A New Beginning

Chapter 89: Means to Escape

Rose stands on the beach, gazing out at the horizon. The golden sun is beginning to set, casting rose, violet, and orange colours across the canvas known as the sky. A few clouds are spread out thinly, like strips of cotton meant to blend the beautiful masterpiece of nature together. The cool waves gently lap at Rose's ankles and there are bubbles swirling each time the waves meet the shore, tickling her feet, like little butterfly wings tapping on her pale skin. The wind blows through her long red ringlets, like strips of ribbon soaring in the breeze, painted with the shimmering gold of the setting sun.

Rose Dawson has no choice but to smile as if she's never seen anything so beautiful. She pulls a pale lilac shawl around her shoulders to keep herself warm in the evening temperatures. The edges of her sundress swoop down close to the cool water as she walks along the sandy shores. She breathes a sigh of great content, truly happy with her life and relaxed in how free she felt. Like the night Jack taught her how to fly and allowing her to spread her wings for the first time; now she's going wherever the wind will take her. No pressures to be anywhere, no responsibilities to anyone, it was just her, the sand, the sea, and the sun, together as one.

Suddenly, three little children go running by her giggling, apparently chasing one another in a leisurely game of tag across the shore. The pitter-patter of their feet, creating footprints through the sand and water, spraying droplets wherever they stepped. The two girls and a boy run past Rose, not even stopping to acknowledge her presence. Rose's ruby lips purse into a smile, joining in the delight of these rambunctious youngsters.

All the children have golden locks of hair; the boy's hair is in a tousled mess, like a field of wheat in the late autumn season, the shade of his locks matching the rays of sunlight. He playfully splashes the two girls who are chasing him, his overalls rolled up to prevent them from becoming soaked. He is skinnier than most boys his age, but is also very tan, laughing deeply as he rushes past Rose. He lifts his knees higher to get better strides in the water and put more distance between him and his pursuers. The older of the two girls has long wavy equally fair hair with some ringlets mixed in her locks; they flow down her back, cascading like a waterfall of melted gold. It flows behind her head like a cape as she runs with determination in her bright blue eyes. Her long lashes also have tints of speckled gold in them as well. The hem of her floral pink sundress drags in the water and she lifts her legs up, trying to keep up with the boy. Her laughter is like a series of windchimes, singing in the breeze, and she sweeps one of her hands through the water in an attempt to splash the older boy. Finally, the youngest girl's hair is very curly, her blonde locks a shade darker than the others, with the hints of red mixed in to make an almost strawberry blonde appearance. Her locks are also like ribbons, falling along her shoulders, some of which are pulled back in a lilac coloured bow. Her wild tresses dance along her shoulders, flying along like a swarm of the most beautiful golden butterflies to have ever been released. She runs in a small, pure white sundress and her nose is covered in freckles.

She stops to look into Rose's eyes and the young woman gasps. This child has lively green eyes, like pale emerald jewels. Her petite face resembles a heart but contains a strong jaw below her pink hued lips. When she smiles at the red-head, Rose immediately sees Jack in the smile; genuine and showing all your emotions in this one gesture. Mrs. Dawson realizes that she's gazing into the face of possibly her future child. She'd inherited the fair hair from her father, but the lively curls of her mother, she had her mother's eyes, but her father's dimples to go with her smiles. Rose's heart pounds loudly in her chest. She kneels down, ignoring the chilly water and the waves, reaching her hand out towards the child, wanting to touch her, feeling that she is real. However, the girl runs off giggling, the sound like a choir of bells.

Rose turns to watch the girl go along the water until two strong arms scooped her up into the air.

"You're not getting away that easy," a familiar voice laughs.