would be able to survive.

Elizabeth tried to reassure her. "I truly believe nothing can go wrong this time, Rose. There is a mutual interest between the two of you, apart from the fact that he is a gorgeous man with a good job and a secure life. You know his father and even his father is fond of you."

Rose tried her hardest to hold onto her friend's hopeful words for the following week. As New Year's Eve came to being, Henry picked her up at nine O'clock to the dot. There it was again, that fluttering feeling in her heart. The night went on smoothly, meeting some of his friends and family; she felt included. Time ticked by and everyone laughed, raised their glass before the clock struck twelve and a new year was upon them.

"Nineteen twenty-two," Rose sighed as the two of them walked back to Henry's car, "I sometimes can't comprehend how fast the years go by."

"I quite like that we are moving towards better times. Ten years ago, I was a poor student and now I am out here with the most beautiful woman."

Rose giggled nervously before she stopped, the moonlight lightening up her fair skin. "I had a very lovely evening. Thank you, Henry."

"Happy new year, Rose." His hand moved up before cupping her face into his palm. He placed his lips onto her gently. The kiss was soft and delicate, and Rose's heart was starting to beat even faster. "God, I should have done this way sooner."

The cold winter months laid a gloomy hue over the city, but two lovers didn't seem to feel any of it. Rose was happy and in love and quickly realized how many positive benefits it had. She glowed from the outside, receiving compliments from both friends as strangers. Workdays flew by before she could even comprehend it.

As the bus stopped at the corner of her street, Rose stepped out and opened her umbrella. The weather was gloomy, and wind pierced straight through her clothes. Marching through the puddles, Rose sighed in relief as she saw the bright color of her front door appear in front of her.

"Wait for me!" A voice called behind her. As Rose turned around, she saw Henry running towards her from across the street. "It's bloody San Francisco. First snow and now we are being tormented by a rain plague."

Rose grinned and quickly opened the door to let them both in. As they stepped inside, Henry pulled her against him and kissed her deeply.

"I wasn't expecting you here at this time of day." Rose said. She quickly headed towards the kitchen to put on the kettle.

Henry looked around the house before joining Rose. "Is Cora home?"

"No, she is training for this mathematics contest. Why?"

He didn't answer, walked out of the kitchen, and sat down at the dinner table. It didn't take him very long to move again, now heading towards the living room and making his mark in front of the window. A young woman walked by with two young children, singing a song and smiling. Henry moved once, from the other window up to the couch.

"Henry, is everything all right?" Rose asked as she followed his motions, "You're making me quite worried when your rush through the house like a mouse."

He still didn't respond.

"Henry?" Rose asked again and placed a hand on his shoulder."

He knew that it was now or never. Everything in his life was happening thus fast that there was no possible way to create any structure in the chaos of his mind. He felt scared and excited, cowardly and brave. Then he turned around.

"Rose, I want to ask you to marry me."

Within seconds Rose's heart started to pound at an almost unbearable rate, but she could only laugh nervously. "Do you mean that?"

Henry nodded his head heavily. "I know it's very soon," he admitted, "for we have known each other for only two months, but I promise you that I have a very good reason for it. Other than the fact that I am head over heels in love with you."

Rose could feel her cheeks warm up as she looked him straight into his eyes. "Tell me."

His hands felt soft and warm as he took hers in his. "I got a promotion at work."

"A promotion?"

"Yes," Henry smiled brightly, "And the reality of it is that I have to move out of the city. I have to move to the other side of the country even!"

"Let me guess. The faraway city of Augusta in Maine?"

"Oh, Rose it's much better than that. First, I thought I would be transferred to New York City but it's a close call. They want to transfer me to Philadelphia."

Before Henry could continue his speech, Rose pulled her hands back and could feel a lump form in her throat. "Philadelphia?" she whispered as if she was afraid that anyone could hear her.

"Yes. Philadelphia. And I want you and Cora to come with me. So, what do you say?" Henry then opened his jacket and pulled out a small velvet box before dropping down onto one knee, "will you marry me?"