• "Here is your new home, Alice," Eugene said as he embraced his wife upon entering their home.

    Alice looked around the house for the second time that day, now with the idea that this was where she lived now, rather than just visiting. She would spend the next seven years here, if allowed. She turned to the Cadys, a cheshire grin on her face.

    "Thank you so much!" Alice exclaimed, embracing them both. Roberta was surprised, she had never felt a child's embrace before. She smiled lovingly and held Alice in her free arm.

    "I'll get your room ready," Roberta finally said when Alice pulled away. "In the meantime, why don't you take a bath?" She brushed her hand along Alice's dirty hair.

    Alice smirked, she hadn't taken a bath since... she couldn't remember. Now she could start to make memories here on Clockwork Island that she could remember for the rest of her life.

    Roberta took Alice to the bathroom while Eugene disappeared into the basement. It was a very small bathroom with a large wash bin in the middle. On the wall was a long tube that came up from the ground. Roberta pulled the cord and placed it on the edge of the bin as Alice heard water rushing from under her. Soon enough, water began pouring into the tub through the tube.

    "Isn't it neat? Eugene and I invented it. In the basement, he pulls a lever that turns on the pump. It takes water out of the ocean below and brings it up here to the pipe system. Oh, silly me. You probably don't understand do you?" Roberta blushed, remembering Alice never had an education.

    "It makes a little sense," Alice tried to assure her.

    The bin filled up and the water was turned off from the basement. Roberta opened a cupboard and handed Alice some towels and a bar of soap.

    "I'll get you some new clothes when you get out, just go ahead and wash yourself, dear," Roberta smiled before leaving.

    Alice looked at the tub and dipped her hand in the water. It wasn't salty like the ocean water, it felt warm and fresh. There was more to the "pump" than she thought. Like Chester, his magic worked in more ways than one thinks. As she unbuttoned her blue dress, she began imagine the seven years that she will live here.

    What would she do to pass the time while waiting for her prince? She could explore the island or do work for people who needed help. This would be a long seven years if her prince doesn't come quickly, Alice thought as she scrubbed herself with the soap.

    Roberta came back up with a measuring tape, notepad and a pen. Alice wrapped a towel around her as she got out and stood there as Roberta measured her, writing the dimensions down on the notepad.

    "I can ask the tailor to make you some new clothes. You can't wear that ruggedy old thing if your prince comes," Roberta laughed. "We'll get you a pretty new dress."

    "Thank you, Roberta," Alice smiled at her when she finished measuring.

    "For right now, you can wear one of my old outfits," she left for a minute and returned with a couple of neatly folded clothes.

    Alice quickly put them on as Roberta tidied up the bathroom. She was glad Roberta had given her underwear too, or else it would have felt uncomfortable wearing only the blue skirt and white blouse. Alice wrapped the towel around her shoulders as she was still wet and her hair was dripping all over the floor.

    "Stay here and get dry, I'll go and get your room ready. When you're dry, I'll take you out to get some new clothes and shoes," Roberta rubbed Alice's hair with another towel, trying to dry her quicker. Alice tipped her head over so Roberta could wrap her hair in the towel.

    Alice sat on the window sill, drying in the sun as Roberta prepared her new room. Alice never had her own room. She was really excited. This whole situation was really exciting. So many years sailing the sea, now Alice had the chance to live on an island! She also had the chance to marry a prince! Alice's heart began pounding as today's events caught up with her. She began to fantasize what her prince would look like. Thick brown hair or would she prefer short blonde hair? Blue eyes or brown? Short or tall? All the possibilities! Would she be happy with she gets? Would she find a prince at all? Alice frowned and tried to think happy thoughts again but was interrupted when Roberta came in.

    "Come on, dearest. I'll take you into town. Wear this shawl," Roberta handed her a blue and white knit shawl.

    Alice wasn't sure how to put it on so Roberta showed her how to. The hole in the middle was for your head. Alice laughed embarrassingly as they walked out, through the house. She was still learning, still feeding her head.

    They stopped into the tailor's shop first. As they entered, a bunch of women gathered in front of them, excited that Alice came to visit them.

    "Oh! There's the darling girl!"

    "Does she need a new dress?"

    "We'll make the most beautiful dress ever!"

    Roberta giggled. She wasn't as eccentric as these ladies but she was just as jolly. "Yes, I need a couple outfits for her to wear. Here are her sizes," Roberta pulled a piece of paper out of her coat pocket and handed it to one of the women.

    The woman observed the paper, the others looking over her shoulders at it. They all grinned and rushed off to the racks of cloth in the back of the shop, looking for a variety of colors that would go well with Alice's characteristics. They rushed to and fro, holding rolls of cloth up to Alice, trying to decide what colors they should use.

    "Alright, dear! We'll have them ready momentarily," a woman called from the cloth rack.

    "We're going to get some shoes, we'll be back when we get done there," Roberta took Alice to the door.

    "Have fun girls! We'll be done in a jiffy!" a woman waved as she turned from her work.

    As Roberta and the barefooted Alice walked through the twisted streets, they began to hurl a gurgling sound. They stopped at the bottom of a stairway and listened. Roberta looked down at herself and grabbed at her stomache.

    "Roberta, are you okay?" Alice rushed to her side. Roberta shook her head and doubled over. "Oh dear." Alice's heart raced. She didn't know what to do or what was happening.

    Roberta was on her hands and knees as she felt something bubbling in her stomach, rising through her system within seconds. Heads popped out of doors and windows as she threw up onto the sidewalk. Alice held Roberta's hair out of the way as much as possible, frightened by Roberta's sudden ailment. After three more rounds, Roberta seemed to gather herself.

    "Are you sick, dear?" a woman asked as she came up to Roberta with a bucket of water, washing the vomit away down the sewer.

    "I think so," Roberta took a handkerchief and dabbed it to her lips.

    "It might be morning sickness," the woman smirked.

    "Morning sickness?" Alice asked cluelessly.

    "I hope so," Roberta closed her eyes and smiled for a moment before continuing down the sidewalk.

    "Roberta, what's morning sickness?" Alice asked when they were away from the scene.

    "Morning sickness is a sign of pregnancy. It's when a woman feels nauseated while carrying a baby," Roberta explained, not wanting to go into scientific details, remembering that Alice didn't know much.

    "Oh, so you might be having a baby?" Alice smiled slightly.

    "Hopefully," Roberta grinned, she liked the idea. She had been waiting so long for a child.

    After getting a fitting pair of slippers from the shoemaker's, Alice and Roberta headed back up to the tailor's to get the outfits. An ecstatic scream was heard from the tailor's shop before a lovely young girl walked out. She had long blonde hair that hung down to her waist, deep blue eyes like the ocean and pale white skin like sea foam. She wore the most beautiful blue gown, trimmed in white lace and dark blue buttons. Alice had walked in as a poor, barefooted girl wearing hand-me-downs and walked out as a richly dressed young lady.