Jack was startled awake by the annoyed tugging on his sleeve by his girlfriend. But this was routine, virtually a sacred ceremony they held every Saturday morning. As the head engineer at the San Fransokyo Company, he didn't have the luxury he indulged himself in right now. Mondays to Fridays from 6 to 9 he couldn't afford to risk messing around as his teenage Jack would have. No, at the plant he was Jackson Frost, the cold and untouchable foil to the lump he currently was on the bed.
Elsa saw him turn around and glared down at him, a cute frown etched on her face. She knew that for a while now that Jack has been in a slump, snapping at co-workers and being colder than usual to everyone but her. Her eyes softened in sympathy as she ushered him out of the bed gently, telling him to take a nice shower while she fixes him some breakfast. A smile is all it takes for him to get up slowly, planting a lingering kiss on her cheek before limping groggily into the bathroom.
He would need to look a little nicer today as he would be meeting up with his cousin Edward 'Bunny' Aster who was flying in from Australia. He made it a point to stress to Jack the importance of making this meeting because Bunny was bringing a friend. But Jack knew what that meant. All of Bunny's friends have just been girls that the burly man had been trying to set up with Jack. He knew from experience that every time he went to meet up with his cousin, Bunny would conveniently not be able to make it, leaving Jack alone with the unsuspecting, but suspiciously eager, girl. This is why he started bringing Elsa along. Bunny knew about Jacks's relationship with Elsa and thought that the Australian liked her well enough. Yet, this doesn't stop the endless number of blind dates. Maybe Bunny just has a thing for randomly pairing up his family with Australians. The guy was a die-hard nationalist, after all. He just hopes that Elsa will see it that way, too.
She heard the water come to a stop and quickly set down his bowl of food, watching as he came out with a towel around his neck and a scowl on his face when he only saw one plate. He has been nagging her to eat breakfast for a while now, but Elsa would only shake her head in refusal and repeat the same explanation she has been giving to him for the last few weeks. She's not much of a morning person and she would much rather watch him. An affectionate gaze is all it takes to silence him again. Although there are some days, like today, when he would continue the argument and insist that she doesn't need a diet. Choosing not to continue the topic, she reminded him of the lunch date he had with his cousin, smirking when she saw her boyfriend frown even more at the reminder.
Everything was going fine, and best of all, Elsa seemed to like the girl, Tooth. He and Elsa had arrived ten minutes early to the Lucky Cat Cafe. As expected, only a girl approached them, repeating the scripted excuse about Bunny's bad case of jet lag and cramps that every girl before her had recited. Jack made an offhanded comment about Bunny sounding like he was on his period, evoking a polite giggle from the short girl and a smirk from his girlfriend. Seating themselves into a booth, Elsa excused herself to the bathroom almost immediately after, making Jack joke about how she might be on her period, too. Laughing when she swat his arm, he apologized with a peck on her cheek. After watching Elsa's retreating figure he caught Tooth staring oddly at him before she realized what she was doing and gave him an awkward laugh. He dismissed this as they began a casual conversation, learning that they apparently had many things in common. She too was a Burgess native but moved to Sydney the spring of her 8th grade year. She enjoyed hockey and loved the Guardians. And she had an affinity for all things winter. The two got along well and were in the middle of a debate regarding their beloved team's new defenseman when Jack felt his pocket buzz. He took out his phone to see that his girlfriend had texted him saying how she wasn't feeling well and that she will meet up with them in the park. Concerned, Jack got up from the booth and told Tooth that they should head over to the park immediately, worried about what might be going through his girlfriend's head.
Everything was going better than expected. Elsa had silently observed the Tooth character, noting how, despite her odd, quirky behavior and neon colored hair, she was a sweetheart. Seeing that her interactions with her boyfriend were making Tooth awkward, Elsa excused herself, giving the excuse of needing to use the restroom. Although Jack seemed tentative to be left alone with he sprite-like woman, Elsa reassured him that everything would be fine. Lo and behold, thirty minutes into the meeting, Elsa noticed how Jack hadn't noticed her absence, and texted him to alert him of her presence at the park so that the two can make their way over whenever they were ready. Most girlfriends would be concerned by the how well the two hit it off, but Elsa was anything but jealous. In fact, she was relived. Jack has clung to her like a bandage for too long and now it looked like he might have just found the person to help him soak and ease off the gauze.
Nervous. That was the best way to describe what he was feeling at the moment. When he arrived at the park with Tooth, he found his girlfriend sitting on a bench staring off into space. She had been doing that a lot lately. When she finally saw him, she got up and joined them to take a walk around the park. Not a minute had passed before he and Tooth were already in the midst of a comfortable conversation about hockey. Jack couldn't help but glance occasionally at his girlfriend who made no attempt to join the conversation. In fact, she would glare every time he tried to cue her in. He didn't get it, Tooth seemed like a nice girl who surely wouldn't mind his girlfriend joining in.
Frustrated. That was the only word she could use to describe what she was feeling right now. She was trying to slip away into the background and give the two some space but Jack was insistent on including her. Sighing, she laced her fingers through his and gave his hand a reassuring squeeze. Seeing a hint of a smile on his face, Elsa couldn't help the smile that crept unto her own face as she was happy at being able to reassure him that she was fine.
Tooth had eagerly proposed taking pictures. She had brought a polaroid camera and was intent on bringing home evidence of having gone on a date with a charming American. Upon hearing that, Jack began denying her profusely, telling her how this was only a meeting among friends and that he already had a girlfriend. He glanced worriedly at Elsa whose expression was unreadable.
Tooth pouted when she heard Jack refusing to acknowledge today as a date. Torn at the statement, Elsa knew she should be glad but a part of her was still possessive of him. After all, they had been together for 7 years, and dating for 3 of them. Trying to amend the awkward mood that had fell unto them, Tooth pointed excitedly to a nearby bench that her astute eye found perfect for a picture. While seating themselves, Jack was very adamant about placing Elsa in the middle, an action to which Elsa couldn't help but guiltily respond with a blush, loving her boyfriend's attempt at pacifying her. Tooth cast a brief glance at her distance from Jack but didn't comment, choosing to smile brightly at the lens and snap a picture.
Arriving at the diner, the group decided that no trip of Burgess was complete without having at least eaten at Pizza Planet. Once seated, Tooth began thanking Jack for having showed her around, but Jack awkwardly insisted that it was a dual effort, and that his girlfriend helped, too. Upon hearing the mention of his girlfriend Tooth visibly stiffened and fell silent as the food arrived. While they were eating, Tooth pulled out her polaroid, smiling at having seen the that the pictures had dried. Jack grinned at the pictures, asking if he could have the picture of them on the bench. Tooth replied with an enthusiastic 'Of course' and told him that he could have it later because she needed to make a copy of the picture of the two of them together. She then blushed before admitting to him that she knows that she will never be able to replace Elsa in his heart, but hopes that he could give her a chance. Jack was confused until he took the picture from her hand, staring at it as if he had been struck across the face. Worriedly, he looked around the room but noticed that Elsa was nowhere to be seen. Giving Tooth a brief apology Jack dashed from the diner intent on rushing home, the picture of Jack and Tooth on the bench floating delicately to the ground.
Arriving home, Elsa could see herself fading as her fingers grew more and more transparent by the minute. She knew that she shouldn't have just left Jack, but she could see that he was okay. He was going to be fine. Even without her. She was drawn away from her thoughts when she heard the door of their apartment burst open. Jack's white hair was wild, tousled by the wind, while his face was frantic as his lungs greedily took in big breaths. Most likely distracted, Jack failed to notice the fading Elsa in the hallway as he took big strides to their room, walking right through her in the process.
He opened the door and let his eyes survey the room until he found the box he was looking for, packed snugly under the bed. Lifting it and placing it on his bed, Jack carefully opened the lid and examined the contents of the container. There was a scattered assortment of pictures of him and Elsa together, some of her beloved snowflake hair clips, and her phone placed right next to a small satin box. Lifting out the smaller box, he coaxed it open, struggling to make out the small diamonds incorporated on the band because by then, the sweat from his dash had made it into his eyes. But even through the haze he could still make out the large sapphire in the middle, the gem glittering brightly as the lights cast off a display reminiscent of snowfall.
She glanced down at the box in his hand and couldn't help the flood of emotions that engulfed her. The ring should have been on her finger. She should have been Mrs. Frost. But she wasn't. There were a lot of things that happened that shouldn't have. Like the car accident that robbed her of her ring, and her life. She learned later on that that was the day the ring was supposed to be hers. But it never made it to her finger.
The road had been slippery that day, and Jack had been so nervous that he didn't see the swerving truck. When he came to, he was in the hospital, having just woken up from a month-long coma. He remembered waking up with a raging headache, but the pain in his head was nothing compared to the hollowness in his chest.
The room was full of concerned loved ones, eagerly waiting to see the recovering patient. There were exclamations of relief and joy for the revived man. But there were none for her. She didn't have any surviving family members save for a few distant relatives back in Norway. But even then there would have been no point in them coming because she didn't have a body. It was consumed in the fire of the car crash, and even the charred remains were hard to separate from the ashes of the car. Even though she knew she wasn't supposed to feel any pain, there was a echoing hollowness inside her body that she knew had nothing to do with the fact that she was dead.
Looking up, he finally noticed Elsa, clad in a white dress, pale and glowing like the apparition she was. He couldn't help himself as he lunged toward his girlfriend with open arms, wrapping her fragile body with his sweater clad arms. He scolded her for making him worry. He apologized for not noticing that she was gone. He begged her to stay.
Looking down at the crying figure in her arms, Elsa could only rub his head in circular strokes, comforting him just like she did when she was alive. With each stroke, his arms around her would tighten. She scolded him for wetting her dress with his tears. She apologized for not telling him that she was leaving. She begged him to move on.
She told him that she has to leave soon, that she has been with him for longer than she should have. She pleaded for his arms to release her, because her mission would have been in vain otherwise. She asks that he does not let the memory of her keep him from finding happiness. Because his happiness is her happiness. He responds by promising to her that she succeeded, that he will try harder and return to his genial self, and that she will never be just a memory. He's sorry for making her worry and unable to move on peacefully. He'll make it up to her by taking the first step.
Elsa can feel a fat tear roll down her cheek with his confession, watching it fall to the top of Jack's head. But it never makes it. Elsa disappears from his arms and soon the only thing he his left grasping onto is her phone with a new voicemail:
Everything, from your coquettish smirks to your boyish laughs to your crappy cooking, everything is engraved in my heart.
Memories are powerful and should be used as incentive to move on, not an excuse to hold back.
If you want what's best for me, do what's best for you.
Forever yours, Elsa...