Love, Rosie (217 page)

mean,
you
and
Dad
have
done
nothing
but
travel
for
the
past
year,
you

haven’t
been
in
one
country
for
more
than
a
few
weeks
at
a
time
but
you
are

both
more
settled
than
me,
and
I
haven’t
left
for
the
past
year.
You
both

know
where
you
want
to
be.
I
suppose
that’s
because
you
have
each
other

and
anywhere
Dad
is
feels
like
home
to
you.

I’ve
learned
that
home
isn’t
a
place,
it’s
a
feeling.
I
can
make
the
flat
look

as
pretty
as
I
can,
put
as
many
flower
boxes
on
the
window
sills
as
I
want,

put
a
welcome
mat
outside
the
front
door,
hang
a
Home
Sweet
Home
sign

over
the
fireplace,
and
take
to
wearing
aprons
and
baking
cookies,
but
the

truth
is
that
I
know
I
don’t
want
to
stay
here
forever.

326

Cecelia
Ahern

It’s
like
I’m
waiting
at
the
train
station,
busking
to
make
a
few
quid,
just

enough
to
catch
the
next
train
out
of
here.
And
of
course
the
most
important

thing
to
me
is
Katie
and
everywhere
I
am
with
her
should
feel
like
home,
but

it
doesn’t
because
it’s
up
to
me
to
make
the
home
for
her.
I
know
that
Katie

is
going
to
leave
in
a
few
years
and
she
won’t
need
me
like
she
does
now.

I
have
to
set
my
own
life
up
for
when
Katie
goes.
I
need
to
set
my
own

life
up
for
when
Katie
goes
because
I
don’t
see
any
Prince
Charmings
coming

along
to
rescue
me.
Fairy
tales
are
such
evil
little
stories
for
young
children.

Every
time
I’m
in
a
mess
I
expect
a
long-haired
posh-speaking
man
to
come

trotting
into
my
life
(on
a
horse
of
course,
literally
trotting
himself
.
.
.
)

Then
you
realize
you
don’t
want
a
long-haired
posh-speaking
man
trotting

into
your
life
because
he’s
the
one
who
put
you
in
the
bloody
mess
in
the
first

place.

I’m
like
Katie’s
coach
right
now,
gearing
her
up
for
the
big
fight.
She’s

hardly
thinking
of
life
after
me,
sure
she
has
her
dreams
of
traveling
the

world
and
DJ-ing
for
a
living
without
me
but
the
without
me
part
hasn’t
hit

her
yet.
And
so
it
shouldn’t,
she’s
only
fourteen.
Anyway
she
is
not
up
to

making
her
own
decisions
yet,
and
I’ve
put
my
foot
down
on
the
quitting

school
idea.

Although
lately
I
haven’t
had
to
force
her
out
of
bed
in
the
mornings

because
of
John,
this
new
boyfriend
of
hers.
The
pair
of
them
are
insepara-