Chapter 85

As I held Anne, she finally began to calm down, her sobs subsiding into sniffles. I felt her body relax in my arms, and I gently released her from my embrace. She wiped her face with her sleeve, smudging away the tears and leaving behind a faint streak of sadness.

I followed her lead, wiping my own face with the back of my hand. My eyes felt puffy and sore from crying, and my skin was damp with tears. I took a deep breath, trying to calm my own racing heart.

As we pulled away from each other, I saw the redness in Anne's eyes, the puffiness of her face, and the faint smudge of tears on her cheek.

"Your eyes are so puffy." She said looking at me.

"Yours is even worse." I retorted and we both laughed.

Anne was always so cheerful that I didn't know she went through such a horrible thing in her childhood. She was a really strong woman and hearing this made me respect her. I always thought of her as my dumb funny friend, but it turns out she was just putting up a front to not look depressed