Love, Rosie (216 page)

hotel.
You’re
obsessed
with
them;
your
home
is
like
a
tribute
to

hotel
merchandise.
You
can
barely
open
the
bathroom
door
for
all

the
stolen
mats
in
the
way.
I
can’t
claim
to
understand
your
fascina-

tion
with
them
but
I
know
that
working
in
one
is
an
absolute
dream

for
you.

Most
people
dream
of
becoming
millionaires
or
of
traveling
to

space.
Most
people’s
dreams
are
unattainable.
Yours
isn’t.
It’s
a
very

normal,
everyday
person’s
kind
of
job.

Rosie:
Julie
said
that
if
I
don’t
take
the
course
she’ll
fire
me.
And
she
said

that
when
I
finish
the
course
she’s
firing
me
anyway.

Ruby:

You
need
to
listen
to
her;
she’s
been
a
good
teacher
to
you
over
the

years.

Rosie:
But
Ruby,
it
takes
three
years
to
get
a
degree,
and
it’s
expensive,
and

I’ll
have
to
work
by
day
and
study
by
night.
It’ll
be
tough.

Ruby:

Oh
but,
but,
but
Rosie
Dunne.
What’s
the
problem,
have
you
got

anything
better
planned
for
the
next
three
years
of
your
life?

Dear
Rosie,

Apologies
for
the
delay
in
getting
back
to
you,
the
past
few
months
have

been
very
busy
for
Alex
and
me
indeed.
Adjusting
to
married
life
and
a
new-

born
baby
all
in
a
matter
of
months
is
hard
work.

We
were
delighted
to
receive
your
little
card
and
we
hope
you
and
Katie

are
keeping
well
over
in
Ireland.

Best
wishes,

Bethany
(and
Alex,
Theo,
and
Josh
too)

You
have
an
instant
message
from:
ROSIE

Rosie:
You’re
right
Ruby,
it
doesn’t
look
like
I’ll
be
getting
up
to
all
that

much
for
the
next
three
years
of
my
life.
Why
not
educate
myself?

I’ve
nothing
better
to
do.

chapter
41

k

Hi
Mum,

Winter
again
.
You
would
think
once
in
a
lifetime
would
be
enough,

nobody
even
likes
it.
It’s
scary
how
the
months
fly
by
so
fast.
They
turn
into

years
without
me
even
noticing.
Katie
is
like
my
calendar,
watching
her
grow

and
change.
She
is
growing
up
so
fast,
learning
to
have
opinions
of
her
own,

learning
that
I
don’t
have
the
answers
to
everything.
And
the
moment
a
child

begins
to
understand
that,
you
know
you’re
in
trouble.

I’m
still
on
my
journey,
Mum,
still
caught
in
that
in-between
stage
of
life

where
I’ve
just
come
from
somewhere,
have
left
it
well
and
truly
behind
and

I’m
now
working
my
way
toward
something
new.

I
suppose
what
I’m
trying
to
say
is
that
my
mind
isn’t
settled
yet.
Still.
I