Love, Rosie (25 page)

“enceinte”
as
you
would
say
over
there.
Look
at
the
word,
say
it
out
loud,

familiarize
yourself
with
it,
repeat
it
in
your
head,
and
learn
to
never
ever

want
to
be
it.

In
fact,
never
have
sex.
Might
as
well
try
to
completely
eradicate
the

odds.
Trust
me
Steph,
it
is
not
pleasant.
I’m
not
feeling
at
all
at
one
with

nature,
I’m
not
radiating
any
sort
of
magical
motherly
signals,
I’m
just
fat.

And
bloated.
And
tired.
And
sick.
And
wondering
what
on
earth
I
am
going

to
do
when
this
little
one
is
born
and
looks
at
me
and
I
shrug
back.

Glowing,
my
bum.
Smoldering
is
more
like
it.
Alex
has
started
his

wonderful
life
in
college,
people
who
were
at
school
with
me
are
out
tast-

ing
what
the
world
has
to
offer.
I
know
it’s
my
own
fault
but
I
feel
like
I’m

missing
out
on
so
much.
I’ve
been
going
to
these
prenatal
classes
with

Mum
where
they
teach
me
how
to
breathe.
All
around
me
I’m
surrounded

by
couples.
They’re
all
at
least
ten
years
older
than
me
as
well.
Mum
tried

to
start
me
chatting
with
them
but
I
don’t
think
any
of
them
are
too
inter-

ested
in
becoming
friends
with
an
eighteen-year-old
just
out
of
school.

Honestly
it’s
like
some
sort
of
play
group
and
Mum
keeps
trying
to
teach

me
how
to
make
friends.
Mum
told
me
not
to
worry
because
they
were

just
jealous
of
me.
I
don’t
think
the
two
of
us
have
laughed
so
much
for

months.

I’m
not
allowed
to
smoke
and
the
doctor
says
I
have
to
start
eating

my
greens.
I’m
going
to
be
a
mother
and
I’m
still
being
spoken
to
like
a

child.

Lots
of
love,

Rosie

Mr.
Alex
Stewart,

You
are
invited
to
the
christening
of
my
beautiful
baby
daughter
Katie,

as
you
are
the
godfather.
It’s
this
day
month.
Buy
a
suit
and
try
and
look

presentable
for
a
change.

Lots
of
love,

Rosie

46

from
:

to
:

subject
:

Alex

Rosie

Christening

Cecelia
Ahern

It
was
great
to
see
you,
you
look
amazing!
And
you
are
NOT
fat!
Little

Katie
was
a
girl
of
few
words
but
I
am
besotted
with
her.
I
almost
felt
like

stealing
her
and
bringing
her
back
over
to
Boston.

In
fact
that’s
a
lie,
I
really
felt
like
staying
in
Dublin.
I
almost
didn’t
get

back
on
that
flight.
I
love
it
here
in
Boston
and
I
love
studying
medicine.
But