32 weeks (8 months, third trimester)
"We've got so much to do," Anna bemoaned as she and Elsa surveyed their half finished nursery.
Two months to go and the only thing they had for the baby was a nursing chair, a swing, and a decorative rug. But at the least the room was painted.
"And we still have to register. Tiana and Merida said they want to send out invitations soon." Elsa's mind was already trying to frantically make a list of everything they needed but figured it was easier to just list the things they didn't need to get.
At the beginning of the pregnancy it felt like they had all the time in the world to prepare. Now with the due date creeping closer it seemed like they might run out of time if anything and that was if the baby didn't come early. And how did one tiny person need so much stuff?
"We need to create a plan of attack. We're not going to be able to get everything in one weekend but we need to go Saturday to tackle at least some of it. Especially furniture. I mean we have nothing. Where are we going to put the baby? Where are we going to change the baby? We don't even have diapers. We don't even have a name. I need to sit down." Elsa had worried herself into a tizzy until she felt so lightheaded that she collapsed in the chair, head tilted all the way back so that she was staring at the stark white ceiling, finding comfort in its bland monotony.
This wasn't normally like Elsa. She was always so cool and calm, on top of everything and more organized than anyone Anna had ever known. With her energy being drained by the pregnancy she had just let everything slide but now it was mounting and she could feel the stress starting to vibrate throughout her body.
Rocking in the nursery chair with her hand pressed to her forehead, she tried to fathom how they were going to get their home ready in time for baby.
"We already have an idea of what we want. I've seen all the little circles and hearts in the baby catalogs you've got in your office. We just have to go and get it," Anna exclaimed with a burst of encouragement. There really was no job too big for her.
Kneeling between Elsa's legs, Anna lightly rubbed the top of her thighs as she helped devise a plan to calm her poor fretting wife.
"You make a list of everything we need, one for us and one for stuff you want to put on the registry, and we'll spend all day Saturday shopping. We'll even go buy some of the stuff you've had your eye on for a while like the diaper bag and the layette at Nordstrom," Anna said as she continued to calm Elsa's nerves with her soothing hands, her body mellowing at the touch. With hormones threatening to go haywire at any given moment, Anna pretty much knew how to handle the situation. Give Elsa any and everything she wanted. No questions asked.
"Really?" her voice more chipper at the very mention of shopping.
"Really. You deserve to be spoiled," Anna replied, playfully tickling Elsa's sides, just to see that smile and melt at the sound of her giggle.
"But what about all the stuff you want to get?" cocking her head to one side.
"Okay, we'll go to the mall in the morning and Babies'R'Us in the afternoon to get everything else. Deal?" Anna nodded and held out her hand to shake on it.
"Deal."
It was Saturday morning and as Anna hopped in the car and started the engine she had again forgotten to wait for Elsa who was trying to lift herself into the passenger seat; her still thin arms nearly buckling as she attempted to launch herself off the ledge on the side of the vehicle.
"I'm sorry I should have helped you," Anna said remorsefully, reaching out her hand to pull Elsa in the rest of the way.
"It's okay. My four pound passenger is weighing me down a little more each day," she huffed, plunking herself down in the seat as she caught her breath. Anna would have thought Elsa had just run around the block based on how hard she was breathing, but then again she did have a baby jamming everything up into her lungs so that probably had something to do with her stamina, or lack thereof.
"Pottery Barn Kids, Nordstrom, and then Babies'R'Us, correct?" Anna counted off the stores on her fingers as she ran the itinerary by Elsa for final approval.
"Yes. And somewhere in there lunch. And smoothies. And chocolate. And-" Thinking about all the delectable things the mall had to offer was making Elsa's mouth water already.
"I get it. You're craving the entire food court. We'll get you whatever you want as soon as we get there."
Anna flashed Elsa an exuberant smile as she slipped on her sunglasses, fluffed her bangs, and pulled out of the driveway, still loving every minute of her new set of wheels.
While Anna headed towards the freeway ramp Elsa fiddled around with the satellite radio trying to find a good station.
"Ooh I love this song. She starts dancing every time it's on," Elsa chirped giddily as she ran a hand over her belly to see if the baby did indeed recognize the song.
Learning about the baby's taste in music was quickly becoming one of Elsa's favorite things about driving to and from work. Songs the baby liked were met with little twitches and kicks, leaving Elsa to daydream about what all she must be doing in there. Songs the baby didn't like made Elsa feel like her stomach had turned into a human washing machine as the baby tried to turn and get as far away from the sound as possible, usually retreating towards her favorite little spot just under the right side of Elsa's ribcage. Some days the baby pushed against the area so hard that Elsa could actually see the outline of the baby's back protruding through her belly.
"What song is this?" Anna scrunched her brows together trying to see if she recognized the artist but had no idea who it was.
"You haven't heard this? It's I Will Never Let You Down by Rita Ora." Elsa was already lost in a total girl moment and began singing along with dramatic hair flips and was making sexy faces to Anna and the side mirror of the car. Anna couldn't quite tell if she was just really into the song or if Elsa was trying to see if she could cause an accident with her irresistibility.
"When you're feeln' low on love, I'll be what you're dreaming of. Oh, oh, I will never let you down." Elsa continued to sing with a look of pure joy etched across her face.
Having eight months of baby in the front of her didn't stop Elsa in any way from dancing in her seat like a shining star; eyes closed as she sang along in a voice that Anna swore was better than the actual song itself. Keeping her eyes on the road was proving to be most difficult as she watched Elsa roll her shoulders back in her adorable little summer maternity dress; hair down and flowing like a sheet of silk, held together by two braids from each side of her head that were clasped in the back like a mythical Nordic goddess.
And then like clockwork Elsa started with the flirty eyes, stealing glances up through those fanning lashes and Anna could already see herself trying to explain the situation to the police officer as there was no way she could resist Elsa's charm once she batted those lashes and watched her lips make those beautiful curves around the words as she sang.
The freeway was a bad idea. I should have taken the back roads. Focus Anna.
Thankfully everyone made it safe and sound to the mall and spent an obscene amount of precious shopping time mindlessly driving around the parking garage looking for a spot. They eventually found one and then it was Anna who was trying to keep up with Elsa as she trotted towards the mall.
Her big blue eyes lit up at the sight of the mall entrance, thrilled to pieces that this day had finally arrived. She had her plastic in tow and was ready to melt every single card in her wallet during their first major shopping trip for baby stuff. She'd spent months planning everything from the nursery furniture to picking out all the other baby essentials that they needed and now it was time to make it all become a reality.
Anna caught up with Elsa's fervent strides and linked arms with her in hopes of weighing her down as she beelined her way to Pottery Barn Kids to kick the day off with furniture.
"Did you bring your tablet?" Anna panted, trying to maintain Elsa's pace.
"Of course I did." Elsa had loaded everything she wanted from her design boards onto her tablet as well as a list of everything she wanted to get at the mall that day.
The front of the store was enough to send anyone into sugar shock over how cute and adorable all the merchandise was. Anna attempted to stop and look at a train set they had set up at the front of the store but was quickly dragged away by Elsa who continued to make her way to the furniture section in the back.
"This is it. This is the set I want to get. Do you like it?" Elsa laid a gentle hand on the side of a beautiful off-white crib that was sitting amongst a matching changing table and dresser. Her eyes were so bright and wide, the happiest Anna had seen her in a long time. She had really evolved into this even more wonderful woman who was going to be the most loving and caring mother ever. Although the pregnancy had brought out a crassness in Elsa at times, it had also brought out a more confident and nurturing side to her as well. Anna stood motionless in the middle of a herd of baby cribs, awestruck by Elsa's radiant presence before her.
"Anna? Are you listening?" Elsa snapped her fingers in front of Anna's freckled nose to help bring her back to reality.
"Huh...oh, yeah. I love it if it's the set you want."
Unable to jump with excitement, Elsa instead bounced on the balls of her feet like a delicate ballerina ready to spring into action, biting her bottom lip with excitement.
"Great! I'm going to over to the register to place the order and arrange for delivery. You can go play if you want now." Her eyes motioned over to the toys at the front of the store.
"Play? Elsa, I'm not a child," Anna countered, rolling her eyes at the blonde.
"I know you really want to go play with that train set and test out the little play kitchens in the girls section. It's okay. I won't tell," she snickered with a smile.
"For your information, I was going to look at the stuffed animals...and then the train set," playfully darting out her tongue out at Elsa as she scampered off to the toy area of the store.
Six Godiva truffles, four chocolate dipped strawberries, and one peach smoothie later the pair were jaunting off towards Nordstrom. Elsa was in such an unusually good mood and was still beaming as she teasingly played with the straw of her smoothie while riding up the escalator a step ahead Anna, completely infatuated with the redhead and the way her shirt crept up her stomach just enough to reveal the tiniest glimpse of her belly button.
"Okay I know you like shopping, especially for baby stuff but is there something else going on? You and your straw are getting awfully friendly there."
"I don't know I'm just...really enjoying being with you today for some reason." Elsa's fingers spider-walked their way across the handrail and up Anna's arm as a mischievous grin continued to tug at the corners of her mouth.
"Could it be because we're filling our home with baby stuff and we're finally getting to bond over it and enjoy the romance of pregnancy for once without hormones or other craziness getting in the way?"
"Yeah, I think it's probably that," Elsa said as she bit the end of her straw and took another seductive sip. The belly button wasn't helping either. Elsa wasn't sure if she wanted to kiss or tickle it but she was going to make sure she did one or both by the end of the day.
"Well congratulations. You've made me jealous of a straw."
Elsa just smiled coyly as she stepped off the escalator and re linked arms with Anna and headed towards the store, grabbing by her shoulders and giving her a generous kiss, warming her cool tongue against Anna's without a care in the world.
"Whoa turbo, we're in public." Anna redirected Elsa back towards the store and pulled her along, still playing with that infernal straw in her mouth.
After a two more escalator rides, one in which Anna raced up one running the opposite direction, they made it to the kids section and Elsa moseyed her way to the elaborate rack of neatly organized diaper bags in the back. In fact to Anna it looked like the holy grail of diapers bags as the display had a fancy spotlight and everything.
When Anna finally caught up with her, Elsa already had the boxy damask print bag over her shoulder with a grin that stretched from ear to ear as she skipped over to show Anna her new prized possession.
"Did you fall in love with something there?" It was refreshing to see Elsa so excited over diaper bags and cribs. Somewhere in that willowy body had been a girl dying to be a mom all along and she was finally making her desires known, through shopping but still she was thrilled.
Anna looked at the price tag and jerked her hand back as if the tag itself has seared her fingertips with the burning heat of its triple digit price.
"What's wrong?" Elsa asked puzzled.
"It's $200...for a diaper bag," Anna said with a gulp.
"You said I could get whatever I wanted and now you're making me feel guilty." Dismayed at Anna's lack of enthusiasm, Elsa felt like her bubble had suddenly burst.
The pout on her lips made Anna quickly rethink her words. She would have given Elsa anything, said yes to her a million times if it meant keeping in her in this most glorious mood and far away from the storm that wasn't far enough behind them yet. She pulled Elsa close and their eyes met, fluttering blues searched Anna's aquamarines as she summoned the words to correct her mistake.
"Your whole life your talent went unrecognized and you suffered at his hands for it. And now you're a brilliant architect who works harder than anyone I've ever known. And soon the whole world will know how truly talented you are. You've earned every bit of happiness and I won't get in the way of that just because I'm not used to buying expensive things. We can more than afford it and you're mostly the reason why. I want to get whatever you want because you deserve it and I love you. I love you so much and I just want to see you happy. I'm sorry."
Elsa was lost in Anna's eyes as she spoke. It was probably a far greater apology than the moment called for but her heart skipped a beat and she could actually feel a tiny piece of her old wounds healing. Anna's words would one day replace Agdar's now that she knew what Elsa had gone through and this was great start.
Elsa's eyes shifted to Anna's perfectly upturned lips, glistening a beautiful shade of magenta as they stood out against her apricot skin. Gently, she kissed Anna and a whispered thank you brushed against the redhead's lips with a slight tickle.
Anna smiled back at Elsa and grabbed the diaper bag from her shoulder.
"Okay so we know you want this, so I'm going to put it at the register and get a pile started for you." The giddy expression returned to Elsa's face as her and Anna broke their embrace and she headed over to peruse the assortment of finely woven swaddling blankets.
"Okay Sarah at the register is holding all our stuff so feel free to just keep handing everything to her. What did you find?" Anna asked as she looked down at a pack of cotton muslin swaddling blankets with light pink designs that had struck Elsa's fancy. When she felt the fabric between her fingers she nearly melted from the softness. It was like heaven and fluffy clouds had merged together and magically been woven into a blanket of divinity.
"I like these too. They're so soft I can actually imagine them wrapped around her precious little body. And I've seen a lot of moms using these as stroller blankets to keep the sun out of baby's eyes."
"Then I shall go hand them to Sarah. Actually pick out one other set because I have a feeling we might need more than three."
Anna was being so good to Elsa and she felt like was falling in love with a whole new side of her. After carrying the baby for eight months and battling morning sickness, cravings, body aches, insomnia, and hormones amongst other things, it felt so good to be pampered, almost as if it were a reward for making it this far instead of her joy ending at just being able to be the pregnant one.
Elsa continued to add to the pile at the register and Anna fell in love with a set of wooden musical instrument for infants that she just had to have. The pile climbed higher as dresses, onesies, jammies, blankets, booties, and rompers were added to the heap. Maybe the fancy department store wasn't so bad after all.
After ringing up the total, which no one uttered a single word about, and packing everything into four large shopping bags, Elsa made a quick stop in the lingerie department to purchase some nursing and sleeping bras.
"I don't even know what size I am anymore," Elsa said as she despairingly sorted through the racks of undergarments.
"Well what cup size are you wearing now? Because you're going to engorge the first week when your milk comes and they'll definitely be bigger than they are now after that."
"I'm already at a double D and I'm normally a C. I don't have anymore room on my chest to expand. I'm going to tip over." Elsa looked down at her chest. She couldn't see her feet over her baby bump and she couldn't even see the whole bump because of her breasts.
"I wish I could give you sympathy but there's no way I can complain about that," Anna said with a laugh.
All jokes aside, Elsa's body was going through so many changes that it was taking a major mental and physical toll on her.
"Here, I'll grab a bunch and we'll try some on ok?" flashing Elsa a reassuring smile.
Anna grabbed a few sizes of each bra and found a dressing room large enough to accommodate two women and four giant shopping bags.
She helped Elsa unzip her dress and she stepped out of it and hung it on the hook behind her, staring blankly in front of the mirror with arms wrapped tightly around herself as a frown touched the corners of her lips.
"What's wrong?" Anna had never known Elsa to be shy or ashamed of her body around her and now she wouldn't even take her bra off in front of her for some strange reason.
"Um...well...the past few days I've noticed that...they... my..." Elsa had never been at such a loss for words in her entire life as she fumbled helplessly.
"Just say it, it's okay. Whatever it is."
"My nipples...they're getting darker," Elsa confessed with the drop of her head as crimson flush spread out from her cheeks.
"Is that all? Oh my God Elsa who cares? Besides, you're so white they're probably just now changing into what a normal shade of pink is for the rest of the world. And someone was talking about that in group and they get darker so that the baby can find the nipple better to nurse when they're first born."
Elsa's hands were still placed firmly around her chest and she just blindly stared straight ahead at her reflection in the mirror as she chewed on her bottom lip.
"Elsa your whole body could suddenly become purple like that girl in Willy Wonka and I wouldn't love you any less or find you any less sexy."
At Anna's words she smiled shyly and removed the undergarment to reveal exactly what Anna had predicted. What was once a moon dusted shade of light pink was now just more of a deep rose color.
"See. Beautiful. Actually, I like it better. It's like the color highlights them and draws my attention directly to where it needs to be," pulling Elsa in for a hug, to which the blonde laughed and relaxed into Anna's embrace, heaving a sigh as she let her arms comfortably rest at her sides when Anna released her.
"Okay you have like 50 bras to try on and we still have to get lunch and go to Babies'R'Us so that I can go crazy too."
Sorting through the selection of bras Anna noticed one of them was not like the others.
"Ooh la la! Well hello there. Did you pick this one out or did it get in here by mistake?" Anna singsonged with a giggle.
In her hand she held a black brassiere lined with white frilly trim around the shell of the cups and a tiny pink bow in the center of the chest.
"What? It's pretty. I may be pregnant but I still want to feel sexy," Elsa replied as she snatched the bra from Anna.
"Elsa this is supposed to be for nursing. You're going to be mom not a French maid."
Elsa giggled and they continued to work their way through the mountain of bras. Out of all the bras Anna grabbed Elsa was able to find at least ten that worked and they figured that would get her through the first few months at least.
After a quick bite of lunch Anna pulled into the parking lot of the next store and didn't hear one ounce of protesting from Elsa when she parked in the expectant mother's spot this time.
"I now know why they have special parking because my feet are killing me already and I haven't even gotten out of the car."
Aisle by aisle they went through their list and filled up a cart in no time flat, sending Anna back to the front of the store to retrieve another.
Stuck in the baby gear section, Anna had fallen in love with a black Baby Björn carrier and was desperately pleading with Elsa to go off her list and let her get it.
"Look it's cute and a lot of people have them," still trying to convince Elsa that it was a worthy purchase.
Elsa stared at the box perplexed. "Björn means bear. Why would they call it baby bear?"
Anna was too busy strapping herself into said baby bear carrier and securing it around her tiny waist, holding the front of the carrier and swaying back and forth as if a real baby were swaddled inside.
"Because it's like a mama bear cuddling her cub. Like a little honey pot baby." Anna had completely tuned Elsa out and was swept away by the image of herself carrying their baby strapped to the front her torso like a tiny koala.
Elsa still had her eyes glued to the box. "I still think it's a marketing ploy. I don't like when my language is exploited for such purposes," pinching her brows together as she struggled to grasp the carrier's appeal.
"Isn't it Swedish anyway?" Anna inquired, still dancing around the aisle with her pretend baby.
"Yes but there are a lot of similarities between the two languages and björn means the same thing in both."
"I won't ask how you feel about Ikea then." Anna mumbled under her breath.
"Why? I love Ikea." Elsa professed passionately, as if Anna had offended her at the mere suggestion of her not liking Ikea.
"You don't like Baby Björn but you like Ikea?"
"Yeah, why not? Everything is really cheap and they have great meatballs. Mmmm... meatballs. That sounds so good right now," licking her lips as she put the box back on the shelf.
"You are a mystery I will forever be solving Elsa."
"Anyways it doesn't matter because we can't get it," Elsa declared, platinum hair swishing back and forth as she shook her head.
"Why because of the björn thing?" Anna whined with a pout.
"No because the baby's legs hang straight down and that's really bad for their hips. The knee and hip should sit level with each other, according to Dr. Bjorgman."
"So which one can we get?"
Anna stepped back and gestured to the near twenty kinds of carriers, all she deemed too ugly to behold her baby.
"He recommended this one."
Elsa handed Anna a slightly more attractive carrier. Again Anna eyed the price but just grinned this time, turning her look of shock into one of excitement.
"Awesome. I'm going to get green. What are you getting?"
"Do we need two?" Elsa asked, noting that their second cart was nearly filled already.
"Well one to keep in the house and one to keep in the car. Plus you won't have to keep readjusting it to fit each other."
"Good thinking. I'm going to get...blue."
"She's a girl remember," Anna reminded.
"So what. Girls can't like blue? I wear blue all time. Does it make me less effeminate?" Elsa sassed in reply.
"Quite the opposite actually. Here's blue and green is...I don't see it."
"It's up there. Let me go get someone with a ladder." Elsa was halfway down the aisle when she turned back to see Anna getting that crazy look in her eyes.
"It's not that high. I can totally get it myself."
Elsa looked on as Anna began to scale up the side of the giant industrial shelves, shaking her head and just letting Anna learn her lesson on her own. In the beginning of their relationship she probably would have made a fuss over her climbing to such high heights but she'd learned over time that Anna never listened and was also somehow impervious to injury.
Straining her arm as far as it would go, Anna stretched out in a jumping jack formation as she tried to capture the elusive green baby carrier.
"Am I there yet? Please tell me I'm almost there."
"Not even close. Shall I go get someone now or do you want to keep trying for another half hour?" Elsa was getting impatient. Hungry and tired and here Anna was playing mountaineer in aisle twelve.
Planting her foot firmly against the steel siding of the shelving unit, Anna launched herself like a spider monkey in a move that would have rivaled Michael Jordan and clutched the carrier into her possession.
"Ha ha, yeah! I got it!" Anna whooped as she victoriously held the box over her head.
"You're going to get yourself killed before the baby even comes," Elsa groaned from off to the side, arms crossed with her hip stuck out to one side as she watched Anna climb down with all the dexterity of a spritely child on a playground jungle gym.
"Admit it. You were impressed," Anna smirked as she made a jump shot and tossed the carrier into the cart, good for three points as Elsa smiled at her display of athleticism.
"I'm always impressed by you."
Last but not least on the list were diapers. They hadn't bought any and coworkers and friends had been warning them for months to stock up so it was off to the diapering aisle.
Standing before a towering wall of brightly colored boxes the two stared wide-eyed at the endless selection of diapers and wipes.
"Elsa, we have two college degrees between us and I have no clue how to decide." Anna's eyes frantically darted back and forth, overwhelmed by the size, cut, shape, and absorbency each brand had to offer.
"What makes you think I know? I may have a college degree but diapers and wipes wasn't discussed in my Introduction to Urban Design class."
Fortunately a friendly employee spotted them making the all too familiar petrified look of two soon to be parents drowning in a sea of decisions and came over to assist them.
"Ladies, if you'd like I have samples of diapers and wipes you could look at and that may help you decided."
"Yes! I'm sorry. Yes please." Anna had nearly shouted at the poor man before trying again at a more acceptable speaking volume.
In no time at all the man returned with a small bag of various newborn sized diapers and sample packs of wipes and the two started to tear into them, unfolding and studying each diaper with the astuteness of a NASA researcher.
"Oh God. Oh. My. God...look how tiny this diaper is! It looks like it's for a doll." Anna healed over from the overload of cuteness that had caused her legs to turn to jell-o and she had to lean against Elsa for support. The newborn diaper she held was no bigger than the length of her hand, compressed and perfectly folded into a thin slice of baby goodness. An adorable baby version of Winnie the Pooh adorned on the front and there was even a crescent shaped cut-out in the center for where the baby's healing belly button would be.
"How can something be this small? Oh Elsa...I'm having a moment. Hold me," she squeaked.
Anna slumped into Elsa's arms and the blonde couldn't help but giggle. They were amazingly tiny and she was also thunderstruck by the itty-bitty cuteness of everything but it was nice to see Anna succumbing to the emotions of having a baby instead of her for once.
"I know this place is killing me with cuteness. Do you like Winnie the Pooh or baby Big Bird? I'm partial to Pooh but these Sesame Street ones are super soft and they have this little blue indicator line for when they're wet, which takes out the guess work," she said as she held Anna in one arm and studied the diaper with her free hand.
"They both have the blue line thing but you're right. These are so soft and I want the softest diaper they make for our angel," Anna cooed, flashing those big aqua orbs filled to the brim with overwhelming joy.
"Anna stop. If you keep talking like that I'm going to start crying. This store is the worst hormone trigger ever." Someone had to keep their head out the clouds and make some decisions or they'd never get out of the store alive.
Looking at the diaper, Anna unfolded it and secured the velcro around the sides as if it were fitted around an invisible baby.
"Elsa look. I just want you imagine our little blonde or redheaded bundle of joy-"
As she spoke she made Elsa fold her arms out like she was about to hold a baby while she set the tiny diaper in her arms.
"-wearing this while you hold her in your arms in our beautiful nursery," her words painting an image Elsa instantly became one with.
Well that did it. Elsa let out a breathy but happy cry as she looked down at herself cradling the diaper in her arms. It didn't take much imagination to envision a swaddled up little baby held closely against her.
"Gah...okay now you hold me." Elsa cried as she melted into Anna's arms. How were they ever going to survive the birth if they couldn't make it through something as simple as picking out diapers?
"It's okay, just feel it out. Ride that coaster of emotion. It's good huh? So good." Anna teased and she patted Elsa's back.
With the furniture coming the next day they just decided to leave everything in Anna's car and put it in the nursery once everything had been set up. The only exception was the new bras Elsa bought which she promptly put in her dresser drawer.
Thoroughly exhausted, they mindlessly did their usual night time routine and got ready for bed. Anna again rubbed cocoa butter on Elsa's belly and talked to the baby, as was becoming one of her favorite parts about bedtime. That evening's song selection included You Are My Sunshine, which ended up being a duet with Elsa, and a rousing version of The Wheels on the Bus, complete with hand motions and Anna's over the top enthusiasm that made baby kick like she was recreating a number from Riverdance. Anna was never too tired for time with baby.
After kissing baby goodnight, Anna leaned over to do the same to Elsa before she planned to turn the light out, giving Elsa a quick kiss on the lips. Just as Anna turned to reach for the light she heard a tired voice from the other side.
"More," Elsa cooed politely.
Anna smiled and leaned back over to give Elsa another kiss, this one a little longer than the first. This time she didn't even get the chance to turn all the way around before Elsa was asking for more again.
"How are you not tired? More, more, more. You're not gonna stop until we've had sex like three times are you?"
"I just asked for a kiss, not sex times three."
"Yeah no but I know you and you totally have that look in your eye."
Elsa cocked her head with a look of confusion and blinked.
"Right there. That little twinkle saying please Anna please, I'm ever so horny," pointing to the sparkle in Elsa's right eye.
"I do not have a twinkle and if I did it most certainly wouldn't be saying that," she scoffed even though it was true.
Proving a point, Anna placed a hand along the curve of Elsa's jawline and gave her a passionately deep kiss, coaxing a needy moan from the blonde's throat.
"Now tell me you don't want sex." A gloating smile crept across Anna's lips.
"Well now," Elsa replied with a hint of sass and a thirst for more.
Anna rolled her eyes and crossed her arms with a look of I told you so written across her face.
"Just once, please. I'll even let you go first," Elsa whined with a sudden desperateness that was too adorable for Anna to resist.
"Okay first, you don't have to beg for sex. That's part of the perks of being married. It's like a buffet, it's always open and you can always come back for more. Second, I do not have the same level of sex drive you do right now and I'm so tired it hurts. I have no problem missing out on a turn this evening. My hormones can handle it. Now roll over," Anna instructed, guiding Elsa's shoulders back against the mattress.
"Good because that kiss kind of got me going and now...I just want you deep inside me so bad and your hands all over me so I can come really hard..." she breathed with a sudden urgency.
"How in the world did you go from cooing over diaper bags and swaddling blankets to talking dirty in bed? My God Elsa, my head in still in babyland. Take it down a notch please."
"Sorry," Elsa replied with a smile. She'd even surprised herself a little but Anna had asked for it with a kiss like that.
"Just let me do my thing here," Anna directed.
She thoughtfully cupped a hand around her chin, assessing the situation as she tried to come up with a game plan. Elsa was laid back at angle with her hair fanned out over two pillows behind her, chest already heaving as she lightly bit the tip of her finger in her mouth and waited for Anna to quench her thirst.
Deep inside. Hands all over. I should be able to knock this out in at least ten minutes and then be able to go to sleep.
Anna decided to leave Elsa exactly where she was as the angle relieved some of the pressure of the baby weight from her spine and simply slipped her fingers under the band of her sleeping bra and pulled it over her head. The hunger in Elsa's eyes was intense, like she was starving and hadn't eaten in days, mouth already slightly open with a welcoming bottom lip in hopes Anna would hurry up and kiss her again already. Parting her legs, Elsa made room for Anna as she approached on all fours, heading straight for those impatient lips, leaving them satisfied before kissing a wet trail down her chest.
Remembering how shy Elsa had been about her breasts in the dressing room, Anna wanted to show her just how much she still loved every inch of Elsa's body and led the trail right down to her newly hued nipples; moving to the right one and loving it with the sweetest of kisses.
As Anna kissed she could feel Elsa's hands running through her hair and clutching it at the back of her head, encouraging her to wrap her tongue around the hardening nipple in her mouth with a hum. There was something different though. Not only had the color of Elsa's nipples changed but Anna was pretty familiar with the taste of Elsa's skin and she couldn't quite figure it out but it had changed too, sweeter even maybe. Testing to see if the same thing had happened to the other breast she pulled away and suddenly noticed a cloudy drop of liquid streaking down the side of Elsa's breast.
"Um...Elsa. You're...leaking," Anna said, sounding more surprised than anything.
Elsa snapped her head down to catch the last of the streak trailing off around her ribs. Mortified she jerked away from Anna and quickly wrapped the sheet around her chest with a horrified look on her face she was trying to hide with her hands.
"No,no,no, it's fine. It's fine. This sounds strange but it actually tasted really sweet." Anna licked her lips to confirm the taste.
"Ugh, don't tell me how it tastes. I'm already humiliated enough as it is."
Grabbing a nearby shirt, Elsa wrapped it around her chest as best she could and stormed off to the bathroom as a wildfire of red burgeoned across her fair cheeks.
"Herregud, er det mulig?" she muttered to herself.
(Fuck, is it possible?)
"Wait, what was that? Did you just get so embarrassed you forgot English or something?" Anna had to jump off the bed in a hurry as Elsa was clearly upset and it looked like she was about to lock herself in the bathroom. Sticking a hand out just in time Anna was able to keep her from shutting the door and slowly made her way into the bathroom to find Elsa with her face bright red still clutching the t-shirt to her chest behind the door.
"Stop, please. It's okay. You can't control it. I won't kiss you there if it bothers you but please stop feeling so ashamed about all these changes. Believe me, I know every inch of your body and it's been changing a lot since day one but I wouldn't have it any other way. You're unbreakably beautiful to me and every change I notice makes me love you even more because it reminds that you're carrying our baby. There's nothing shameful about that."
As heartfelt as Anna's words had been it appeared not a single one had gotten through to Elsa as she looked more upset than before, like she was struggling with something but wasn't letting it out.
"Skjerp deg." She whispered to herself.
(Get it together.)
"Stop! Why are you doing that? It sounds beautiful but I don't know what you're saying and you never do this and it's kind of scaring me. You're having a baby and you lactated. I'm not bothered by it in any way.What is going on?"
Elsa didn't say a word and just pulled the shirt tighter against herself, looking away with a pinched look of worry on her face as her bottom lip trembled.
"You want to say something, just say it. In English please."
Anna took Elsa's chin between her thumb and index finger, bringing it back to center where she caressed her cheek and waited for her to say something, anything.
"I'm...having a hard time," she murmured with a shakiness.
"Yes, I can see that. Go on."
"I'm tired," Elsa groaned, still not making eye contact with Anna.
"Are we having a conversation here? I feel like I'm in the Twilight Zone." Anna took a deep breath and tried to return her thoughts back to a rational frame of mind in the midst of the crazy making. She ran the situation by herself. This has do with the changes...speaking Norwegian, won't look at me...hmmm.
"Elsa. Are you having a hard time with the pregnancy and don't want to say anything because you think it will hurt my feelings or sound ungrateful? Because I can't carry her?" Anna said softly.
Calming a bit more, Elsa looked back at Anna with a quivering bottom lip and nodded. Anna released a huge puff of air like she'd just correctly answered the final question on a game show.
"Oh my God no, no, don't hold that in. Who are you going to talk to about that with if not me? That's my job." The white-knuckled grip on the shirt began to loosen and Elsa's shoulders relaxed more as she listened to Anna.
The way Elsa was holding everything in, the look on her face was almost painful for Anna to witness as she brushed little strands of bangs away from Elsa's face; the red beginning to dissipate into light blush.
"It doesn't at all seem incredibly unfair to complain about being pregnant to someone who can't ever become pregnant themselves?" Elsa asked, finally letting her eyes meet Anna's in shame.
"I see where you're coming from but what you're trying to do is impossible. No woman can go through pregnancy and not whine, complain, or even kick and scream about it at some point. Come here. We're in the bathroom for crying out loud when you could be comfortable in bed."
Leading Elsa out of the bathroom, Anna looped an arm around her waist and helped her get back into bed and put some night clothes on her so that Elsa felt more comfortable. She leaned back against the two pillows where this whole thing had started and Anna curled up close enough to cuddle with her but far enough away so that she could look at Elsa while talking to her.
"Okay first of all, what was with the Norwegian?"
"I just didn't want either one of you to know what I was saying. That and I was just so floored by what happened it was a natural reaction." Elsa hadn't even realized she'd slipped into her first language until Anna pointed it out, slightly embarrassed but that was the least of her worries.
"So tell me, what's going on?" Anna asked as she swept her hand over Elsa's belly, trying to calm her and baby simultaneously.
"I just feel like I'm at my breaking point. Everything hurts, I can't sleep, I'm starving but I don't have room to eat, I don't recognize parts of my own body anymore...and I'm so tired at work but the projects just keep coming in and I can't keep up and I..I-" A war between words and tears was raging as everything she'd been keeping bottled up inside was now fizzling out.
"Whoa, slow down. Okay so you're overwhelmed. You're in the third trimester and you're in the most uncomfortable part."
At this point Anna was just repeating word for word what Tamora had said at group the other night. Apparently she'd tried to warn Anna about the exact thing that was happening before her but she'd been too naive at the time to fully understand.
"First of all, you have about eight weeks left. When are you going to go on maternity leave?" Anna asked.
Elsa was silent. She hadn't mentioned anything about maternity leave to her work other than that she was due in August and that was back when she had originally told them she was pregnant over three months ago.
"Have you even talked to HR about maternity leave?" eyes widening at the absurdity of Elsa possibly not having said anything.
Elsa was still silent and now closing in on herself like a clam inside its shell, which could only mean one thing. She hadn't said one word to anyone.
"Yeash. So, let's talk about it now. When are you going to stop, when she's halfway out? I don't know if you can make it that long," Anna joked before realizing too late that it probably wasn't the best time but she was desperate to lighten the mood.
"I can't stop now. There's so much that needs to be done." Her head dropped as she shook it in defeat. Anna had no idea how much pressure she was under or the kind of responsibility that had been placed on her at work.
"Elsa, both of my parents worked my whole life and you know what? You can't have it all at the same time. You can't be pregnant and always meet the challenges at work. It's their job to figure out how to handle the work while you're gone. You need to take care of yourself and baby. Working too hard is going to put stress on both of you and this far along you could go into early labor. So which is more important, a building or baby?" Anna asked in a way that implied there was only one correct answer.
"Baby, of course," bringing her eyes back to Anna's.
"So on Monday you need to make some concrete plans with HR to take three months off after the baby is born and use vacation time or whatever to leave a week or two before your due date. At this rate I'm thinking two weeks. You get three weeks of vacation so use it up. That means you have six weeks left of work. Also, see if you can go in during the morning and work from home in the afternoon. Okay?" Anna's voice was clear and precise, so full of strength that Elsa was impressed at how she'd just single handedly solved her problem and made it look so easy.
"You're so smart sometimes. How did you think of all that just now?"
"Well for one I don't have hormones clouding my thought process. I also work with teachers who breed like rabbits and going on maternity leave is like a weekly event in my field."
Elsa laughed and her face relaxed a little more.
"For the other stuff, we'll just throw money at the problem. Get massages, they even have people that come to your home to do them. I'll get you whatever pillow you want as long as it makes you comfortable at night."
"It's not just that. I have to get up to go the bathroom at least five times a night so I'm waking up every hour and a half. Then when I try to go back to sleep my ribs hurt or I can't breath or she wakes up and starts kicking and I just...can never get any sleep. And I've been having nightmares and really vivid dreams when I am asleep." Elsa's brows frowned. Everything felt like it had become too much for her.
"That I can't help you with but I'm so sorry. Believe me, I love sleep and it's probably going to be the thing I miss most when she comes so I can't imagine how awful that must be for you now when you're already so tired," rubbing a hand down Elsa's back. She couldn't solve every problem but she knew just getting Elsa to talk about it had to make her feel a little better.
"Thank you."
Anna was quiet for a moment as her smile faded and she was drawn back to the darker bit of Elsa's rant.
"Nightmares about baby or something else?" she asked hesitantly, hoping she didn't just open a can of worms already this late into the evening.
"Everything. Sometimes I'll dream that something is wrong. That she can't breathe or the cord is wrapped around her neck. Then there are other dreams where she looks like one of my parents and...I don't know how to handle that," shaking her head as she again tried to cover her face with her hands before Anna stopped her.
"Well wait. We don't know whose egg it is and even if it's yours she'd probably look like you and fortunately, you don't really look like your parents," Anna added, pulling Elsa's hands down away from her face. No more hiding.
"But I carry those genes. Anything could happen." Elsa's voice was desperate and strained. Anna hadn't realize just how much she'd actually been locking away inside and just how deep her fears ran.
"You're also forgetting that the donor is blonde. Remember? We went with all recessive traits so that our genes would have a better chance of being passed down. He's blonde so no matter what that knocks out some of your parents genes but also allows for red hair to be passed down. I don't know, I can't remember Mendelian inheritance laws off the top of my head but you know what I mean."
Elsa's face twisted tighter as her worry consumed her further. It broke Anna's heart to see her like this. It was sad to see how no matter what Elsa did, no matter what happiness came her way her past just couldn't stay in the past. Her fears followed her wherever she went, infecting every part of her life like a virus of the mind.
"Look, don't worry about this. In every scenario you could make it negative. I mean if she looks like me you'll be the only blonde."
"I don't care about that. I love the way you look. That would make me happy." A small faint smile finally graced Elsa's face.
"Is that what you want? We just haven't talk about this so I don't know."
"I want a healthy baby but yes, there are certain scenarios that worry me more than others," Elsa confessed as she sat up a little straighter, tone more serious as this was something she'd been thinking about more than Anna knew.
"Okay that she'll look like your parents. What else?"
Elsa paused and looked away before answering in a stilted voice.
"Or me."
Anna pulled away at her answer, nearly shocked as her eyebrows knitted together in confusion.
"Why on Earth would you be afraid of her looking like you? You are the most beautiful woman I have ever seen in my entire life. That's why I purposely ran into you just to meet you at that karaoke bar," her confession leaving Elsa(?) flabbergasted.
"Because sometimes looking in the mirror can be painful. Even if the reflection is beautiful. Because I don't just see me but also everything I've been though. Everything he ever called me or did to me. Everything I'm trying not to repeat."
Saddened by her words, Anna closed her eyes as she shook her head, in disbelief or in sympathy she wasn't quite sure.
"I guess I can understand that. But it could be hope for anew, for something different. You're not your parents and she wouldn't experience the same things," hoping to restore some of Elsa's optimism with her own.
"Or I could hope to see the face of the person I love the most in the innocent form of a child," Elsa replied, her voice weak and fragile.
Anna really didn't care who the baby looked like. Like Elsa had said she too was so excited to even be having a baby at all and so focused on her being healthy that everything else just wasn't important. But to be afraid of the baby looking like her, the most beautiful thing in Anna's world, was just devastating. Elsa's father hadn't just robbed her of a normal and happy childhood, he'd robbed her of the ability to love herself, to look beyond her scars and pain. Her heart thumbed with sorrow as it mourned the life she felt Elsa had deserved, quickly trying to stay solution focused instead of letting their feelings swallow them whole.
"You're scared. You're almost done with the pregnancy and the birth is imminent now. No matter how excited you are, how much you're looking forward to this, part of you is going to be scared. Scared of the pain, scared of the changes. Even scared of what having a little girl will do to us when we've been one ourselves and know how hard it can be."
Anna took a deep breath and clasped Elsa's face between her hands.
"This is out of our hands and it's already been decided long ago. No matter what, I know you will love her more than you've loved anyone in your entire life. You already love her so much, what she looks like won't change that."
Anna laid a hand against Elsa's belly and cupped her cheek in her other, smoothing a thumb over the sparse dusting of freckles.
"Close your eyes. You can feel something I can't, not quite the same way. That powerful bond. That feeling that makes your heart bloom with a warmth you've never felt before. Like you want to protect her and fight for her and love her, all at the same time and it feels so great it almost scares you but is the most amazing thing ever. You feel that?"
With her eyes still closed Elsa nodded and a single tear rolled down her cheek.
"When you get scared, when it feels like it's become too much...just hold on to that feeling. Because that's what's important. That's what's going to get you through this."
There wasn't anything that could be said to follow Anna's words. Finally getting to turn out the light, Anna wrapped her arms around Elsa and kissed her and held her until they fell asleep, worries far behind as they tried to look ahead to tomorrow.
Bright and early the next morning the most glorious sound echoed throughout the house, the doorbell. Flying down the stairs like a couple of children on Christmas morning they sprinted to the door to greet the arrival of the furniture for the nursery. Four large men awaited them on the other side of the door and as soon as Elsa showed them the way they began hauling the pieces upstairs. With a quick flick of her of her wrist as Elsa signed the delivery slip they shut door and ran back upstairs to see a room that looked much more equipped for the arrival of a baby.
The crib, dresser, and changing table were all positioned against opposing walls, filling the space with a much needed purpose.
"Let's just sit. For one minute, before we go to the car and get all the stuff to put away, to just sit and enjoy this moment," Anna suggested as she led Elsa by the hand to sit in the nursing chair.
Nuzzled together they just let the feeling take over, that pure and wonderful moment when every beat of their heart reminded them that their baby was on her way.
The room was already so beautiful. With her great attention to detail, Elsa had even considered the direction of the morning sunlight when designing the house and made sure all bedrooms and windows faced its radiant glow. The way the light poured in through the contoured colonial windows was breathtaking, perfectly highlighting the beautiful pale green Anna had picked out for the walls. This one single room was a perfect blend of their taste and styles, exactly what they hoped for their baby in that she too would be a perfect blend of them in some form or another.
Soft smiles were plastered on both of their faces as they pressed their foreheads together, entirely enraptured in pure bliss.
"We're having a baby," Anna whispered, smiling even wider.
Elsa nodded, rubbing her nose against Anna's. "Yes, we are."
The rest of the morning was spent making multiple trips to and from the car and unwrapping and putting away the menagerie of baby items. Anna did most of the footwork while Elsa stayed inside and organized the baby's closet and loaded the changing table with those adorable Big Bird diapers.
When all of the bags had been emptied and everything had found its place, there was one small bag left that Elsa knew Anna would want to open herself.
Anna was still outside collecting the last bits and pieces of garbage in the back of the car when Elsa appeared and handed her the little white shopping bag.
"I know you've been waiting a long time for this," Elsa gleamed as she held out the bag.
Confused, Anna opened it and jumped up and down once she saw the yellow caution diamond with Baby on Board written on it.
"Wait there's two."
"One for you and one for me. It may not have three rows and an entertainment system but my car will also have a baby on board," she smiled as she glanced over her shoulder at her car.
"I know I just never thought you'd put something like this in your car," Anna replied.
"Things change. I'm proud of my baby and I'm proud to be a mom," her smile widening as she clutched the sign in her hands.
"You know, it's amazing how you can know someone for so long, go through so many ups and downs, and they still manage to show you parts of your heart you didn't know existed." Anna grabbed Elsa and hugged her tight, never wanting to let her go as she felt her heart expand just a little bit more.
"I feel it too," Elsa whispered in return.
Back inside the two admired their handy work and gushed over their new purchases. All the clothes were sitting in a pile, as they needed to be washed first, and Anna picked up a purple onesie with a chiffon skirt that Elsa had picked out.
"This is so adorable. You picked out some cute stuff mama," letting the onesie fall back to the floor as she picked up a pair of yellow leggings.
"These are so cute I could eat them up," Anna giggled as she held the leggings out in front of her.
"I know. Look at these widdle pant legs," Elsa cooed as she tugged on the bottom of each leg.
"Did you just mommy talk? You said widdle," Anna asked, slightly teasing the first appearance of Elsa's mommy voice.
"I couldn't help it. It just came out naturally." She blushed but laughed at how good it felt to have being a mom be so second nature to her.
"I love it. You are 100% being consumed by mommyness and I wuv you even more now."