in that prolonged moment of silence two longtime friends sat in a rose garden , looking raptly at each other while time rolled back and they were girls again-lying awake in the dark , confiding their dreams and troubles and inventing schemes to solve them that always began with `` if only ... '' `` if only , '' elizabeth said as a smile dawned across her face and was matched by the one on alex 's , `` i could convince them that we do n't suit- '' `` which should n't be hard to do , '' alex cried enthusiastically , `` because it 's true . ''