Where Rainbows End (16 page)

Didn’t you get my letter?

from:

Rosie

to:

Alex

subject:

Letter?

What’s this about a letter? Maybe it’s just delayed in the post; I’ll probably get it soon. When did you send it?

142

Cecelia Ahern

Dear Alex,

Thank you for coming over for Mum’s birthday party and thanks for my present too.

She was real sad before you came over but I think you made her a bit happier. I have to go because teacher is looking at me.

From,

Katie

Dear Katie,

Thanks for the letter. I hope you didn’t get into any trouble at school for writing to me. I’m glad you liked your presents. Tell Toby I said hi and that I’ll send over that baseball gear for him soon.

How is your mum? How is everything at home? Do you no what a Skye is by any chance?!

Love,

Alex

from:

Alex

to:

Rosie

subject:

My letter

I didn’t post the letter; I left it on the kitchen table in your house just before I left to go to the airport. Didn’t you get it?

Dear Alex,

Toby is real excited about the baseball stuff. Things are kinda getting back to normal again. Greg only sleeps in the spare room some nights now.

Mum said he’s there because of his snoring. I don’t believe her because Toby and I put a tape recorder in the room and he doesn’t snore. He sleep talks though! He said, “Don’t send the horses to the rainbow!” It’s true, we have it on tape.

Things are kinda OK but not like before. It was nice when you were here. I prefer to stay in Toby’s house now. By the way, a Skye is a chocolate bar. It’s Mum’s favorite. She loves them. She says she would love a diet of love, rosie

143

Skyes all day. The other day she said she was in love with a Skye then she started kissing it and laughing.

Why do you want to no? Do you want one too? I can post one over if you want if they don’t sell them in Merica. I did that before when I was in England on my holidays and I sent a chocolate bar in the post to Toby because they didn’t sell them here and when he got it, it was all melted and stuck to the paper. He couldn’t read my letter but I was glad because I missed him when I was away and I wrote some silly things and it was imbar-rassing. He is my best friend and I shouldn’t write letters like that.

So should I get you the chocolate bar? Mum says she can’t live without her Skye. She’s a weirdo.

Love, Katie

from:

Alex

to:

Rosie

subject:

My letter

Hi Rosie. It’s really important that I talk to you right now. It’s about the letter. I wrote some really important things in there and I would really love you to read it if you can. Please try and find it?

from:

Rosie

to:

Alex

subject:

Your letter

Hi Alex, I searched the house from top to bottom yesterday when I got home from work. No sign of it. Is everything OK? Can you just e-mail me what it said?

from:

Alex

to:

Rosie

subject:

My letter

Jesus Christ. Rosie, I’ll call you in five minutes.

144

Cecelia Ahern

from:

Rosie

to:

Alex

subject: Your letter

Alex! You can’t call me at work, you’ll get me fired! What is this about?

from:

Alex

to:

Rosie

subject: My letter

So pretend to be talking to a customer, Rosie! I’m serious, answer the phone.

from:

Rosie

to:

Alex

subject: Your letter

Oh hold on, Greg is online. Before you have a heart attack, I’ll see if he’s seen the letter.

from:

Alex

to:

Rosie

subject: My letter

Don’t bloody well ask
him!

You have an instant message from: ROSIE

Rosie:

Greg did you see a letter on the kitchen table for me?

Greg:

A letter? No I think there was just your mobile phone bill and the electricity bill.

Rosie:

No I’m not talking about this morning; I’m talking about two weeks ago on the weekend of my birthday.

love, rosie

145

Greg:

But Rosie you didn’t want me around that weekend. I stayed on the couch in Teddy’s flat, remember?

Rosie:

Oh you poor soul. Of course I fucking remember I thought you might like it seeing as you were sleeping in everybody else’s houses for the past while. I’m not stupid Greg, oh but sorry, I forgot that you thought that I was.

Greg:

Honey I—

Rosie:

Don’t honey me. Did you see the bloody letter or not? You were home on the Monday just after Alex left.

Greg:

No I honestly didn’t see it.

Rosie:

Well there’s a reason not to believe you, Mr. Honesty.

Greg:

Look Rosie we can’t move on if you don’t forgive and learn to trust me again—

Rosie:

Oh go shove your forgiveness up your ass. I don’t have time for another one of these conversations with you. This is very simple.

I’ve got Alex online waiting for me. He left a letter for me. He wants to know if any of us found it. So I’m asking you one more time Greg, did you see the letter or not?

Greg:

No I promise you that I didn’t.

from:

Bill Lake

to:

Rosie

subject: Personal e-mails

I hope they’re business e-mails you’ve been sending for the last half hour Rosie. We’ve got a group of eighty arriving in the next few minutes for the weekend business conference in the De Valera Suite. Lots to do, Rosie.

from:

Rosie

to:

Alex

subject: Your letter

Alex, Greg didn’t see the letter. Maybe you can just write me another 146

Cecelia Ahern

one or ring me later when I’m at home and not when Big Brother is watching me on this stupid bloody security camera pointed right at me. Now both of you men leave me alone before I get fired.

from:

Greg

to:

Alex

subject: Your letter?

I was told you were online so I hope I caught you on time. I happened to have stumbled across something I believe you’re looking for. I would appreciate it if you would stop sending my wife love letters. Something tells me you seem to have forgotten that she’s a married woman. Married to
me,
Alex.

Rosie and I have had our troubles like all marriages do but we are willing to put all that behind us now and give it another chance. You need to understand that none of your letters are going to change that. You said it yourself; you had your chance and you blew it. The moment has passed you by, Alex.

Let’s be realistic here for a minute, Alex. You and Rosie are both thirty.

You’ve known each other since you were five. Don’t you think that in all that time, that if something was supposed to happen with you two, if it was so
meant to be
, that it would have happened by now? Think about it. She is not interested.

I want no further contact with you again; if you set foot in my house I will be only too glad to show how unwelcome you are. To save you the embarrassment, I won’t speak of the contents of your letter again and you’re wrong by the way, I do fully appreciate the fact that Rosie is my wife. She is a wonderful woman, loving, warm, and caring and I am so glad she is the woman that chose to spend the rest of her life with
me
. So you can keep on watching her back walk from you at the altar because she won’t be turning around.

love, rosie

147

from:

Alex

to:

Greg

subject: Rosie

Do you think your ridiculous attempt to scare me off is going to work?

You are a pathetic sad little man. Rosie has a mind of her own and she doesn’t need you making those decisions for her.

from:

Greg

to:

Alex

subject: Re: Rosie

So what are you going to do if she says yes, Alex? What are you going to do? Move to Dublin? Leave Josh behind? Expect Rosie to uproot Katie, leave the job she loves and move to Boston?
Think
, Alex.

You have an instant message from: ALEX

Alex:

She didn’t get the letter Phil.

Phil:

Oh bloody hell, Alex. I told you not to put it in one of those damn letters. You should have just told her. I don’t know why you can’t just use your mouth like the rest of us.

Alex:

Greg found the letter.

Phil:

The idiot husband? I thought they were finished.

Alex:

Evidently not. But it doesn’t change anything, Phil, I still love her.

Phil:

Yeah but she’s
still
married isn’t she? You’re not going to like what I say, and this is just my opinion Alex, and hell knows you never take any advice anyway but I wouldn’t touch another man’s wife. That’s just me.

Alex:

But he’s an asshole Phil!

Phil:

And so are you but you’re my brother and I love you.

Alex:

I’m serious, the guy cheated on her. He’s all wrong for her.

Phil:

Yeah but the difference between now and before is that
now
Rosie knows he cheated on her. She
knows
he’s an asshole. But she’s still 148

Cecelia Ahern

with him. She must really love him Alex. I’d say back off. Just my opinion but I’d say back off.

Alex:

I don’t agree with that Phil.

Phil:

Fine! You’re your own man, do as you wish. I know you want the best for Rosie but you’re being a bit selfish here. Look at it from Rosie’s perspective. She’s just found out that her asshole husband cheated on her, it must have been hard, and for whatever reason she has decided to work it out and stay with him. Then just as she’s getting used to that idea, in waltzes you, the best friend in shining armor, proclaiming your love for her. Do you want to confuse the poor woman even more? Look, if the marriage is a disaster, then it’s a disaster and in a few months it’ll end and Rosie will come to you.

Just don’t be the prick that tries to break up her marriage. She’ll never forgive you for that.

Alex:

So you think I should let it happen naturally. Let her come to me when she’s ready?

Phil:

Something like that. I’m thinking of starting one of those shows that they have on telly. You know one of those advice ones?

Alex:

You’d have me on it every week Phil. Thanks.

Phil:

No probs, now while you go give someone a new heart, I’ll go give a car a new engine. Off with you. Do what you have to do.

Alex has logged off

from:

Rosie

to:

Alex

subject:

Letter?

Alex I searched high and low in the kitchen for your letter, I left no stone unturned and Greg and Katie swear they didn’t lay a finger on it so I don’t know where else it could be. Are you sure you left it there? We were in such a rush to get you to the airport that morning, maybe you forgot. I checked the spare room you were sleeping in. All I found was a T-shirt you left behind, but it’s mine now so you’re not getting it back!

So what was in the letter? You didn’t call me when I got home from work yesterday. You’re really keeping me in suspense, Alex!

from:

Alex

to:

Rosie

subject:

Letter

How are things with you and Greg? Are you happy?

150

Cecelia Ahern

from:

Rosie

to:

Alex

subject:

Greg

Wow, talk about a change of subject. That’s a very direct question.

OK, I know you can sense that he and I are going through a bad phase and I know you’re worried. And I also know that you absolutely can’t stand him, which is really difficult for me because I would really
love
you to see him how I see him.

Deep down, underneath
all
his layers of stupidity, he’s a really good man. He may act out far too many selfish thoughts, says all the wrong things at all the wrong times, but behind closed doors he’s a best friend. I
understand
that he has idiotic tendencies and I can still love him for it. He may not be someone that you feel comfortable sitting next to at a dinner party but for me, he’s someone that I feel comfortable sharing my life with.

I know it’s hard for other people to understand what he’s like. All you see is an overprotective paranoid mess, but god does that make me feel safe and wanted. And his stupidity makes me laugh! We have a long way to go to being the perfect couple, we certainly don’t live the fairy tale marriage, he doesn’t shower me with rose petals and fly me to Paris on weekends but when I get my hair cut, he notices. When I dress up to go out at night, he compliments me. When I cry, he wipes my tears. When I feel lonely, he makes me feel loved. And who needs Paris, when you can get a hug?

Somewhere along the way, without me even noticing, I grew up Alex. For once, I couldn’t take advice from anyone around me about what I should or shouldn’t do. I couldn’t go running to mum and dad and I can’t compare my marriage to anybody else’s, we all follow our own rules. Taking Greg back was my decision to make and I wouldn’t have if I hadn’t felt that Greg, and most importantly that I, had learned something. I
know
that what has happened will never happen again and I really, really believe it. Because if I didn’t feel so sure about our future, there’s no way that I could go through with this.

I have a feeling that’s what was in your letter Alex but don’t worry about me. I’m fine. Thank you, thank you, thank you, for caring about me so much. There aren’t enough friends like you in the world.

love, rosie

151

from:

Alex

to:

Rosie

subject:

Re: Greg