A/N: This is my first fan fic in years and I am very nervous to be back at it after years of original writings. While this story has a similar plot as the Hallmark film, there will be more intimate moments between Kristoff and Anna. In this chapter I will be introducing an OC who will become a friend to Anna and is the wife of Sven. Thanks for reading and like always I don't own Frozen, Meet My Mom or anything else related to the Frozen franchise. Please leave a review.
Curveballs
Chapter 2: Anna's New Friend
"And thank you for choosing Oaken's Resort and Spa for your vacation needs," Anna said, hanging up the phone. It was her third week at the resort and she was half loving her job and half hating it. For the last ten years she had been home, taking care of her family. She was used to being a stay-at-home mom and having Hans take care of the finances and family income. Now she was on her own. And being on her own was never something Anna was very good at. When her and Elsa's parents were tragically taken from them when Anna was sixteen, Anna and Elsa became strangers to each other. Elsa, the eldest was away at school and resented having to come back home to take care of her sister. Anna, having found Hans, believed it to be true love and they were married shortly after Anna turned eighteen. The pair of sisters argued back and forth each taking their side to heart and not budging on anything. Anna wouldn't believe that Hans wasn't who he said he was and that Elsa was being overprotective and meddlesome. Angry words were spoken the night Anna left Arendelle and her sister. It wasn't until her son August was born that the two sisters reconciled themselves to be more understanding with the other.
Moving back to Arendelle was both a blessing and a curse. Many of the people Anna went to school with had never left Arendelle and became bitter and hateful. Anna, now a single mom with two small children was the perfect target for the spiteful and hurtful rumors to start. Anna hadn't had a lot of friends outside of her sister and didn't have anyone to turn to when the looks at the market got bad. Elsa, the first ever elected female mayor, was so busy with her work that Anna felt even more alone than she ever had.
The biggest blessing Anna received since moving back home was her old housekeeper/nanny Gerda. She had stayed on to help Elsa keep the house in order and refusing Anna's money to nanny for Astrid so Anna wouldn't have to pay for daycare. Unknown to both Anna and Gerda, Elsa increased the older lady's salary to compensate for the extra work she was doing.
Anna looked up at the clock with a smile. It was getting closer to three and she would be getting off work. Oaken, as he was called by everyone who worked at the resort was a family man and understood and valued his employees time with their families. He worked little league schedules, school breaks and even solider leave. Anna couldn't have asked for a better employer.
The drive to and from the resort wasn't bad, but long enough for Anna to be alone with her thoughts and feelings. The divorce had been so hard on her. Hans was her first love and she still believed that she somehow did something wrong. That she was the reason Hans strayed from her. The fiery redhead had been dulled to embers by the time the divorce was final. Even though Elsa had several young men in her office that would be perfect for her, Anna had absolutely no desire to dive back into a relationship. She was focused on her children and being the best mother to them that she could.
Dear Captain Kris,
I got your letter today and boy was I glad to see something for me in the mail. I had Aunt Elsa print off a photo for you. My nanny Gerda took it for us when we first got to Aunt Elsa's home. Our house is nice but old. I can hear baby Astrid crying from her room at night. I don't mind having a sister but she does cry a lot. Do you have any siblings? Mama said that if Aunt Elsa agrees we might go to the shelter and get a dog. Kai, Aunt Elsa's deputy mayor, says that having a dog is good for a boy. Did you ever have a dog?
Mama said that you should come over to our house when you get back from Africa. She wants to make you dinner for being such a nice man to write back and forth with me. What is your favorite food? Mine's mac and cheese with chicken fingers. Astrid likes smashed peas. Mama and Aunt Elsa like grown up food like crab and seafood. It smells funny. Gerda cooks for us and I like her cooking. She lets me help her a lot.
Baseball tryouts are coming and I'm nervous. I really want to make the team but I can't throw very well. Mama says I'm a good catcher and I can hit. Not all the time but most of the time. Did you have a hard time with baseball? Mama says that we're going to work on the baseball stuff this weekend. Wish us luck. Gerda's calling me for help with dinner. More later.
Your friend, August
Somewhere in Africa, Captain Kristoff Bjorgman was staring at the photo little August Dale had sent him. He instantly recognized the little boy, as he was the only boy in the photo. He had reddish-brown hair and dark blue eyes. He was standing next to a statuesque blonde, who according to the label was Elsa, the aunt. But Anna, the boy's mother was who he couldn't take his eyes off of. A short redhead with a blonde streak on the left. Big blue eyes and a haunting smile. Cradled in her arms was an adorable baby girl in a pink dress and pigtails. The little girl was a spitting image of her mother.
"Whatcha got there?" Sven, Kristoff's best friend and co-pilot asked, sneaking up on him.
"Just a photo of the family of that kid who's been writing to me," Kristoff answered, trying to act like he hadn't been staring at the photo for several minutes.
"She's pretty," Sven said, tapping Anna's image. "Is that the kid's mom?"
"Yep."
"Are you going to go introduce yourself when we get back next week?"
"Haven't really thought about it. I don't want to intrude in their lives."
"Dude, you have got to get back out there. Are you really going to let that bitch of an ex ruin the rest of your life?" Sven said, staring down his best friend.
"Don't call her that. Franny was a lot of things but she wasn't a bitch," Kristoff said, sticking the letter and photo into his duffle.
"Cheating on you and sending you divorce papers while you were overseas was a pretty bitchy move to me, man," Sven retorted. "She was your wife and I have to respect that. But really, you should look up that little boy and at least introduce yourself in person."
"I'll think about it."
"Mama! Come on! We're going to be late!" August yelled from the living room. It was the first day of little league and August was nervous enough as it was and he didn't want to be late and make a bad impression on his coach. "Mama!"
"I have to get shoes on your sister and on me and I'll be down," Anna yelled back. "We won't be late. I promise."
August sighed and fell back into the couch. He wasn't ready for baseball but his mom signed him up anyway. What better way to learn then by doing, was her mantra. She came down the stairs, Astrid on her hip, dressed in jeans, a elbow length shirt and her hair in two French braids. Astrid was dressed in a similar fashion. Gerda came out of the kitchen with a picnic basket.
"Just some snacks, juice and water," she said, giving the basket to Anna. "Good luck my boy." The older woman gave August a tight hug. "You'll do great."
The Dale family loaded up the car and drove off to the park where the Nordics played.
"Mama, what if I'm not any good?" August asked, as they got closer to the park. "What if I don't make the team?"
"August, you'll be great. You just have to believe in yourself. Remember what Elsa said?"
"That when bad thoughts come into my head, I just need to let them go. They can only hurt me if I let them stay."
"So what do we say to these 'What Ifs'?"
"I am going to do my best and if my best isn't good enough I will try again."
"That's my boy."
The arrived at the park and there were dozens of other little boys getting out of cars and being trailed by anxious mother and proud fathers. Anna adjusted Astrid in her carrier and carried her head high as they waded into the sea of people who knew exactly who they were. Anna checked August in with his coach and took a seat on the bench.
"You look new," a lady sitting next to her said. "I'm Coral Olson, my daughter Krista is the only girl trying out for the Nordics this season."
"I thought the girls had their own team?" Anna said.
"Not since Madame Mayor Dale insisted that all public recreation teams must be co-ed," Coral said. "Krista and I really like Mayor Dale."
Anna smiled to herself. "I'm Anna and this little cutie is Astrid. My son August is also trying out for the Nordics."
"You look very familiar to me," Coral said.
"I'm Anna Dale. My sister is the mayor."
"Oh that's it!" Coral laughed. "You tell that sister of yours that she's doing a great job."
"I will."
The kids started out by running bases. August while small was quick and soon was in the front of the pack. The only girl Krista, was keeping good pace with him. The two moms sat together smiling as their kids were in the front.
"Isn't odd to be the only moms here?" Coral asked Anna. Looking around them there were plenty of dads with their arms crossed, stern looks on their faces and shouts for their boys to pick up the pace.
"Wow, we are the only moms," Anna said, rocking the fussy Astrid. "Where's Krista's dad?"
"Somewhere in Africa," Coral said, digging out her water bottle. "Sven's a helicopter pilot stationed out of Fort McEntire. He and his best friend Kristoff have been in the service since they were eighteen and it doesn't look like they'll ever leave."
"Wait, Kristoff? Kristoff Bjorgman?" Anna asked.
"Yeah. Why?"
"He's the solider my August has been writing to for weeks."
"Very small planet we share, isn't it? Sven was telling me the other day when he called that Kris had been getting letters from a local kid. I figured it had to be Mrs. Stanley's class. She's a colonel's wife and does this sort of thing all the time."
The kids were lined up in pairs tossing the balls back and forth. August and Krista are paired together and while August is catching all of Krista's tosses, he was barely making it to her glove with his. Anna cringed as she watched the coach walk up and down the rows watching the kids. After the throwing drills, they moved on to batting and there August did better. He managed to hit three out of the five pitches he was given. Not a bad average, Anna thought. Once the practice was over August and Krista joined their moms for a snack.
"August this is Mrs. Olson and you've already met her daughter Krista," Anna said, giving the hot and sweaty boy a water bottle and a banana that Gerda had packed for him. "Mr. Olson is best friends with the solider-"
"Captain Kris is an Airman, Mama," August corrected.
"Excuse me, the Airman, you have been writing to."
"Really?" August's eyes lit up at the mention of Captain Kris. "He is so nice and answers all my letters."
"They're due back in a few days actually. We're having a barbecue when they get back. You guys should come. It would be a huge surprise for Kristoff. He doesn't have much family and we've been trying to get him to be more social when he's home."
"I'll give you my number so you can let me know when it is," Anna said, writing down her number on a scrap of paper from her purse. "I know August would love to meet Kristoff."
"Kris, you'll never believe who is playing little league with Krista," Sven said, coming into their tent.
"It could be any number of people, Sven," Kristoff answered from his bed.
"That kid August you've been writing to," Sven said, throwing a meal bar at him. "Coral's setting up a barbecue at the house and the kid and his mom are going to be there."
"Now don't you both start trying to set me up," Kristoff said. "I'm in no place to be set up with anyone."
Since his wife ran off with someone who was stateside more than Kristoff ever was, he was in no place to be dating or be in a relationship with anyone. When Kristoff loved someone, it was with everything he had. And when Franny walked away because she couldn't handle being a military wife, Kristoff locked up his heart and threw out the key. Lucky for him he had two best friends who found the key and were biding their time to get their buddy back in the saddle.
"So I made a new friend at the ballpark today," Anna told her sister when they had their nightly glass of wine together after the kids were asleep.
"Really? I didn't think many moms would be at little league," Elsa said, setting down the file she had been reading.
"Her name is Coral Olson and her husband is, get this, best friends with the airman August has been writing to," Anna said. "I couldn't believe it either."
"That's crazy. Maybe this is a sign that something really cool is coming."
"I don't know Elsa. It could be nothing too."
"Well that kind of thinking can just get out right now."
"Elsa-"
"No. You deserve so much more than you think you do. Right now, your concern is being the best mom to August and Astrid that you can be. And part of being the best mom you can be, is being a happy mom. Why do you think Mom was the kind of mom she was?"
"Because she and Dad had the happiest marriage ever," Anna answered. "They were a team. I thought Hans and I would be that kind of team. But he wasn't. And I don't even want to think about any other team except getting August on the Nordics."
"Sometimes things happen that we're not ready for happen anyway. You jut need to let go of the past and stop thinking about that good for nothing Hans. You are going to have that happy ending you have been searching for since Mom and Dad died."
"I hope you're right."
