Chapter 22
Three Years Ago
Anna inhaled sharply and then knocked on the front door of Mary's house. It took a moment, but Matthew answered. He gave Anna a kind smile and invited her inside. As she stepped in, she was told that Mary was in her office. Anna gave Matthew a grateful nod and walked down the small hallway to Mary's office. She knocked on that door and was told to come in.
"Anna!" Mary brightly said. She had little Letty bouncing on her lap. The little girl had her hands placed on Mary's cheeks. She lifted Letty up and placed her on the ground. "Go to your daddy and let mummy speak to her friend." Letty nodded and ran off into the hallway. Anna's eyes followed the little girl, who was Mary's mini me. The lightness in the girl's steps made Anna's heart ache, but she swallowed it down.
"So, this is a surprise!" Mary's voice broke her from her thoughts.
Anna gave her a small smile and closed the door behind her. Then she took in a deep breath.
"I…I came to apologize and to thank you," Anna started. Mary furrowed her brows.
"Apologize? Thank me? For what? Sit down," Mary insisted. Anna took a seat and began to anxiously rub her hands together.
"I know it's been so long and that I should have done this much sooner…" Anna said, glancing down at the floor. She didn't know why she was so nervous. Mary was her dearest and closest friend. The two had confided in one another so many times in their lives. She was sure there were things about Mary she knew that even Matthew didn't. But the last two years had changed her life so much. She wasn't the Anna she used to be.
"Anna, what's this all about?" Mary sounded concerned. Anna glanced back up at her friend and her eyes immediately filled with tears.
"I…Mary, I was so awful to you. And I was wrong. You love your children. I should have never said…I don't even know how you can speak to me now," Anna cried. She tried to calm her tears. She had promised herself that she wasn't going to cry or make this a dramatic thing.
"Oh, Anna," Mary said with a quick shake of her head, "I forgave you ages ago."
"But how can you? I was horrible. The things…"
"Anna, I can handle it. Edith and I have spat some terrible things to each other," Mary just shrugged her shoulders. "And you were hurting. You still are. I know the words came out so quickly that you couldn't control them. I never held it against you."
"But why not?"
"Because, as I said before, I knew you were hurting and I forgave you almost immediately. I love you, Anna. I know your heart," Mary gently said. She had stood from her chair and was now standing in front of Anna, leaning against her desk. "You aren't a hurtful person."
"Thank you," Anna murmured. "For being so forgiving and for saving me. Had you not shown up that day…."
"Please don't thank me," Mary swiftly replied. "I should have come by sooner. But it's done now. And you're doing better, right?"
Anna gave a small nod. She would never be able to explain to her dear friend just how dark her heart was now, but she was thankful for how much she wanted to help her.
"Good."
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Now
"Are we sure about this?" Anna questioned her husband. She was staring at the mirror, trying to get ready for their afternoon plans to meet Mary and her children at the park. John walked up behind her and kissed the top of her head, before wrapping his arms around her so that Anna could rest her head back on him. They had been back in Yorkshire for several weeks now. Christmas was just around the corner and Emmy was very excited about her grandparents and Butler coming to visit for the holiday.
"No," John joked, pressing another kiss to her head. "But do we have much of a choice now?"
"It's just…" Anna paused and laughed. "It's a lot of work. Sleepless nights. Potty training."
John chuckled.
"Ah, yes, that'll be fun."
Anna turned to face him and made a face.
"Fun? Well, I'm letting that be your job," she teased. John bent forward and caught her lips with his own.
"How about Emmy's?"
"You're entrusting an eight year old to wake up at night?"
"Should I not?" Anna heartily laughed.
"No," she replied. "You should not."
"Emmy is going to be excited," John assured her. "It'll be a great surprise. We'll take her after our time at the park."
"Should we not wait until Christmas?"
"Anna, you've already bought the entire store for her. Our guest room is exploding with gifts," John playfully stated. "Plus, today is when we were invited over by Robert."
"Right," Anna finally stated. He was right. And they had wanted Emmy to be a part of growing their family. "She will be so thrilled."
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As they stepped out of their car at the park, John watched as Anna made sure Emmy was bundled up from head to toe. Their little girl slightly rolled her eyes while Anna pulled the knitted hat down and over her ears. But then she smiled and thanked her mother, before running toward the nearly empty park where Letty and George were already playing.
"Hello!" Mary called from the other side of the park. She waved them over. Mary was sitting on a bench sipping on a cup of hot chocolate.
"Here," Mary offered, as they came closer. She handed them each a cup. "It's nippy out."
"It is," Anna agreed. Anna took a sip, then set hers down, when Emmy called for Anna to help her at the monkey bars.
John sat down on the bench next to Mary to watch the children play. He could see that Mary was watching her two children intently, making sure that they both stayed out of trouble.
"Thank you," John then said, drawing Mary's attention away for a moment. Her eyes fell on his and she pursed her lips into a thin line.
"Whatever for?"
"For saving my wife," he sincerely stated. "You were there when I couldn't be and for that, I am forever in your debt."
"Oh Bates, don't be so dramatic. I only did as a friend would do," Mary flippantly stated, waving her hand in the air, as though to brush it off. Her eyes scanned back over the playground, but now they landed on Anna who was holding up Emmy, as she went from bar to bar on the monkey bars. John watched as Mary's eyes watered, ever so slightly, and she tried to cover it up.
"You saved her life, Mary," John strongly said. "If you hadn't shown up that day, she could have died."
"I didn't save her life," Mary disagreed. "She wasn't trying to kill herself." There was a hitch in Mary's voice.
"You did," John replied. "You did. She may have survived that day, but if you hadn't found her, she later could have done more damage. Making her go to the hospital and calling her parents, saved her life. So yes, I am forever in your debt."
Mary shakily inhaled and wiped her cheek.
"I try not to think about what could have happened," Mary then confessed. "It frightens me to think she might not be here today to be with you and with Emmy."
"Me too," John quietly said. "But she is."
Mary's eyes were on Anna and the children. Emmy had finished the monkey bars and now Letty was asking for assistance. Emmy and George were both cheering on the small girl.
"You know, Bates," Mary then started. "You and Anna made me believe in love."
That made John's lips curl up into a disbelieving smile. "How so? Your parents are in love. You've had a shining example your entire life."
"Yes, they do love one another, but they were lucky. They were an arranged marriage. As I was growing up, there were so many talks of arranging who I would marry. Being the oldest daughter of Robert and Cora Crawley, next in line of the fortune, has a lot of pressure put on one, you know? I didn't believe that true love existed. Yes, my parents loved one another, but they fell in love over time. I thought this falling in love before marriage and choosing who you marry business was just some lie told to young girls in fairytales."
"What about us made you change your mind?" John asked, now curious.
"When Anna came to me crying one night," Mary honestly told John. "You were in the mist of your divorce with that snake Vera." John scrunched up his face. He hated remembering that time in his life. He had only been married to her for less than a year and it had been a mistake. She was vile and wanted to ruin his life. He met Anna in the mist of their divorce and they had fallen in love. John kept her at arm's length while he finished the divorce process. There was one week where he thought he was going to have to remain married to Vera, but she had only been trying to manipulate him.
"Yes, Vera," John muttered.
"Anyway, I saw just how much she loved you. And saw how she patiently waited for you, while you fought for her. It gave me hope that love was a real thing and that my feelings for Matthew were real. I hadn't trusted myself until you two got married."
"Well, that's a lovely sentiment," John said.
"So when you left, it broke my heart, but I knew you would be back."
"You did?"
"Oh yes, Emmy being found brought you back early, but my guess would have had you back within the year," Mary had a ghost of a smile playing on her lips. "I could tell by the Facebook post by Casey and talking to my father that there was nothing really between the two of you. You were trying to move forward, but you couldn't. You would have come into town, demanding Anna sign the papers, and then you two would have been untouchable."
"You sound pretty sure of yourself, Mary."
"I am. And I know I'm right."
John chuckled slightly at the smugness of Mary's words, but he couldn't argue with her. She was probably right. And he had been planning to come back after the holidays if she hadn't signed the papers, papers that he kept hoping she wouldn't sign.
John's phone dinged and he checked his watch.
"Oh!" He said, quickly standing. "We have to go."
Mary smiled.
"Right! Congrats! Emmy is going to be thrilled."
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They pulled up to the large estate and Emmy's eyes widened. She pressed her hands and face against the window.
"Is this where Mary's parents live?" Emmy asked, as John parked the car out front.
"No," Anna answered. "They do own it though. And it belongs to the family. Your father and I met here."
"You did?"
"Yes, we both worked here. I was working here as a maid and your dad helped prepare the men's clothes for when they do dinners where people come and pretend like it's the early 1920s."
"Wow," Emmy said, as she stepped out of the car. "Does this place have a name?"
"Downton Abbey," John told her.
"Wow," Emmy declared again. "What are we doing here?"
"It's a surprise," Anna said with a wink.
They walked into the front door and then John led them into the large library. Immediately, they were accosted by the sounds of puppies. Emmy's eyes brightened.
"Surprise," John told Emmy.
"Bates! My dear fellow!" Robert greeted. "Anna and Emmy, come on in. These are Pharaoh's puppies. We are looking for new homes for them all. Emmy, would you like to give one a good home?"
Emmy chewed on her lower lip and nodded.
"Go on," John assured her, letting Emmy walk over to the large pen where the dogs were kept. There were five puppies inside of it. John lifted Emmy up and placed her inside. All of the puppies were excited and came over for Emmy to pet them.
"I really get to choose one? To keep?"
"Yes," Anna promised. "Whichever one you want."
John and Robert chatted while Emmy and Anna looked at the puppies.
"Why are you keeping the puppies here instead of your home?"
"Oh, Cora will get too attached, I'm afraid."
"Are you sure it's not you who will get too attached?" John teased his oldest friend. Robert rolled his eyes and chuckled.
"Well, perhaps. But we have to find them homes. As promised, you get the first pick of the litter. Then we are holding an adoption day here tomorrow."
"I want this one, Daddy!" Emmy said, standing up with one of the smallest of the puppies in her arms. She was holding the puppy to her chest and rubbing its head. It was asleep and content in Emmy's arms.
"Ah!" Robert exclaimed. "The only girl puppy. She's also the smallest of the litter. Very well."
"Are you sure?" Anna asked her. "After we leave, you don't get to change your mind."
"I'm sure!"
"Alright, have you thought of a name?" Robert asked her. John helped Emmy out of the play pen and scratched the puppy's head, who just grew more content.
"What's this place called again?" Emmy questioned.
"Downton Abbey, my little darling," John reminded her. Emmy glanced down at the puppy and smiled.
"Right! Abbey! Let's name her Abbey."
"I love it," Anna said, bending down to look at their new puppy. "What do you think, Abbey Bates? Want to come home with us?" The puppy just stayed asleep and Emmy laughed.
"Thanks, Robert," John told his friend. They walked back out to the front and got into their car.
The entire ride back to their house, Abbey stayed asleep on Emmy's lap.
"You should take Abbey out back to go to the bathroom. We're going to have to start teaching her how to go outside."
"She doesn't have a collar or food!" Emmy then said, worried.
"We already got those things a few days ago," John informed Emmy with a wink. "And Robert already got her the first set of shots. So she's good to go. We'll just have to get her a tag with her name and our information on it. Now go on and take her out back. We'll meet you there in a moment."
Emmy did as she was told. John watched as Anna watched their daughter closely, going into the backyard and closing the gate firmly behind her. Anna inhaled sharply, so John brought his hands up to rest on her upper arms and rubbed them gently.
"We have to start allowing her some independence," John reminded Anna. It was something they had talked about recently and Anna knew it was important for Emmy. However, that didn't keep it from being difficult.
"Yes," Anna finally said. "But maybe not too long."
"No," John agreed with a smile. "Not too long."
They then walked through the house to go to the back yard. They sat and watched as Emmy sat on the grass with Abbey and told her about her new home. Anna reached over and grabbed John's hand.
"You get first wake up with Abbey tonight?" John smiled.
"Deal."
To be continued...one last time.
I want to thank you all so much for joining me on this journey and your sweet and kind support. It means so much to me. Special shoutout to lemcad for always helping me with my story thoughts and being my second muse. We have an epilogue coming and then this story is over. Much love- AlexisRose
