Chapter Twenty-Two:
How Effortlessly Beautiful You Are
.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。.

Mabel slammed her bedroom door behind her, rushing toward her bed she tore the pale purple bow from her hair. She jumped onto the bed, burying her face into the pillows. She inhaled sharply, her eyes welling up with tears as pain spread from her heart to throughout her entire body.

Mabel inhaled sharply, letting out a painful breath as the tears slipped from her eyes and down her cheeks.

Never before had a death effected Mabel as much as Mary's did. Mabel cried for hours upon hours when she got home from the Barry's Easter party. She even stained her favorite spring dress with her tears. She hoped her mother wouldn't be mad, but she knew that the woman certainly would be.

Anne remembered seeing it and not liking it. She didn't like it when Mabel cried. Anne didn't like how she looked when she did. Not that she was ugly, Mabel could never ever be ugly in Anne's eyes, or anyone's eyes, for that metter. Mabel was effortlessly beautiful to Anne. She wanted to spend every possible second with Mabel, desperate for her.

It was just the fact that Mabel looked so vulnerable. Anne did not like to see Mabel that hurt, that broken down, that completely and utterly destroyed as she was right now.

The tears stained her once rosie cheeks as she clutched the pillow close to her. Anne laid beside her, silent tears streaming down her face as she watched as Mabel's chest heaved up and down. Her brown locks sprawled out around her head and her cheeks flushed with color.

She wanted so desperately to reach forward to touch Mabel. Touch her so delicately and slowly because Anne was afraid that Mabel would surely shatter to pieces if Anne made the wrong move. She wanted to touch Mabel, to wipe the tears from her cheeks and to kiss the pain away.

Anne didn't, though. Because she couldn't. The thought of the maid's reactions and her family's reactions struck fear into her heart. She could hear the maids making their way up and down the halls, on their usual schedule.

Mabel stared straight above at the ceiling, her tears staining her face as pain spread from her heart throughout her body like a large tidal wave sent to destroy a city. Only, her body was the city and her tears were the waves. Her lungs constricted as she squeezed her eyes shut, willing the pain to go away.

It never did. The pain never ceased, it only grew stronger. The sobs came in waves like a tsunami, each one larger than the other.

Mary was like a mother to her. She cared for Mabel, actually cared for her. Mary cared for her like a real mother should, not like how Mabel's actual mother cared.

Mabel remembered the day Mary spoke to her after Anne left, a knowing look in her eyes.

She remembered beginning to panic as she stuttered out a reason to leave as she fumbled when trying to put her coat on.

Mary laughed softly, taking Mabel's hands into her own as she pulled her into a hug. Mabel remembered feeling so relieved when Mary squeezed her tighter.

Mabel's mother cared about how she presented herself. How she looked, how she acted, the way she spoke.

Anne knew this. She knew this very well for she had seen it with her own eyes. Anne thought Mabel spoke so very eloquently. Anne could listen to Mabel speak for the rest of her days, never tiring of hearing her voice.

Though, she figured Mabel may grow tired of speaking one day. Even so, Anne would never grow tired of listening.

Anne's heart ached at the sound of her cries. She wanted nothing more than to hold Mabel, to promise her that everything would one day be alright.

Anne wanted so desperately to promise her that. To give her the hope  she craved. The love she needed.

It broke Anne's heart knowing that Mabel would never feel the same for her. It was sad to think about, sure. But Anne was perfectly okay with Mabel just remaining her friend. As long as she was by Anne's side for the rest of their days.

No matter how hard Anne longed for Mabel to be her life partner, she knew there was no use in it. She was grateful for Mabel as a friend, there was no way Anne would risk losing her over some feelings that weren't even permanent.

Anne didn't mind it too much when Mabel rolled over, throwing her arms over Anne. Mabel's sobs had finally stopped. Hot silent tears rolled down her face as she clutched to Anne's dress.

The blue fabric was soft between Mabel's fingers. On any normal circumstances, she would have surely commented on it. But not today. Today was not a day for mindless talk about fashion.

The scent of warm maple syrup filled Anne's nose, causing her to squeeze her eyes shut as she held Mabel closer to her. Anne cried with her, mourning the loss of a great woman.

Mary meant a great deal to Mabel, she felt like she could actually talk to Mary about anything.

Anne cried into Mabel's shoulder, feeling contorted by having the girl she loved so close to her.

.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。.

{ Word Count: 1

{ A/n: no dialogue chapter?? gasp,, gasp gasp gasp }

{ Edited: No }