LOGINALICEAt first, I had a hard time believing that he was standing right in front of me.I blinked a few times and tried readjusting myself on the bed to make sure I was awake and that this wasn't just my imagination. Sure enough, my vision cleared up and he was still standing there. On top of that, he was calling my name. "Alice? Alice, look at me."I couldn't. "Alice."I felt his warm hand on my cheek, and only then did I look up. His eyes were teary and his face was only inches away from mine. When his forehead touched mine, something inside of me twisted almost painfully. Was I dreaming? Had I completely lost my mind? I wanted to ask him what he was doing here, but I was terrified that if I spoke, this moment would disintegrate right before my eyes and I'd be thrust back into reality. A reality where he hated my guts and was in love with his ex. "If I'd known," he suddenly began, "I would have never moved forward with this plan."Known what? His other hand reached for mine and
ALICEI decided that the best time to leave would be when there were still guests around and both Francesca and Thelma were busy, so they wouldn’t ask me too many questions. Sneaking around like this felt so wrong, but at this point, I knew I had to take action and listen to my heart. So, I turned to Rory and told him I’d be right back, then I nervously made my way to the door. I caught Thelma’s eye and she gave me a questioning look. I mouthed that I’d be right back, but looked away quickly so she wouldn’t approach me with questions I wouldn’t be able to answer. My anxiety was sky-high as I got in my car, started it, and backed out of the parking space. God, I had no idea what to expect moving forward, but I had a hell of a lot of hope. That was what I held onto as I drove to his place. Many things could go wrong with this impulsive plan of mine, starting with the fact that he might not even be home. I told myself that if he wasn’t, I wouldn’t wait for him—I’d turn this car arou
ALICEThough Rory and I spent weeks preparing for this moment, I couldn’t pay attention to anything for longer than a minute because my thoughts kept drifting back to Theo.When I saw him talking to Rory, something inside of me twisted into a tight and painful knot, but I ignored it and moved on. But after finding out that he asked about me? That he told Rory that he was my husband? I couldn’t stop thinking about that. How could I? Who would?Every time I looked at Thelma, she would look away, and we hadn’t exchanged a single word in a little over an hour and a half. Francesca’s guests all seemed to be enjoying themselves. The atmosphere was really pleasant and all in all, I believed our treats had been a success. But I was so focused on Theo that I couldn’t savor the moment the way I wanted to. Was I delusional to think that his words meant more than what they were? That maybe, he was getting his memory back? Why would someone who hated me approach my brother and ask him about me?
ALICEOpening day came sooner than I expected and I was a nervous wreck all morning. Thelma was right beside me, assuring me that I had no reason to worry and that everything was going great, but then we ran out of icing sugar to make more frosting and I had to go get some. It had to be me because Thelma was helping out with the decorations along with the staff Francesca hired, and Francesca wasn't around because she had an appointment. There was no one else who could go. "You're sure you're okay to drive?" Thelma asked me as I headed toward the door with my car keys in my hand. It was more convenient to do things myself rather than to wait around for the driver, so I was driving again. "Yeah. Why wouldn't I be?""You seem a little tense.""I'm fine. Once we have icing sugar, we'll be able to finish up the rest of the donuts. I'll be back in a few."We had tons of ingredients, but Rory and I spent so much time testing out different frostings that we ran out and I forgot to mention
ALICEI tried not to think about that article as the days came and went, but I was having a really hard time. Why? Why was I so shocked when I had an idea of how things between Theo and me would end? He couldn’t remember me. He couldn’t even stand to look at me. I knew Carmella had been circling him, waiting for the perfect time to pounce. Which was ironic, since she had so bitterly told me that Theo discarded people when he was finished with them. If only I’d known that I would experience the same thing not too long after she uttered those words…It was almost like she had cursed me. But I didn’t believe in curses. This was just a harsh reality that I would have to come to terms with one way or another. I delayed telling Francesca about the pregnancy because she seemed pretty upset by the article, and I even overheard her asking Oliver how Theo could do something so stupid. “This is taking it too far,” I heard her say. I was just leaving my bedroom to head into the kitchen for
ALICEThe appointment with the doctor went better than I could've expected and I left his office feeling so much better."See?" Thelma said to me as she pulled me closer. She had a big smile on her face. "I told you everything would work out, didn't I?"The doctor said I didn't have much to worry about. Though there were risks, he assured me that there was a high chance my baby would be okay. That relieved me beyond belief.It was one less thing I had to worry about, that was for sure. Now, I could focus on other things. Finding a place to stay was at the top of that list, but last night, Francesca told me that she'd be offended if I left her home so quickly. "There's no point at all!" she had argued. "I have a lot of room and I could use the company, too. Besides, I don't think it's right for you to be alone right now, Alice. You've been through a lot. Let someone take the reins every once in a while."I hadn't told her about the pregnancy yet, but I was considering telling her ton







