A New Beginning

Chapter 60: Try for a New Beginning

Chapter 60: Try for a New Beginning

"Would you like some iced tea Mrs. DeWitt Bukater?" Emma asks.

Ruth has come to sit in the living room, in a chair, while Jack and Rose sit together on the couch. Sybil sits on the floor playing and Emma is trying to prepare drinks for the guests to get rid of some of the awkward tension.

"N-no thank you, my dear," Ruth says. "Just a glass of water please."

"Jack? Rose? Iced tea?" Emma asks.

"Yes, please," Rose says.

"Make mine a Long Island," Jack whispers in Rose's ear. "I'm going to need it." Rose tries to hide her smile. He then speaks up. "I'd like some too Em."

Ruth swallows hard and tries to make herself comfortable. The living room is presentable; plenty of furniture, a fireplace, a throw rug, lamps, drapes, and vases. Not all of it is coordinated and it is a little messy, but Ruth can excuse that with a small child in the house. The atmosphere is bright and welcoming, certainly not the DeWitt Bukater mansion, but at least Rose had a roof over her head.

Rose can hardly look at her mother. She's spent so much time trying to escape Ruth's influence and here she is, sitting in the living room of her friend's house, a place Rose thought she could live a free life, at least until she and Jack got a place of her own. Waves of emotions wash over her; fear, anger, nervousness, hatred, guilt, a bit of happiness and everything in between. Rose immediately regrets inviting her mother here. She just wanted sanctuary, away from the life she loathed and her mother was a constant reminder of that. The baby is also continually kicking her, making her even more uncomfortable, but also reminding her of why she is doing this in the first place. Jack holds her hand, giving her a bit of comfort and reassurance. If he is here, she can do this, at least is what she keeps telling herself.

Emma comes in with the tray of drinks and hands them out to everyone. She then sits next to Peter on an adjacent couch.

Emma clears her throat.

"So Mrs. Bukater, did you have an okay trip?"

Ruth is startled by the questions and sips her water before answering.

"Y-Yes, I did, the train ride was alright, but the taxi ride was a bit rough with all the noonday traffic."

Rose bites her lip hard. The group is forced into another awkward silence.

Ruth swallows and turns to Peter. "S-So what do you do for a living Mr....uh..."

"Whitman," Peter prompts. "Peter Whitman, and I am a lawyer."

"Oh..." Ruth says in surprise. "That must be an interesting profession."

"It can be," Peter admits. "Sometimes it is a bit boring, there is always lots of paperwork to do."

"I can imagine," Ruth says. "My late husband was a businessman, he... was somewhat successful to a point as I am sure Rose has told you. Tell me do you own the law firm?"

"No actually, Emma does."

Ruth nearly drops her drink in shock and cannot help but gasp at this statement. Her face immediately hardens in disapproval. Rose's teeth dig deeper into her lip in anxiety and she's holding back her anger towards her mother. Rose knew that Ruth was very close-minded and saw women as things to be desired and to be married off to men, meaning she would be very shocked that a woman owns the company instead of a man.

Emma, however, comes to the rescue. "My father originally owned the company, but he passed away several months ago. Since all that is left is me and Sybil, the entire company was willed to me. It's okay, though, Peter and I will be joint partners when we get married."