One Big Happy Family

Chapter 4: An Infamous Night Remembered

Viktor returned home from the bank in the early evening. He was having a hard time concentrating on work. His thoughts were haunted by the events that took place on Titanic.

"Josette, why did you have to lock yourself in?" Viktor mused. "I could've saved you..."

But deep in his heart, Viktor knew that his chances of making it to Lorie before the little girl drowned would have been slim to none.

"Why did she have to jump out of that lifeboat?" Viktor frowned at the memory. "If she had just stayed put with Ana... Josette would have survived."

Viktor remembered the fight between Lorie and Josette earlier that last evening. The little girl was late to dinner in the first class dining room; and not just a bit late, but close to an hour. Josette had been furious with her and insisted on returning to their cabin. But Lorie was her usual stubborn self and refused to move from her seat at the table. Josette grabbed Viktor's arm and dragged him back to their suite, leaving Lorie to eat all alone. Of course, a little later, Viktor had decided to go and check up on their daughter, leaving Josette to sleep. She had developed a migraine headache and was feeling under the weather.

When Viktor had returned to the dining saloon, he found Lorie digging into a nice filet mignon. She greeted him serenely, as though nothing had happened.

"Lorie, you need to behave around your mother," Viktor had scolded her.

"Why? She was being mean! She wanted me to go to bed without dinner," Lorie protested.

"And that's because she asked you to be back in the cabin by six. Our reservations were for six-thirty," Viktor reminded her. "And did you?" He arched an eyebrow.

Lorie shook her head. "No... I lost track of time. Mary and I were having so much fun! I didn't think it would be a big deal..."

"Well... it was... to your mother," Viktor replied. "And then, to make things worse, you took over forty-five minutes to get ready."

"I told you why! I couldn't find the right shoes," Lorie argued.

Viktor sighed. "Look. All I'm saying is that you need to be more responsible. And if your mother tells you something, you should listen to her."

Lorie scowled. "So you only came back to yell at me?"

"I'm not yelling," Viktor scoffed. "Believe me... if I were... you'd know it... and so would everyone else in here."

"Alright... I'll apologize to Maman when we go back to the cabin," Lorie conceded. "But can I have dessert first?"

Lorie's charming dimpled smile always had an effect on Viktor. He couldn't refuse her.

"Sure... I'll stay here with you while you finish your dinner," he told her.

Lorie took extra long to peruse the dessert menu, changing her mind at least four times before picking the molten chocolate lave cake.

"That will take an additional twenty minutes," the waiter informed them. "We make it fresh, from scratch. But it's the best dessert we serve on the ship," he winked at Lorie. "Good choice!"

Viktor checked his watch. It was nine o'clock at night and past Lorie's bedtime.

"You'll have to put a step on it," Viktor addressed Lorie. "Josette will worry if we don't go back soon."

"I thought you said she was feeling really sick and didn't want to be disturbed," Lorie widened her hazel eyes innocently. "Plus... tomorrow is my birthday," she added slyly. "So... I was hoping I could stay up and wait for midnight..."