I’m sorry if you had to wait before receiving this letter. The only person I could trust to give it to you was Mother A. I hate the thought of you waking up and thinking I’d left without a goodbye, but I am hoping it’s worth the wait.
Alice, I wanted to start by saying … WHAT THE HELL WERE YOU DOING TO ME! Going and getting yourself nearly killed again. I won’t lie, I probably cursed you as many times as I prayed for you. I’m sure you weren’t having the time of your life up there in intensive care, but it wasn’t much fun for me down here without you either. But on a serious note, I kept the promise I made to youand never came to see you. I may have sent Mother A up to check on you a few times, but all I asked was to know you were OK.
Secondly, I really hope that this operation gives you what you need to feel confident in going out and starting your life again. I hope it gives you what you need to feel as beautiful as you always have been to me, and I’m sorry I wasn’t more supportive from the start. There are so many things I want to tell you, but instead of writing them out in my quite frankly appalling handwriting, I’ve left my address at the bottom.
Alice Gunnersley, it would be the greatest honour if you would come and meet me in person, whenever and if ever you feel ready to. I appreciate there are probably many things you wish to do when you get out of the hospital, and coming to find the slightly annoying stranger in the bed next to you might not be high up on that list. However, if there is any part of you that wants to, I will be waiting.
Regardless of what you choose to do, Alice, you have to know that wherever I go or whatever I do, I will carry a piece of you in my heart with me for ever.
Thank you for being the best roommate (kind of) ever.
All my love,
Alfie Mack
Aka your new BFF
P.S. Enjoy the puzzles.
Her mind was alive with a million different thoughts, but she didn’t have any time to let them settle before another voice drifted in from the outside.
‘Alice … Mr Warring is here to see you.’
‘Come in.’ She clutched the parcel tightly then slid the precious gift under the covers.
‘Hi Alice. How are we doing today?’
‘OK.’ Alice felt sick. She wasn’t sure how much more she could take this morning.
‘Can I take a quick look at the dressings, please?’
Mr Warring was now so close to her face that Alice didn’t dare breathe.
‘I think we are all good to go. Are you ready for us to take them off?’
This time there wouldn’t be anyone to hold her hand. There would be no one there to tell her it was going to be OK. She was going into this alone and she realized she didn’t like it one bit. Alice nodded her head, holding the letter tightly in her hand, feeling the weight of the present by her side. It was the only piece of him she had left.
You’ll have to wait a bit longer, Alfie.
There’s something else that needs unwrapping first.
The cold breeze of air was a welcome relief on her skin, and she closed her eyes as the nurse gently cut the last remaining bandages loose.
‘Right, Alice, I’m just going to quickly clean this last bit up and then we can take a look, OK?’
She nodded and made some sort of noise of acknowledgement. The nerves had taken hold of her altogether, and her throat was so tight it hurt to breathe.
‘So whenever you’re ready, open your eyes.’
Slowly the outline of her came into view.
Her hair, longer now than before but still as richly auburn as ever.
Her right side, exactly the same as it always had been. Average to some but still perfectly her.
She took a deep breath in as she dared to look at the left side.
‘Oh God!’ The cry unleashed itself from her.
