Chapter 28

The two girl in love are lying on the bed, catching their breaths, wrapped up in harmonious hug which seems to make them as one. They have spent the rest of the evening showing how much they care for the other, how much they want to be together in a more intimate way, sharing delicate touches, nice words, sweet kisses, significant looks. It's like it's the right choice, being there, together like this, as if anything else matters and if it was up to them, they would stay still like this forever, in this peaceful and private moment, without any kind of worry.

Being able to be at ease with another person after everything Elsa's been through, makes her feeling odd at the same time and terribly glad to be able to expose herself, in every aspect, to someone else. Anna's reaction surprised her in a positive way, and that's true, she didn't tell the redhead all the story, but for now that's okay. She knows one day Anna'll be aware of what happened for real and the blonde hopes that when it happens nothing will change between the two of them, and she has a kind of presentiment that calms her, she knows deep inside that everything will be fine and that if needed, they'll deal everything together as it comes.

On the other side, from time to time Anna has the feeling the blonde is keeping something relevant from her, despite this she tries to keep silent that part of her and to enjoy the moment as much as possible. She keeps running the events of the evening in her mind and she can't stop smiling like a teenager sickly in love.

Her head is lying on the blonde's chest, she listens her stable heartbeat, a bit faster than usual, her breaths, and if it wasn't that she has to go back to her home, she'd love stay for the night in that position.

"You'll be my pillow.." the younger woman says quietly, if it is supposed to be heard, they don't know.

"Mh? Ah yes? Well, you are a great blanket.."

"..so we make a bed together?" Anna smiles at her fun joke she believes she made, while the other woman is uncertain on how to react, she pretend to have not heard and simply she keeps her closer in order to feel her nearer, mostly because she wants to avoid to embarrass her for her comedy.

"I'd like to stay a bit longer.." she confesses while she feels the doctor's fingers on her hair moving slowly relaxing her.

"..but you have to go.." Elsa finishes the redhead's phrase, knowing well what time is it. "Kristoff should bring you home, right?" she feels her nods on her own chest. "Okay.. then in a little while I'll send him a message to see how ready he is.." reluctantly the two stand up and start to look for their clothes, then Anna is about to reach for t-shirt when she realises it isn't how she left it: Etta put it on and now it's scampering around in the house recklessly.

"No! Etta, come here!" Give me my t-shirt back!" the redhead starts chasing the cat, but it doesn't want to be taken, clothing aside, the feline doesn't have any agility's issue. Elsa watches everything with a confused and amused look, when she notices Etta is running toward her, she kneels and catches the pet that at first it makes resistance since it was caught by surprise, but as soon as it realises that everything is okay, the cat calm herself down and let her owner hold her.

"What a brat you are.." the blonde comments starting to take off the t-shirt and gives it to the owner. "Here."

"Thanks, next time.. we close the door.." she suggests while she finishes to dress herself.

Once they are both decent, Elsa composes the text to send to Kristoff, asking him when they can go to him, in the meantime Anna observes the blonde, who's sitting on the edge of the bed with a never-ending regal posture, it's like she grew up in a castle, surrounding by butlers, nobles, and all that. On the contrary, the redhead isn't worthy to be at her presence, it's like she's just a member of the middle class. Still, there she is, two people so different, yet so alike, brought together by such a simple and at the same time complex emotion. Funny life, when you least expect it something happen that change completely everything.

"You're amazing.." Anna walks closer to the blond and looks for her eyes. "I still can't believe to be here.. with you." She kneels down putting herself in front of the other woman and she takes away her phone. "Maybe I already said this.. but I'm really glad for that fall." She smiles.

"To be honest, I'm glad too." Elsa leans nearer the redhead's face and she smiles her back. "I had the chance to meet a wonderful person." They make the distance between them disappear sharing a kiss, a gentle caress of their lips, a soft and sweet meeting that leads to a long embrace. They have spent the entire evening showing and sharing emotions and even a simple gesture like this has a great meaning for the two of them. Acceptance, gratitude, affection, love.

The moment is interrupted by the ringtone of the blonde's phone.

"Kristoff.." Anna says having an idea of what it is about.

"Yep, it's time to go."

They're in the driveway of the other doctor's house, waiting for him to arrive and bring his cousin at her home. During the wait the couple hold their hands, letting their fingers play with each others, without speaking. They hear the sound of a key from the front door.

"Ehy! I hope you haven't wait too long, how did it go?" Kristoff smiles at the two and walks closer to greet them.

"All well, what about you?" the cousin asks hugging him.

"Good good, okay.. so, we go? It's getting late." The blonde go for open his care and waits for the redhead.

"I text you once I'm home, okay? Thanks for the evening." They hug one more time and Anna gives her a quick peck on the blonde's cheek.

"Thank to you." Elsa replies letting her go to her cousin. "Good night Kristoff! See you tomorrow at work, no delays!"

"I'll see what I can do, night to you too!" and with that the two cousins enters in the car and leave, not after long she does the same.

This night the young surgeon will sleep with a smile imprinted in her face, because she had the possibility to confirm that every cloud has a silver lining, she might have done a rough and tormented past, but that hasn't stopped her to find happiness, to find that sun's ray after the storm. She knows only that now she wants this moment to last, she likes being this calm, happy with herself.

In the home back drive, Anna and Kristoff don't talk much, the boy has tried to have some information about the evening, but his cousin hasn't left anything to work with, the morning after he will ask a lot of question to his blonde boss. Once they reach the redhead's house, they exchange their goodnights and Anna walks in trying to not make a sound, not knowing if her parents are still awake.

But just like the other time, her mother is waiting for her.

"Anna, welcome back!" Gerda goes and hugs her daughter who replies immediately the gesture.

"Dad's sleeping? How was your evening? Have you done anything different?" they sit down in the kitchen and start chatting, in the meantime the redhead takes her phone to send a quick message to Elsa.

"Well.. after dinner we've watched a bit of television, then your father was tired and he went to sleep early." She takes out two glasses and a bottle of water and she puts them on the table before joining her daughter sitting next to her. "Tell me, how did it go? What did you do?"

"Us?" Anna hasn't thought about it, she told her mother she would have went to her cousin, but she doesn't know what to tell her parents after. "We ate pizza, chatting, we had fun." 'It's better be close to the reality.'

"That's all?" the woman watches her carefully as if she knows that something is missing. "Were only you two?" Gerda puts her hand on her mouth and with her index she touches the tip of her nose.

"Yes, why?" she takes the glass and starts drinking, she is something like nervous and she has the feeling her mother is suspecting something, she feels it deep inside her bones.

"No nothing, I was wondering.. how is it going with that lady doctor?" If Anna haven't already swallowed now she would have chocked with the water, not because she's surprised by the question, but because she doesn't know what to say, after all their relationship is growing always more and keeping it hidden is making her life a bit harder, mostly because she'd like to talk about it with her mother, but she doesn't know how she would react and if and how their relationship would change.

"Everything's great, she's getting used to the city, it's nice spending time with her." The redhead doesn't even know if Elsa would like to let it know, maybe it's too soon, but after all she met some member of her family and, okay, even if she wasn't introduced as her girlfriend, it's something and she thinks that Punzy suspects something. Or it's just a crazy game of her mind that makes her believe that everyone who see them together automatically imagine that they're a couple.

"I'm happy about it, I like her, she seems such a nice person and I'm sure you like her too.. and a lot." Her mother gives her a lovely smile.

'Okay, it seems she knows.. or suspects.. what do I do? To tell or not to tell? Oh God.. what do I do!? In what I got myself into..? I should go to sleep, yes.. I'll take this excuse since tomorrow I have my session! Yes, yes.. it seems like a good plan to me, now I stand up.. and I tell her it was nice but I have to go, something like that old bear and moon's song I watched on television when I was little-'

"Anna.." Gerda takes her daughter's hand and tries to calm her down, she knows her well and understands immediately when she's under pressure and she has her mind running. "Listen, you can talk with me about anything you want to, when and if you feel like to, I'm always here, remember it. I love you." The redhead looks at her a bit confused.

"Mom..?" she can't help it and her eyes start getting wet. "You know…?"

"Yes, I know.. or at least I suspected for a long time, I've always waited for you to be ready to tell me." She keeps smiling at her trying to make her understand that she's not faking to be supportive.

"I've always been afraid to tell you.. I didn't know how you would have reacted, what you would have said, what would have happened to us.. I've always wanted to tell you, especially in this last period." A few tears start to fall down those turquoise eyes.

"I thought I managed to make you think you could tell me anything and that nothing would happen.. oh well, if it's about something bad, well.. you know, there are consequences, but this? This is not the case."

"Mom.."

"It's alright, honey. Nothing change, you still are my little girl. My daughter." And with that Anna can't hold it back anymore and burst out in a cry and immediately she's taken by those strong arm that belongs to her mother, and it's like a really heavy burden was taken away from her, it's like she's able to breathe again now. Nothing explicit has been told yet, but both of the two Summers' women know really well what they are talking about, and for the young redhead knowing her mother is such supportive and reassure her that nothing will change is really important and she's glad about it. This is a very emotional evening for Anna and this cry is a lot liberating.

After some moments the redhead seems to pull herself together, so Gerda handles her a napkin.

"So.. would you feel to tell me how your evening really went and how it is going between you two?"

After tears what's nice? A nice laugh. So the redhead starts to laugh and tell her mother for real what happened, how she realised she felt something more than a simple friendship towards the doctor and how the two dealt the situation, how much they tried to understand what was right to do or not to do, how to behave in the hospital without letting know anyone and how to be able to not give problems to the blonde at her workplace. While the speech Gerda listens interested, without interrupting her daughter, who is clearly happy and glad to be finally able to tell this thing to her.

"Mom, how did you understand I wasn't at Kristoff's today..?" asks at a certain point.

"Easy, that's not your perfume, my daughter." Affirm grinning and Anna jus blushes.

"Ah.. right." Of course when she told how the evening went, she omitted certain details, because she doesn't think it's the right moment to share them, and it's because she doesn't believe her mother is ready and willing to hear those thing too. "For how long do you know it?"

"About Elsa and you?" Anna shakes her head. "Ah, well.. I think.. always. I remember you made up those crushes on boys, when in reality you liked girls." Gerda takes a moment for herself and then start to talk again. "At first it wasn't easy, not because I didn't accept it, I admit it took me a while to comprehend the situation and to realise it wasn't your fault, I read and found information, I talked with other parents and I understood. There's nothing wrong, then I saw you growing up, day after day, month after month, year after year.. and look at you, you've become such a wonderful young woman who knows what she wants and isn't afraid to fight for what she believes it's right. I've always been proud of you, well that's true.. you've always been such a klutz, but you took it from your father, what can we do about that?" both of them laugh. "However, everything I've always wanted and always will, is to know you're happy with yourself, with us and with others. And if Elsa makes you happy, then it's okay for me, I told you, I like her as a person and I think she's not only a great surgeon but a person with a noble heart. Plus, she seems a lot more calm than you, maybe she could help you to slow down a bit and be more careful." She points at the healed leg.

The two of them look at each other in silence for a bit.

"Thanks mom, I love you too.."

"I know and don't worry about your father, we'll find a way to tell him." they smile and after another hug they exchange the goodnight.


Author's Note: Hi everyone! Damn... I'm so sorry for the long wait it took for this chapter to come out! I had to stay quiet for a while, I had a surgery (nothing bad thankfully) then I had to return to university and try to catch up.. and now I have exams... I really hope you enjoy this chapter and thank you really for your patience! I am so sorry again..

Have a nice day everyone!

Christy