Meg had gone to bed fairly early that night. After returning to the cabin, she’d gone over everything with Kelly, cried some more, and then read for a bit before falling asleep around seven o’clock. Her exhaustion from the night before had caught up to her at last. A few hours later, a strange sensation jarred her from sleep, and even though she had been resting quite some time, she was suddenly wide awake.She glanced around the darkened room and realized everyone else was still sleeping soundly. The idea of rolling back over and returning to sleep seemed like a good one, but the uneasiness in the pit of her stomach stayed with her, and she decided to go out and investigate.Taking the extra time to change into clothes, she pulled her shawl around her as well and went out into the hallway. There were a few other passengers out and about, all of them with curious expressions on their faces. “Did you feel something, too?” she asked another woman,

Jonathan stood near the lifeboats with Kelly, his arm around her in an attempt to keep her and Baby Lizzy as warm as possible. He frequently checked his pocket watch and looked around for any signs of Charlie, Meg, or Daniel. At 12:45, a flare illuminated the sky above them, with the bursting sound of a firecracker, causing many of the children to squeal in delight. It was a sure sign to Jonathan that this was no drill. The ship was going down. “Let’s scoot forward a bit, Kelly, shall we?” he asked, guiding her closer to the nearest lifeboat.Upon reaching a location nearer what happened to be Lifeboat Number 6, Jonathan saw a familiar face. “Molly,” he said, getting her attention.“Well, if it isn’t my favorite valet,” she smiled. She was dressed in a fur coat and gloves with a hat to match. “Where’s Charlie?” she asked, glancing around.“Looking for Meg.”“And my daughte

Several crewmen aboard Lifeboat Number 16 were rowing them away from the Titanic, afraid it might suck them down when it went under. The further away they got, the more obvious it became that Titanic was floundering quickly now. At this distance, one could easily see just how much of the bow was underwater. Though the water was rising in the stern portion as well, from where Meg sat, it looked as if the frigid Atlantic were about to reach the Boat Deck near the front of the ship.She had come to the realization pretty quickly after being placed in the lifeboat that there was very little chance that Charlie would survive the sinking, particularly if he refused to get on a lifeboat. She had been counting the launches the best she could from where she sat, and it appeared as if only the collapsibles were left. Though her body had begun to shut down, and therefore her tears had dried up, occasionally, she would shutter violently, and if it weren’t for the

As Meg took her first few steps, overwhelming pain shot through her feet and up through her legs. She wondered if, perhaps, she didn’t have some frostbite. But with each step, the pain dulled, and soon she was able to make some semblance of a normal gait. Jonathan had offered his arm, and she could tell he was growing a bit impatient with her as she struggled to keep up, but as she grew stronger, her speed increased, and soon he began to tug on her less as they made their way through the throng of people.“Do you want to speak to Kelly first? She’s just over there?” he asked gesturing across the crowd.Meg could see her friend and her family off in the distance. Though Daniel was very pale, Ruth was dancing around her mother’s feet, and Baby Lizzy was cooing at her. She caught Kelly’s eyes and held them for a second, a small smile flashing between them. “No,” she replied. “Later.”Jonathan seemed reliev

Meg stared down at Charlie through tear-blurred eyes, her body heaving, each breath a struggle. “I’m so sorry, Charlie,” she whispered. “I should have made you get on the boat. I should have prayed harder.” She began to realize there was nothing more that she could say, nothing she could do, and the feel of Jonathan’s hand on her back indicated he thought she needed to go. She couldn’t imagine walking away from Charlie again. She didn’t think she could do it. She began to wish she’d stayed aboard the Titanic as well.“Come along, Meg,” Jonathan said quietly. “Ruth will be missing you.”Of course, there was Ruth. She needed to be strong for Ruth. She nodded, though she still could not tear her gaze from his handsome face. Even in death, his skin pale, his lips blue, he was still so very handsome. “I can’t let go yet, Jonathan,” she said quietly.“All rig