William did not visit the next day. Alice found herself deeply disappointed as the doors to the dentistry opened and closed throughout the day but never bid him entry. Patrons of the old man came and went, and Alice welcomed them, filed away their paperwork, and bid them goodbye. Much as her routine had been for the two years since she had begun her employment under the old man. She found the work which had become so familiar to her strangely difficult today. Her hands remembered exactly what to do, and truthfully her muscle memory was what carried her through the day. But oh, her mind was elsewhere. Alice thought of William, wondering if he was simply too busy to come by and visit today or if his father's disinterest in him had finally broken his poor spirits and sent him away for good. I certainly hope not. Alice thought as she sighed deeply. She wondered why she cared so much. How did she come to be embroiled in this prodigal son's story? She felt odd for caring so deeply. It is not as though the old man were her father. They were of no relation. And she had only known William for a few weeks, he was still practically a stranger to her. And yet. He occupied much of her thoughts as she filed away paperwork and found herself missing him.
At closing time, Alice finally got a good long hard look at the old man. She had caught glimpses of him throughout the day as she sent and received patients back and forth as though they were playing a game of medical red rover. Now that she could see him clearly, he seemed tired. More so than tired, she realized, he seemed sad. He was not the kind to appreciate prying questions or pitying remarks, and Alice was not sure what exactly she could say to him. Perhaps I am mistaken, she thought, or perhaps he feels Williams's absence as deeply as I do. The old man nodded to Alice as he walked past. "Well, I suppose it is just the two of us, then." He said. "Yes, sir, it certainly looks that way," Alice replied. The old man peered at her owlishly over the tops of his glasses. "Did my son happen to tell you when he would return?" "No, he did not, I'm afraid." Alice sighed. The old man sighed with her. The pair sat in somber silence at the small dining table as they ate their sandwiches and eggs. Alice had always felt a sense of kindred likemindedness with the old man. She appreciated how the two of them never felt the need to speak and were comfortable existing in silence beside each other. She could tell that he appreciated it as well. However, as she caught him glancing at the vacant waiting room chair that sat empty at the table, Alice knew the old man found the silence, as she did. It was a heavy silence. An empty silence. They finished their supper and bid each other goodnight as Alice rose to lock the dentistry up for the night. Putting on her coat and stepping out into the cold night.
Alice had just reached the front gate and touched her key to the lock when suddenly, she heard a tremendous WHOOSHING sound as though a great bird were flying just overhead. Alice ducked instinctively. Dropping to her knees in the snow. Then, she heard the sound of merry laughter. Sweetly familiar laughter. Laughter that made her heart race just a little. There was a heavy crashing sound nearby, just outside the gate. The moon offered her little aide as she strained to see where he had fallen. "William? Is that you? Are you all right?" She called out. William called back to her, laughing. "I am all right, Alice! Come and see!" Alice followed the sound of his voice past the gate, as her eyes tried their best to adjust to the near darkness. There, in the moonlight, stood William. A maroon silhouette inside of what appeared to be a giant glass box. William tipped his hat to her and bowed with a deep and grand flourish. "A promise is a promise! If I may be so bold, I would very much like to take you to see my wonderous factory!" Alice could do nothing but smile at him. "What in the world are you standing in, William?" she asked. It looked like a call box, only all four sides were oddly sheer, as though they were made of glass. But surely they aren't. Alice thought. They couldn't be. William laughed, "This, my dear Alice, is our mode of transportation for the excursion this evening! How else could we possibly arrive besides in my miraculous glass elevator!"
