I cradled the steaming cups of cocoa in my hands as I rocked from heel to toe, waiting for Alice to finish changing.

I'd woken up early that morning and left a note for a soundly sleeping Tom explaining my plans to do a bit of writing before popping by the hospital. With my notebook tucked in my purse—and my security guard, Toni, subtly in step behind me—I strolled along the River Thames until finding a cozy looking café to have a coffee and pastry.

I wrote for nearly an hour, my concentration only broken by a text from Alice begging me to come to the hospital as quick as I could. On instinct, I flew for a cab—completely abandoning Toni in the process—barely managing to sputter coherent directions to the driver.

As I sprinted down the hospital corridor, images of a pain stricken Alice flashed across my vision: eyes clamped shut, heavy shadows cloaking her visage, her lower lip trembling.

It took all of my self-control not to burst through the door. Somehow, I managed to take a deep steadying breath before raising my fist to knock lightly on the door.

At the sound of my rapping, the door flew open.

I blinked several times, unable to take in the beaming figure standing in front of me.

"A-Alice?"

"Oh Emma, isn't it wonderful?" She practically sang.

I blinked again as she began twirling about the room, her hospital gown lifting almost as if it were a tutu.

"How... what?" I finally managed.

"I feel extraordinary!" She proclaimed as she stumbled into a chair.

I rushed to catch her, but she merely waived me off. "Oh Emma, I'm fine. Really!"

"The doctors warned you about bruising—"

I started but she cut me off with another twirl. "Oh what do they know anyways!"

"Quite a bit I should think..."

Alice suddenly caught both my hands in her cold grasp. "Emma, you must free me from this horrible room. Let's go on an adventure!"

"I was writing when I got your text. I've nearly finished with the—"

"No, not a make believe adventure. A real one! This place feels like a dungeon. I want to escape to the outside world—the real world!"

A movement in the doorway caught my eye, and I looked up to notice a middle-aged couple both of Asian descent suddenly standing in the doorway. The man had his arm hooked around the much smaller woman's waist. He nodded in silent greeting to me, but the woman kept her watery eyes trained on her daughter.

"It's awfully cold out..." Her mother began.

"I'm sure we could find some proper clothes round here somewhere," the man quietly assured her.

Without hesitating, I pulled off my hat, gloves, and coat. Alice accepted them excitedly and immediately turned to her mother to ask for help getting dressed.

I excused myself then and offered to scrounge up some warm drinks for us to take with us on our adventure.

I grinned guiltily across the corridor at Toni. "I really am sorry for ditching you."

The corner of his lip twitched slightly, but he shook his head dismissively. "Not to worry, Ma'am."

"Emma, please." I tried for what felt like the hundredth time.

"Ma'am," he insisted politely.

I let out a breath. "Will you be joining us on your adventure?"

He nodded silently.

"You should prepare yourself then," I teased as I leaned back against the wall. "She'll find you endlessly amusing."

"She'll find who to be endlessly amusing?" Alice chirped as she stepped out into the hallway buried in multiple layers of scarves and jackets.

I couldn't help but smirk. "You look ready to do battle."

She rolled her eyes dramatically. "Mum insisted."

I handed her her drink. "Ready to go then?"

She nodded eagerly and took a long sip of her cocoa. Her wide smile was adorned with a delighted whipped cream mustache.

"Off we go!" She announced as she skipped down the hallway.

"Ma'am..."

I glanced in question to Toni, but shook my head immediately when I saw his offer of his coat. "No, I couldn't—"

"It's cold, Ma'am."

"My point exactly—"

"I have a spare in the car."

I narrowed my eyes in consideration. "If I accept your jacket, will you call me by my name?"

"No, Ma'am."

I did my best impression of Alice's trademark dramatic sigh.

"But you'll avoid pneumonia, so there's that."

I snorted, but accepted the jacket all the same. "Thank you, sir."

***

The air was bitterly cold outside, which only seemed to further cheer Alice. We wrapped our arms around each other and stumbled down the damp sidewalks, stopping every so often to take in various shops and displays.

A girl after my own heart, Alice practically pressed her whole body against the window of a small bookshop.

Her breath fogged the glass, but she wiped it clear with my glove. "Someday our book will be on their shelves, too."

"Wouldn't that be something," I mused along with her.

Alice stood frozen for several minutes. When she finally spoke, her voice was so soft I barely made it over the sounds of cars whizzing down the busy street.

"I-I know extraordinary people die all the time, but... I just... I don't think I'm one of their number anymore."

I nodded, my cheeks immediately dampening as I wrapped my arm tightly around her bony shoulders.

"You know, I never doubted it for the world."