Alice Stirling

Alice Stirling is Billy’s adoptive mother. She had just suffered the loss of her own son to consumption when she learned about the pair of tragedies that left Billy an orphan. She immediately felt a connection with Billy. He helped her to heal from the grief she felt after having lost her son. She recognized that they were both in a position to help one another.

When Alice is an older woman, Tina talks to her and learns that Billy died in the war. Rick additionally bursts in on Alice after he accused Tina of having an affair with Billy and punched her in the stomach. It is when he sees how old Alice is and she tells him that Billy had been dead for more than 30 years that Rick reads the letter carefully and realizes what a serious, stupid mistake he made.