A/N: Quick explanation - here in the UK it is (at least for another hour) Mother's Day, and though I know that for other countries it's in May, I wanted to write something as a celebration for all those mothers out there, whether they be married or single, straight or lesbian, and anything in between. Being a parent is the hardest job in the world, and mother's often have it tougher. So, this dedicated to them.
Mother's Day
When Elsa Overland's eyes fluttered open at seven-thirty in the morning, the first thing she saw wasn't the radiant glow of the morning sunshine streaming in through the venetian blinds, nor the soundly sleeping (and sometimes, snoring) face of her beloved husband Jack.
No, the first thing she saw was a white card perched in a pyramid shape on her nightstand, folded in half with one side bearing her name in his inimitable scrawl. It's definitely odd, because while Jack has been known to be spontaneous – scratch that, he's always spontaneous – this is something definitely new.
The other odd thing that she noticed shortly after using her left arm to push herself up from the mattress, and her right hand to run its fingers through her glowing blonde yet slightly bed-swept hair was that there was no sound in the house. Nothing. No snoring, no sleepy murmurs…
…and no happy sounds of children tearing their way through the upstairs hallway. That was definitely peculiar, because the six year old Selene and four year old Michael Overland wake up at six without fail, and come rushing into the bedroom to wake their parents up with an early morning bout of relentless bed-bouncing.
So, for Elsa to wake up in peace and quiet, with nothing but a note and silence to greet her, she wondered precisely what her husband is up to.
It all started with the note on her nightstand.
To My Darling Wife,
As you may or may not know, today is Mother's Day. So, I thought we'd play a little game.
Your morning herbal tea is all ready for you in the kitchen (though water will be needed, sorry), along with another note detailing further instructions.
I've taken Selene and Michael out so the day is all yours, snowflake. Don't worry; you're going to love it.
All my heart,
Jack Overland
Elsa was never one to come over as giggly as a schoolgirl, nor swoon like an incurable romantic (that was strictly her sister's department), but she couldn't deny the rush of appreciation and love in her heart as, with a smile, she traced her fingers over the moderately messy handwriting.
The slowly growing excitement along with the swelling curiosity was evident in the speed with which she changed out of her pyjamas into her light blue denim jeans, long-sleeved white shirt and moderately fluffy light grey sweater and descended the stairs, and the smile only widened when she was greeted with an exceptionally tidy kitchen (she didn't remember doing that), along with a teabag string draped over the rim of her favourite mug….
…and another pyramid note nearby, which she read while simultaneously stirring her morning herbal drink.
So far, so good!
I hope you're not thinking about what to have for breakfast, because I've booked you a table at Oaken's. I know it's your favourite, and they happen to serve breakfast too. Reservation is at eight-thirty.
Oaken's. The very thought made her lick her lips with anticipation, and heightened the curiosity along with a little puzzled suspicion. Jack is a spontaneous, instinctual fellow and so far, this seems too much like planning and forethought. She mentally rebuked herself for the thought – it's not a bad thing that he seems to be all organised and prepared…it's just not him. That's part of why she fell in love with him all those years ago, his propensity to act on the spur of the moment.
Of course, his smile and his laugh contributed to that.
She pulled the car up outside Oaken's at approximately eight twenty-five, and as she stepped out of her car she was startled to see she's not the only one that seemed to have been directed to this particular establishment. There was a momentary flash of disappointment in her gut, that it isn't something specially for her as she spotted Tatiana "Tooth" Bunnymund, Rapunzel Fitzherbert and her sister Anna Bjorgman, all sat around one of the inside tables closest to the floor-to-ceiling window that overlooked the street. Evidently she was expected, as seconds after she spotted them, Anna waved her over to the empty chair beside her.
"Did you get a note as well?" her sister asked before Elsa even closed the door behind her, and Tooth and Rapunzel seemed to be awaiting her answer with baited breath.
"Yes, I did. Why do you ask?" she answered with a question as she took the assigned seat, narrowing her eyes with interest at her younger sister.
"We've all had a note directing us to come here. Said there was a reservation for breakfast." Rapunzel explained with an air of feigned nonchalance, though Elsa could easily see the excitement in those big eyes of her cousin.
"This is so unlike Aster…" Tooth mused thoughtfully, nursing her cup of tea.
"And Kristoff…" added Anna.
"Jack, too."
"Nah, this is something I can totally see Eugene doing." Rapunzel enthusiastically declared.
"I wonder if this is why Jack has been acting so secretive in the past two weeks…" Elsa mused, her eyes drifting to the side in recollection. It was true; Jack had been awfully quiet about certain things. For example, five days ago he had been on the phone engaged in some serious haggling with someone named Gerda, and as soon as she had questioned precisely what it was he was arguing about with this woman, he had instantly gone quiet and muttered that it was a secret. Normally, Jack was honest and forthright, and his sudden reticence had aroused her suspicion to such an extent that while he was asleep, she had checked his cell phone records.
Unfortunately for her detective streak, Jack had already deleted the number.
Initially, the horrible thought that he was up to no good (so to speak) had crept into her gut and ignited a nauseous fear…but she remembered that his love for her was genuine. She knows her husband doesn't cheat, nor had he ever done in his life. It's not his nature.
The conversation between the four women soon delved into rampant speculation about what their husbands have in store for them today, and before Oaken arrived with the breakfast menus they all agreed on one thing.
It's Mother's Day, a fact reinforced by their individual notes, and it's bound to be something good.
"Oh my God…that was heaven." Anna contentedly sighed after she swallowed the last of her waffles in strawberry sauce with a mouthful of tea. Elsa couldn't help but agree; her eggs Benedict was nothing short of divine.
"So, what do you gals think is next?"
Tooth's question kicked off the rampant speculation once again, but this time Elsa kept quiet. Her opinions and suggestions had already been aired, so there was no point re-treading old ground. Besides, she was actually enjoying the escalation of ideas rushing forth.
First it started with a visit to the local art gallery (that was Elsa's suggestion), and then finished on an all-expenses paid trip to Broadway to see Wicked…with a spot of shopping afterwards (thank you, Anna).
However, it's the obscenely tall, inhumanly wide Oaken that provided the answers they all craved– or at least, Tooth. Elsa was the first to notice him (not exactly a feat as he dominated most of her vision) and he carried a silver tray with some mints and another pyramid note…this one belonging to the woman with the wild, electric blue and yellow hair. She practically snatched it from the tray and began to silently read, but when a pointed clearing of the throat echoed from the strawberry blonde sat opposite, Tooth remembered that it would be polite to let them all hear what her husband had to say.
And so they did…and Elsa pondered if everyone else's mind also read it with Aster's characteristic Australian drawl.
Hey honey,
Bet you didn't expect this, did you?
The thing is it ain't over yet. What we got planned is for the whole day, and you get to kick it off. So, without further ado, your next stop is the Arendelle Bird Sanctuary that just opened. I know how much you love birds, so I went and booked some time for you and the ladies to enjoy 'em. 10 o'clock.
Aster
Anna was practically gushing at that point, Rapunzel's eyes were crinkled with what can only be described as d'aww, and Elsa concurred that Tooth's husband's gesture was an incredibly thoughtful and sweet one. Tooth, however, had her hand over her mouth and was desperately trying to hold back the tears, and the only thing that differentiated the moistness of her eyes from that of sadness was the rapid curling of her mouth behind her fingers.
As most of them arrived at Oaken's via public transport, the designated driver was Elsa. It wasn't really a problem as she's used to being the chauffeur on occasion when it comes to the kids' days out, but several times on the twenty minute journey she had to really restrain herself from taping Tooth and Anna's mouths shut…such was the speed and intensity with which they babbled, as the prior speculation took on a new level since the revelation of Tooth's surprise.
So, when they finally arrived Elsa was hilariously the first to exit the car, anxious to be out of the enclosed space that was slowly suffocating them with barely registered sentences. It was then that she saw exactly what Aster had planned for his wife…and she had to admit, it was beautiful.
The Arendelle Bird Sanctuary was a recent development in the city, well out of the way of noisy traffic and anything that could potentially antagonise or agitate the myriad species of flight-capable creatures inside – and as it turned out when they made their way to the ticket booth, Aster had prepared the sales assistant for their arrival.
"Ah, so you're the lucky ladies that have this place all to yourselves?" he said with a twinkle in his eye, pressing a button that only he could see.
"Yeah!" cheered Tooth, then her face went blank as she realised something, "wait, did you say 'all to yourselves?'"
"Ayup. Ninety minutes. All yours."
Tooth's eyes went impossibly wide with a gasp, and Elsa had to practically pull the stunned woman through the newly-opened gate and into the sanctuary proper.
What followed was an hour and a half of joy, at least for Tooth. Each species of bird had its own special and spacious aviary, situated on either side of the long horseshoe shaped path that curls right through the sanctuary all the way to the exit. One particular bird, the orange-bellied parrot, seemed to possess a similar coloration to Tooth's clothing and hair, which was something Anna pointed out with a little bit of teasing glee.
The mother of four year old Alexander was in her element. She absolutely adored all types of birds, from the internet-famous burrowing owl to the Spix's Macaw, and even common birds such as the pigeon or the jackdaw. She didn't even need the information stands as she led the group to each aviary, informing them all about the specific habits of each bird. Her excitement was infectious – that being said, it didn't take much to wind the three women up with glee – but even the normally reserved Elsa was finding it difficult to manage the swelling buoyancy with which Tooth spoke, and as she caught the brightly-coloured woman's glance, she could see exactly how much this meant to her. Being able to walk around the sanctuary at her own zippy pace, unhurried by Alexander or irritated by a grumpy Aster…just peace and relative quiet to admire the creatures that she loved.
It aroused a thought in Elsa's mind of precisely what was in store for the other three as the day would go on.
However, all good things must come to an end, though Tooth did manage three circuits of the place in the ninety minutes they had been allotted. As they made their way back to the exit, they were greeted by one of the gift shop clerks who clutched four plastic bags, a photograph and two notes – one for Tooth, one for Anna. Inside each bag was a cuddly plush hyacinth macaw toy that made Rapunzel nearly explode with 'squee', and as Tooth read Aster's note out loud, Elsa felt her heart melt.
Hope you enjoyed it, sweetheart. Mothers have it rough sometimes, so this is a sign of my appreciation for you bringing our little ankle-biter into the world, and of how much I love you.
Happy Mother's Day, sweetheart.
Aster
Needless to say, many tissues were passed to Tooth in that moment, because the photograph was of her and Alexander just after birth, when all the joy and love in the world radiated from her face as she held the little new born baby in her arms.
For Anna, her note was different, and thus the next step in their journey.
Hey, firecracker.
The boys and I figured that your surprise should be after Tooth's, because your breakfast needed time to settle. Trust me, you'll love it. Your next destination is 1024 Snowdon Street.
Here's some advice, go crazy.
Kristoff
She did indeed go crazy, as 1024 Snowdon Street was privy to a building that created one of Anna's favourite things on earth – Arendelle Chocolate Factory.
Elsa had barely pulled up outside before Anna had dived out of the car and with her arms wildly waving in the air, had practically sprinted to the front doors, squealing something about "OHMYGODCHOCOLATEKRISTOFFILOVEYOU", which had the other three in fits of giggles.
Upon staying still long enough for Elsa, Tooth and Rapunzel to catch up, and with a little physical restraint on the part of her elder sister, Anna led the group to the main desk of the factory where a rather odd looking man with curly hair and a bright purple top hat waited to greet them.
"Eleven forty-five…you're early!" he noted with a grin as he checked his pocket watch.
"I take it we were expected?" Rapunzel asked, her eyes tracing over the mahogany wooden interior of the reception room, occasionally casting concerned glances at Anna…who by now was fit to explode with delight.
"Oh yes. Mr Bjorgman has been in contact with me for some time, and we have arranged something that we think will be to your liking, especially Mrs Bjorgman and Mrs Overland. A little bird told me that you both have a love of chocolate?"
"Do I ever?!" Anna nearly shouted, unable to suppress the childish excitement any longer.
"Excellent! Follow me, then."
The quirky man led the four down an adjacent hallway to the right, and into a moderately sized, well-furnished room with mahogany flooring and a Persian rug in the middle. A circular wood table sat in the centre of the rug, with four chairs situated around it. Anna was the first to occupy a chair – the closest one, naturally, and one by one the rest of the group followed suit and took their places, awaiting the passing of the next few seconds which would dictate whether or not they would have to rush Anna to the hospital for glee-related injuries.
"As you all know, the Arendelle Chocolate Factory takes pride in our creations, and Mr Bjorgman has organised a tasting session for you ladies. Over the next hour, you'll experience the finest that we have to offer, including our brand new Dark Silk range."
With that, two women in chef's clothing walked in through the opposite door that the group had entered from, placing two silver trays in the centre of the table, and upon each tray dozens of bite-sized chocolates were dotted in concentric circles, a myriad of shapes and textures, some with tiny little marzipan flowers on the top and others with elegant miniature filigree designs etched into the sides.
"Wow!" Anna gaped, her jaw disconnecting itself from her head and dropping to the floor, and her eyes as wide as dinner plates as they hungrily took in every single detail.
The thing that warmed Elsa's heart was that so far, both excursions had been tailored specifically to each mother's favourite things. Tooth had birds, Anna has chocolate, Rapunzel loves lights…and Elsa loves winter. She was barely concealing her excitement as to what Jack could be planning, but also partly dreading it – Jack's favourite motto was "go big or go home".
Anna wasted no time in delving into her first selection, which happened to be the Smoothie, raspberry truffle encased in delicious milk chocolate with crystallised pieces of raspberry on top as a garnish. Elsa's was the Champagne, a white chocolate sphere encasing a champagne truffle in the centre, and a splodge of dark chocolate on the top akin to a wax stamp on the letters of old, and with closed eyes she revelled in the sweet, slightly tangy tastes that danced upon her tongue.
Tooth regarded hers warily – she was a big advocate of keeping one's teeth as far away from damaging foods as possible – but after quite a lot of encouragement from the other three she ended up picking one at random…which happened to be one called the Widowmaker, a small baton consisting of 85% dark chocolate. Needless to say, the instant screwing of her face caused an eruption of teasing laughter around the table. Rapunzel, on the other hand, went for the Sweet Delight, a cube of milk chocolate which encased a coconut filling…which then surrounded a small amount of cherry jam. The moans of pleasured delight that involuntarily escaped her lips caused more than a few raised eyebrows in the room.
"What?" she said incredulously, "this is some damn good chocolate!"
"Amen to that." Elsa agreed.
It wasn't long before the ladies – with the exception of Tooth – had polished off the vast majority of the chocolates, with at least a third of them going into the stomach of Anna. It had gotten to the point that she was unwilling to move – "my belly feels weird…but it's a good weird!" – yet, she would have no respite.
The quirky man then returned with two more notes and another photograph, with Elsa accurately predicting that one of them was for Anna…but the other was for Rapunzel. It took her sister a few moments to get her stomach under control before she read, but once she did…many tissues were then passed her way as well.
I know how much you love chocolate, so I figured there was no better way to show you how sweet you are to me and the kids. Every day since the birth of Henry and Ilyanna has been a blessing to me.
I love you, baby! Happy Mother's Day!
Kristoff
"I can't decide," Anna murmured, wiping away some errant tears as she tried to speak, "whether to have more tissues or more chocolate after that…"
Elsa quite ostentatiously moved the tray away from her sister's reach in response, but was sorely tempted to steal some for herself upon seeing the photograph that accompanied it – Anna, perched on a sled with Henry and Ilyanna between her legs, sliding down a snow-covered hill, all with expressions of sheer joy. She remembered it well as Kristoff, while taking the picture, had gotten a little too close and was knocked on his ass as the sled clipped his leg.
Rapunzel's note was the next step, and it was so far the most intriguing of them all.
Hey Blondie!
It's your amazingly sexy husband here, telling you that your surprise is next. I'm guessing Anna went a little crazy on the chocolate, so you'll need time to breathe before the next one. Therefore, your next stop is the roof of the Factory…
…because you're the brightest light in our family.
Eugene
Elsa cast a sidelong glance at the curly-haired man, who nodded with a knowing smile and gestured with his hand toward the door through which they entered. Rapunzel was the first to rise from her chair, followed by Tooth and Elsa…and due to her stomach, rather reluctantly by Anna. The man led them through that door and across the reception room, stopping at a pair of mahogany doors with a button to the right, which he then pressed with proud abandon.
The doors obediently opened to reveal a clear-glass elevator attached to the side of the building, and the group's curiosity only heightened as after a quick sequence of button mashing, the elevator ascended the wall of the factory to the roof.
It was as the doors opened once more that Rapunzel cottoned on to what her husband had planned, judging by the twenty factory staff members that waited for them upon the roof, each holding a burning taper in one hand and a cream coloured Chinese lantern that had the motif of the Sun painted on the side in the other, and the biggest one was held by Eugene's best friend Vladimir, a tall and burly man that seemed to blot out the sun with his huge frame. With a wide smile, he offered the lantern to the squealing, brown-haired woman who rushed forth and accepted it from his hands.
"Is it wrong of me to feel a little jealous?" Tooth asked the rhetorical question, which was nonetheless answered by Elsa.
"Not at all…"
She watched as Rapunzel took the flaming taper from Vladimir, and with one of the brightest, happiest smiles she had ever seen, her cousin lit the small flammable ring in the centre of the lantern and let go.
It hovered for a second before lazily floating off into the sky, following the smooth breeze in an easterly direction, with the other twenty tracing the same airborne path. Stepping over to her cousin, Elsa could see the smallest of tears slide down from her right eye, stopping at her permanently smiling, rosy lips.
It was then that Anna had gasped and pointed excitedly towards the city, and both Elsa and Rapunzel gaped…because it wasn't just twenty lanterns that were launched that day.
No, there were at least a hundred.
From the roof of the hospital in which Rapunzel held a steady career as a nurse, the roof of the Snuggly Duckling tavern in which she had met Eugene all those years ago, near the lake by which he had first proposed, and Arendelle Botanical Gardens where baby Leora had taken her first steps, a multitude of glowing orbs began their slow, methodical ascent into the sky like stars rising to the heavens, all following the same course that her own personal lantern was leading. Rapunzel watched with awe at the beautiful sight, her right hand lacing itself with Elsa's and squeezing with joyful emotion, and the platinum blonde felt her heart swell with gladness at the lengths to which Eugene would go to make his wife happy.
"I can't believe it," her cousin had murmured as the stream of light joined the heavens, "this is…I have no words."
"He's really outdone himself, hasn't he?" Anna smiled, watching one of the lanterns carve its own path away from the main group.
"Ooh! I wonder what Elsa's surprise is going to be?" Tooth added, bouncing a little with excited curiosity.
"Probably something winter-related, knowing my cousin." Rapunzel offered, her eyes not leaving the sky. Elsa hoped she was right; the season of winter was far and away her favourite time of year. The ice, the snow, the fresh white colour with which Mother Nature would paint the city, all of those things and more held a special place in her heart.
The clearing of his throat alerted the group's attention to Vladimir, who in one hand held another photograph and in the other, the next two notes. Rapunzel eagerly accepted the two that belonged to her, leaving Elsa to gratefully take her note and wait patiently for her cousin to read what her husband had so lovingly put.
Rapunzel, you've got a light inside you that shines brighter than the Sun, and the best part is, when Leora and Kiran were born, I could see the same light, the same wonder in their big, gorgeous eyes.
I just wanted to show you how much you mean to me, and how lucky I am to have you as the mother of our kids.
Happy Mother's Day,
Eugene
"Tissues. Now." Elsa hissed, hurriedly grasping towards Tooth as her cousin lost the battle of wills against her eyes and began to shed the happy tears. Truth be told, Elsa was working very hard to suppress her own waterworks, especially when Rapunzel showed her the photograph. It was of baby Leora in her cot, only about six months old with her mother leaning over her. Both of them wore expressions of pure unadulterated laughter, especially with Leora grasping at Rapunzel's then-long blonde locks.
"I've gotta hand it to you, he's a smoothie." Tooth smiled.
"That he is…" Rapunzel murmured, tracing her thumb over the picture of her daughter with a smile. The silence that descended over the group was content and warm despite the cool breeze that gently kissed their faces, though the next few words from Anna were the ones that brought them back down from the sky above.
"I think it's time we find out what Jack has planned."
Elsa's breath hitched as she fingered the note in her hand, and for a brief moment she wasn't sure if she wanted to open it. In a sense, after all the emotions that had rushed forth so far, she wasn't sure if she would be able to cope with whatever was in store for her. Still, the ever increasing urgency with which her cousin squeezed her fingers told her that she probably couldn't keep them waiting any longer, and with trembling fingers she opened the note and read the words aloud.
Hey snowflake,
After Eugene's display I bet you're thinking, "How will Frost top this?"
My answer is in the form of an address. See, I know how much you love winter, how the snow feels under your feet and how crisp the air is when you breathe, so I hope you're going to love what your surprise will be.
228 Everwinter Road.
Why there? Because you're more beautiful to me than anything that snow, ice or winter itself can bring.
Jack Overland
Elsa had to hold a hand to her mouth to cover the quiet sobs that escaped, though the wide curls of her lips betrayed her overwhelmed emotion. Rapunzel gently stroked her back in support, while Tooth glanced between the note and her face with increasing puzzlement.
"What's the significance to that address?" she asked, frowning. Elsa glanced once into her almost purple eyes, and with a sniff and a quick wiping of the tears she pocketed the note and added some much needed exposition.
"It's where Jack and I met for the first time."
As it turned out, 228 Everwinter Road was the place that heralded the start of a beautiful friendship, a loving relationship, a marriage stronger than diamond and the birth of two adorable children.
It also happened to be where Elsa's favourite ice rink was situated.
This time, it was she that first exited the car at two o'clock, tossing the keys to Anna on her way to the front door for her sister to lock the vehicle, and it was she that led the group to the reception desk, where a rather intimidating brown-haired woman was waiting for them. A quick glance at the name-badge on her chest answered the question that sat in Elsa's mind all those days ago – Gerda.
"So you're the famous Elsa? Nice to meet you! Jack wouldn't shut up about you when he came to organise this thing three weeks ago."
She felt her ears and cheeks go a bright red, which wasn't helped by the quiet "aww's" from her sister and her cousin. Gerda gave her a teasing wink as she ducked under the desk to retrieve four pairs of ice skates in differing sizes – "Holy crap, he's even remembered our shoe sizes!" Anna had gaped – and as each mother picked up their specific skates, Tooth found she was unable to blurt something.
"Wait, Jack's surprise is just a bit of ice skating?" she frowned with incredulity. Elsa felt a flash of annoyance at the impulsive comment, because she knew Jack better than most…and it was a knowledge that was reinforced by Gerda's next statement.
"'Just a bit of ice skating?'" she said, her eyebrows firmly in her hair as she stuck her tongue in her cheek in mild offense, "Oh no. Much more than 'just a bit of ice skating'."
Tooth flushed at, essentially, being told off like a schoolgirl, and Elsa allowed herself a smug smirk in her direction. See, Tooth had never heard Jack's motto – "go big or go home", and as Gerda led them into the locker rooms to put on their skates and disappeared through some nearby double doors into the rink itself, Elsa felt the excitement and anticipation reach the point where she was about to burst.
Needless to say, upon correctly and firmly fixing the skates to her feet, she was up off the bench and through the double doors like a shot, prior experience with skates meaning that not once did she topple over.
What greeted her was almost total darkness, the only light in the room casting the rink in a white, seamless glow – although, oddly, the centre of the ice was still clothed in shadow. Evidently the surface had been cleaned prior to their arrival, as it possessed a shine that for a second made Elsa think she was looking at a completely still, glass-like lake.
"Oooh, atmospheric!" came Anna's voice from behind as she slowly clunked her way to where her sister stood. The strawberry blonde was also fairly experienced in the ways of skating, not as much as her elder sibling, but enough to prevent her from what Tooth and Rapunzel had been doing three times now – fall over before they reached the ice.
"So, when do we go fall on our asses…I mean skate?" Rapunzel asked, wobbling a little as gravity threatened to claim her for a fourth time.
"Soon as the lady of the hour presses this button." Gerda announced, reappearing to Elsa's left with a small device from which a red button protruded. With a slightly trembling hand and parted lips, the mother of Selene and Michael Overland accepted the small device, and with a deep and galvanising inhalation, pushed.
In that moment, her heart stalled and her breath was stolen.
One by one, hundreds of tiny blue lights that dangled from the ceiling flickered into life, creating the illusion of falling snow, and ten large snowflakes cut a line bisecting the sea of blinking blue, each with their own source of illumination. Rather than darkness, the ice rink was now bathed in a deep, cobalt hue…but that wasn't the only thing that stunned not just Elsa, but the rest of the group as well.
Somehow Jack had managed to acquire four ice sculptures that sat in the centre of the rink – thereby answering Elsa's mental question as to why that specific part was not initially lit – two of them were taller than the others…and they were all of people.
Her curiosity and desire for explanation drove her onwards, and as she stepped onto the rink and fluidly skated over to the centre, she nearly let the sobs come freely.
The four statues were of her, Jack, Selene and Michael. Expertly carved and finished to a glittering shine, her eyes drank in the sight as she traced her fingers over each of her icy children, from the single braid that Selene wears because she "wants to be just like Mama", to Michael's messy hair that's the spitting image of his father, to the chiselled jawline of the transparent representation of her husband. Elsa, with a happy beam adorning her elegant features, knew that Jack can't carve ice to this degree, so he went to his godfather Nicholas St North. It's wasn't a problem that he didn't do it himself, it doesn't take away from the level of care and planning that went into this surprise.
And in that moment, Elsa never loved her husband more.
"Okay," Anna conceded, "I'll admit it. Jack certainly knows how to knock it out of the park…oh hey, another note!"
Elsa's eyes instantly began to search every inch of the statues in front of her, and they soon fell upon a small piece of paper that stuck out between her icy husband's hands – and she can practically see the smug smirk on his face.
Told you.
"That you did," she murmurs, tracing her thumb along the scratchy handwriting, "that you did."
The ninety minutes that followed was something that she would forever hold in her heart.
Jack and Elsa had indeed met in that very ice rink when they were both sophomores at Arendelle College. She loved to figure skate and had the skill to take it to a professional level, though was finding it difficult to balance her hobby with her ever increasing college workload. Jack just loved to skate, whenever he was feeling down or had too much on his mind he would come here and just lazily cut the ice while his brain processed its thoughts – that, and he was debating taking his skills as a hockey player to the next level.
When he saw her effortlessly perform a triple Lutz, he said he was completely and utterly awed by her. When she noticed his stunned expression and gaping mouth, along with the expression of pain when in his zoning out he had skated into the wall, he did what no-one else had done for quite a long time.
He made her burst into genuine, sincere laughter.
From then, it was pretty much meant to be.
They had kept up the skating all the way through the friendship and relationship and then into the marriage, but after a lengthy talk about having children they had decided to put their hobbies on hold while they focused on bringing up the family. It was a decision that neither of them regretted for they loved little Selene and Michael with all their hearts, but there were times when she missed it.
So, for Jack to basically give her the run of the rink, to take herself back to the days when she could perform triple Lutzes and toe-loop jumps, it meant the world to her. Of course, she was a little rusty on some of the moves and therefore had to occasionally pull out of some of the more complicated tricks, but eventually it all came back to her. There she was, at home on the ice.
Naturally, Anna was fairly adept at some of the basic moves herself, and Rapunzel possessed enough skill to only fall over once or twice…but poor Tooth spent most of the ninety minutes on her butt. Elsa reasoned that her slightly frenetic personality had spurred her to 'run before she could walk', and therefore gravity took advantage of the misguided idea with hilarious frequency.
Whenever she wasn't doing tricks though, Elsa's eyes were firmly fixed on the icy representations of her children, nursing and basking in the overwhelming parental love in her heart that only they could elicit. She thought about how much they had changed her life, how everything that seems normal to her and Jack was wondrous and awe-inspiring to a child.
She thought about how she would sit with Selene in her lap and teach her to read, and how Jack would toss little Michael into the air and catch him every time, revelling in the infectious giggles that would escape the young child's mouth.
She thought about how Tooth would sit outside her house with Alexander and point out all the different birds that made their home in the suburbs, and race around the front garden flapping her wings with manic abandon.
She thought about how Rapunzel would let Leora spend a long time brushing her then-long blonde hair, babbling away about how beautiful Mommy was, and how she wants her hair to be just like hers – as it turns out, Leora was lucky enough to inherit Rapunzel's luscious hair.
She finally thought about how Selene and Michael would play with Henry and Ilyanna, chasing each other around Anna's back yard and, should poor Kristoff happen to appear, they would all rush towards him and tackle him to the ground, childish laughter lighting up the world like nothing ever would.
Eventually, all good things must come to an end, and it was no more apparent than when Gerda skated onto the ice towards the thoughtful Mrs Overland, clutching two notes…but no photograph. Seeing this, Rapunzel, Anna and Tooth all skated over – well, Tooth held onto the safety wall for most of the way and then carefully hobbled towards her friends – eager to hear Elsa read what Jack had inscribed for her, and what could potentially be their final destination.
"Did you enjoy yourself?" Gerda had asked, though it was a pointless question. The dreamy smile that still adorned Elsa's pretty face along with the vigorous nods from Anna, Rapunzel and Tooth was pretty much her answer.
"I did. When was Jack able to do all this?" she asked, her gaze once more taking in every inch of the beautiful wintry scene.
"We talked about it four weeks ago, and apparently Mr St North had been working on those statues for months. It cost…Mr Overland wanted to make sure it was everything you ever dreamed of and more. Anyway, here are your notes. Don't forget to return your skates on the way out."
Elsa accepted the note that bore her name, and with anticipating fingers she unfolded the paper and had to fight really hard to restrain the tears.
My darling Elsa,
You are everything to me, so I wanted to show you exactly how much you and the kids mean to me. Seriously, when Selene and Michael came along, I thought I was going to die of happiness, and each day since then has been amazing – even the three a.m. diaper changes. I love how Selene has your eyes and laugh, and Michael has your hair colour and your smile.
To have you as the mother of our children makes me the luckiest guy in the universe, and I hope this goes some way to showing just how much I appreciate and value everything you've done for us.
Happy Mother's Day
Jack Overland
P.S. You might have noticed there's no photograph. Protip: look at the wall above the door you came though.
Stunned, Elsa followed the instructions…and ceased to restrain the tears. Projected above the door in startling visual detail was a picture of her and Selene taken two years ago, where she had taken her into the back garden to build a snowman. Elsa was busy smoothing out the lower body while Selene was trying desperately to affix a carrot to the snowman's face…while Michael was busy trying to eat the snow. Everyone wore the brightest, happiest smiles in the world, and in that moment all she wanted to do was find her family and wrap them all in the tightest hug possible.
She felt an arm drape itself over her shoulder as she sobbed into her right hand, overwhelmed with the love and thoughtfulness that had been displayed not just now, but with everything that had happened today. It wasn't long before the other three mothers joined in the emotional outpouring, all wanting to be with their families once again.
Anna took the initiative at that point, and with the occasional hiccup she read the final note.
Hey ladies!
We hope you enjoyed your day, and if you didn't…well, we'll sleep on the couch for the next month. We just wanted to do something amazing for you all, to show you how much you mean to us. Motherhood is the hardest thing in the world, and you all make it look easy. You fill our homes with nothing but love and support, and under your guidance we're certain that our kids will grow up to become upstanding members of society (except maybe Jack's).
Anyway, your final stop is Arendelle Central Park, where we're waiting for you.
Happy Mother's Day!
Aster, Kristoff, Eugene and Jack
They couldn't lie, the day had been incredible…but judging by the speed with which they all skated off the rink (even Tooth managed to stay upright) it was obvious that all they wanted to do was see their husbands and kids again.
They missed them that much.
It was approaching four o'clock when they arrived at the park – thankfully the sun was still fairly high in the sky – and though every member of the group was tired, achy…and in the case of Tooth, decidedly bruised, they walked with haste to find their loved ones that were sat somewhere in the park.
As they travelled the long, wide path that bisected the huge circular area, it was Rapunzel that first managed to catch wind of their families' possible location.
"Wait," she froze, her head cocked to the side as she listened intently, "that's Leora! I know that little cackle anywhere!"
Elsa's ears pricked too, and a warm smile adorned her features as the sound of Jack's laughter mingling with Selene and Michael's reached them. Almost breaking into a run, they quickly made their way along one of the smaller paths that split off in a north-easterly direction as they followed the sound…and finally, they saw them surrounding a large, tartan picnic blanket.
Jack was busy fending off a relentless bout of tickles from his son and daughter, all three giggling like mad. Kristoff had Ilyanna and Henry on his shoulders and was doing rapid circuits around the blanket, and Anna could practically feel the gleeful beams coming from her kids. Eugene was busy rolling a ball back and forth between Leora, Kiran and himself, and the dark blue-haired, alternative-dressed Aster seemed to be leading Alexander on yet another pre-Easter egg hunt.
The ladies instantly strode towards their families, wide smiles on their faces, intent on satisfying their desires to spend time with them. Selene saw them first as she gave her father pause to breathe, and with a squeal she led the pint-sized charge to their beloved mothers.
"Mama!" she cheered, rushing towards Elsa with her arms wide open. Michael followed, occasionally stumbling but still stubbornly wanting to be in his mother's arms. Leora and Kiran practically jumped into Rapunzel's embrace, Alexander wrapped himself around Tooth's legs never to let go, and Anna was nearly tackled to the ground by the impact of Henry and Ilyanna's charge.
"Hello, my little snowflakes!" Elsa gushed as she knelt, squeezing her kids as tightly as their little bodies would allow, "I missed you so much!"
"We missed you too, Mama! Did you enjoy your surprise?" murmured Selene, her mouth half buried in her mother's shoulder.
"Mama did, thank you very much! How was your day? Did you have fun?"
"Yeah! We went to the mall and then to the park near Uncle Kristoff and Aunty Anna's house, and then we went for ice cream, and then we came here for a picnic!"
"Ice cream, huh?" Elsa cast a narrowed glance and smirked at her husband who, by now, had gotten to his feet and was walking over to meet her. It was then, with a sensation of sympathetic comfort, she noticed how worn out Jack was.
"Eugene's idea." he answered, awkwardly scratching the back of his head.
"Was not!" came the indignant retort from somewhere behind Jack.
"Yeah it was," Kristoff defended after greeting his wife with a tender kiss on her temple, "and I seem to remember telling you that you'd be looking after Henry and Ilyanna for the night if they were too hyper to sleep."
"Oh! Oh! Can we? Can we? Please?" squeaked Ilyanna, bouncing up and down on her feet with her arms held vertically across her chest, just like her mother.
"What have you started…" groaned Anna, reaching up to ruffle her husband's hair.
"Anyway!" Jack spoke loudly, clapping his hands together to get everyone's attention, "we figured you awesome ladies would be tired out after your day, so we took the liberty of making a picnic."
Elsa smiled widely as she rose to her feet, and the smile remained on her lips as she laced her left fingers in his hair, pulled him towards her and captured his lips in a sweet, loving kiss.
"God, I love you so much." she murmured against his mouth, and she could feel his lips curl in return.
"Love you too, Mama Snowflake."
Within five minutes each family was sat around the picnic blanket, helping themselves to the selection of cheese-and-pineapple sticks, sandwiches, cocktail sausages and other assorted picnic foods. Elsa was sat cross-legged, being thoroughly entertained by Selene's rather exuberant description of her day's events while Jack chuckled at her antics. Alexander was proudly showing off his bucket of eggs to Tooth along with the brand new Adventure Time t-shirt that his father had bought for him. Ilyanna and Henry were both wrestling for Anna's attention, completely missing the fact that she had more than enough to give. Rapunzel giggled like mad as, with her head bowed, Leora and Kiran ruffled and messed with her short brown locks.
All in all, smiles and laughter from every single person around the picnic.
"You know, I want to thank you for today. It's been an experience I'll never forget." Elsa murmured so only her husband could hear as she rested her head upon his shoulders. Jack hummed as he kissed her scalp.
"I'm pleased you enjoyed it," he muttered in return, draping an arm around her shoulders and drawing light circles into her upper left arm, "I just wanted to show you how awesome you are as a mother."
"Oh, I really did. The statues were amazing, such a nice touch…but I can't help thinking you may have shot yourself in the foot…" she added forebodingly.
"Oh? How's that?"
"Well if this is what you can do for Mother's Day…how on earth will you exceed it for our anniversary next month?" she asked, craning her neck up so she could see his reaction.
She wasn't sure whether to be excited or worried when she saw the knowing smirk that spontaneously appeared across his mouth.
A/N: I hope you all enjoyed it. I also want to state that the new chapter for CTTT is still in the works, but it's a big one so I'm taking extra time to make sure it's done right.
Furiyan out!