Love, Rosie (104 page)

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Rosie

Alex

Grown-ups

What
are
the
two
of
us
like?
I
was
going
to
say
who
knew
we’d
be
going

through
so
much
“grown-up
stuff”
but
I
don’t
consider
you
going
through
a

divorce
and
me
trying
to
pick
up
the
pieces
of
my
marriage
grown-up.
I

think
we
both
had
it
pretty
much
sussed
when
we
were
playing
cops
and

robbers
in
the
back
garden.
It’s
all
been
downhill
from
there!

The
weather
has
been
beautiful
over
here
for
the
past
few
weeks.
I
love

June
in
Dublin.
The
gray
buildings
seem
less
gray,
the
unhappy
faces
seem

brighter.
It
is
so
hot
here
at
work
though.
The
entire
front
of
the
hotel
build-

ing
is
built
from
glass
and
it
feels
like
we’re
working
in
a
greenhouse
on
days

like
today.
It’s
such
a
contrast
to
our
winter
months
when
the
sound
of
the

fat
raindrops
hitting
off
the
glass
echoes
around
the
quiet
foyer.
It’s
a
pretty

sound
but
sometimes
the
hailstones
are
so
loud
and
forceful,
threatening
to

smash
through
the
glass.
Right
now
I’m
staring
up
at
a
rich
blue
sky
dotted

with
white
candy-floss
grazing
sheep.
It
is
beautiful.

Convertible
sports
cars
have
their
tops
down
and
music
is
blaring,
busi-

nessmen
have
been
casually
strolling
down
the
street
past
the
hotel,
with

their
jackets
slung
over
their
shoulders
and
their
shirtsleeves
rolled
up,
reluc-

162

Cecelia
Ahern

tant
to
get
back
to
the
office.
The
college
students
have
all
seemingly
decided

to
call
off
their
plans
to
attend
lectures
to
flake
out
in
large
circles
in
the

park.
The
ducks
are
gathering
by
the
edge
of
the
pond,
glad
they
won’t
have

to
search
for
their
own
food
today.
Mounds
of
soggy
uneaten
bread
float
on

the
surface
of
the
water
waiting
to
be
pecked
at.

A
flirting
couple
chase
each
other
around
the
large
water
fountain
catch-

ing
its
cool
spray
on
their
bare
arms
and
legs
in
order
to
cool
their
body
tem-

peratures.
Couples
in
love
stretch
out
together
on
the
grass
and
gaze

longingly
into
each
other’s
eyes.
Children
avail
of
the
playground
while
their

parents
relax
in
the
sun
keeping
one
eye
shut
and
one
eye
lazily
focused
on

their
excited
offspring
who
squeal
with
delight.

Shop
owners
stand
at
the
entrance
doors
to
their
empty
shops
watching

the
world
go
by.
Office
workers
gaze
dreamily
out
of
the
window
from
the

desks
high
up
in
their
clammy
stuffy
offices
enviously
watching
the
city