Love, Rosie (148 page)

her
heart
all
over
again.
And
who’ll
be
the
one
who
cleans
up
the

mess?
Me.
I’ll
be
the
one
who
tries
to
mend
my
daughter’s
broken

heart,
I’ll
have
to
pick
up
the
pieces
and
wipe
away
the
tears.
Who’s

going
to
have
to
put
on
the
happy
face,
shrug,
and
say,
“Ah
well,

don’t
worry
my
thirteen-year-old
daughter,
not
all
men
are
shits—

just
all
the
ones
you’ve
ever
known.”

Ruby:

Rosie:

But
Rosie,
it
could
turn
out
really
well.
He
may
have
really

changed.
You
never
know.

You’re
right,
you
never
know.
EVER.
And
another
thing,
how
can

she
get
to
know
her
father
when
we’re
halfway
across
the
other
side

of
the
world?
I
don’t
want
to
stay
here
Ruby.
I
want
out
.
I
want
out

of
this
entire
mess
of
a
life.

Ruby:

It’s
not
a
mess
Rosie.
Life
is
far
from
perfect,
for
everyone.
You’re

230

Cecelia
Ahern

not
the
only
one,
there
isn’t
a
great
big
black
cloud
just
hanging

over
your
head
and
no
one
else’s.
It
just
feels
that
way.
But
it
feels

like
that
for
a
lot
of
people.
You
just
have
to
make
the
most
of
what

you’ve
got
and
you
are
lucky
because
you
have
a
beautiful
daughter

who
is
healthy,
intelligent,
and
funny
and
who
thinks
the
world
of

you.
Don’t
lose
sight
of
that.
If
Katie
wants
to
get
to
know
Brian

then
you
should
support
her.
You
can
still
move
away,
he
can
come

to
see
you—or
if
you
think
it’s
important
enough
to
stay
for,
stay.

Rosie:
Katie
is
going
to
want
to
stay.

Ruby:

Well
that
part
is
your
choice
and
your
choice
alone,
you’re
the

mother.
It’s
only
five
hours
away
anyway.
Airplanes
were
invented

for
fathers
like
Brian
the
Whine.

Rosie:
Last
month,
I
thought
I
was
living
in
paradise.
Life
changed
in
an

instant.

Ruby:

Well
that’s
the
problem
with
paradise—nothing
attracts
a
serpent

quite
like
it.

Dear
Stephanie,

Congratulations
on
the
pregnancy!
I’m
thrilled
for
you
and
Pierre,
I’m

sure
baby
number
two
will
be
a
joy
as
Jean-Louis
has
been.
I’m
assuming

Mum
has
told
you
the
news.
She’s
delighted
I’m
not
moving
to
America

anymore.
Alex
isn’t.
He
cursed
and
swore
and
screamed
every
bad
word

under
the
sun
at
me.
He
thinks
I’m
giving
in
again
and
letting
everyone
walk

all
over
me
so
now
he’s
in
a
huff
and
won’t
speak
to
me.
I
may
have
let
peo-

ple
walk
all
over
me
before
but
not
this
time.
Katie
is
number
one
in
my
life