What Alice Forgot

The women around the table begin whisking ingredients. They pour the contents of their mixing bowls into an industrial-sized vat. The ingredients for the pie crust are stirred in a concrete mixer; the mixed solution is kneaded, rolled, and baked in the giant pie dish in the giant oven. As the women make meringue mixture, Alice is struck by how familiar the smell of the cooking pie crust is. Children perform a dance to Elvis songs—this was Gina’s favorite musician. Alice is overwhelmed with the familiarity of the smell of the cooking pie alongside the music; her legs buckle as her memory returns to her.

Elisabeth is in the bathroom when Alice collapses. She is bleeding vaginally and assumes that she is miscarrying.

Dominick and Nick carry Alice outside. Alice says “back” to Dominick, trying to say, “it’s all coming back” (419). She says “there” to Nick, trying to say, “you were never there” (419). In a flood of memories, Alice remembers meeting Gina for the first time. Gina, who had just moved in across the street, invites Alice to come over for high tea, where they drink champagne and eat Gina’s lemon meringue pie.