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“Sit, sit, I’ll make Bray’s favourite tea.” Mary hustles us into chairs and steps into the kitchen, moving around quickly to get started on it.
“Hey, baby!” a young girl calls as she rushes through the kitchen, stealing a muffin as she goes.
“Heather!” Mary chides, but it’s said lovingly with a smile.
“Thanks, Mom!” Heather says, kissing her as she pounds upstairs.
“Bray, where are we?” Blair asks, confused as a group of girls of all ages heads outside.
“You’ll see.” I shrug, a bit embarrassed to explain it myself. I didn’t know it would be hard to bring her here. I’ve given her every other part of myself, but this... this has always been private. Not even my dad knows, so if she does... What if she thinks less of me? What if she thinks I can’t look after her or protect her?
I guess I’ll find out.
Mary comes back with a tray and lays out cakes, biscuits, and teacups and saucers before returning with a pot and leaning over to pour. It’s her own herbal tea, and in my opinion, it’s the best in the city. In fact, without even telling her, I’ve started selling it for her, using the excuse that I need some for home and buying as much as she can make. With that money, I’ve established an account for her and her girls, knowing she wouldn’t want it any other way. That way, she has her own independence. She hates asking us for anything, even though we would gladly give her everything she desired.
When she bends down, her dress gapes slightly, showing the wicked scar from shoulder to shoulder where her husband tried to carve her heart out after she attempted to leave him, sick of his abuse. Blair must inhale loudly, because Mary looks down and simply smiles. Once, she would have covered up, but not anymore. This place is good for her.
“You can ask,” Mary offers kindly as she sits down. “I’m not ashamed.”
“What happened?” Blair questions bluntly, cupping the saucer and taking a sip. “Holy shit, this is incredible.”
“Thank you, I made it myself.” Mary grins and then sighs, stirring her tea. I reach across and place my hand on hers. “Thank you, my boy.” She pats it. “It’s so silly, you would have thought it would get easier. After all, I tell it almost every day to the new girls, but it never does.”
“Pain never does,” Blair whispers. “We just learn to get stronger.”
“Very true and astute,” Mary replies, smiling sadly at her. “You have the look of one of my girls, but I feel like that is a story for another time.” Blair flinches, but Mary surges on. “I was married. He was an incredible man at first. So strong and caring, and he spoiled me and had an amazing job. I ended up quitting mine so I could stay at home and keep house like he wanted. That’s how it started, it cut me off from my work friends and time outside. Slowly, he made me cut all ties with everyone. I didn’t have family, none but him, and eventually, I lost all my friends too. I was dependent on him, like he wanted. I started to sneak out, just to have a bit of freedom, but he would find out. Then, he would complain that the house wasn’t cleaned the way he wanted, that I didn’t cook fast enough, didn’t move fast enough. It got physical, one hit and an apology. I believed him, thinking once was all it would be. Next, he threw me down the stairs. He was so sorry after, I had my husband back, and I promised myself it would just be that one time. Then the ones turned into twos until it was every day and I was living in terror. I needed to do something, to get away before that once got me killed.”
It doesn’t matter how many times I’ve heard this, it still pisses me off.
“That’s when he realised I was slowly stashing money away. It was just little bits at a time, telling him it was things for the house. I hid it, but he figured it out. He came home, and I knew it would be bad. I tried to run, to leave, and he beat me senseless. The neighbour ended up calling the police, and I was rushed to the hospital. I had fractured bones and bruises, but they let me go home. I tried to stay at a hotel, but I had no money or support, so with no choice, I went back to him. He was waiting to finish the job.” Blair gasps and Mary nods. “If I had known, I would have stayed on the streets, but I was so used to it, so dependent on him for everything and conditioned to think it was normal. Plus, I had no one. That’s why this place is here, so that no one ever has to feel like that. Everyone is welcome here no matter their story, age, or anything between. It’s a haven, Mary’s Haven.” She cuts me a look. “Bray’s idea. But anyway, so yes, I went back... a mistake. He tried to kill me. He knocked me out, and I woke up on my kitchen floor, which I had spent so many hours scrubbing, to find him carving open my chest. Luckily, a nice police officer wasn’t comfortable with me being sent home alone and had come to check up on me. He heard my screams and broke in. He saved me. I was in the hospital for months,” she concludes, sipping her tea. I can tell Blair wants to ask, but she thinks it through and instead settles on something else. The fact that she’s not prying makes my heart flutter for the incredible woman sitting next to me, so I reach for her hand and hold it.
“I’m so sorry that happened to you. I’m glad you were able to get free of him, despite what it took.” Mary nods sadly, and Blair sits up. “So, Mary’s Haven?” she prompts. “I like it. How did you two meet? Don’t tell me you picked her up at a bar,” she jokingly says, looking between Mary and me.
Mary laughs and the light comes back into her eyes.
“Thank you,” I mouth, and Blair winks then looks back at Mary.
“Oh, well, he’s a sweet boy, you see, and he was in the lawyer’s office when I went to find someone to help me. I wanted to start a charity, a place for women and girls just like me to give them a safe haven so they never had to be afraid like I was,” Mary explains.
“My dad’s office,” I insert. “It’s one we own. I overheard her. She told them she had no money. I knew instantly that’s why we were there that day, to give back to our city and help as many as we could.”
“Bray,” Blair murmurs and leans in to kiss me. “You are amazing.”
“It’s just money, babe. I can’t take it with me when I die, but I can help as many as I can while I’m still alive.”
“And he did. Without him, this wouldn’t be a reality. He bought this house, renovated it, and made it a haven. I was thinking of a community centre, but he built a whole community for us. They all did, and so I adopted those boys. I can’t have kids after... after the abuse, so they are as close as I’ll get. They are the only men we allow here. A lot of the women still struggle, but they help.” She looks at me then. “You help. We wouldn’t have a future without you.”
“You never have to thank me,” I reply truthfully. I didn’t do this for respect, thanks, or even people’s opinions of us. I did this because it was the right thing to do, because seeing Mary, this brave, astounding woman who refused to back down, inspired me.
She nods, knowing better than to argue, but she’ll make up for it in baked goods, tea, and hugs. That and her happiness is all I’ll ever need from her. She loves her job here, looking after everyone she can, and I’m happy to stay in the shadows and provide whatever they need.
“I…” Blair hesitates.
“You want to ask what happened to my husband.” Mary grins. “I don’t tell many because this isn’t his story, this is mine, and he doesn’t get another second wasted on him.”
Slowly, a smile stretches across Blair’s face. “I like that. I really fucking like that. You’re right, I’ve spent so long telling his and my story together... but this is my life, not his. He doesn’t get another word from my lips.”
Mary tilts her head shrewdly, knowing another scarred soul when she sees one, but she doesn’t ask. It’s what makes her incredible. She knows when to ask and when to be patient. She knows how to connect and talk to people, and she finds ways to get them to open up when they are ready.
