"Oh lord, Mary, it can't be you!" Anne shrieked. "Edward…tell me you see her a well." She pleaded , her voice shaking as tears welled up in her eyes.
"Aye, Mary is really there." He answered softly, smiling at both of the girls.
Red hair whipping behind her like flames, Anne flew towards the other woman, throwing her arms around her and squeezing her tightly. "You're actually here, Mary, good lord you're here." She cheered as salty tears ran down her freckled cheeks.
Mary returned the embrace almost immediately, her hands pushing out of the long sleeves."Yes I'm here, I'm not going anywhere. You don't need to hold me so tight." She chimed.
Anne pulled back enough to look at her face, eyes bloodshot from her joy. Showering Mary's face with fluttering kisses, the red head caused the siren to burst out into a fit of giggles."Oh losing you was losing my sister!" She cried, placing one last kiss on her cheek.
"My time away was without my family, which you seem to be the only remaining member of. God I missed you Anne." Mary cooed softly, "why don't we sit and catch up. Glancing at Edward he continued, "Alone, I believe he's stolen me away long enough now." He complied and left the room, walking down the hall.
"Now you must explain what happened."
The friends started out catching up, sitting next to each other on the couch. Soon Mary was sprawled out with her head on Anne's lap as the Irish woman took the beads out of her hair. "Honestly to think that my own friend would become what they tell stories about…" She mused, untangling the dark hair, causing Mary too flinch.
"Do you really have to do this?" She asked, her brows furrowed together. "I'm not like you, I don't have time every day to put fresh flowers in my hair." She groaned, whimpering as a knot was forced out.
"I swear Mary you put up with gunshots and stab wounds better than this." Anne teased, placing the cracked beads on the end table. "Spending months swimming about didn't help your hair at all." She said, digging out the last bead.
"Alright Anne, I'm sorry."
"Not your fault giving birth in that prison was so dreadful." Anne murmured, running her fingers through the untangled curls.
"Speaking of that, whatever happened to that bump growing in your stomach?"
"Oh…my son, he died before I gave birth." She answered sadly, closing her eyes. "I was going to name him after you, his fearless aunt. He would've been James Bonny."
Mary sat up, her hand cupping Anne's cheek. "Before my daughter was taken away I named her. She was Anne Read." She said, brushing the tear from the other woman's cheek. "Do you know what became of her?"
Anne's breaths shook as she tried to compose herself, rubbing her eyes and shaking her head. "Oh god I never thought of finding her Mary…I'm so sorry!"
The siren pulled her sobbing friend into a hug, whispering to her "It's okay" and "It's not your fault repeatedly. Once the red head calmed down she pulled back and looked at Mary. "Just means I'll be getting a late start."
"A late start on what?" Anne asked curiously.
"On bringing my daughter home."