To The Stars And Back - Jack Dawson

Chapter 19 - Found

Mom laughed as she ran towards the glistening blue lake. You couldn't see below the surface of the dark water. The only thing visible were the shadows that lay near mom.

"Come on Lizzie! The water's nice and cool." She said, the liquid coating more and more of her as she eased her way into the water.

"I think I'll just watch, mom." I said.

"Suit yourself." She waded in the water and rounded the corner to where I couldn't see her. "You who!!" She yelled.

I giggled. "I'm coming!" I ran over to the other side of the rock to see that she wasn't there. "Mom?"

I looked around frantically, a big ball of anxiety forming in my stomach.

"Mom?" I kept calling out to her until I saw a figure floating face down in the water. But I'd recognize that magenta scarf from anywhere.

--

I pulled the magenta scarf closer to my body. It used to smell like my mother's perfume, eucalyptus and mint that she would make herself. But the smell had faded over time. It rested in the crook of my arms and draped off of my shoulders.

"That's a pretty scarf." Jack said, looking up from his sketchpad.

"Thanks. It was my mom's."

"You never talk about her." he said.

"Yeah well, seeing your own mother drown and grabbing the scarf off of her floating corpse is pretty traumatic." I said. He raised his eyebrows in surprise. "Sorry."

"It's fine. I've learned at this point that you don't really have a filter." I laughed. "But what was your mom like?"

"What was she like? Uh, she was quite the character, I'll tell ya that." I turned my legs so I was facing him. "She looked a lot like me. But her hair was a lot thinner and more tame than mine. I always hobbled around like this little toddler with a giant head of hair." I laughed at that thought. "She uh, she was my best friend, I don't know what to say. And, she would always wear this eucalyptus and mint perfume. That's what her tent would always smell like. Where she would do readings and stuff. I basically grew up on trains because of my mom's work. But you know that it didn't last long."

"Do you miss her?" He asked.

"You have no idea."

"She sounds a lot like you. You know, magical or whatever."

I laughed at that. "No, she didn't have powers-"

"I meant like spiritual in a sense. Being a fortune teller and all." He said. I looked down sadly. "But if she was anything like you, then I would've loved to meet her."

I looked back up at him, blue eyes glimmering from the lake reflection. A smile stretched across my face and I cleared my throat, breaking the tension. "Where did you grow up?" I asked.

"Wisconsin. I thought you knew that already. But where did you grow up?"

"Well the cottage used to be in California. Sacramento in the woods behind a bakery called 'Miss Lamey's baked goods. That's where my mom would get all our food from." I said. He nodded and smiled slightly. "Should we get started?"

"Yeah." I grabbed his hand and closed my eyes, the image formulating soon after.

--

"...And you're getting on a lifeboat." I said.

"Switch back to Rose. You can do it."

"Okay... I'm not on a boat anymore. I'm at what looks like some sort of party. This looks like the present and I see Rose. She's in a fancy gown and she looks unhappy. Like she's been crying. What looks like a servant is coming in. A woman."

"Good Morning, Miss Dewitt-Bukater."

"Morning."

"You have that party at the Beckett's in two days."

"Yes Gabrielle, I know."

"You should be excited, they have some of the finest wine in all of California."

"What? Beth what's happening?" Jack asked.

"Rose is in California." I said, opening my eyes as he pulled his hand out of my grip.

"Are you serious?"

"Yeah." He smiled brightly, a smile that I had only seen in the memories.

"Beth! This is amazing! We've gotta go down there! We did it! Can you believe it?" He exclaimed happily. His expression fell slightly when he saw my unenthused self. "Why aren't you happy?"

"I am. Just tired." I lied, giving a soft smile.

"I'm gonna get us to California for that party in two days. A-and we can go to the festival that they have every year and then dress up all fancy and go to that party and I'll get to be with Rose."

"Yeah. Will I ever see you again?" I asked. This seemed to make his smile fully disappear.

"Definitely. I'll write to you guys."

"Excuse me. I should be getting back. But yay!" I pumped a very pathetic fist in the air. "We did it!"