The next day we spent out exploring London. We had a picnic in the park and caught a show that afternoon. Father even took me shopping. As we got home that evening and had a light supper, Father and I discussed what activities I might enjoy partaking in during the summer holiday.

Everything was going along splendidly until dessert. As we were eating a light sorbet and drinking some iced tea, I asked him a simple question, but little did I know the next words out of my mouth would be my downfall.

"Father?" I said, hesitantly.

"Yes, sweetheart?" he asked, in reply.

"Do you ever think about her?"

"You mean your mother? Of course, what made -

"I don't mean Mom."

"Then who-

"Alice."

"Sweetheart, you know-

"Do you?" I asked looking at him.

"She's dead."

"Mother's dead too and you still think about her."

"Alice was ill-

"No she wasn't," I replied, contradicting him.

"Yes she was, so I sent her to get help.

"You sent her to her death," I said, my tone of voice rising in volume.

"She killed herself."

"Because you didn't believe her," I said shouting."

"Jessica-

"You didn't listen to her. She vanished and when she returned and told you her story, you called her a liar. You didn't want to believe anything she said because it sounded too ridiculous. So what if it was? She found love, which she was not getting here. Ever since Mother died, ever since I killed her, you never wanted to pay attention to either one of us. When Alice learned Mom's favorite piano piece, you ignored her that much more. So she went somewhere else for affection, big deal! You hated her, and me.

"That's enough you lady," Father said, getting extremely angry.

"It's true. As soon as you locked her up, you sent me away to boarding school. You couldn't stand to have me here anymore, because I loved her."

"You are treading on thin ice."

"Is that so? Then tell me this Father, if you don't hate her then why do you never visit her grave?

"JESSICA ALICE WILSON!"

I looked at him in shock; he had never used my full name before.

"Go to your room," he said, now that he had received my attention. "We will discuss this in the morning."

I got up from my chair and started to walk away, but before I left the dining room, I stopped and asked . . .

"If I believed in Wonderland like Alice, would you get rid of me as well?

He didn't say anything, which only confirmed my answer. I ran up the stairs to my room.