She had held her breath before he even spoke, and she did not release it until he had paused to hear her explanation. There remained a somewhat awkward moment that passed while they both waited. The answer still rang softly in her ears. No. He didn't mind her appearance. In fact, he didn't even recognize anything wrong with her at all. The longer they held that gaze, no matter how tense, the more she could believe that he was telling the truth. His gaze didn't dart away and he didn't fidget or shift uneasily from foot to foot. Of course he was somewhat...suspicious. But that could be understandable if she tried hard enough.
The corner of her lips slowly pulled into a wisp of a smile. It felt like she hadn't smiled in years.
"No..." Mary began, her voice a whisper before she pushed herself to take a step forward and remember how to walk, how to talk. They had been standing there long enough. Just that answer gave her the will to begin moving out from the park. So that they could find her husband.
"It's just that, before I came here," Mary explained, "I was really sick. It's...some sort of genetic illness, or disease. They didn't know what it was." There was no use hiding it or keeping that secret. It had been impossible to hide.
"Don't worry, it's not contagious or anything." She assured him with a light laugh, her fingers touching her face again. Smooth, not pockmarked and scarred with rashes. It felt wonderful. She didn't have to mention, or even remember, what she had seen in the water, did she? "Oh, I'm so glad.. James will be so happy. I hope.."