Love, Rosie (293 page)

pidly
been
placed
by
the
end
stair.
She
felt
herself
falling
forward
and
then
a

hand
grab
her
firmly
by
the
arm
to
steady
her.

“I’m
so
sorry,”
the
man
apologized
and
Rosie’s
head
shot
up.
She
took

in
the
man
that
stood
before
her,
nearly
six
feet
in
height
with
dark
hair

that
had
grayed
along
the
sides.
His
skin
was
tired
and
wrinkled
around
the

eyes
and
mouth.
His
eyes
looked
tired,
as
would
anybody’s
who
had
just

spent
four
hours
in
a
car
to
Connemara
after
a
five-hour
flight.
But
those

eyes
sparkled
and
they
glistened
as
the
moisture
inside
them
began
to
well

up.

Rosie’s
eyes
replied
and
filled
up
also.
The
grip
on
her
arm
tightened.

It
was
him.
Finally
it
was
him.
The
man
who
had
written
the
final
letter

she
had
read
that
morning,
begging
her
for
an
answer.

love,
rosie

431

Of
course
after
she
had
received
it,
it
hadn’t
taken
her
long
to
reply
at
all.

And
as
the
magical
silence
once
again
embraced
them,
after
almost
fifty
years,

all
they
could
do
was
look
at
each
other.
And
smile.

Acknowledgments

k

Here
I
go
again
everyone!

There
are
so
many
special
people
who
have
been
instrumental
in
making

this
happen
for
me.

A
huge
thank
you
to
my
editor
Peternelle
van
Arsdale,
Will
Schwalbe,
to

Bob
Miller,
Ellen
Archer,
Beth
Dickey,
and
the
fantastic
team
at
Hyperion
for

their
constant
support
and
belief
in
me.

Thank
you:

Marianne
Gunn
O’Connor,
super-agent
and
friend.

Mom,
Dad,
Georgina,
Nicky,
and
Keano
for
your
love,
support,
advice,

laughter,
friendship
(and
licks
on
the
face!).
We
all
make
a
great
team!

David,
for
taking
every
step
of
this
incredible
journey
with
me.
I
share
it

all
with
you.

After
the
year
that
I’ve
had,
everyone
near
and
dear
to
me
deserves
an

even
bigger
thank
you
than
ever.
I’m
lucky
to
be
surrounded
by
such
a
huge

support
group,
so
special
thanks
to:

Fairy
godmother
Sarah,
Olive,
Enda,
Rita
and
all
the
Kellys,
all
the
Ahern

family,
Susana,
Paula
pea,
Sarah-Jayne,
Adrienne,
Roel,
Ryano
&
Sniff,
Neil

&
Breda
and
the
Keoghans,
Jimmy
&
Rose,
Lucy,
Elaine
&
Joe,
Gail,

Eadaoin,
Margaret,
Gerald
&
Clodagh,
Daithi
&
Brenda,
Shane
&
Gillian,

the
Byrne
family,
Gallaghers
Paul
&
Helen,
Drew
Reed,
Vicki
Satlow.
My

434

Acknowledgments

grandparents
Olive,
Raphael,
Julia,
and
Con,
who
must
be
pressing
magical

buttons
way,
way
up
there.

Thank
you
God,
I
owe
you
(more
than)
one.

To
everyone
who
has
welcomed
my
books
into
their
hearts.
You’ve
all
put

a
smile
on
my
face
and
a
lump
in
my
throat
so
I
thank
you
with
all
my
heart.

And
finally,
thank
you
Rosie
Dunne,
for
nagging
me
all
night,
every
night

until
your
story
was
told.