BooksBarbecue
Back The Falling in Love Montage Save as PDF
Chapters (45)
  1. Cover
  2. Dedication
  3. 1.
  4. 2.
  5. 3.
  6. 4.
  7. 5.
  8. 6.
  9. 7.
  10. 8.
  11. 9.
  12. 10.
  13. 11.
  14. 12.
  15. 13.
  16. 14.
  17. 15.
  18. 16.
  19. 17.
  20. 18.
  21. 19.
  22. 20.
  23. 21.
  24. 22.
  25. 23.
  26. 24.
  27. 25.
  28. 26.
  29. 27.
  30. 28.
  31. 29.
  32. 30.
  33. 31.
  34. 32.
  35. 33.
  36. 34.
  37. 35.
  38. 36.
  39. 37.
  40. 38.
  41. Acknowledgments
  42. About the Author
  43. Books by Ciara Smyth
  44. Back Ad
  45. About the Publisher

“What kind of classic are you thinking?” I asked. “I feel like people always go ice-skating in these films, but we don’t have an ice rink. And it’s June.”

“That’s a ‘Christmas film in New York’ classic. We’re doing summer by the beach. And that? Has to be a funfair.”

“How convenient,” I said. “We have a funfair here every summer.” I hadn’t been in a while. Honestly, getting whiplash and nausea gets old after a few years. With Ruby, it could be fun, though. It would be cool to get our grope on in the hall of mirrors.

“Of course you do.” Ruby got out of her chair, stood in front of me, and tugged on the fabric of my top to pull me close. She kissed me softly. I rested my hands on her hips and just as I started to feel the urgent pull to hold her tighter, closer, she broke away.

“It’s a romantic comedy,” she said, finishing her sentence, leaving me wanting more. “In rom-coms people bust out coordinated dance routines, they run through airports without being stopped by security, and they come up with perfect speeches on the spur of the moment. Do you really think we’d have to try to find something as basic as a funfair?”

8.

Saturday morning after Ruby’s birthday, before I’d even got a chance to go see Mum, Dad begged me to go view a flat with him. You see, with the exams over, I had decided to switch up my schedule and visit Mum first thing. I had always gone after school during the week, but mornings are better for people with dementia. The doctors don’t know why, but in the evening they become more agitated. Part of me felt guilty that I was avoiding seeing that side of her, but I didn’t dwell on it. It was better for her too, less upsetting. I also didn’t like when my visits overlapped with Dad’s and he always visited in the evening after work. There was something about being together as a family that felt like a lie. Especially when I knew about Beth and Mum didn’t and couldn’t understand. Now with the engagement, it was ten times worse. Every moment I let Dad pretend that “Dad and Beth” and all the changes they were making were normal, it was like I was complicit. I thought I should be engaged in some kind of nonstop protest, but I wasn’t. Sure, I grumbled and I made snide comments, but Mum deserved better than that.