Emma smiled as she walked down the stairs. She had slept through the night for the first time in a long while. And she was hoping to see Mary today.
"Well, you're chipper this morning." Patrick smiled at the teenager.
Emma smiled at her father. "I slept really well."
Shelagh smiled at her daughter. "Emma, dear. Do you mind taking Angela to nursery? Your father left for an emergency, and I am expected at the clinic."
Emma nodded. "Of course. No problem." She looked at her little sister and smiled. "I'm going to get you." She playfully growled as she slowly chased the giggling toddler.
Shelagh leaned in to her husband as they watched their daughters play. He kissed the top of her head.
Emma waved at Angela as the little girl skipped off to class. She shook her head in amusement, that kid had too much energy. She turned around to head back home, when she scanned the crowd from habit.
Emma smiled as she locked eyes with her best friend. She had hoped she's run into her. She hadn't seen Mary for a few days. She walked over. "Are you headed to school? Do you mind if I walk with you?" She asked.
Mary hesitated. "I'm not going to school today."
Emma frowned. She looked at her friend more closely. She noticed the circles under her eyes. The shifting on her feet. The way the other girl avoided looking her in the eye. Something wasn't right.
Emma swallowed as a thought struck her. She linked her arm in her friend's and set off in the opposite direction. "Okay, then. Why don't you come to the park with me?" She suggested. "We can talk there."
The friends walked in silence, arms linked. Emma looked at her friend worriedly, every few steps. She had an inkling as to what was going on, but she hoped that she was wrong.
Emma had been to the park quite a few times with her family. She knew there was a bench tucked away underneath the trees. It was away from the path, which would give them the privacy they needed to have the conversation Emma suspected they would have.
Emma steered her towards the trees, Mary followed her along. Emma sat down on the bench, pulling her friend down with her.
Mary hesitated. "The detention I got?" She asked, referring to the detention they shared. The detention that made them friends.
Emma nodded.
Mary took a deep breath. "It was because I failed to hand in my homework three times."
Emma frowned. "I though it was because you talked back to your teacher."
Mary nodded. "It was. I tried to explain it to her, but she said I shouldn't argue with my elders, and gave me detention."
Emma shook her head angrily. She was really starting to hate that school.
"I…" Mary sighed and started again. "My parents…. It's been hard at home." She avoided looking at her friend. "My father was fired a few weeks ago."
Emma sighed. She knew that money was tight for her friend and her family. She knew that losing a job could be very bad.
Mary continued, playing with the hem on her school skirt. She didn't look at Emma. "My father has always liked to drink, but it's gotten worse since he got fired. My parents have been arguing a lot." Subconsciously, she rubbed her hand over her arms.
Emma could see the bruise underneath. It seems her worries were about to be confirmed.
"My father…" Suddenly, Mary was overcome with tears. She buried her face in her hands.
Emma scooted closer to her friend. "Shh, it's okay." She whispered softly. "It's okay. Just let it all out."
Mary shook her head. Her words mingling with the tears in a way that made it impossible for Emma to hear what she was saying.
Emma pulled her closer, although she wasn't sure her friend was going to accept the hug. But she needn't have worried. Mary laid her head right down on Emma's shoulder.
Emma continued to hold her, as Mary continued to cry. Once her friend's heartbroken sobs had weakened into the occasional sniffle, she let her go.
Mary smiled at her, a bit embarrassed.
Emma smiled back at her, popping her on the shoulder.
Emma hesitated. She hadn't really spoken about this to anyone, but she knew that sharing her own story would help her friend. "You know that I'm adopted, right?" She asked her friend.
Mary nodded.
Emma took a deep breath before continuing. "My father passed away when I was five years old. My mother…" She sighed. It was still hard to talk about Helene. "My mother didn't really cope with his death well." Emma swallowed. "She started to drink." She couldn't continue.
Mary slipped her hand in Emma's.
Emma looked at her friend, and found sympathy in her eyes. Sympathy, and understanding. She didn't need to tell her friend what happened. She knew.
"How did it stop?" Mary asked softly.
Emma sighed. "She died." She swallowed. This was the part where she had to lie. And she hated lying. "I ended up in an orphanage down in Chichester, down near the sea." She smiled softly. "That's where I met my parents. The nun's thought we'd be a great fit."
Mary smiled at her. "You are."
Emma blushed. "Thanks."
The two friends settled in a comfortable silence, watching the ducklings play in the pond.
Emma sighed. She wished she didn't have to break it. "What do you want to do?"
Mary turned to smile at her. "I'm just fine sitting here." She frowned as she saw the serious look on her friend's face. "But I guess that's not what you meant?"
Emma shook her head. "I know a sergeant at the police, I can,…"
"No." Mary shot up. "No, you can't. Emma, please." She begged her friend.
"Whow." Emma said, standing up as well. "Hey, it's okay. I didn't mean to scare you."
Mary still seemed nervous. "No police."
"Okay." Emma said, holding out her hands. "No police, I promise." She waited until Mary looked at her before she continued, throwing he friend a soft smile. "Come on, let's sit back down." She sat back down on the bench, patting the space besides her.
Mary hesitated, before joining her friend. She shifted before looking at Emma. "I'm sorry I snapped like that…"
But Emma shook her head. "Don't. You don't need to apologise." She smiled at her friend. "You're secret is save with me."
Mary smiled hesitantly back. "It's just, my brothers and sisters…"
"I know." Emma said. And she did know. More than she was willing to admit. Sibling ties are strong. She knew that first hand.
"I won't tell anyone," Emma promised her. "Unless you want me too. Not my parents. Not the nun's. And definitely not the police."
Mary smiled. "Thank you." She swallowed. "It won't last long, you know. Once my father finds a new job, everything will go back to normal."
Emma smiled softly. She knew things wouldn't go that easy. And she knew her friend knew that too. But Emma knew that Mary needed to believe that things would be better. She once had to too.
Emma squeezed her friend's shoulder. She promised herself that she would be there for Mary, no matter what. She would follow her friend anywhere.