Rain trickled down the window as Alice stared out into the yard. It was unusual for it to rain in Wonderland on a Sunday, but Alice couldn't imagine the weather being any different on a day like today. Sunshine simply wouldn't do, nor would snow or clouds or a gorgeous blue sky. The once vibrant landscape could not exist without a certain light to create it. The light was now missing, and Alice continued to stare.

Sundays were normally such a beautiful day. Extra birds would gather in the trees, and the sun shone brighter than ever in a bright, blue sky. Sometimes the clouds would turn different colors, and on an extra special occasion, the flowers would sing. No one in Wonderland ever worked on Sunday, and for Alice, she would have a surprise waiting when she arrived home after a nice stroll through the gardens.

There was no surprise for Alice today. Instead, after returning soaked from a long walk, she was met with an absolute silence that chilled her tiny body even though the house was warm. No one brought her slippers. No one laughed. There were no tea or lemon tarts. His hat was not perched on the side table, and the large orange coat did not hang on the coat rack by the door. Yet, worst of all, his scent did not linger in the hall anymore.

Alice knew his scent would vanish one day, but she did not think it would be so soon. To her, he had not been gone long enough for that. It felt as though she had just seen him this morning as the sun slowly made its way across the bed covers, his white hair tousled and an irresistible grin spreading over his handsome face. He had pulled her in close the way he always did, and then, with a roguish sparkle in his eyes, made her think he was going to kiss her before tickling her until she begged for mercy.

That moment, however, had been weeks ago, and the sunshine had not appeared on a Sunday since then. The trees were vacant, and the clouds remained gray. It was like Wonderland had died without his presence. Everything was dull like the England of her youth, and once again, Alice was just a small child all alone in a world she did not understand.

In the beginning, she had been angry. How dare he leave her! How was she supposed to exist if the very reason for her existence was gone? She had become so dependent upon his presence that she was completely lost without it. Nothing was making sense anymore. She was just lost in a world that had once been her salvation. Plus, he had promised! He promised so many times that he would be fine. He promised that everything would be okay, and if she would just be patient, life would go back to normal.

Now, as Alice stood at the window, she wondered if he had only said those things because he had wanted to give her a little hope. Maybe he had known all along how terrible life was going to be after he was gone. She didn't know the answer, however, and she suspected she never would. Instead, she just watched the rain splatter against the window losing herself in the gentle splashing of each drop trying to content herself with the thought that somewhere above her Reginald was doing the exact same.