Short chapter, but I felt the need to not add anything more to it.
Tom Hanks sipped at his coffee, sitting across from Emily, who, by no great surprise to anyone, absolutely nailed the audition for Alice Black.
He studied her, making her squirm in her seat and chew on her bottom lip.
"You know..." he began, taking another sip. "Your Aunt Alice said something to me during my first phone conversation with her, that was never elaborated upon. Not a single veteran, not even Bill Gaurnere would explain it to me."
Emily raised her brows and took a sip of her own latte. "Really? What was it?"
"'I met them at my lowest.' Could you please explain that, if you can?" He asked eagerly, folding his hands and leaning forward on the table between them.
Emily sat back and thought for a moment. "Not one veteran explained it? Not even Bill?"
Tom shook his head. "Not even Bill."
Emily smiled. "Alice was essentially an orphan." She began, her smile faded as she thpught about what she was about to reveal. "Alice and her family were living in London at the start of the war. They had foolishly thought the war was phony after is had been declared for months and nothing was happening.
She went to Scotland one day, when she came back, her house was obliterated. The blitz had begun, a bomb struck her house with everyone inside. All were dead."
Tom sat back and placed a hand to his mouth on shock.
Emily nodded. "Her mom, dad, two brothers, three sisters, cat, and dog. All gone. All dead." She took another sip of her latte and looked out the coffee shop window, her throat clenched.
"You can't get much lower than that." Emily added gravely. "Can you?"
"No..." Tom agreed. "No, you can't."
They finished their coffees in a respectful, somber silence.