Eternal Destiny "Congratulations Mr. Dawson! You have a beautiful baby girl." The doctor happily said as he led Jack back to the delivery room where Rose and his new little daughter awaited him. He walked in without hesitating but slowed down as he approached them sitting together on the bed. He smiled and sat down in the chair next to Rose so he could meet this new addition in his life. "Well Dad, here she is- Sarah Josephine Dawson." Jack smiled over at Rose. "Sarah Josephine Dawson…I like that." He ran his gentle fingers across the little babies already curly fuzz of angel white hair on her head. "She's beautiful Rose. Thank you…" Jack leaned in for a kiss but to his dismay Rose backed away, pulling his daughter with her. "What are you doing Jack?" "I'm just…I was just going to…Rose, what's wrong? Can't I kiss my wife?" Rose just laughed. "Wife? What on earth are you talking about Jack? I'm Michael's wife. I don't think you have any right to just presume-" Jack was speechless. "What are you talking about Rose? You…my daughter…" "Jack, this is Mike's daughter now." Just at that moment, no one but Michael Calvert himself walked through the door. "Hi sweetheart. There's my girls." Mike didn't even notice Jack as he nudged his way in front of Jack. "She's beautiful Rose, thank you." Mike leaned over Rose and gave her a gentle kiss. Jack's stomach turned. His voice was full of panic and despair. "What's going on here? What are you doing? Hey-" But no one paid any attention to Jack. They all acted as if he weren't even there. He suddenly felt like he was being pulled away from them…slower and slower until the only thing he could make out from the blur before him was a faint whisp of curly auburn hair bouncing out somewhere in the distance. He kept screaming Rose's name but it was no use. "Rose!" Jack threw himself up in his bed as he felt the trickle of cold sweat fall down his face. It had all been a dream…a horrible dream- a nightmare. He looked around the room- it was the same as when he had fallen asleep there just a few hours ago. He looked over at the clock- 2:42am. Jack wiped the pool of sweat from his forehead with his sleeve as he threw his covers off and stood up to stretch. On deciding that he needed something to calm his nerves, he quietly slipped on his robe and headed down stairs to the kitchen. He stopped shortly as he entered the dining room. Sitting there with a single light on and her head buried in some sort of book was Rose. She looked up at him startled. "Oh, I'm sorry. Did I wake you?" "No, I…just can't sleep. I have too much on my mind." Rose smiled briefly and turned her attention back to the book. "I guess that makes two of us. Would you like anything? I have some coffee here if you'd like some." Jack nodded his approval. "Sure. That sounds pretty good, thank you." Rose nodded and went into the kitchen, bringing back a cup of steaming hot coffee. "Thanks. Mind if I sit down?" "No, not at all. I was just looking through some old pictures actually." "Of what?" Rose smiled and looked up at Jack. "Sarah mostly." Rose turned the page. She pointed to one of the pictures at the top left-hand corner. "This was taken right after Sarah was born." Jack looked down at the picture with love and regret. In the picture sat the seventeen-year-old girl…woman that he had fallen in love with so long ago. In her arms lay a tiny little baby with curly blond fuzz on top of her head and miniature little hands and feet that were curled delicately under. "I was so proud Jack. Not just for Sarah or me… but for us. It made me feel better to know that even though you were gone, I would always have a little piece of you to treasure forever…and I always will." She looked up at Jack with a hidden love encompassed in her eyes. She knew that he could read her every emotion and that he knew what she was trying to tell him. He looked at her knowingly, trying desperately to hold back what he felt inside. Just looking down at the picture that he knew in his heart that he should have been in, Jack could feel his throat choke up and the tears in the corners of his eyes. He formed his hand into a ball and brought it to rest over his mouth, leaning on the table. He turned his head as not to expose his feelings. A single and lonely tear escaped and gently rolled down his saddened face. Rose could sense what was going on. She was having the same exact feelings that Jack was experiencing now. "Jack…" She placed her hand gently on his back and began to rub it softly. She could feel his body tense and relax at her touch as she gently turned him around to face her. His face was tear stained and red, his lip trembling slightly. "I guess it just goes to show us that life never works out the way you plan it." Rose couldn't help it any longer. She brought Jack into her always loving arms and held on to him like there was no tomorrow. She let out a soft cry as she let Jack's body fill her entire being. She hadn't been able to hold him like this for seven years. Of course things could never be the way they used to…things had changed over the years. "It's been so long Jack…so long." "Too long." Jack wished that they could stay like this forever…but that was impossible. He knew that he no longer had the upper hand. But he did know one thing- he still loved Rose with all his heart…but in a somewhat different way now. He hesitated as he slowly released her, leaving her with an almost yearning reflected in her eyes. Rose looked down sadly into her lap. "When did you plan on leaving?" "I don't know anymore. I was planning on tomorrow night…" "I wish you wouldn't leave so soon." Rose paused. She had to ask this question before anything went further. "I know that everything has been kind of forced on you today, but I just want to know what you were…going to do about Sarah. I mean, she is your daughter." Jack buried his head in one of his hands. After a brief pause, he lifted his head. "I don't really know to tell you the truth. As much as I want to be there every minute of her life to try and make up for the ones I missed…I know I can't. As much as it hurts me to know that I might just have to get up and go and never see her again, I know that maybe it would hurt the people effected by it more by staying." Rose looked almost hurt, but she knew deep down in her heart that maybe that's what had to be done. It just broke her heart in a thousand pieces. She knew that if he could, he would be there every morning to see her wake up with the sun and every night to read her some fanciful bedtime story. "Well Jack, if that's what you want…" Jack took a deep and shuddering breath as a single tear fell down his cheek. This was going to be the hardest thing for him to do as long as he lived. "But that's not what I truly want Rose…you must know that. But I'm willing to do whatever it takes…to…to…" Rose could obviously see that this was extremely hard for him to do. Rose's voice was soft and comforting as she spoke. "It's ok Jack." Jack just looked Rose straight in the eye. She could see that his hand was shaking and that his eyes were now red and his cheeks were flushed. "Just promise me one thing- maybe you could send me a picture every once and a while…tell me how the two of you are doing." Jack tried to smile to lighten the situation, but it was no use…there just wasn't anything to smile about. A couple of tears fell from Rose's eyes as she tried to control herself. She knew that it was probably the best thing to do right now. I mean, she was married now and was the mother of not only Jack's child but also Mike's. "Alright Jack…I…I promise." Rose choked on the last couple of words. She had said those same words to him not too long ago and look where they got her. At the top of the stairs and hiding in the darkness was Jack's best friend and Rose's husband…Michael Calvert. |
