Alicia had just helped win a big case. Things were great with the family, her and Peter hardly thought back to those dark angst filled days when their entire world was turned upside down and the kids had finally settled, accepting things were okay now. She sat smiling to herself at her desk, her eyes falling upon the pictures of her family and the smiling faces of her children. Her phone began to ring and with an almost elated sigh she lifted the receiver.
"Hello" she answered happily.
"Hello Mrs Florrick, there's a young woman here asking for you. Her name is Alice Marsden?" the receptionist replied.
"Did she say what she wanted?" Alicia's brow twisted in curiosity, her eyes holding the happiness in her.
"Advice on a potential case, she's asking specifically for you though"
"Um...okay send her through, thanks Dana" Alicia put the phone down and wandered to the door of her office to greet the girl.
"You alright?" Kalinda asked as she walked by.
"Yeah Dana's just sending someone up to me" Alicia replied with a bright smile.
"Okay" Kalinda smiled back as she carried on walking.
Looking toward the entrance of the offices Alicia's eyes fell upon a young woman. Her hair was dark and skin extremely pale. She was just a little shorter than Alicia but her white dress, black boots and hooded leather jacket made her seem more petite. There was something in the way the girl looked at Alicia that made her seem flawlessly innocent and undoubtedly young. As the girl got closer Alicia could feel her heart beating slightly, and her entire being became overcome with emotion.
"Hey" Alice greeted her with an awkward but kind smile.
Quickly pulling herself from her trance Alicia smiled and stepped into her office "hello, please come in"
With a slight nervousness Alice followed her in. Alicia seated herself behind her desk.
"Please, take a seat" she calmly ushered the girl who had stopped by the door.
"Thank you" was Alice's quiet and kind reply accompanied by a sincere smile.
Curiously Alicia watched the girl with a slight smile as she sat down and took in the room. She noticed how Alice sat with her hands entwined and placed delicately in her lap and how she held a natural light smile.
"So Alice how can I help you" Alicia placed her hands on her desk.
"I" Alice cut off and her eyes widened slightly "I have a ...a case" Alicia took note of the undeniable innocence of Alice's voice and the way voice made her seem incredibly young.
"Okay... Can I ask how old you are?"
"I'm nineteen" Alice gave a slight smile before rummaging in her pocket "here's my ID" she handed her purse to Alicia, opened to show her ID.
Alicia examined it closely "Alice Marsden, 1st November 1991, Chicago" she muttered to herself. Her eyes lingered on that second line and her mind begin to swirl.
"Um is everything okay?" Alice asked softly watching Alicia with curiosity.
The elder looked up to her slightly bewildered "why did you ask for me?"
Alice swallowed nervously "I" she began but she couldn't find the words.
"Who are your parents?" Alicia asked glancing to the card.
"I" Alice began but she stopped herself again "I never had any" unsure what to say after that Alicia simply stared at Alice "I..I've been in foster care my whole life...that's why I'm here and" Alicia glanced to the side before looking into Alicia's eyes "why I chose you"
"Why?" Alicia asked her voice weak.
"I'm sorry" Alice bowed her head sadly and looked to her hands.
"For what?" Alicia couldn't control the love that was held in her voice.
"For doing this" the girl replied sadly, her voice barely audible.
"Doing what sweetheart?" Sweetheart? What am I saying? Alicia thought.
"I think you-you know...they said you left it so that you couldn't find me, but so that I could find you... I struggled for a long time to understand just what that meant, whether you wanted to eventually meet me or whether it was for just in case of emergency" Alice's eyes remained glued to her hands. Alicia let out a long breath and fell back against her seat in shock "I...you have been through a lot...you could do without more scandal...you have your own family but...I just...can you do this one thing for me? Because I know you can" the pain that filled Alicia's chest was indescribable as she saw the look in Alice's eyes when she finally raised her head. A mixture of pain, angst, hurt and sadness took over those two perfect green eyes and it hurt Alicia more than she could describe to see this girl before her in such incredible despair. This girl, her daughter. "I don't expect anything from you" Alice added in the silence "I only ask you to do this for me, and I can pay".
Lost for words wasn't enough to describe Alicia's current state. Her mind swirled and she could barely breathe let alone respond.
"You know what its okay, I was wrong to come, I'm sorry" Alicia watched at how calmly Alice was handling this now, and how politely she spoke as she stood up.
"Wait stop" was Alicia's reply. She stood up as Alice continued to the door "don't go Alice, please"
Alice stopped at the door and bowed her head "I have to go Mrs Florrick" was her simple reply.
"My name's Alicia"
"Alicia" Alice repeated, she opened the door.
"But wait, what's your case?" Alicia stepped forward in hope. Her daughter turned and looked to her confused. "I can help you, I want to. Please, stay"
After standing in thought for a moment Alice swallowed and nodded before returning to the desk. She sat down and rooted in her bag while Alicia watched, now interested in each detail of Alice's face.
"It's all in this" Alice handed her a folder.
Alicia took the folder and unwound the string that held it together "what is your case exactly? Before I look at this"
A darkness fell upon Alice as the hate and sadness came over her "I want to sue my social worker"
The pain came back "why?" Alicia asked quietly, though her knowledge of the flaws in the social care system answered the question for her.
"Malpractice...it's all in there...and there is a diary of all the atta-incidents" Alice looked down at her hands.
"Is it okay if I keep this for now?" Alice nodded "I'll have a look through your notes and we'll see what action we can take"
"You're going to do it?" surprise and disbelief filled the girl's voice.
"Of course I am" was her mother's soft reply.
"Well thank you, how much do I-" Alice took out her purse again.
"You don't" Alicia held her hand up with a smile.
"Please I want to" Alice insisted.
"No no, I won't let you..." Alice smiled and nodded slightly. They sat in silence for a minute.
"Well I have to go..but thank you for looking at that, my number is in there somewhere" Alice fixed her bag against her shoulder and turned to leave.
"Please stay" Alicia stood up as she spoke.
"Everything is in there, I don't know what else I can say" Alice replied confused, nodding to the folder.
"No" Alicia smiled slightly "I...I mean there's things we need to talk about Alice...you're my daughter, I'm your mother"
"Oh" Alice turned to face Alicia again. In an instant the wall she had created fell away and that pure innocence and youth came back into place.
"Can we go for coffee?" Alice shifted slightly "or have you had some lunch?" Alicia looked to her watch "Oh I guess it's a little late for lunch, dinner?"
"My husband's waiting for me" Alice replied softly "but thank you"
"Husband?" Alicia repeated in disbelief.
"We've been together a very long time..." Alice replied with a slight laugh, understanding Alicia's shock.
"Oh right well..." Alicia felt an overwhelming sense of care for the girl before her, and an equally overwhelming sense of sadness in the fact that she knew so little about her. "Is it okay- would it be okay if we did something?" Alice stood for a moment biting her lip.
"I have questions... but no one can know I'm your daughter... it's not fair on you or me" Alicia frowned in confusion "me because of the press, they'll know my business...I can't have that" Alice looked to her hands.
"So?..." Alicia shrugged her shoulders though held a hopeful smile.
Alice matched her smile and laughed lightly "so I'll see you by the Michigan Avenue Bridge tomorrow at 2 o'clock"
"Michigan Avenue Bridge" Alicia repeated happily.
"Alright, I'll see you... thank you Alicia, this means a lot" she gave her mother a grateful and smile and nod.
"It's my pleasure" Alice nodded gratefully, smiling softly to Alicia before leaving.
Alicia watched as her daughter walked away. It felt so wrong not to be with her, not to know the things she knew. This person, who for 9 months she was never without, had a life away from her, 19 years of laughter and tears she'd never get back. And it was with that thought Alicia sighed. She turned and sat at the desk, taking a breath before opening the folder.
As her eyes fell upon the first doctor's report Alicia knew that she was in for a shock. A small note was left above it however, outlining the places Alice had lived and when. Alicia glanced over it before lifting out the first doctor's note. It was dated 1994, Alice had left her first foster home and was staying at a centre for young children without parents. She skimmed most of the letter until she found what she was looking for. A small gasp caught in her throat as she read the first of Alice's injuries; fractured forearm, broken rib, broken finger. A tear fell down her cheek. She lifted the next dated just seven months later, she was still at the centre; bust lip, laceration to cheek. The next was when she was 6, staying with a Mr and Mrs Anderson; fractured skull, broken ankle, broken arm, cracked ribs. Alicia read the report for the incident, the foster parents claiming she had fallen down the stairs. She couldn't read anymore for now. Alicia lifted away the hospital reports and looked underneath. There was a small diary and a small photo album. Carefully Alicia lifted the photo album and placed it on the desk in front of her. She lifted it open softly and smiled at the first pictures she saw. There were four pictures, the first a baby Alice, the others aged 1 and 2. She placed a finger at the corner of Alice's smiling mouth, imagining the way she used to laugh, the things that made her laugh. Alicia turned the page again, there was a picture in the top left of a 2 year old Alice sat on a lady's knee smiling brightly, the others were school photos aged 3, 4 and 5. The contrast between the first and the rest of the pictures was extreme. A light clearly absent in the girl's eyes and with that Alicia felt the pain wash over her again. She turned the page once more and froze at the sight. Three pictures focusing on the major injuries surrounding Alice's 'fall down the stairs', the date corresponded with the report. Alicia turned the page again. This time Alice was 7, she had scratch marks across her cheeks and a black eye. On the opposite page a side on photograph emphasising the swelling of the injury. Alicia turned the page again. Alice aged 7 still, burn marks on her arm. She had been staying with a Mr and Mrs Swifton. Alicia flicked through the pages seeing photo after photo of bruised pictures. She landed upon one of Alice at 14. Her eyes both black, face covered in cuts, a second photograph showing cuts and bruises across her back, stomach and sides. There was no hospital report to accompany it however.
It wasn't enough to see these pictures. It wasn't even enough to sue these bastards that had hurt her child so much, when she couldn't possibly protect her, support her herself. Without thinking Alicia picked up the paper that had Alice's number and dialled. Alice answered almost instantly.
"Hello?" her voice held cautiousness to it.
"Hey it's Alicia"
"Hey is everything okay?"
"Yeah, well no...I'm reading your file and I...I can't...I..."
"I understand it's okay...look just leave it and I'll figure something out, but thanks anyway Alicia-"
"No wait! I want to take your case, I am taking your case... I just can't believe what I'm reading it's so... why weren't you adopted? I..." Alicia trailed off, she couldn't think what say to match her feelings.
"We can talk about it tomorrow" Alice replied softly, and kindly. Her natural gracefulness allowed a slight calm to wash over Alicia "don't look at that stuff anymore, we can go through it together"
"Those things shouldn't have happened to you, you're my girl, no one should have been allowed to do it"
"Well they were" was Alice's simple reply "but rest tonight knowing that they can't to me anymore. I know that's enough for me to sleep by"
"How are you so calm about this? I'm the one who should be reassuring you" Alicia laughed in irony.
Alice laughed lightly "get some rest, we can talk things through tomorrow. Thank you again for taking this on Alicia"
"I promise you I won't let you down Alice"
"Please, call me Ally" Alicia smiled at the nickname.
"Okay" Alicia smiled again.
"I have to go but we'll talk tomorrow, bye" Ally put the phone down. Alicia kept the receiver to her ear.
"Bye sweetheart" Alicia sighed to the receiver.
She took a minute to absorb everything that had happened in the past hour. Of course she often thought of her daughter, whether she was safe and well, what school she went to, what she looked like. It had always been her assumption that a nice couple had taken her in, with a big garden and a nice house. That they'd have money to support her and no worries to burden her girl with. But here her girl was, bruised, battered and in many cases broken all through her life. She was married, to goodness knows who. Yet through it all her beautiful daughter had a gracefulness about her, a sincere kindness and a clear good heartedness that she expressed when she spoke and in how she behaved. Her girl through it all still so perfect, and she couldn't help to feel proud, to be overcome with love and adoration for this sweetheart she had know for almost a couple of hours. Alicia thought to the following day, thinking of the questions she'd ask, thinking of the questions Ally would ask.