Several months later Anna sat at work, rubbing her temples. She was due to head out of town with Elsa any minute, finally taking her girlfriend to meet her parents. Unfortunately a crisis had cropped up at the last minute.
"Any luck?" She asked her co-worker, Sue.
"No. Every agency is calling all their available foster homes, but so far no luck."
Anna sighed. It wasn't every day a child with these particular issues was removed from parental care. Still, she had had no choice. The poor boy of seven had been locked in his room without food or water for days on end. Social Services had gotten a tip from neighbors who reported not seeing the boy for months. Because of his severe intellectual disabilities the parents were tired of dealing with him.
"Do you want to color?" The boy, Olaf, asked her supervisor James as he entered the room.
"No thanks buddy." Olaf looked disappointed for a moment, then went back to coloring on his own.
"No luck?" James asked.
"Not yet. I didn't realize we had such a shortage of foster-parents."
"It's going to be hard. He needs extensive care."
"Do you want to color?" Olaf asked the administrative assistant who had just entered.
"Not right now." She replied.
"What do you suggest?" Anna asked.
"We might have to call the group homes. Or the hospital."
"Do you want to color?" Olaf asked again. Anna glanced up to see a police officer enter.
"Uh, no thanks. Where is Anna Johnson?" The officer asked.
"Right here."
"I've got some paperwork for you to sign.
"Do you want to color?" Anna sighed. The poor boy was never discouraged.
"I would love to color." A familiar voice said. Anna glanced up to see Elsa sit down across from Olaf at the table in the center of the room. Elsa grabbed a coloring sheet and some crayons.
"I'm Olaf."
"Hi. I'm Elsa. Do you like to color?"
"Yes. It's my favorite"
"Me too."
Anna just stared at her girlfriend. I'm going to marry this woman, she thought, If it's the last thing I do. She sent Elsa a text explaining the situation. Elsa texted her back: "Have you tried Kristoff?"
Why didn't I think of that? Anna scrolled through her contacts.
"Why did you color the horse green? Horses aren't green." Olaf was asking.
"I just felt like it." Elsa replied.
An hour later Olaf was on his way to the group home Kristoff worked at and Anna was climbing into Elsa's car.
"Ready for the long drive?" She asked.
"We could have flown you know."
"And miss out on our first road trip together? No way."
Ten hours later they finally arrived at Anna's childhood home. Elsa took a deep breath, and stared at the imposing house.
"Nervous?"
"A little."
"Don't be."
"Elsa, I'm so happy to meet you, finally. You're just as beautiful as Anna said." Idunn gushed.
"Thank you Mrs. Johnson."
"Call me Idunn. Agnar will be home soon and we'll have dinner. Let me show you to your room, I'm sure you're exhausted."
Agnar turned out to be just as friendly as his wife and dinner was a pleasant affair.
"So Elsa, where are you from?"
"North Carolina actually."
"What a coincidence. So is Anna."
"What? No I'm not." Anna said.
An uncomfortable silence descended on the room. "Sure you are honey. That's where we were living when we adopted you. Your dad was a state senator then."
"I don't remember you telling me that. I just assumed I was born here."
"Oh, well, it's not a big difference. We moved when you were four." Idunn said.
"Yes it is. I don't even know where I'm from."
"Hey, Anna, it's okay." Elsa tried to soothe her. "Don't you have your original birth certificate?"
"No. I've never seen it. Mom?"
"Oh sweet pea. We never had it either. The lady that called the police didn't know your real name, or your mother's name. The police never figured it out."
"I thought it was a neighbor. My babysitter?"
"Well. I don't know exactly. I just know they couldn't trace your real identity."
"Oh. I guess it doesn't really make much of a difference."
"Exactly dear."
Elsa rubbed her back soothingly. "Are you ok?"
"Sure babe."
After dinner Anna helped her mom in the kitchen and Elsa accompanied Agnar into the den. As he surfed netflix to find a movie he grinned at the blonde.
"So, I think this is the part where I ask you what your intentions are towards my daughter?"
"I love her."
"I can see that. Are you in love with her?"
"Yes."
"I'm glad to hear that, because I know how she feels about you. She deserves to be loved, you know."
"Yes sir. She does. So why are you lying to her?"
Adgar sighed. "You're very perceptive. That was Idunn's idea. She didn't want Anna to grow up hating her birth family."
"So what really happened?"
"A woman called the police. She said she went to her son's house and he had a little girl there. She was suspicious because her son wasn't exactly an upstanding citizen. The police took the girl, and arrested the man but he never did say where he got her from."
"I understand. I think Anna deserves the truth though. She's a remarkable woman, I think she can handle it."
"I'm sure you're right. I'll talk to Idunn tomorrow. How do you feel about Horror movies?"
"I love them."
"What are we watching?" Anna asked.
"Something scary."
"Awesome." Anna cuddled up to her girlfriend on the couch.
The women spent several days with Anna's parents. The day before they were scheduled to leave they took a trip in to D.C. and did some of the touristy stuff.
"Well, do you guys like her?" Anna asked while Elsa was out of earshot.
"We love her." Idunn said.
"Yeah pumpkin, this one's a keeper I think." Her dad agreed. "What about you? How do you feel? You've only been seeing each other for a few months."
"I think she's the one."
"Does she feel the same way?" Idunn asked.
"I don't know."
"It's still new, give them time honey." Agnar teased his wife.
The group went out to dinner, and Agnar pulled Elsa aside. "We've decided to tell her the truth Elsa. I hope she understands why we hid it from her."
"I think that's a good decision, but are you sure you don't want that to be a private family moment?"
"No, I think she would want you to be there. And you're practically family now anyway."
Anna handled the news well. "It really changes nothing. Does it matter if my birth mother sold me or just handed me off to someone and never came back? Both situations mean she didn't care about me at all."
"We will never know what she was going through. I'm so grateful for that woman who called the police about you though. She saved you from what was surely a terrible situation."
"What happened to that man?"
"He went to jail. He never did give up the names of the person he got you from though."
"Well, it all worked out in the end. I had awesome parents that's all that matters."
"You handled that really well babe." Elsa said that night.
"I really don't think it makes a difference. And I had a wonderful life with wonderful parents. When I hear about the things that you went through I know that it could have been so much worse."
"Still. You're remarkable. And I agree, your parents are pretty great."
"They're pretty fond of you too. So, don't go anywhere, you'll break their hearts."
"I'm not going anywhere." Elsa buried her face in Anna's hair.
"I know you don't like to talk about your sister, but maybe she had a happy ending too."
Alison. What happened to her? Did mom really sell her like I thought? How many people sell their children? Elsa's stomach lurched. No. There's no way. Think, Elsa, what did Alison look like? Did she have red hair? Elsa couldn't remember.
"Babe?"
"I need to ask your parents something."
"Okay." Anna went in search of her mom, finally finding her in the kitchen.
"Mom? Elsa wanted to ask you a question."
"Sure honey. What is it Elsa?"
"This might seem odd, but was Anna's name Anna when you got her?"
"No. I named her after my grandmother. We never knew her real name."
"Elsa? What's going on?" Anna asked.
Elsa stared at her girlfriend for a moment and then just shook her head. "Nothing."
"But Elsa, it's Christmas."
"And that means I'm supposed to wear a ridiculous hat?"
"Yes. Now put it on." Elsa sighed. She already knew she wasn't going to win this battle. "Why don't you wear it?"
"Elsa, we're going to be late."
"Fine." Elsa put the santa hat on. "Happy now?"
"Yes." The women got out of the car and rang Kristoff's doorbell.
"Merry Christmas!" Kristoff opened the door, wearing a pair of reindeer antlers. "Come meet my new best friend."
"Oh my god, you got a puppy." Anna squealed.
"Yeah. This is Sven."
"He's so adorable. Come here Sven. Come see Auntie Anna."
"Well, we've lost her for the night." Elsa grinned.
"Yeah looks like it. Grab yourself a drink, I've got eggnog and cider."
Elsa tracked down Lauren. "You've got the package?"
"Yep. I'll drop it off in the morning."
"Thanks."
Once everyone was in front of the tree they exchanged gifts.
"If I had known you got a puppy I would have brought him a gift too." Anna grumbled.
"I just got him a couple of days ago. I have a buddy that works at the shelter and they picked this little guy up from the side of the road. He texted me a picture and I just had to have him."
"He's cute Kristoff." Elsa said as the man unwrapped his gift.
"Wow. This is really nice whiskey ."
"You're welcome. Make sure you share with Sheryl."
"Ugh. No way I don't know how he drinks that stuff."
"This is different babe. It's an eighteen year old…"
"That's great sweetheart. And it's all yours."
"I'll help him drink it." Dean piped up.
"Hey, mitts off my bottle."
"Maybe you should unwrap your own gift Dan."
"Brandy? Awesome."
"Hmm, I'll share with you if you share with me." Kristoff said.
"Deal."
"Here Elsa, this is from Kristoff and I." Sheryl gave Elsa her gift.
"A DNA kit?"
"Yeah. Everybody's doing them now. Kristoff did one and turns out he's mostly Norwegian."
"I'm a viking!"
"Thanks guys." Elsa tried hard to act happy about the gift.
On the ride back to Anna's Elsa was quiet.
"What's wrong babe?"
"Nothing. Just tired. I love our friends but they're exhausting."
"Don't think I didn't notice you're reaction to the DNA kit. Do you want to talk about what's bothering you?"
"Not right now."
"Okay."
The next morning Elsa was up early to get Anna's gift from Lauren. She then had to wait several hours for the redhead to wake up, so she busied herself making chocolate chip pancakes with hot chocolate.
"Merry Christmas babe." Anna finally emerged from the bedroom.
"Merry Christmas. Your gift is in the tree."
"In the tree? You mean under the tree right?"
Elsa turned to look back into the living room. "Nope, I mean in the tree."
Anna approached the tree suspiciously. Elsa waited for her to locate the tiny kitten she had placed under the tree hours before, only to have the little guy wake up and climb into the tree branches. When Anna finally saw it she squealed.
"Oh my god, Elsa, he's so cute. Or she? What is it? It's so cute!"
"It's a boy."
"I'm gonna die, it's too cute. I can't stand it."
"Do you like him?"
"Yes." Anna cradled the tiny orange tabby kitten. "His name shall be Oscar."
Elsa smiled. "Well, Oscar has a lot of stuff hidden in my trunk. Food, beds, toys, litter. I'm going to go bring it in."
"Okay. I'll be right here."
An hour later Elsa had finished setting up all of the kittens things. "Are you ever going to put him down?"
"No."
"But what about me?" she pouted. "How am i supposed to kiss you?"
"We'll figure it out. But I suppose I should give you your gift."
"Hopefully it's not a kitten."
"No. I didn't think you're an animal person."
"I am. Not as much as you though."
"Okay. I just need to go get it. Here, hold the baby." Anna gently set Oscar down in Elsa's lap. When she came back into the room she looked a little nervous. She sat back down next to Elsa on the sofa.
"Elsa, what I'm about to say might seem a little crazy, I don't know. We've only known each other for six months. But I know, without a shadow of a doubt that I'm in love with you and that I don't ever want to be apart from you. I want to be with you for the rest of my life. You're it for me." Anna slid off the couch onto one knee and held up a box. "Elsa, you're the most amazing person I've ever known, and you're perfect for me. I love you so much. Will you marry me?"
Elsa just stared at her for a moment. "I...I...I don't that's a good idea."
Anna was clearly shocked. "You don't feel the same way?"
"That's not it. I do. Anna I love you. Please don't think that I don't"
"Then what is it?"
"I just can't. I'm sorry."
"Do you not want to be with me anymore?"
"I do. But maybe I shouldn't."
"Elsa I don't understand."
"I'm sorry Anna. I'm so sorry." Elsa abruptly stood up. "I need to go."
"No, Elsa don't run away. Talk to me."
"I can't right now." Elsa walked slowly to the door. "I'm sorry." And with that, she was gone.