With love, Alice x

Epilogue: Alice

Alice was kind enough to share her story with me, with a stranger, with someone she only knew for two weeks.

Just like how she met Audrey. Rather than her father or Annie or Stanley who she had knew a lot longer. She told this story to me Elsie, a nurse.

I visited Alice regularly and we continued to write. She was much more poetic and she would tell me beautiful stories.

I met Audrey. She was everything I hoped she would be, just like Alice had described her. She was kind and Alice's face lit up when she saw the two of us walk into the institute together. Although she doesn't talk Alice just holds Audrey's hand and reaches out for mine.

I began work full time at the institute where I had met Alice. My husband Tom approved everything. Alice was an amazing person, having to go through all that and being put in an institute and nobody knows the reason why apart from two city girls who adored a small town wealthy daughter of Louisiana.

I worked there from 1943-1948, I couldn't there work any longer. In 1948, on a hot summer day when Alice decided enough was enough. She died. Her body just shut itself down. No cause, just shut down. She was only 31, but she had lived through enough for 3 lifetimes.

They had a funeral for her, it was in Louisiana, I made the journey down. Only three people turned up to the funeral. Me, Audrey and a man. I hadn't heard of him in the letters she wrote, he was not old enough to be her dad.

After the funeral I met with Audrey and we went to Alice's house in Louisiana.

Everything was as it was 10 years ago, before her family died. Like a time capsule, I saw the wooden toys that were played with by Finley, the soft animals that were obviously adored by Alfie.

Audrey picked up the ball that was in the back yard. I guessed it was the ball Finley had kicked on the beach as it blew away along with Audrey's hat.

A man walked in, he was dressed smartly and carried a small briefcase and some paperwork.

"Audrey Thomas and Elsie Dawson?" He questioned

"Yes," we reply in unison.

"Please take a seat." I move the ball of the couch and onto my lap as I sit. Audrey close to me hooking arms with me. "I am here because Alice had made you the two who share everything she has. You will each split the money and the house and everything that Alice owns."

"What about her sister?"

"She mentions nothing of having a sister or any  family members alive."

"We will sign the house over to you now, you can decide what will be done with it when you decide." We signed the dotted lines and we both decided to never sell the house.

We left Louisiana I returned to Florida and Audrey went back to New York.

I never got to meet the man at the funeral, I don't even know his name. Two years later I arrive back at Louisiana to see the house for the 100th time.

I am greeted by an older woman and a much older man.

"Hello, I'm Annie and this is my father James." I smiled knowing fully who they were.

"Please come in,"  I say "I'm Elsie Dawson, I was a nurse and I cared for Alice whilst at the institute."

The loving smile that Alice had talked about that her father had hit me too, "Its wonderful to met you Elsie." He said.

"I've heard a lot about you sir."

"And I about you."

We spoke of Alice. I loved hearing stories of her.

I wanted to stay forever but I had to get back to Florida to my new job as an assistant nurse at the children's hospital.

As we said our goodbyes, her father handed me a letter. I read it an I immediately knew it was off Alice.  She spoke of how wonderful it was to see her two best friends together and how she never wants us to part that we will need each other.

Her last words were "at least I survived two world wars, with love, Alice X"

A tear fell as I read the letter, but I was happy.

Maybe Alice did hallucinate things but maybe Stanley was great at making things up and maybe he was better at breaking things than he was of fixing things.

I knew, from Alice's sincerity and her words and honesty she wouldn't have hallucinated it, Alice was not crazy.

It was all proven to me when I saw Annies bruises at 36, she still gets hit and beaten, she is pale and bruised and thin, like Alice told me. Unlike the first instance where I imaged Annies dark gold hair and slightly tanned healthy body.

Now it's my 90th birthday. It 2010, I have four children, Alice, Audrey, Jack and Annie. I have 10 grandchildren Finley, Alfie, Archie, James, Tommy, Katie, Laura, Phil, Evie and Grace. And more and more great grandchildren.

I shared every letter and story with everyone of my children. They say the same thing, was she hallucinating, I tell them everytime. I believe she was telling the truth.