Love, Rosie (37 page)

Katie
was
terrified
of
all
the
noise
(she
just
can’t
be
my
daughter),
and
she

spent
the
night
screaming
her
head
off.
So
I
had
to
sit
up
with
her
all
night.

Eventually
everyone
started
to
leave
the
house
at
about
6
or
7
A
.
M
.,
and
I
was

starting
to
fall
asleep
when
I
was
jerked
awake
by
a
little
monster
jumping

on
me
and
demanding
food.

So
anyway
I
think
what
I’m
trying
to
say
is
that
I
wasn’t
in
the
greatest

mood
for
what
arrived
on
my
doorstep.
I
had
a
pounding
headache,
I
was
so

tired
and
after
cleaning
the
mess
downstairs
(which
is
fine
because
it
is
Mum

and
Dad’s
house
after
all
and
they
are
kindly
letting
me
stay
rent-free
so
I’m

62

Cecelia
Ahern

not
complaining
about
them)
I
just
wanted
peace
and
quiet
and
a
bit
of
sleep.

But
the
card
came.

The
happy-new-year-make-me-gag
card.

On
the
front
was
a
lovely
little
picture
of
Alex
and
Sally
all
dressed
up

warmly
in
their
winter
coats
and
hats
and
gloves
etc.
.
.
.
they
were
standing

outside
in
a
park
that
was
covered
in
snow
with
their
arms
wrapped

around
.
.
.
a
snowman.
A
bloody
snowman.

They
looked
so
sickeningly
happy.
Two
little
happy
Harvard-heads.

Uugh.

How
sad
is
it
to
send
a
photo
of
yourself
and
your
boyfriend
building
a

snowman???
Very
very
very
sad.
That’s
how
sad.
And
to
send
it
to
me,
espe-

cially!!
The
cheek!

I
should
have
sent
them
a
photo
of
me
and
.
.
.
me
and
.
.
.
George
(the

lollipop
man
and
the
only
man
I
seem
to
speak
to
these
days)
standing
out-

side
in
the
freezing
cold
jumping
in
puddles.
That’s
how
pointless
that
would

have
been
to
them!

Oh
god,
I’m
rambling
on
and
on.
Sorry.
I
have
to
go
before
Katie
fin-

ishes
the
last
of
that
red
wine
in
the
bottle
on
the
floor.

Oh,
by
the
way.
It
was
great
to
meet
your
boyfriend
after
all
this
time,

he’s
a
really
nice
guy.
You
two
should
come
home
more
often,
it
was
fun

speaking
to
people
closer
to
my
age
for
a
change.

Happy
new
year.
Whoever
thought
of
that
expression?

Love,
your
festive
and
extremely
joyous
younger
sister,
Rosie.

TO
ROSIE,

HAPPY
BIRTHDAY,
MY
FRIEND!

WELCOME
TO
THE
WORLD
OF
25
YEAR
OLDS!
WE
ARE
GETTING
OLD,

ROSIE!

WRITE
TO
ME
MORE
OFTEN!

LOVE
ALEX

TO
ALEX

YOU
ARE
IVNITED
TO
MY
7TH
BRITHDAY
PARTY
ON
THE
4TH