Love, Rosie (201 page)

learned
that
his
daughter
was
pregnant
and
that
the
fool
who
was

responsible
wouldn’t
marry
her?
Oh
the
shame
that
would
bring
on

the
family,
how
the
people
would
talk.
He
would
just
have
to
let
you

go
from
the
hospital,
have
a
few
words
with
his
fellow
colleagues

on
the
hospital
board,
and
bye,
bye
Alex.

But
at
least
now,
she’s
got
the
ring
on
her
finger
and
you’ve
got
the

job
promotion
and
we
can
all
live
happily
ever
after.

Alex:

Rosie:

Not
everybody
walks
away,
Rosie.
They
might
in
your
life,
but
not

in
mine.

Alex,
for
Christ
sake!
Not
marrying
Bethany
isn’t
“walking
away.”

As
long
as
you’re
there
for
the
child
then
you’re
not
walking
away.

You
don’t
have
to
marry
her!

Alex:

Look
I’m
fed
up
with
all
this
Rosie,
with
you
constantly
checking

up
on
me,
me
having
to
explain
everything
to
you.
You’re
not
my

wife
or
my
mother
so
give
it
a
rest.
Who
says
I
have
to
run
all
my

life
decisions
by
you
anyway?
I’m
tired
of
you
nagging
at
me
and

moaning
at
me
about
people
I
see
and
places
I
go.
I
can
make
deci-

sions
on
my
own
you
no.
I’m
a
grown
man.

Rosie:

Alex:

Then
for
once
in
your
life
ACT
LIKE
ONE!

Who
are
you
to
insult
me
and
lecture
me
when
you
haven’t
done
a

304

Cecelia
Ahern

thing
right
in
your
life
yourself?
Just
do
me
a
favor
and
don’t
bother

getting
in
touch
until
you
have
something
decent
to
say.

Rosie:

Fine!
Well
then,
I
think
you’ll
find
you’ll
be
waiting
a
long,
long

time.

Rosie
has
logged
off

Alex:

No
change
there
then.

Phil:

Alex:

Phil:

Alex:

Phil:

Alex:

Phil:

What
are
you
doing?

You
no
what
I’m
doing.

Why
are
you
marrying
her?

Her
name
is
Bethany.

Why
are
you
marrying
Bethany?

Because
I
love
her.

Really?
Because
last
time
you
stepped
into
the
virtual
confessional

box,
you
told
me
you
were
planning
on
ending
your
relationship.
Why

do
you
feel
you
have
to
do
this?
Is
her
dad
putting
pressure
on
you?

Alex:

Phil:

Alex:

Phil:

No,
no,
no.
There’s
no
pressure.
I
want
to
do
this.

Why?

Why
the
hell
not?
Why
did
you
marry
Margaret?

I
married
Margaret
because
I
love
every
inch
of
the
woman
with
all

my
heart
and
plan
to
be
with
her
for
the
rest
of
my
life,
through

sickness
and
in
health,
till
death
do
us
part.
She
is
my
best
friend,
we