Love, Rosie (205 page)

same
thing
when
we
were
growing
up.
Do
you
know
that
she

thought
Alex
was
your
dad?

Katie:

Rosie:

Katie:

Rosie:

Katie:

Rosie:

Katie:

Rosie:

Katie:

Did
she?

Anyway
I
told
her
that
Brian
was
your
father
and
she
couldn’t
stop

laughing
.
.
.
Actually
perhaps
this
isn’t
a
story
to
tell
you.

Oh
so
she’s
your
“friend”
now?

No,
not
exactly
my
bosom
buddy
friend,
you
know
what
I
mean.

She’s
a
work
colleague
that
I
get
along
with.

Wait
till
Alex
hears
you
saying
that,
he’ll
drop
dead
with
the
shock.

I’ll
let
you
tell
him.

Oh
I
forgot
you
two
still
aren’t
talking.

Yes
well,
it’s
a
long
story
honey.

People
who
say
it’s
a
long
story
mean
it’s
a
stupid
short
one
that

they’re
too
embarrassed
and
couldn’t
be
bothered
to
tell.
Why
don’t

you
talk
to
him?

love,
rosie

309

Rosie:

Because
I
don’t
care
about
what
he
does
anymore.
What
he
does

with
his
life
is
his
own
mistake
and
I
have
nothing
to
do
with
it

now.
Anyway
he
doesn’t
want
to
hear
about
what
I
have
to
say.

Katie:

Rosie:

Katie:

Rosie:

Katie:

Rosie:

Katie:

Rosie:

Our
neighbor
Rupert
says,
“Mistakes
are
the
portals
of
discovery.”

Rupert
doesn’t
say
that.
James
Joyce
did.

James
who?
Do
I
no
him?

He’s
dead.

Oh
sorry,
did
you
no
him
well?

What
on
earth
are
they
teaching
you
at
school?

At
the
moment
it’s
sex
education.
It’s
boring
as
hell.

I
would
have
to
agree
with
you
on
that
one.
Anyway
back
to
Alex,

he
has
just
changed
as
a
person,
love.
He’s
not
the
man
I
used
to

know.
He’s
different.

Katie:

He’d
bloody
want
to
be,
he
was
5
years
old
and
drooling
when
you

first
met
him.
If
Toby
is
still
acting
like
a
14-year-old
when
we’re

your
age
then
I’ll
worry.

Rosie:

Oh
don’t
worry
Katie,
I’m
sure
Toby
will
grow
up
to
be
a
mature

friend
and
family
oriented
dentist.
But
just
as
a
warning,
be
pre-

pared
to
meet
many
30-year-old
men
who
still
think
they’re
14

years
old.
Your
father
being
a
prime
example
.
.
.

Katie:

Yeah,
yeah,
yeah.
I’ve
heard
all
this
before.
Dad’s
coming
home
for

Christmas
you
no.
He
asked
me
to
ask
you
if
you
we
would
eat

Christmas
dinner
with
him
and
his
parents.
Seeing
as
it’s
only
you

and
me
this
year
anyway
I
thought
it
would
be
a
great
idea.

Rosie:

Katie: