Goodness! I hope you don't take it personally, but you had awful parents!
How cruel of them to do that to you. No wonder you are a mess now with Alice gone.
And I know exactly how you feel. You can't simply stop worrying, that's impossible. He's your baby for crying out loud. Would they tell a parent who had lost a child to stop worrying ? I think not!
The only comfort I can offer you is, you are not alone in this. I feel for you so much, he might as well be my snake. I spent an hour last night making each one of mine promise me they would never do something like this, I couldn't handle it. And by the way, Yakul my hyper sensitive pied boy, told me to tell you he's sorry and he hopes Alice comes home soon. I upset him so badly telling him your story, he didn't want to eat last night.
So, together we will wait, together we will hope, together we will cry a little now and then, and together we will celebrate like we won the world series when he comes home.
Gale