Chapter 21

"I'm sorry Coach but I have to fly out of town for an emergency tomorrow morning. I will be back tomorrow night though. If you need to bench me for the games this weekend, I understand." Anna didn't think it was going to be that easy. But she never missed practice, so Coach knew this had to be serious. The fact that she was actually getting on a plane helped. He didn't ask any questions and just told her to be safe. Anna did feel guilty taking advantage of his trust like that, but she also knew she would do it again if it meant attending Opening Day in San Francisco.

Anna had emailed all of her teachers the same short explanation she had given her coach. She wasn't too worried about their responses though. She would only be gone for one day and she was an above average student. She also made sure to turn in any assignments that were due Friday. The girls were another story. Anna didn't want to lie to them and she didn't think they would accept her vague 'emergency' excuse. So instead, she told them nothing. She would come up with something when she returned to Arendelle. And maybe if they heard from Coach why she was gone they would respect her privacy.

Who was she kidding? She expected a text from Rapunzel the second she noticed Anna wasn't home at her usual time. But that wouldn't be until one in the afternoon. And by that time Anna would already be in San Francisco.

The flight from Denver to SFO was almost three hours but with the time difference in California, Anna got one of those hours back. She landed in San Francisco just before noon. She only brought a small backpack purse with her for the short trip and was one of the first ones off the plane. As she walked through the large terminal, she opened her Uber app on her phone and requested a ride. She followed the signs to the designated pick up area and watched for her driver. The car took her to the famous Pier 39 so Anna could kill some time. The game tonight wasn't starting until 7:05pm.

Anna wandered the shops around the Pier, watched the sea lions and ate lunch at Boudin Bakery Cafe. She had successfully passed the time and at 3:30pm she started to walk down the Embarcadero to Oracle Park. Google maps said the walk would take her a little less than an hour which was fine since the gates to the stadium would open at five o'clock. All around her were countless people in Giants jerseys and fan gear. The street was lined with vendors selling shirts, foam fingers and even scalped tickets. Anna adjusted her San Jose Giants hat, feeling slightly out of place. She didn't have any San Fransisco specific gear and the SJ hat was the best she could do.

But she was in luck. Even though the stadium wasn't open yet, the Dugout Store was. The line for the main entrance went right past the entrance and Anna decided waiting in there was a better option than the afternoon sun. The door greeter welcomed her in, complimented her hat and then asked if she had ever been in before.

"First time in the city actually."

"Well this is a beautiful night to be here darling. And at five the security station in the back of the store will open and you can head into the park that way." The older woman leaned in, "It's a lot faster than waiting outside."

Anna smiled at her kindness, "Thank you."

The store wasn't huge but the tall ceilings made it feel far bigger. And all along the walls were different accessories, hats and authentic jerseys. Before Anna could even look through the racks of shirts, a familiar name caught her eyes. She froze and just stared at it.

"Miss, can I help you find something?" A new employee was standing near her folding shirts.

"Um-" Anna paused, her throat felt dry, "Could you...could you get me down one of those?" Anna pointed up.

"Sure, which one would you like?"

"The orange Bjorgman one. In a small please."

The park was absolutely breathtaking. Hands down the most beautiful stadium she had ever been in. The promenade level was bustling with fans trying to find their seats, ordering food and beer and taking pictures of the field from behind home plate. But Anna knew where she wanted to go. She headed down the first base side until she was out in the open, on the walkway right next to McCovey Cove. Baseball field to her left, San Francisco Bay to her right, it really was a sight to behold and she was certain she made the right choice in coming here.

Anna took some time to snapping pictures (knowing she would never show them to anyone) and then started heading towards the food carts behind center field. She made it to the flag poles when she was tapped on the shoulder. Turning around, Anna was met with a girl in her mid-20s with a microphone and a cameraman. Confusion colored Anna's face instantly.

"Hi there! We noticed you're wearing Kristoff Bjorgman's jersey. Could we interview you about him?" The woman had nice, bright white teeth and a soprano voice. A refusal was on the tip of Anna's tongue. She was trying to keep a low profile, she didn't need to end up on ESPN and have her cover blown. But when she looked to the cameraman she noticed it wasn't for ESPN or any other tv network for that matter. Confident the clip would probably just get buried on the team's Twitter timeline Anna smiled, "Sure, why not."

The girl's smile grew even bigger. She quickly took charge, moving Anna into position and then stood next to her. Anna just smiled and stayed silent, waiting for something to happen. The cameraman gave the girls a countdown with his fingers. "Oh, tell me your name, hun." the girl whispered.

"Uh, Anna." Shit. Maybe she should have given a fake name. Ah fuck it, her face was on camera, what was a different name going to help?

"What's up Giants fan! It's a beautiful Opening Day here at Oracle Park and I'm here with Anna who is wearing first round draft pick Kristoff Bjorgman's jersey. Bjorgman is getting his first major league start tonight, are you excited to see that Anna?"

The girl stuck the microphone in front of Anna, she smiled at how outrageous this situation was, "Oh yeah, I'm a huge Bjorgman fan."

"Really? Tell us what you like about him!"

"Well he's got great range in the field, hits for power and is a lot faster than he looks. He's a great addition to the organization. Plus he's a total babe." Anna laughed and winked at the interviewer. She was eating it up.

"We're all very excited to have him in orange and black and we wish him good luck tonight on his debut!" The girl finished with a long awkward wave, Anna joined in by turning around and pointing her thumb over her back at 'Bjorgman' across her shoulders.

"And we're out." The guy filming said as he lowered the camera. The interviewer thanked Anna and they were on their way.

Anna strolled around the rest of the park, ate some famous Gilroy Garlic fries, checked out the huge Coke Bottle slide and then made her way to the 200 section where her seat was. She was sitting on the third base side (because of course she was). She knew Cliff and Bulda had to be right below her, closer to the field in the family section. She wished she could have said hi to them but that would only open a can of worms Anna was not ready to deal with. Plus, maybe they hated her now for breaking their son's heart. That thought sent dread through Anna's limbs. No. She wasn't going to do this tonight. Tonight was her one night to really feel the joy of Kristoff's success.

Cheers erupted from the fans gathered down the third base line. Players were starting to make their way onto the field from the left field gate. There were plenty of guys Anna recognized from the games she had streamed back in Colorado but the second he walked onto the grass, it was like looking at a different person.

He looked good. Really good. He had always filled out a uniform well but after all that work he put in...he definitely packed on some more muscle in the months she hadn't seen him. His hair was shorter too, she couldn't even see it poking out from under his hat. Her stomach hurt seeing him. She missed him. But she felt like she didn't even know him anymore. He could be in a new relationship now. That thought sent knives down her arms and into her wrists. She had broken up with him, he could do whatever he wanted.

You do you. Don't worry about me.

While she was at Arendelle she had multiple different things to distract her from that ache in her chest: school, softball, planning Rapunzel's bridal shower and bachelorette party. But today, this was her one chance to indulge. She would give into that ache, she would stare at him and imagine the life they could have had together. She was here to support Kristoff on the biggest day of his life. Tomorrow she would go back to compartmentalizing her feelings.

Kristoff was walking with another player, second baseman Wilmer Flores she guessed. The pair stopped at a group of young kids holding out hats and baseballs for them to sign. There are even teenage girls trying to take pictures with him. Anna laughed. She couldn't believe he was actually here. The Major Leagues, Opening Day. She took out her phone just to snap a few pictures of him. She wanted to remember how proud she was of him.

Anna lowered her phone and looked out towards the Bay. The sun was lowering in the sky and it was only enhancing the beauty of the atmosphere around her. Looking around at her seatmates, Anna's eyes landed on an elderly lady sitting right behind her.

"Hi there ma'am. Would you mind taking a picture of me with the field in the background?"

The woman, who had been reading a Giants pamphlet, looked up and took off her reading glasses, "You all alone dear?"

Anna gave a sad smile and shrugged her shoulders, "Yeah, I just really needed to be here tonight."

"I completely understand. I've been coming to Opening Days longer than you've been alive. And sometimes the best ones are when you just sit and enjoy the game."

Anna smiled, "I like the sound of that."

Kristoff hit a two run home run in his first Major League at bat. And Anna cried as she celebrated with the rest of the fans.