I
She reached up, carefully massaging the muscles in her left shoulder. They were tense: a condition that had only been worsening throughout the day. Her right hand - the dominant one - cradled her phone, waiting at a moment's notice to whisk a thumb across the screen.
That text would arrive in the very near future; she knew what it would say. Still, even with that knowledge, and the five-month head start she had on expecting it, she was on-edge. It was an anxiousness that couldn't be chalked up to dread or excitement, be it positive or negative. The sentiment was one of resignation, inevitability...
'Attrition?' she thought, testing out her word-of-the-day, care of her phone's widget.
Elsa gave the empty, translucent coffee cup a shake, rattling the orphaned ice cubes. The gentle roar did well to offset the white noise of airport hubbub. Her eyes darted from left to right and back, taking in the scene from her pleather-backed, metal-trimmed seat.
Across the way was the arrival board. The characters would update every few moments, but there was only one line that was of interest to the blonde.
"'Flight 1783 from Milwaukee, 5:55p, on-time'...due any moment," she said to herself, only above a whisper.
Businessmen and women hustled to and fro, rolling suitcases, dragging children, speaking in languages she could only dream of understanding. The food court to her right and beyond was capped by a massive wall of windows that looked out onto the runways of Sea-Tac International. The September skies over the Puget Sound were opening up, allowing determined tendrils of light to shine through for the first time that Thursday afternoon. It gave the atrium a welcoming glow, taking up Elsa in its embrace.
The cheery disposition of the weather, though, did little to slack her tension. Pointlessly shaking the cup again, she read the decorative awning of the pub directly to her left: '"Seattle Brewing Company". Gee, that sounds authentic.'
She rolled her eyes at the blatantly generic name. All the same, a shot of courage would help to steady the ship. Finally being of age afforded certain privileges, one of which was the convenience of medicating your nerves if you damned well felt like it! Screw the clocks!
'You shouldn't pick up your sister with scotch on your breath.'
'Like it even matters. She's going to be so loaded up on sugar and adrenaline will it even matter?'
'Oh God. She's going to be so hyped up, too. I didn't even consider that!'
'Easy. Drinking won't fix anything.'
Before she could even reply to the stupidly sensible half of her brain, it arrived: "LANDED! ^.^ "
Elsa sighed after reading the text, collected her purse, and gave the pub one final, yearning glance while tossing the cup in a receptacle.
'I wonder if they offer pints to-go?' she mused wryly, lazily starting her stroll towards the arrival area.
Everywhere around her, people were running off to new destinations - some for duty, some for pleasure. As much as she wanted to tag along, she also knew her rightful place was in the moment. It wasn't the time to need, but rather to be needed.
Her casual navy blue, pleated skirt swayed calmly to the time of her steps. The blouse and vest she matched to them spoke both of warm summer days, but also of their inevitable defeat, the yielding to earth tones and decay.
As was typical, she had her mane spun into a French braid, the tail of which was resting on her shoulder. Over the summer, upon staring into the mirror for the umpteenth time in her life, she gave her platinum toned hair a touch of gold, coloring it the hue of tamed sunlight. It was just enough of a shift to satisfy her need for change, while still keeping it very much her own.
Catching her reflection in a shop window, she gave herself a once-over without pause. A mental note was jotted on how the headband looked good with the braid after all, an accoutrement she almost left behind. The shoes worked, as well; though she wasn't much a fan of short heels - or any heels for that matter - it was a sacrifice she made to properly welcome the traveller.
This was a friend who had already walked so many miles with her and for her. Even during the times of separation - by distance and by contact - their paths never strayed too far from each other. Like an ancient vessel, fording uncharted waters while hugging the coastline, the two never lost sight of each other, despite efforts to head for open sea.
'And now, the true expedition begins,' she thought, watching countless unnamed passengers slip past her, leaving the security zone and entering the arms of loved ones. Elsa looked as far beyond the stream of people as possible, trying to keep her composure and nerves in check.
She took a deep breath and, before it could be released, she saw her. Or rather, she saw a redhead bolting through the crowd, two braids flailing about, bouncing freely. She knew the freckles and bright, blue eyes that would soon come into view even before they materialized, practically bursting through a small gap and zeroing in on Elsa.
"Sorry!" the interloper hollered over her shoulder, having nearly knocked down a now very startled woman. The pleasantry was merely automatic, since her mind wasn't on the past anymore. The present began now.
'Life starts now,' Anna thought, marking this milestone and finishing those final few steps. Spotting her elder sibling, tears formed in her eyes. She didn't make any effort to dry them as she finally closed the gap and fell into open arms.
"Elsa!" she cried happily, squeezing the much more demure woman tightly.
"Anna!" was the reply Elsa managed, a feat considering her breath was all but stolen.
Fellow passengers nearby, taking in the reunion, aww'd at the sight, many cracking grins of wistfulness. Neither noticed, far too focused on each other to bother. Each cupped the other's face in their hands and laughed through blissful tears.
It was a reaction that Elsa had expected from the redhead, but not at all from herself. The tensions and concerns that had slept in her shoulders up until that moment melted away once her arms held Anna. Though they would undoubtedly return, for now, she was content in soaking up the euphoria that decided to sweep her up unannounced.
"Oh Elsa, Elsa, Elsa! God I've missed you!" Anna rambled, feeling the need to say something - anything - to mark the occasion. It was all her weary heart could manage, but she didn't mind and she knew her sister wouldn't either.
"Anna, I've missed you, too." The blonde was now snuggling the sister closely in her arms, copper tresses spilling down her sleeves, soaking in her radiance, not letting a single brilliant bolt of energy slip away. She took it all in and melted.
"I love you, Elsa," she said, the words oddly steady and confident considering the excitement buzzing through them both. "I never wanna be that far away from you ever again. That's...too long for us to be apart."
The blonde absorbed the verbiage, letting their power and intent sink in. They were the same sentiments she felt towards her sister. Even with all the questioning of her feelings and emotions over her arrival, she loved her sister with no equivocations.
"I love you, too, Snowbug. To see you here in front of me..." Elsa said, stepping back a bit to get a better look, "I'm realizing just how long it's been. I'm so happy you're here, sis," she finished, leaning in for another hug.
"Come on, let's get out of everyone's way," she segued, trying to pull everything back into a more reasonable level of maturity. Finally breaking their grasps, Anna aped her movements, and they completed the greeting off to the side. Anna did a quick check of her baggage, making sure the essentials were in their proper compartments and nothing was left on the plane.
"Wow. You've grown a lot," Elsa commented upon truly taking in her companion's physique as the luggage rummaging finished up. Anna looked up in reply, blushing slightly, almost asking for Elsa to continue.
"You're taller and more...feminine than I remember you looking last time I was home," she carefully posed in reference to the additional curves the traveller bestowed.
Anna stood and beamed in reply. It was clear the kid had hit a growth spurt and added a few extra pounds, though it appeared to be more in the muscular form than anything else. As always, she was dressed in a very youthful, laid-back manner: she sported a plaid, long-sleeved shirt and blue jeans, along with her favorite pair of Converses. Very much the tomboy next door.
'You always were the sporty one,' Elsa thought, somewhat lost in the moment. She had dreamt of this moment, but never thought she'd find the strength to stand within its confines. Yet, amongst the chaos of dull PA announcements and whining metal detectors, she and Anna had set aside the worry and confusion, holding everything in their hands.
It was only when their gazes met once more that she realized how long she had been staring. By this time, both were a mere shade off tomato-red, and Elsa cleared her throat to chase away the awkwardness.
"Let me help you with those," Elsa offered, flawlessly stepping into the hostess role.
"It's okay. Just have the backpack and this suitcase. The rest got mailed ahead of me. It should show up at the house by..." Anna paused, counting the days silently while mouthing the syllables, "...I think by Monday. Monday sounds right. I didn't need to second-day them, so that saved a lot, thankfully."
"Sounds good. I'll be sure to have Steven or Ollie there to sign for 'em."
"The great Steven and Ollie. I can't wait to meet them," Anna replied genuinely, veering the conversation in a new direction as they paced through the terminal towards the exit.
"'Great'? That could be a stretch," the elder sibling guffawed, which Anna joined her in.
"They sound like good roomies all the same," Anna coaxed in her typical cheery manner, though rather airily, as her attention was now focused to her right, eyeing one of the countless coffee shops within the complex.
"Need a pick-me-up?" Elsa knew that look and made the simple guess.
"Yeah, if you want me to stay up past nine," Anna admitted. "Plus, now that I'll be living in the land of coffee, I should be initiated as soon as possible. To be honest, I've never really liked it before, but no time like the present, right?"
'There's that happy chatter I missed,' Elsa thought as they took their place in line. She smirked at Anna, the redhead brimming with enthusiasm and energy, eyes darting speedily from floor to ceiling, taking in every nascent sight and sound. Obliged to a naturally reserved demeanor, Elsa colored her world through the scamp's eyes.
At seeing her older sister's sly grin of adoration, Anna got bashful once more and fought to quell her reaction, not wanting to overload the sibling she had been yearning to see for so long. Instead, she stood straight and tall, stiff and comically stoic. That made things worse, though; Elsa only giggled at the child-like attempt at maturity.
"What would you like? Something with chocolate, I assume?" Elsa asked, stifling her chuckle.
"Yeah! A mocha would hit the spot!" Anna agreed, remembering that it worked well to cover up the taste of actual coffee.
"I'll make it two. Why not go grab that open table?" the flaxen-haired beauty recommended, pointing to a newly vacated spot in the back corner. Anna hurried over to claim the territory, brushed the crumbs to the floor, and was checking her phone when her sister arrived with the steaming beverages.
"Thanks," she said, accepting the ceramic mug with both hands.
"So..." Elsa began, sliding in close on the bench, "how was your flight?"
"It was okay. Pretty boring, which is preferred in my book. Played some games on my iPad and watched a few shows I downloaded. There weren't any bumps until we started descending."
"It's always like that coming into SeaTac. I think it has to do with the jet stream or the mountains; perhaps both," Elsa broke in.
"The air is different here; that's for sure," Anna added. "It smells so much cleaner, almost like the ocean is down the block. I know the Sound is, but that's not really the ocean, is it?"
Elsa blew on her beverage, enjoying the inexplicably soothing meanderings of her sister.
"I like what you did with your hair, Els. I always imagined you adding a bit of blonde," she smiled in admiration.
"And your hair is adorable as always," the elder replied. "Any desire to break out of the usual style since you're finally away from home?"
"I like how it is now, to be honest. I tried letting it down for a bit this summer, but always came back to the standard. It's like what dad says: 'If it ain't broke...'"
"'Don't fix it,'" they finished in unison, knowing the phrase by heart.
Elsa grinned again, though more at her coffee mug this time to keep from making her sister feel self-conscious.
"How are mom and dad?"
"You know, the same as always. I was so ready to get away. I mean, the main reason I was psyched was being able to see you again," Anna hurriedly added, as if leaving the reassurance out would equate to insult, "but damn, I was ready to leave them behind, too."
"I remember that feeling," Elsa nodded in agreement before Anna continued talking up a storm.
"They stayed strict all the way up until this morning; they actually got worse as time went on! These last two weeks, they never let me stay out past 10:30 to make sure I'm 'rested up' for the adjustment to a new living environment! That makes no sense, especially for a college student! Their schedules are screwy by nature!"
Again, a polite nod was given in reply while enjoying another sip.
"They wouldn't leave me alone, constantly reminding me of my roots, and how to be a lady, and what to avoid...all that crap. Did they actually think I was listening?! So stupid!" Anna finished with a flourish, stopping to finally savor the concoction while it was still warm.
"They're just being parents. Well, our parents."
"I was going to correct you there," Anna jousted. "None of my friends' parents are acting like this. Okay, Angela's are but her family is a bit wacky to begin with."
'...which speaks volumes about ours,' Elsa quipped silently.
"I barely had time to pack with all the lecturing and preparation: they wanted copies of my class schedule; I had to give them medical power of attorney in case I got hurt; the two of them poured over crime stats of the area so they could lay awake at night panicking. It was never-ending! You had it easy."
"I had it easy?! How can you say that?" Elsa retorted, only in a half-serious tone. "It was hard for me, too! They were constantly riding me!"
"Wish you would have warned me about it then," Anna put down her coffee cup, modeling a look of mock-frustration.
"I wanted too, goof. I was busy, really busy. I had a lot going on in high school," Elsa sighed, feeling more than a twinge of guilt sink in to replace the sisterly mood.
"Yeah. I missed you. It almost felt like you weren't living with us before you even left," Anna confided.
"You didn't have anyone to go hang out with?" Elsa asked, pleadingly.
"Sure. As always, I spent a lot of time with Tina, Jake, and Kelly," the reply began, naming off life-long friends, "We spent way too many nights at the coffeeshop and the park watching Jake board. That is when I wasn't cashiering at the grocery store."
"You stayed on through senior year?"
"My last day was a week ago," she explained with a sigh. "I needed the paycheck. It was the only way I had any leverage in making personal decisions. Other than that, though, I could only maintain. I always looked up to you. Saw what you were achieving in college and knew I wanted that, too. Kind of made everything else pretty mediocre."
"So, I take it that means you didn't get more serious with Jake?" Elsa pried cautiously.
Anna shrugged.
"No. We fooled around a bit, but...it's hard to care about making anything lasting or meaningful when you're not committed. I knew I couldn't stay in good ol' Norway, Michigan, or even the Midwest, for that matter. I wanted something bigger."
Her rather melancholy admission laid-out, Anna looked up with yearning eyes, their corners kissed with mistiness.
"I wanted to be with my sister again," she added.
After a quiet moment of somber reflection, Elsa reached out and placed a hand on top of her sister's. The contact sent a shiver down Anna's back, due partially to shift in temperature: Elsa's touch was always cooler than her own. While she was never the talker that Anna was, her big sister knew how to speak in subtle tones.
"You're here now. We're together and have all the time in the world to catch up on those lost years."
Anna looked into Elsa's eyes upon hearing that optimistic stance and couldn't help but smile and nod contently in response. Yet, within that steady gaze, she saw something hiding behind the veneer. She wasn't certain enough to ask, but Anna knew the statement held a cryptic meaning, all the same.
"Sounds wonderful to me," was Anna's reply before jumping on the next topic. "Speaking of not so wonderful, Dad made me attend Mass at five this morning! Five! Just so we could pray for my save journey."
"How many Saint Christopher stones did he pack in your suitcase?" Elsa laughed over Anna's incredulous look of frustration.
"At least three! At some point, you have to wonder if the effect wears off from overkill!"
The conversation continued, both sisters getting into their groove, as if they had never left it. In high spirits, the two eventually cleared the table to make room for another traveling family in need of energy and respite. The two strolled out to the monstrous parking structure sidled up against the terminal. After taking a moment to recall what floor she had parked on, Elsa led the way to her sleek, midnight blue Subaru WRX.
"Wow. I knew you bought a car awhile back but this is awesome!" Anna said happily, showing a shade of envy that was out-of-character for the redhead.
"Yeah, I made some wise investments with that portfolio dad transferred to me two years ago. Threw it into futures at the right time and, 14 months later, got my reward," the blonde explained triumphantly. She helped Anna tuck her belongings into the trunk, and slipped into the form-fitting seat.
"I can remember the first time you got back from taking that ride with Andrew when you were a freshman," Anna reminisced, looking back to her sister's high school days, "and all you could go on about was how cool his WRX was and how you wanted one..."
"And how disappointed I was when I looked at the price," Elsa scoffed humorously while steering the car down the spiraled ramp.
"Yeah. You did manage to get it while being an undergrad; that's not easy. It takes brains to do that," Anna countered, hoping the complement would flatter.
"One of us has to have them," was the reply, heavily punctuated with a wink.
"Hey! Take that back! I-"
"That'll be eight-fifty."
Anna failed to notice that they had entered the payment area. She held back on her playfulness for the moment, allowing Elsa to conduct the transaction in peace. Staring out the passenger side window, she eyed the goings-on of the surrounding area.
Unfortunately, there wasn't much to see. There was a ton of construction nearby and temporary fencing had blocked off much of her view. It would have been impossible, though, to miss the overhead light-rail track; a few cars had whizzed up to the airport station's platform, catching her attention. Beyond this, she spotted the typical spread of budget and luxury hotels, and all-night diners.
'Every airport looks the same,' Anna though with disappointment, yearning to leap beyond the bounds of the typical. Thankfully, her sister was happy to oblige.
"Welcome to Seattle," the driver chimed in a most timely manner before revving the engine and laying down the pedal.
The rapid shift in velocity made Anna's blood rush with excitement and an immediate lust for adventure tore through each vein. Elsa was born with a lead foot, something that was clear even with the early-nineties Carolla she had purchased off their grandfather towards the end of high school. While Anna didn't mind driving, it was simply a means of getting from point A to point B; for Elsa, it was the point.
The newborn evening sky was pock-marked with threads of cirrus, giving the dark orange tones of sunset a dash of elegance and mystery. Grinning from ear to ear, Anna rolled the window down and stuck her head out into the warm late summer air. Ever the child-at-heart, the redhead laughed at the gusts approaching her head-on, only to divert and catch on a braid.
Barely tapping the brakes, Elsa careened through the ramp providing access to State Route 518. At the sound of her sibling's laughter, she couldn't resist giggling herself. The moment they were in was magical; everything was perfect. A lightness swelled inside her soul, threatening to break out with an unrestrained gusto. For the first time in as long as she could recall, Elsa wished to back off on the accelerator, hoping that doing so might slow time and keep it from slipping away.
'Not today,' she decided, wanting nothing more than to give her passenger a proper welcome 'home'.
"Yeah!" Anna cried to the skies in euphoria, loud enough for the driver to hear it safely inside the cabin. Cranking the wheel, the Subaru whipped onto I-5 and made a beeline for downtown. After passing through the central business district and crossing the Ship Canal Bridge, they would exit off at 45th Street to find themselves in the thick of the University District.
The free-spirited navigator didn't even bother to pull her head back into the car until they had passed over the canal and were leaving the freeway. Though focused intently on the road, Elsa knew the kid sister was staring up at every skyscraper as they whizzed through the core of the metropolis. She even heard a surprised 'whoa' when they passed under the State Convention Center that served as a quasi-tunnel, as well. Typically, Elsa always had a soundtrack to match her travels; tonight, however, Anna's sounds of wonder and excitement served as the proper backdrop.
"Quite a shift from life in sleepy Norway, isn't it?" Elsa asked once Anna finally had settled back in her seat.
"Yeah, nothing like this on the U.P. at all!" Anna conceded without hesitation.
They sighed happily, extremely satisfied over their mockery of the speed limit now that they were safely away from the prying eyes of the state patrol. Turning onto 45th and dipping into the shopping area near campus, Elsa looked over to see her sister trying to straighten out her wind-whipped strands using the sun-visor's mirror. The co-pilot inhaled deeply and then released it gently in response to the excitement. Through the window, the dying gasps of sunlight brought out each adorable freckle on her youthful cheeks.
It took everything in fair-haired maiden's heart to not boldly reach out and take hold of Anna's busy hands, stopping her from putzing with her mused mane.
'I love it the way it is.'
As soon as the thought was born, though, she regretted its existence. The guilt - which had finally been on the losing end for the last forty-five minutes - re-took its rightful place within Elsa's heart. A cold, aching numbness sprang to life in her shoulders, causing her to shiver. The car suddenly felt tiny, cramped, and uncomfortable; they we're too close to each other once again.
"ELSA!"
Instinctively, she slammed on the brakes at hearing the exclamation of terror. Once the screeching wheels had come to rest, Elsa looked up, to see the nose of WRX mere inches away from the vehicle in from of it.
"Wow..."
"Elsa! You okay? What were you thinking about?!" Anna asked, partially out of concern, partially out of frustration.
'Nothing at all.'
"Just running through what we'll need to pick up at the store later to get you settled and comfortable," she lied. Anna seemed to buy it, though, allowing herself to finally un-tense a few muscles.
"Sorry," Elsa added, her ego slightly bruised.
She shifted into the faster-moving left lane and continued up the hill before turning left onto 15th. The scenery quickly skipped from that of the scrum of urban living to quaint, well-kept homes. Anna had returned to her observant self; a noticeable grin crept to her lips when they slipped through Cowan Park. A few blocks beyond this and down an alley, they were home.
"Here we are," she eldest said, pulling up the parking brake once they were safely in the garage.
Anna leapt out of the car with gusto, prepared to explore. Passing through the side door, she found herself in a small, but properly manicured backyard. Hedges ran along the back, demarcating it from the gravel alley. It wasn't a large lot, but space here was a premium, something she knew ahead of time.
Before her was their humble abode. The house was off-white and trimmed in light blue. While the land it sat on was compact, the home was larger than she had expected. From the ornate windows to the stone accents that rounded the foundation, she had to guess it was built in the thirties. Even with its age, it was clearly in tip-top shape and had been lovingly cared for over the years.
"This house is so incredibly awesome, Elsa!" she belted out, brimming over with enthusiasm. So much, in fact, that she didn't notice that her sister was lugging both bits of luggage from the car up to the porch.
"Then let me show you the inside of it," she enticed, drawing the redhead from the lawn into the kitchen.
Elsa set the backpack on the countertop and scooted the rolling suitcase out of harm's way. Both out of habit and her role as hostess, she busied in the gleaming white kitchen, making sure it was in good order, before taking a gander at the fridge to check for any missing essentials. While it was now the home of four college students, and occasionally a fifth, that didn't mean it had to be a sty. She was fortunate enough to have reasonably compliant housemates; however, knowing Anna's carefree habits, it wasn't about to become any easier.
The thought only made a wistful smirk creep to the senior's face, though. If that was what she had to tolerate in order to share a life with the person she loved more than life itself, a moment of consideration wasn't required. She had waited many seasons for that effervescent and bubbly creature to slip in through the backdoor and finally it was a reality.
"This is...well, I already said it," Anna giggled as shoes were kicked off and her eyes took in the modern and immaculate room.
Elsa wanted to give her kid sister a tour of the grounds, but also knew Anna's love of exploring and discovery. Besides this, a small stack of dishes awaited her attention and the blonde's OCD nature wouldn't let allow for rest until the matter was settled.
"Go on. Have a look," she urged with a nod and that was all it took.
Anna trundled into the adjacent dining room which featured a sleek, black table with ample of room for six. Beyond this was the den, featuring a well-worn sectional and recliner positioned around the generous media center, hinting at many cozy nights spent amongst friends.
"I'll be in here a lot."
The remaining quarter of the ground floor was an office. Along the left side ran a long shelving unit that was built into the wall; a mixture of seemingly archaic tomes were stowed alongside newer volumes. Columns of text books and empty Nalgene bottles strewn about the nook let her know this was where a lot of serious studying went down. A desktop PC sat on a simple desk in one corner, while a closed laptop was half-hidden under a book-bag.
Her scan complete, she scampered up the stairs, the foot of which was situated opposite an imposing front door. The first flight took a right turn before reaching to top. From there, the banister continued along the second floor walkway, shoring up the right side, while three doors lined the left.
Anna stood at the top step and spotted another door at the far corner, situated at the base of a second flight that hovered directly above the first. The banister wound up that incline, as well, extending its ceaselessly serpentine journey to the third floor. While the kitchen had clearly been updated, this area of the home appeared to possess much of its original character; between the cased doorways ran classic eggshell-hued beadboard, crowned by chair railing. Above this, the walls bestowed a warm, light green tone.
She cautiously poked her head into the first room and instantly knew who it belonged to. The crisp floral scent and elegantly refined accents whispered her sister's name. Anna's supposition was further confirmed upon spotting Elsa's vanity to one side of the room and an antique desk to the right. Between these was a neatly made queen bed and a small nightstand.
An easily recognizable dresser was positioned just inside the door, the top lined with various knick-knacks and keepsakes. Among these was a framed picture of them attending a choir recital when they were both in grade school; its place of prominence made her float with pride. The mere sight of the snapshot, and knowing Elsa couldn't help but see it every time she was in her room, helped chip away at the years of disconnect.
'Maybe she hadn't forgotten me,' she thought with a thoughtful nodding.
Anna continued along the landing. The second door was wide-open, revealing a bathroom, complete with shower and claw-foot bathtub. She spotted Elsa's toiletries lining a portion of the counter space beneath a wall-mounted mirror. Doors sat on either side room, one obviously leading back into her sister's room.
The other connected to the bedroom cloistered away behind the third portal. As with Elsa's, the door was slightly ajar. Lucky as she was to find her sister's room first, this meant the balance of rooms belonged to her housemates. Peering inside, she saw it was furnished, but little else.
She spun on a heel to stand before the last room on the floor. The door to this one was closed, greatly simplifying matters and exterminating snooping before it had a chance to begin.
Calmly creeping up the second flight, she took care not to cause a ruckus. Although her habit back home was to stomp up the stairs, two at a time, Anna didn't know if anyone was asleep or studying in silence. The complete lack of other lifeforms made her worry a bit that her new lodgings would be too quiet and sterile.
Right on cue, luckily, these worries were cast aside.
"You must be Anna," she heard a male voice call out.
She looked across the third floor for its source. The too story was a loft, providing a wide open space underneath the sloping pitch of the roof. The only enclosed section was what she presumed to be a bathroom. Other than that, there were no barriers or dividers outside the final run of handrail. Even with the bed and small assortment of furniture within her sight, the area felt sparse.
'Then why the hell can't I see the guy?!'
"Over here," she saw a hand pop up, almost making Anna jump.
There was a couch to the left with its back facing where she stood, effectively hiding the occupant. Slightly startled, she politely stepped close and stood by the arm where the gentleman had his feet propped up.
"Hello," she said to a face hidden behind a book.
The text dropped onto his stomach. Revealed was a coy but playful smirk.
"Welcome, stranger," he said, swinging his feet over the edge to stand and approach the visitor.
"The name's Steven." He offered a hand-shake which Anna politely accepted.
The young man wore blue jeans and an informal long-sleeve shirt. His brunette hair was shaggy and rugged, though not terribly long, unable to rest on his shoulders. He was markedly tall and fairly lanky, and when he spoke his protrudent Adam's Apple hopped. The guy struck Anna as a 'salt of the earth' type.
"Anna," she replied, already forgetting his clare-volant nature.
"So, I was right," he chuckled, retaking his seat on the couch and offering her an open spot.
"How did you know it was me?"
"Els has only mentioned about ten thousand times over the last few months that you'd be moving in today," he replied playfully without a sense of frustration. "Consider it an easy guess."
Anna was a bit surprised to hear how much her sister had been looking forward to her presence in the home. To go from years of near-silence between them to the enthusiastic homecoming flummoxed the redhead. It seemed as though Els had, in fact, been dying to see her all along.
'Why didn't she just tell me?'
"Flight out here all right?"
"Not bad. Some bumps at the end."
"Good. I hate flying," he admitted with some reluctance, reaching for his soda resting on a coffee table.
"So, I assume that means you didn't grow up too far from here?" she posited.
"Not real far. I'm from the other side of the mountains, out in eastern Washington, making me the official hick-in-charge," he added, chuckling at the moniker. "Heard of Spokane?"
Anna nodded, remembering its mention here and there. "Mm-hmm."
"I'm from just northwest of there. A town called Suncrest. It's mostly a bedroom community." He played with the tab affixed to the top of the can, wiggling it back and forth, weakening the hinge. The bottom rested on his thigh and his vision was fixed upon the far wall of the cavernous penthouse.
"What're you studying?" Anna asked, trying to keep the conversation going.
"Structural engineering. My father is a home builder and I'd like to carry on the family business. I'm a junior now which, unfortunately, also happens to be the hardest year," he added with an embellished sigh.
"I assume that was your mountain of books downstairs?" Anna felt rather proud of her sleuthing skills.
"Yeah. Some are mine, some are Elsa's, and some are Ollie's. I'm sure yours will be tossed into the mix here soon." He tipped back the can to extract the final few sips.
"Were you still living in the same place Els is from?" the country boy inquired.
"Yeah. Good old Norway, Michigan. I was happy to get out and finally start living. Felt so trapped there."
"You'll like it here" Steven assured. "Granted, the locals drive me up the wall a bit, but that's just the eastern Washingtonian in me. The people are nice enough 'round here, though. The campus is decent, the music scene in the area is great, and you are living in one of the nicest places within many miles of campus."
"Yeah, I was gonna ask about that. Is this your place?" Anna wonder incredulously.
"Ha! I wish. This house is worth a small fortune. It belongs to Ollie," he replied, pointing a finger down through the stairs in the direction of the closed door she passed by minutes ago.
"How old is he? I mean, is he a student or...?" she asked, still not seeing how someone their age could take on home ownership.
"It was willed to him, actually," Steven said, forcing Anna to demurely quiet her disbelief. "His parents moved over here from the UK about five years ago since his dad was always in Seattle for business, anyway. Pulled in a nice salary, as you might have guessed," her new roomie tossed in as an aside.
"Once Ollie got into the school, this parents would head back to England on occasion. About two years ago, somewhere near London, they got in a car wreck. It didn't turn out so great," he concluded, providing a family-friendly description of the sad reality.
"Poor guy," Anna remarked, making a mental note to be careful about the issue, hoping to head-off her impulsive ramblings before they could offend Ollie once they met.
"Yeah. He was understandably torn up. Tried to keep the 'stiff upper lip' and all. He's doing much better lately, but it took a while."
She nodded, not knowing where to take the conversation now.
"He can come off a bit brusque, but he's a good guy. Dry little sense of humor, like you'd expect from the Britons. A little Scotch and he loosens right up." Steven passed off the information with a friendly wink, sharing a well-known secret with another listener.
"Anna? You up there?" Elsa called up from the second floor.
"Yeah, Els. Just talking to Steven."
"Have you even checked out your room yet?"
It was only then that Anna realized the ultimate objective of her exploration. Perhaps this was due to the seeming nonexistence of a hideaway to call her own. All the spots appeared occupied, or at least she thought.
"It was nice meeting you, Steven," she said, standing up. Not used to the building's schematic, Anna failed to take into account the descending roof-line over head and smacked her crown on the ceiling rather sharply.
"Oh! You okay?" Steven asked, eyes-wide, expecting her to cry out.
"Gah!" she clutched at her head.
"She smacked her head, didn't she?" Elsa called out blithely, knowing her sister's klutziness well enough to suspect what happened even without observing the mishap.
"Yeah," he replied.
"You gonna be okay?" he asked again.
"Yup," she eked out, the stars finally slipping from her vision. "Yeah, I'll...I'm good."
Anna took one careful step after another towards the staircase. Her head was still tilted slightly. She carefully checked the goose egg for any sign of bleeding. Finding nothing but tenderness, the accident-prone redhead took care to grip the railing tightly before starting her descent.
All Steven could do was shake his head, fighting back a laugh.
'Just as Elsa had described her,' he thought before reclining once more on the couch.
Anna concluded her slow journey back to her sister who was waiting with open arms.
"I'm so glad you haven't changed," she cooed while gently hugging her injured sibling. While it was said partially in jest, it was also sincere and genuine, a sentiment Anna picked up even in her foggy mental state.
"Ready to check out your new abode?"
"Yeah," was the unsure reply as Anna resolutely clutched at her scalp.
With that, Elsa pushed aside the cracked-open door that the new resident had passed by prior to Ollie's room. Anna crossed the threshold, fully opened her eyes, and immediately felt the pain subside.
The bedroom exemplified cozy and inviting. Deep-pile rugs, which begged for bare feet, covered a majority of the hardwood floors. Sheer purple curtains were pulled away from a large bay window to the right revealing a quiet residential street beyond the front yard. Next to this was a desk, already stocked with pens and notebooks; pictures memorializing their childhood were neatly framed and hung on the wall above. To the left, neighboring the hypothesized door to the bathroom, was a tall bureau fronted by a full-length mirror. Against the opposite wall was a queen bed done up with a dark blue comforter and plenty of pillows, among which she spotted a friend.
"My Care Bear!" she cried out in joy, sounding very child-like, at spying the green bear with a shamrock on his stomach.
"Where did you find him?! I was looking all over my room for him when I was packing up!" Anna crossed the room with a skip and plopped down on her soft, plush bedding.
"I asked Mom to send ahead a few things from home while I was putting your room together last week; I should have known she'd fail to mention that. I know you'll get a bit homesick...yes, you will," Elsa assured in response to Anna scoffing in disagreement.
"Whether you liked living at home or not, it's all you've known for eighteen years and the break from that will take some getting used to. It was the same for me when I got out here freshman year," the elder sibling recalled while taking a seat next to Anna.
"Maybe," the newbie admitted with clear ambivalence, snuggling the stuffed toy in her lap, "but the difference is that while you left home, I've returned to it."
Elsa melted at the words. Touched beyond belief, she took the junior in her arms again, clutching tightly, capturing the moment cerebrally. Feeling her sister snuggled into her form was pure bliss. Resting a chin on Anna's crown, she inhaled fully, wishing to draw in her companion's scent; everything was as it had always been: an innocent, soothing warmth mixed with the light sweetness of strawberry shampoo.
'I can't believe she's still using that,' she thought adoringly.
The combination yanked the golden-hair coed back in time. It recalled memories of chasing each other around the lake near their home for hours on end, not slowing down until darkness had fallen. There was the time Anna had fallen and skinned her knee when they were racing bikes down Satsop Hill, an injury Elsa dutifully attended to bandaging up. All the nights they had shared together in bed, swearing to protect each other from bad dreams, and always keeping each others secrets safely locked away in their souls.
'Oh Anna...what am I going to do?' she ruefully mused.
"I take it you like the decorating job then?" she said quietly, forcing herself out of introspection..
"It's perfect, Els. Absolutely perfect. Thank you so much. I'm still in disbelief. It's...so much more than I ever dreamed."
"I'm glad," the blonde beamed, running a caring hand through her sister's hair, brushing aside a few bangs that had dropped, veiling bright blue eyes that teemed with requited happiness and serenity.
"I finally understand all those love songs on the radio," Steven said in a playful, mocking tone as he stood in the open doorway, leaning against the jam and working on a red apple.
"Says the dateless wonder," Elsa shot back with a scathing look of faux-displeasure.
"Ouch. The ice queen comes out once more," he egged her on, chomping away.
"Isn't he a gem?" she asked her sister, turning her head so the male intruder would clearly see his target scratching a non-existent itch with an extended middle finger.
"See, now that's sweet," the gentle giant admitted, stiffing a giggle, a sentiment Anna mirrored.
"What's up?" Elsa finally conceded, curious to hear the reason behind his unsolicited presence.
"Ollie just texted that he wants us to meet him for dinner over at Cedars," he commented. The mention made Elsa withdraw her phone from her jean pocket.
"I totally missed that one," she admitted upon seeing the proposition on her lock screen.
"You like Indian?" he asked Anna.
"Can't say I've had it."
"Well, that'll change tonight," he assured with a smile. "I'll grab a sweatshirt. Bus should be rolling by in ten minutes."
Anna realized that in her haste to nose around the interior, she neglected to bring her belongings upstairs. Rather than hold up the crew any longer, she ducked down to the kitchen, rifled through her backpack, and retrieved a hoodie.
While daytime temperatures were still warranting shorts, once the sun set, a cozier level of insulation was required. In this case, it was her tried and true rest-colored zip-up. Years of wear had required her mother to sew patches onto the elbows; the addition earned a double-take from Elsa.
"I should have known you'd be bringing that along," Elsa quipped, grabbing her purse off the granite topped countertop, as Steven entered the room.
"You bet! A lot of years left in it," she replied without embarrassment.
With the door securely locked, the trio walked three block south to hop on the 307. Anna was happy to simply tag along, allowing her compatriots to navigate the way; it gave her the freedom to take in the sights and sounds of a new life. The fact that less than twenty-four hours ago she was scurrying around her old bedroom, desperately trying to cram another article of clothing into any available space, only made this reality that much more unreal. Everything had changed so dramatically, so suddenly.
"I've got Anna's bus fare," Steven mentioned to Elsa on approach to the roadside shelter.
"Thanks. I saw something in the Welcome Package about an ORCA card?"
"Yeah, that's your system-wide transit pass. Lets you on the ferries, too," Steven summarized, referencing the large passenger and vehicle vessels that traversed the Puget Sound hundreds of times a day.
"Cool. I'm excited get out and explore the city," Anna replied with an ambitious grin.
"I hope you won't mind me joining occasionally," Elsa said, looking a bit bashful. "Between the studying and all, I haven't had a decent chance to take much beyond campus life."
The elder sister's words seemed to wreak of something more substantial. Anna picked up on this, wondering what was truly holding her back from popping downtown with some friends for a drink, or even taking a girlfriend out for a bite or a movie.
'Has she even dated anyone since leaving home?'
The duel-braided sprite believed that if a serious relationship had indeed blossomed, she'd be the first to know. Back in high school, Elsa was always dishing out relationship advice, amongst other words of wisdom. That isn't to say the perennially strong-willed redhead followed any of it. Still, the expectation of said communique was realistic, or at least had been; sadly, it was a kinship that had withered over the years.
'Maybe Elsa is dating someone right now,' Anna thought. 'Honestly, would that be surprising? Elsa's an amazing individual: brilliant, beautiful, stylish, interesting, urbane...that is a word, right? Is that the right one to use? I think it was a vocab word in senior English. I probably shouldn't have slept so much in that one.
'Why should I care? If she's with some lucky lady, I am going to be happy for her, obviously.'
A quick chill inched down Anna's spine at the consideration. On cue, Elsa turned and smiled softly at her sibling, almost as if she could sense her name bouncing along her kid sister's grey matter. The awkward set of interactions was mercifully brought to a close upon the arrival of their chariot.
They took their seats and made themselves comfortable for the fifteen-minute ride to the House of Bombay on Roosevelt Avenue. The establishment had been a favorite of both Elsa and her friends throughout their time at the University. It was always busy, though they figured since it was a weekday and classes wouldn't be starting up until next week, fortune might fall in their favor. The lack of prospective diners clustered around the entrance was a positive omen.
"Ahh, yes. He already has a table, off to your left and in the back next to the window," the host directed us upon Steven's inquiry. A stocky, short-trimmed chap quickly spotted their approach and gave a simple wave of recognition.
"Late night?" Elsa asked rhetorically when taking a seat opposite the well-dressed cohort. Steven grabbed the seat next to Oliver, leaving Anna a spot against the wall beside the blonde.
"Looks to be the case. Andrews decided that the work he had been putting off until the last minute was the perfect task for his interns this evening. I haven't even had a chance to stop by the union to buy my damn books for this year. Bastard," he concluded before taking a sip of his water and turning to Anna.
"And speaking of making good first impressions," he dryly chirped, offering a palm, "I'm Oliver. Wonderful to finally meet you, Anna."
"You too!" the redhead replied, shaking his hand firmly in return.
"You settled in yet? Get a full tour of the campus?" Oliver wondered aloud while starting to sift through the bevy of entrees.
"Not yet. Most of my books and other stuff from home won't show up for a few days. My parents made me buy them online ahead of time."
"Smart thinking," the Brit admitted, nodding in approval, contrasting nicely to Elsa's eye roll.
"I have to admit, Ollie, that I was totally surprised by how amazing your house is. I mean, I wasn't expecting a dump or anything bad at all, really. It's just the house is so perfect and amazing and everyone talks about how run-down their college home is. So to see this is a wonderful shock, but in a good way. Not 'shock' like being hurt or feeling pain. I hope that makes some sense. Sorry. Uh..."
By this point, Ollie's mouth hung open slightly, his menu having dropped again in the table in surprise. Steven simply was amused, smirking at the now frazzled roommate had spun herself into an all-to-common spiral of over-explanation.
None of these responses, though, could match her sister's. Elsa laughed empathetically, looking upon her neighbor with blue eyes of unbreakable love. There was nothing she wanted to do more than reach out and hug Anna close and calm her nerves. In this setting, the look would have to suffice.
"It's quite all right, Anna," Ollie eked out, his eyes finally able to shift back onto the evening's selections.
Anna, beet-red though she may have been, was determined to veer this introductory conversation away from certain ruin.
"So, is Ollie a fairly common name in England?" she prodded, trying her best to elegantly turn her attention to choosing a proper curry.
"Can't say since it's not my real name, is it, Stevie?" he opined aloud with clear intent.
"We call him that to antagonize the uptight, tea-sucking Brit," Steven explained, indirectly replying to his landlord. "It's for his own good. Dare I say a right of passage in the U.S."
"Yeah, whatever would you Yanks do without such great traditions?" the Briton shot back with an innocent sneer. Elsa was pouring tea for the table, but smirked, as well, happy everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves.
'This must be British humor,' Anna reasoned, parsing out the words carefully, silently. For a moment, she considered moving onto the matter of his parents, but stomped that thought out before it could materialize; even what little filter she had could see that would not qualify as getting off on the right foot.
"What do you study?" Anna asked as their waiter stood by the table taking Steven's order first.
"I'm a senior majoring in international business. Sort of - Uh...yes, I'll have the Kashmiri lamb curry - medium - and a garlic naan...thanks - it runs in the family. I'm sure you got the summary of my background," Ollie continued.
Anna pondered the possible housing crisis that could befall her at the end of her first year in college. With both her sister and landlord in their final stretch of undergraduate study, a move to less familiar or comfortable quarters might be required come summer.
"If you're worrying about what happens at the end of the year housing-wise, you needn't. I'll be staying on for grad school and have no intention of ever putting the house up for sale. You have a room as long as you desire it," the Mancunian assured the overtly transparent Anna.
"You came so highly spoken of, I have no doubt we'll all get on quite famously," Ollie continued, nodding in Elsa's direction, whom could only wave a hand humbly and glance proudly at the neophyte.
"Thanks, Els," Anna whispered appreciatively.
"It's the least I could do. I didn't want these worries to get in the way of your studies and building a future for yourself."
"Of building our future, too," Anna blurted out, her eyes growing noticeably wider instantaneously. The words caught in her throat, though only after the fact. She quickly swallowed at seeing Elsa pause midway through handing the menus back to the patient waiter.
"You know: catching up and getting back to where we were..." Anna sputtered.
'That was...odd,' Elsa considered while managing to maintain an unfazed composure.
"Absolutely. In fact," she said to the table at-large, "a toast: to this coming year, to Anna's new life, and to our sisterhood."
"I don't have a sister," Steven moped, sticking his bottom lip out in feigned remorse.
"Oh, shut up and 'cheers' the poor girls," Ollie chided with a crooked grin, bringing his glass to the center, letting a merry clink ring out across their corner of the world.
"Speaking of, Anna, what sector of academia are you planning to focus on? I assume you're just as sharp at accounting as Els?"
"No, no numbers for me, thank you. The only reason I made it through my math classes in high school was because she would skype me until the middle of the night and walk me through every problem, step by step."
"That explains the laggy internet speeds in the middle of the night," Steven interjected.
"I don't even want to know why you needed heavy bandwidth at two in the morning," Elsa laughed.
"It's called gaming. Get your mind out of the gutter, child," was his humorous retort, eliciting a giggle from all in attendance.
"I'm looking to get into sports medicine," Anna continued afterwards. "I like dealing with the life sciences and sports are kind of my life. I'm probably the only girl from my graduating class that begged my dad to get the deluxe sports package from our cable provider instead of the other way around."
"You finally got him to budge on that? Well done. Gave him the numbers I ran on pricing schemes?" Elsa asked, referring to another late-night number session.
"Yeah. He took one glance after I told him you said it would be a 'smart investment' and the next day, we got hooked up," was Anna's satisfied reply.
"Good, because I made it all up." Elsa looked rather pleased at her trickery, taking a sip of the cosmopolitan that had been placed before her. Anna only looked gleefully surprised at her typically straight-edged companion, raising her eyebrows for emphasis.
"Fraud aside, are you planning on trying out for any intramurals? We have a pretty expansive and competitive system in place. I did baseball last year and continually had my ass handed to me," Steven begrudgingly admitted.
"Yeah, definitely. I'd thinking soccer and maybe something different. Did I read correctly that fencing is an option?" the auburn-topped sport aficionado asked.
"Yup. It fills up quick, though," Elsa added. "I tried to break in my sophomore year and missed grabbing the last spot."
"Be careful with soccer, young grasshopper," the Spokanite cautioned. "A lot of frats form clubs and have been known to be giant dicks on and off the field."
"Jerky frat boys? Is that supposed to be shocking?" Anna shrugged as she tore off a bit of fresh, enticing naan.
"How right you are," he replied. "Just saying, don't be surprised if you get a bit beat up right off the bat."
"Talk to Chris," Elsa recommended. "He'll probably crash at the house tonight...and every other night," she tacked on to Ollie and Steven's nods of confirmation.
"Chris?" Anna asked, mouth full.
"He's also a junior...in Phi Omega Pi, I think..." Ollie hypothesized before getting an agreeable head dip from his neighbor. "Bit of a jock, but also good with philosophy. Decent fellow and not a fan of the brotherly antics. He has a room there to keep up appearances, but ends up on our couch more often than not."
"He's probably playing soccer this year, in fact, or at least he mentioned it. Ask him when he shows up and he'll walk you through the process," her sister explained as the curry arrived, still bubbling in tureens.
"He's sort of the fifth Beatle," Steven said, taking an odd shot at sounding insightful.
"That's fine as long as I'm George," the only properly British bloke at the table stated.
"Why do you get to be George? If anything, I'm George," Elsa claimed.
"No, you're Yoko," the engineer laughed, unable to let the chance slip away.
"What's that supposed to mean?! You saying I'm trying to break up the band? Why do I have to be Yoko?" she scoffed, turning to her sister, hilariously hoping for answers.
"I'm George; end of story. I'm from their damn hometown! I get dibs!"
"Nice try, mate," Steven snapped. "They're from Liverpool, not Manchester, and you know that, Ringo."
"Oh, now you're just being cruel," Ollie whined. "You always get to be George."
All Anna could do was laugh at the delightful irreverence of the conversation. Any anxieties surrounding the massive alteration to her life were quieted by the playful chatter. Only an hour into her membership of their five-person dorm, she was home.
Anna turned to see Elsa biting into her first piece of chicken. Clearly it was still a bit too warm for consumption, as the always elegant blonde had to let the remains drop back into the dish. She could only smile at catching her sister in a rare moment of boorishness. Ashamed, Elsa swiftly wiped a fleck of sauce from her chin before toothlessly scowling in jest.
Dinner went along in much the same manner: doling out advise to Anna, swapping stories, and enjoying a delightful spread. Anna savored every bite, scolding herself for not seeking out the cuisine sooner. Ollie covered the bill, refusing payment from the other three diners with an upheld hand. Fat and happy, they wished the cockney chap a quick evening and vowed to leave the kitchen light on in anticipation of his eventual arrival back home. The bus arrived promptly at 9:10 to shuttle them back to the chateau.
Outside the bus, students would milling about the area, stopping by houses and apartment complexes, catching up with friends after the long break. Mixed amongst them was the occasional transient, cup held out. Stray pockets of graffiti marred the back of businesses, but that did little to dampen Anna's desire to explore the area on foot as soon as possible. Prior to leaving home, neither Arendelle child had spent much time in a large city, although they both dreamed of what it would be like.
'Here I finally am,' she realized, that swell of excitement returning.
After arriving back at the house, Anna moved her belongings into her impeccably appointed room. The threesome chatted into the late evening, mostly while standing in her doorway. The occupant would add in her two cents on occasion but mostly busied herself with unpacking, knowing additional space had to be freed up with more packages on their way.
"G'nite guys," Steven said to the gathering before turning to climb the stairs and head towards his bed.
"Night," Elsa replied, watching the tall gentleman slip away overhead and out of sight.
"Enjoying yourself so far?" she wondered aloud, stepping further into her sister's territory and grabbing a spot on the bed to watch how many more bits of clothing would end up crammed into the dark reaches of the bureau.
"Yeah. I'm not even sure it's all sunk in yet," Anna admitted, shoving the last few sweatshirts into the bottom drawer.
"You're referring to...?"
"That I'm here, away from home, not under their thumb anymore...," she sighed in reply, digging into her suitcase to retrieve some pajamas. Promptly, she zipped up the empty luggage and slid it in the space under her bed. She knew that once classes kicked off Tuesday, the room would start to loose its organized appearance, but for now, enjoyed the very Elsa-like style of order and purpose.
"...that my life is finally starting." Anna sat on the bed next to her sister, plucking up her Care Bear and plunking the plush toy in her lap, hugging it.
"I remember that first night, too. I was scared to be honest," Elsa admitted.
"You? Really? I don't see that. You're so...strong and independent."
"Like I said earlier, you get used to life being a certain way. It's easy to say that while you're at home and protected from the world, but then you're on your own and all the things you never had to worry about before at right in front of you. With time, you learn to face them and from that, you grow and figure out what matters," the astute, elder sister opined, allowing a thoughtful silence to sneak into the room.
"I'll always remember that Christmas break your second year when you came out to Mom and Dad," Anna quietly recalled with a sense of awe. "You looked so calm and sure of yourself. Even when Dad started shouting and pounding on the table; you didn't even look worried."
"Oh I was. Trust me, I was. Once he told me to leave - Mom stupidly standing there, wringing her hands, saying nothing - I thought I would come back and immediately have my tuition yanked."
"I heard them talking about it," Anna validated the suspicion.
"In the end, though, they figured out what was more important. They realized you can't change the heart, something even their religiously devout minds can't deny," the flaxen-haired girl concluded, placing a reassuring arm around on Anna's shoulders.
"I was waiting for you to bring home a girlfriend during one of your breaks. God, I wanted to see the look on their faces," Anna laughed mischievously, tilting her head onto her sister's shoulder.
Elsa chuckled in reply, nodding in total agreement.
"When that day comes, you'll be the first to hear," she vowed. "I've dated around a bit, but nothing's really stuck. Building a meaningful, long-term connection is much harder than advertised in the movies."
"It's not like I'm some expert. I totally expected to lose my virginity to Jake on prom night. Christ...I only now realized how cliched I sound." Both sisters laughed at Anna's confession, feeling a bit of color rise in their cheeks.
"Wasn't the right mood?"
"Wasn't the right person," was the swift but genuine reply from Anna, as she hopped to her feet and began disrobing. "We were in his room, his parents were in Chicago for the weekend, candles were lit, we had a nice dinner, he brought me roses..."
"Speaking of cliches..." Elsa muttered impishly, subtly turning her gaze away from Anna's nudity. This wasn't out of the ordinary; they had always changed around each other. Their closeness and trust made such matters trivial.
"Anyway," Anna forged on, sticking a tongue out in reply after slipping her old softball jersey-turned-nightshirt over her head, "everything was 'perfect', or at least I thought. The whole time, I kept having to convince myself that this was how it should be. This is how I'm supposed to lose my v-card. Yet, when the moment arrived..."
"...you couldn't do it," Elsa added the obvious conclusion with an understanding exhale.
"Pretty much. After that, it kind of went downhill between Jake and me." Sitting back down on her bed with a resigned huff, Anna took out her braids and set to brushing the deep, rich mane. It was a routine she abided by every evening, both to keep her cherished strands healthy and to take a moment to unplug from her internal battles.
"Well, good. It would be really embarrassing for my younger sister to lose her virginity before me," she commented with a laugh, brightening up the conversation's tone.
"Shit. We're still virgins. It's like we're subconsciously following church doctrine even now," Anna scoffed with mild frustration.
"No, I think it's more the search for kismet, waiting for that perfect moment and letting it go." Elsa gave her sister a squeeze, hoping the words soothed that rebellious soul. They both took in the simple pleasure of their uncomplicated heart-to-heart, realizing how for the first time in years, they had each other to lean on and confide in. Once again, neither would need to navigate tricky waters alone.
"I missed this, Els. I wish we'd stayed closer while you were living at home."
In response, the eldest took the opportunity to gently snatch the boar's hair brush from Anna's grasp and went about running its wires through those bright, auburn flares. The gesture made the younger sister melt and memories of the exact same scenario from older times came roaring back. With careful but determined strokes, Elsa worked out every tangle and knot, leaving nothing but a shower of pristine beauty.
"Me too. I'm sorry I got so busy with activities and working at the store."
"You didn't have to let that happen, though," Anna countered after consideration. "It was almost as if you wanted the space."
Elsa wordlessly focused purely on the task at hand. Any hint or hesitation that she was letting anything other than the truth slip from her lips would certainly set in motion of chain of events she wasn't prepared to deal with. The sleepy house felt more empty than usual, even with the additional occupant.
The rushing sound of the brush fording Anna's tresses was only met with the regular tick of a clock on Anna's desk purchased from a nearby garage sale. The enveloping glow of a bedside lamp cast their caricatures on a pale blue canvas, two shadow puppets playing out their former selves.
"You think I'd ever want to step away from you?"
"No, I don't, but that also could mean you felt the need to," the suddenly astute young lady proposed.
'We can't be having this conversation so soon,' Elsa grimaced internally. She exhaled deeply, praying the sleuth would give up the trail.
"Ever since that day on the lake...you've been distant," Anna turned her head to look over her left shoulder, catching the gaze at an angle. "Tell me why, Els; why did that change everything between us?"
The youth appeared on the edge of tears: lower lip bit to mask a quiver, shoulders slumped in defeat. Distracting herself enough to keep from falling apart, Anna reached back and tucked a lock behind her ear. It was a tactic Elsa was more than aware of and knew a reply had to be presented quickly.
"Anna, I just didn't want to get in your way. After you fell in," Elsa paused, the memory shaking her core, as it always had, "while you recovered, I realized how much I wanted to protect you. I wanted to hide you away from all the terrible stuff in the world, like I had since you were a baby. I always felt that I was more than simply an older sister. I took pride in that. But when I saw you laying there, in the hospital, unconscious...knowing I had a hand in it..."
"You didn't, though. I've told you a million times!" Anna swore passionately.
"I believe in your sincerity, but I can't shake it, either. I probably never will," Elsa confided remorsefully.
Anna wanted to take the self-flagellating woman by the shoulders and force her to see how she had reached atonement long ago. There was no grudge to be had. The only lasting memory she carried from the experience was Elsa's undying love and devotion.
Upon coming to in her hospital bed and seeing a platinum ponytail resting on slumped-over shoulders - the owner having nodded off during her constant vigil - there wasn't any anger to be found within. Anna only wanted to continue from where they had 'paused' on that day: supporting and cheering each other through good times and bad, dreaming of who they'd marry in the future, and swapping handmade friendship bracelets on warm summer nights.
Elsa didn't see it that way, though. She had failed to uphold her self-assigned duties. No matter the number of times she was forgiven, it would never rectify the almost fatal mistake. Anna had been lucky enough to come through unscathed; Elsa knew she couldn't let a second opportunity arise.
Falling through the crystalline surface wasn't the disaster; rather, it was the sororal bond that was severed thereafter. It was a price Elsa paid, and one Anna never would accept.
"I'll head to bed now. You should get some sleep. Another big day tomorrow," Elsa caved, unable to sit there any longer, hiding behind her excuses. She set the brush down on the side table before turning to slip from the bedroom.
"Elsa?" Anna called out, causing the blonde to stop in the doorway and turn around.
"I want things to go back to how they were. I can't force you to set aside the past, but I also can't give up on us. I want to share our thoughts, snuggle in bed, speak in a language only we can understand, laugh because we can see the beauty where others can't. I would give anything to feel that connection again. I missed it for six really tough years; I'm done missing it," Anna said candidly, unafraid, unabashed. A hot tear rolled down her right cheek and landed on the nightshirt.
Elsa held her tongue before replying.
"Those were different times. You're eighteen now, Anna; you're a grown woman," she said cooly, sounding a bit more heartless than she desired.
Anna replied in a voice that didn't shake or falter; it was serious, perhaps more than at any other point in her young existence:
"I know I'm an adult. Are you?"
Her eyes ran across the distance and synced up with Elsa's. The look on Anna's face was both searching and resolute at the same time. There was implication to the words, but the intensity of their delivery bewildered the recipient. Caught off guard and sorely needing to regain her footing, Elsa blinked and shirked further discourse, instead choosing to tread very lightly.
"I am, Anna. You've grown so much and I regret not being there by your side as it happened. For now, though, I need sleep. We can catch up more tomorrow," she danced verbally, eliciting a muted groan from Anna. "I'm glad you're here safe and sound. We'll work on getting you set up for classes this weekend."
"Sounds good," the new resident grumbled, distracting herself with smoothing out the comforter.
"Good night."
"Good night."
Elsa shut the door carefully, not wanting to present a demeanor of frustration towards her sibling. The act was swift, though; her nerves deemed it necessary. As soon as the knob slipped from her grasp, she flew into her own room and sealed every exit. There was no groping for the light switch or the chain on her bedside light. All she could tolerate was darkness.
'What the hell did that mean?'
Feverishly, Elsa roamed the walk between her bed and desk, pacing as quickly as she could think. Taking care to step lightly, dutifully avoiding that one creaking floor board, she mouthed breathlessly to the nothingness.
'Talking to yourself isn't healthy,' the lithe and nimble girl reasoned.
'Well, neither is wanting your own sister,' she countered mentally.
Sliding the top left drawer of her dresser open, she reached in and retrieved her two prescription bottles. It was something she often did in the dark, making this task anything but a challenge. The habit had blended seamlessly into the daily routine, and become a dear friend following her on every day's journey into night.
The pills didn't fix anything; they simply made the day a bit more survivable. Taking a long draw off her water bottle, feeling the culmination of years upon years of research trickle into her stomach, Elsa only felt an unquenched thirst for something she couldn't have.
'Again, what did she mean by saying that?! "Are you?" Why would that matter to me?'
Her brain maneuvered callously, careering down corridors of thought no one should ever want to find themselves. Hidden amongst these hallways were long-forgotten bitter memories and nightmares, pain and anguish. Most had been properly catalogued and archived long ago to be kept safely out of her way. There is one, though...
"One that I can't run from." She scarcely could get the syllables out as she silently slumped down onto the floor, back to the bathroom door. It was the closest she could be to Anna and still feel safe right now. The exile wasn't for her own wellbeing, though; it was for the one she had to protect, even from herself.
'What if she knows? What if that's what she meant?' The consideration sunk a stone-hewed dagger of ice into her heart. The immense suffering she had caused them both - the distancing, the awkward solitude, the emotional disconnect - it had been in the name of saving her sister from this knowledge. It had robbed years of happiness from them both.
'Six years,' she specified, recalling Anna's words earlier.
She felt justified, though, in scorching the Earth, if it meant shielding the child. Yet, if Anna was insinuating an understanding of this unspeakable truth, it would signal failure on Elsa's part...once again.
'I'm sorry, Anna.'
If her sister knew, and fully grasped how Elsa felt for her...
'Wait...'
Elsa tilted her head, the epiphany causing a shift of her cerebral contents.
'...why did she still show up then?'