A ROSE BLOWING IN THE WIND
Chapter Six
Two Months Later
Rose stood at the mirror,
examining her pale complexion in the mirror. She had just recovered from
another bout of nausea and throwing up in the bathroom. Morning visits to the
bathroom has been going on for about a month now. At first, Rose had thought it
was a touch of the flu or a slight cold, but now she knew it wasn't. The fact
that her monthly cycle had never begun was her first clue, the nausea in the
mornings another. Then there was the slight expansion of her waistline that was
the final clue to the fact that she was expecting. Today, she was going to the
doctor to have it confirmed.
A baby. Jack's baby. Her final
connection to him. Her heart filled with joy at the thought of this, but her
mind was in a whirlwind. Here she was, a single mother, no job, no family...the
baby's father three months dead...what was she going to do? How was she going
to survive?
"Oh, Jack, why?" Rose
began to sob once again.
"Never let go, Rose. Never
let go," a soft voice whispered in her head.
"I won't, Jack. I
promise." Rose wiped away her tears. She got up and slipped on her dress
and Cal's heavy coat. It was time to head for the doctor's office.
One Hour Later
"Mrs. Dawson, it's my
pleasure to inform you that you're indeed with child. Three months along, to be
exact. I'm surprised you haven't come to me sooner." The doctor stood in
front of her. "The baby's father...where is he? I thought he'd be here to
hear the happy news."
"The father's dead, sir. He
died three months ago in a tragic accident." Rose swallowed. "Doctor...is
the baby...is it healthy?"
"Of course it's healthy. The
child is developing quite nicely. I do suggest, though, that you look into some
of the charities they have running now’a days for young widows with children.
Hmm...there's one for the Titanic widows. That was three months ago. You
wouldn't happen to have been on the Titanic, would you? If so, they could help
you. I'll give you the address..."
"No!" Rose stood up
immediately. "I mean, no, that won't be necessary. I'm sure I'll manage
somehow. Thank you very much, sir, for your concern."
"Well, then, I'll see you
next week. Make sure everything's going well with the pregnancy. Good day, Mrs.
Dawson."
"Good day, Doctor."
Rose nodded, leaving the office. She hadn't meant to yell at the poor man. He was
just trying to help a young widow. But what would he say if he knew that she
was not a widow after all? That her pregnancy was the result of a tryst on the
doomed luxury liner?
"Rose! Rose!" a
familiar voice called to her. She turned to see Laurie heading her way.
"There you are. I've been looking all over for you. Mrs. Wilma said you
went to the doctor. What did he say?"
"I'm pregnant, Laurie."
Rose sighed sadly. "I'm three months along."
"Really? Well, that's
wonderful, isn't it? Now you have a part of your husband with you."
Rose weakly smiled and nodded.
"I'm just so nervous. What are people going to think? Not that I really
care, but then again I do. This isn't about me anymore, Laurie. It's about an
innocent child."
"Rose...don't worry about
that. This baby is a gift. Something of your late beloved to keep with you
always. To remember him by. Sure, there's a lot of responsibility...but it's
worth it."
"I wish Jack could be here
with me...to get to know his child. He would have been a great father." Rose
smiled as she remembered him dancing with little Cora Cartmell. "He was
great with children."
"I'm sure he was."
Laurie smiled, taking Rose's hand. "Come on. Mrs. Wilma's waiting. She
wanted to give you a ride back to the house."
"Okay." Rose nodded, following
Laurie out of the doctor's office. She had a lot of thinking to do when she got
back to the house. She had to think of her options and how and where she was
going to care for her child.