"Here."
I accepted the prefered cup of tea murmuring my thanks as I blew the heated steam before taking a small sip. Alice had already picked up her cup. Balancing the tea with one hand she used the other to spoon some brown sugar into her tea. Her eyes flicked up to meet mine as she asked, " do you want some sugar in your tea." I shook my head as I watched her carefully stir her tea.
For a few minutes there was only silence, the quiet only broken by the gentle clinks of Alice's tea spoon and my drawn out sips.
"I love my daughter, you know." I nearly choked on my mouthful of hot liquid as I tried to process what she had Said. Alice did not seem worried about my disbelieving coughs and my dramatic gulps of air.
