If Jack survived Titanic

Settle down

Jack and Rose staid in the park before they went back to the apartment. They sat on a bench on the side of the main road. People passed by and sometimes wagons pulled by horses came across.
Jack and Rose didn't spoke about what happened on the bridge, because there was still nothing to say about it. Rose felt relieved and Jack was glad that she felt so and of course, for what she had said. The mood between them was relaxed and pleasant in a special way. They both knew it, but there was no reason to mention it.

They sat on the bench for a while, looking at the people. Rose looked at the nurses with the children, the women, the families, the businessmen.. oh.. business.. She just realised something.
"We have to get a job" she said.
"You're right" Jack said, "I haven't even think about that. You know, I have never settled down like this before, getting apartment and stuff like that, so I don't use to be dependent on much money".
"Settle down?" Rose looked at him and grinned, "Do you think we've settled down?".
"Well, I guess we have, but of course it depends on what you're comparing to".
Rose was indeed chocked by the fact that Jack thought they had settled down. According to herself, Rose had done the opposite. She had lived in an apartment in only three days with a man she'd met for less than a month ago, after literally escaping her family. This was a bigger adventure than she thought she would ever experience. According to Rose, settle down was when you'd got married and lived in a house with a lots of children and employed servants. Of course, she understood that settle down could mean something else to other people, but she would never believe that someone could think that this was to settle down.
"What are you comparing to? Have you never lived in a house or apartment before?" she asked with curiosity, still grinning.
"Of course I have, but.." he peered out threw the park, trying to find the right words "It was a long time ago" he said.
Rose understood that he may find it hard to talk about his past. She wanted to know more about it, but she thought this wasn't the right place or the right time to ask him questions about it.
"So what do we do?" she inquired, changing subject.
Jack thought.
"I guess we'll take what we get" he suddenly said "I have barely an education, so I would be happy just if anyone would employ me".
"But you have a gift for drawing Jack" Rose mentioned. "Why searching someone to employ you when people for sure would employ you?" she said and smiled.
"You're right" he smiled. "But what about you?" he asked.
It just got up for Rose that she actually should get a job too. As a child she wanted to become a lots of different things when she grew up. For example a dancer, an actress, a scientist and a nurse. But when she got older she started realize that she probably would never work in her life, so she stopped dreaming. But now she actually needed to get a job, but that just made her happy. Her adventure continued.
"As you said; I suppose I'll take what I get" she said and smiled at Jack.

The same day, Rose went to different boutiques and food markets, a library, a school and even a hospital to ask for a job. Wherever she went, all she got was a slight discomfortable no. She had almost given up all hope and started therefore walk home. But on her way, she passed a retirement home and decided to give her searching a last chance.
It was a red house made of brick. A rusty sign containing the text "Maria's retirement home" hung sideways above the door. Rose walked up a few steps that led to that door. Both the railing of the small stair and the handle of the door seemed to be rusty as well. Rose thought the whole place would collapse any moment. She nocked on the door. Nothing happened. She nocked once again. Since nothing happened this time either, Rose opened the door herself.