"Mom?"

I cringed at my older daughter's voice as both their eyes fell on me. Elsa used her body to try to shield her sister, even though I had already seen all I needed to see.

"I… I'll be outside. Come join me when you both are… presentable."

Awkwardly, I shut the door and speed walked towards the living room, sitting myself down on the sofa and planting my feet on the floor. Well, that saves me needing to be the one to bring it up, I thought, burying my head in my hands. Although my unwelcomed observation couldn't have lasted more than thirty seconds, it had felt more like an eternity. And the waiting felt even longer. Though, I suppose they both would have had to clean up, as if erasing every trace of what I had seen would make it seem like it never happened.

I can't say I was surprised at what I had stumbled into. I was expecting it, wasn't I? Bracing myself to bring it up with them anyway? What did surprise me was how excited I got. Maybe excited is putting it lightly. Aroused. Guilt struck me to my core. How can I feel this way about my own daughters when I'm about to have a conversation with them about how they shouldn't be doing this? Should I even say they shouldn't be doing this? And as for me, admittedly, I hadn't been with anyone since Agnarr. Men had tried to throw themselves at me but those feelings were never reciprocated. Could that have been a sign of something? Seeing them together… it was raw, it was passionate, it was so enticing. For a brief moment, I wondered what they would have done if I had stayed. If I had stepped closer to that bed, it's sheets practically ripped off, and climbed next to them, reaching out with both hands to grasp their-

God, Iduna, you're their mother, why are these thoughts even crossing your mind?

The faint sound of footsteps pulled me out of my thoughts, causing me to turn to see Elsa and Anna walking to join me. It was obvious that they had showered, hopefully separately, their hair freshly shampooed and still slightly damp. Any trace of what I had walked in on was gone. It almost seemed normal, but we all knew our circumstances were far from that.

They sat a respectful distance away from me and from each other, probably for my sake. Neither of them could really meet my eyes. It was understandable, but made it very difficult to break the silence between us.

"Do either of you want to explain to me what on earth that was I walked in on?" I asked, trying my best to sound stern.

"We didn't know you were going to be home so early," Elsa mumbled, her usually pale cheeks a bright red.

"I wasn't meant to be. I got promoted so my work hours are shifting around a bit starting next week. My boss gave me the rest of the day off."

"Oh wow a promotion! Congratulations, Mom!" Anna said cheerily, her lips breaking into a smile before she read the room and bashfully looked down.

My serious expression softened a little when I saw how ashamed they looked. I had never seen Anna so quiet before, and Elsa seemed to be on the verge of tears. I knew I had to open the conversation gradually. "I'm not angry," I gently assured them. "I just want to know how long this has been going on."

They sat there twiddling their thumbs before Elsa finally spoke. "A few years."

Years? I thought, astonished that I hadn't seen anything sooner. I held my tongue, wanting to let them continue at their own pace.

"It was just after I graduated high school," Anna continued. "When Elsa was going through that rough patch in college."

"I didn't want anyone to know what the problem was. I didn't want to be a burden." It seemed like they were really picking up each other's sentences, almost telepathically. It made me wonder if they had practised this beforehand, and how many times they had. "People at school knew that I was gay and intersex, and while they didn't really treat me any different, no one ever thought to… I guess… I mean… to put it bluntly, no one, girl or guy, was ever interested in me. I felt so unlovable and dejected but it wasn't like you guys could do anything about it."

"Elsa and I were growing apart and I hated to see it. I know you remember it as clearly as I do. We couldn't even coax her out of that spare room for meals sometimes."

"But Anna was persistent," the blonde lamented.

"I was," her sister nodded. "One day, I just couldn't stand it any longer, and got the spare key and forced myself in whether she wanted me to or not."

"I didn't."

"But it worked, didn't it?"

A faint smile graced Elsa's lips. "It did."

Anna continued the dialogue. "Elsa told me what had been on her mind, and we spent a lot of nights talking after that. And I mean a lot of time. Sometimes even until the sun rose the next day. We came to the conclusion that we wanted to end up with someone who knew us for who we are and who would embrace us fully, even with our uniqueness. Elsa's the only person in my life who fits that description. And you, of course."

"Likewise."

Does that mean what I think it means?

"So we began seeing each other… romantically. And doing… what you just walked in on."

"Which seems fairly self explanatory."

"I swear Mom, we wanted to find some way to tell you-"

"But we could never find the right time-"

"Especially since Dad fell so sick after that-"

"We worried you would look at us differently-"

"And we didn't want to lose the only parent we had left."

I looked up at them. At least they'd stopped looking down at the floor and avoiding my gaze. "Did your dad know about you two?" They shook their heads in unison.

"At least, we don't think he did. No one did," Elsa said.

"Well, I did," I admitted.

They looked up at me, their eyes wide with shock. "Mind you, I haven't known for long," I assured them. "Last week, I got back from work late one night. Anna, you were crying. I wanted to come in to see what was wrong but Elsa, you were able to handle her so I figured I'd just leave it. The door had been opened just a crack, and while I didn't see anything for myself, I did see your shadows closing in on each other, and I did hear the kissing, and then Anna closed the door. I thought I heard more, but I didn't want to believe what I thought it was at the time."

I paused to examine their faces, but I could never quite read them. "I wasn't sure if you two moved on to do… other things, nor was I sure how long it had been going on for. You both are adults, so I wouldn't have been surprised to find out that you're being intimate with other people. I just didn't expect you to be intimate with… each other. I've never been one to keep you two hidden from the world of sex. We've talked about it before and I wanted you guys to be able to be open about your bodies. And I wanted to bring it up tomorrow, what I saw, after I shared the good news of my job today, but I guess now that's done with."

None of us spoke for a bit, all of us probably searching to find the right words in this completely bizarre scenario we had found ourselves in.

"Are you angry?" Anna asked. Her voice was small. It reminded me of when she asked me if I was angry when she was little, when she broke a plate or drew on the walls. Though, those things seemed miniscule in comparison with the current circumstances..

I sighed heavily, pinching the bridge of my nose. "It's… it was a surprise. I certainly didn't expect to come home to this today." They looked at the floor again. "Have you two thought this through? You won't be able to get married, to start a family, you'll have to hide so much. If people find out, you'll be ridiculed. This isn't exactly seen as natural. Surely you don't expect this to be a long term arrangement."

"We do, and it will be!" Anna's voice was firm and filled with a fiery determination. I knew my daughter was strong willed. If she wanted something, she made sure she was going to get it. I noticed Elsa shoot her a look which seemed to get the younger girl to back down a little.

"We know we can't legally get married," Elsa said calmly. "Our relationship is just for us to know about. Only Anna matches the description of a partner I'd want to have for the rest of my life, and you of course," this made my pulse race slightly, "but-"

"We're fine with keeping it between us," Anna interrupted. "Of course, PDA will be an issue. I thought we were doing a good job since it took you so long to catch on, but obviously we got sloppy and now we're here."

"We've thought it through," Elsa added. "It took us a long time to decide this is what we wanted for our future, but we've thought this through very carefully. You know me, I look at every angle before coming to a conclusion on anything, and I have come to the conclusion that this is how I want to live my life. Admittedly, hiding it from people is going to be tiresome, but at least now you know, and that's one less secret we have to keep."

I paused to consider my words carefully. The two of them looked so emotionally fragile, like one wrong move would make them shatter like delicate glass. I knew I needed to be cautious in what I said, but at the same time still be honest.

"I'm sorry that I made you two feel like you had to hide this from me," I apologised, wiping my sweaty palms on my jeans. "This isn't normal. You both are going to have to work through a lot of obstacles if you want to make it work, but... I don't want to have to be one of them."

"Really?" they gasped in unison.

I nodded, smiling softly at them. "I know that if I were to separate you two, you'd just be miserable and probably spend the rest of my lifetime resenting me for it. You both have been there for each other since you were little, and I don't even want to imagine what would happen if I tried to pull you apart now. If you're genuinely happy with each other despite the complications that your relationship comes with, then I won't come between that. Though, maybe just be gradual with the PDA. Just until I'm used to it. It's a lot to take in at once."

"Of course,' Elsa said assuringly.

Anna ran up behind me and hugged me, squeezing me tightly. "Oh, Mom, thank you thank you thank you!"

"Don't go choking me now, dear," I said, gently prying her fingers away so I could breathe easier. "Now come on. I got us sushi. You guys better get used to me being around more often."

XXX

"They what?"

I had to pull the phone away from my ear as Honeymaren let out a shriek, freaking out on the other end of the line.

"Hey, I said no judgement," I reminded her.

"Right," I could sense her straightening herself up. "No judgement. You're my dear friend, and I'm here to support you." She paused. "One heck of a way to find out, though."

I resisted the urge to scoff. "You're telling me. I told them I was okay with it."

"And are you okay with it?"

"I kind of have to be, don't I?"

"Well, technically no. You're their mother and you're entitled to your own opinion."

I sighed heavily, flopping onto my back and sinking into the mattress. "This is why I called you. It's been a few days since everything. I think since I told them that I'm okay with it, they haven't been acting super weird about it. They still talk to me which is a huge plus. Between them, it's just a kiss on the cheek here and the occasional sexual innuendo there which I can live with. I've known you since college, and you're my closest friend. I need you to be real with me. How am I supposed to feel about this?"

"Okay." Judging from the time, I imagined Honeymaren was sitting cross legged in her garden, plucking out weeds while balancing the phone between her shoulder and the side of her head. "You pretty much have two options here. Option A: you accept it and let them get on with their lives. Get used to the PDA, let them love openly, at least within your own household. Probably the easiest option for them, but it will take you time to get used to seeing. Or option B: you tell them you don't accept it, but this could just put distance between you and them. You can't exactly push them apart by brute force."

"I'm their mother," I argued.

"And they're adults," she challenged. "They're mature enough to come to their own decision, and from what you told me, it sounds like they've given this a lot of thought. They haven't rushed into it. Refusing to let them love who they want to love may just divide you all, which isn't good for anybody, especially after Agnarr." I couldn't think of much to say. "Look, Iduna, the crux of it is that no one can tell you how you're supposed to feel about this. Only you can."

"But shouldn't I feel disgusted at this? The fact that they're sisters?"

"That's what society says. If everyone listened to society, they wouldn't have gotten together in the first place. If everyone listened to society, the LGBT community wouldn't exist at all."

"You do have a point."

A moment of silence passed between us.

"...was it hot?"

"I'm starting to regret telling you this."

"Answer the question," she said in a sing-song voice.

"You are unbelievable," I laughed, feeling the tension ease a little.

"Indeed, I can practically hear you rolling your eyes at me." She was right. I did.

"Well, I can't get it out of my head if that tells you anything," I confessed.

"If I were in your shoes, I would find it difficult to erase too." Honeymaren hesitated before asking the next question. "Wanna tell me about it?"

I blushed furiously. "Do you really wanna hear about it considering you've known them since they were infants?"

"I already know they're doing things together. Plus, you know what I'm like. I've never been one to shy away from pornographic material."

"Yes, I'm very aware of the erotica you brought along on the company retreat last year. I'm pretty sure Yelana can never look at you the same way again."

"See? Nothing scares me."

"Well… they were on Elsa's bed. Naked. Duh. Anna was on her elbows and knees with Elsa on top of her."

"How did you feel when you saw it?"

"Shocked, for the most part. Elsa was rougher, but it seemed that Anna liked it, or at least wasn't opposed to it, considering she came hard by the end of it. They both did." I rubbed my legs together a bit, feeling a familiar warmth that had been creeping up on me several times since the incident. "I mean… you know I haven't been with anyone since Agnarr. I hadn't seen anything like that in a long time… it was arousing." I slapped my hand over my mouth but the confession was out.

Honeymaren didn't throw me any judgement about the fact that I was turned on after walking in on my own daughters doing it, instead offering me an attentive "mmhmm…"

"And men have tried to hit it off with me, I was just never interested."

A "go on…" could be heard from the other end of the line.

The gears in my head were turning. "How is it that I have never interested in the men who hit on me after Agnarr, even if they were perfectly kind and genuine and handsome by society's standards, and yet when I walk in on two amazingly beautiful women of my own flesh and blood I get so turned on and the image just plays over and over again in my head whenever I'm alone at night doing things in secret and oh my fuck Honeymaren I think I'm gay."

There was another bit of deafening silence before I heard movement on her end. "I'll drink to that," she said, before there was the sound of her gulping liquid down from her flask. Whether it was water or something stronger, I could never be sure. "Backing you all the way, babe."

"What am I going to do?" I groaned, my voice muffled by the pillow I was burying my head in.

"Okay, you're welcome to take this advice and throw it completely out the window, but I think you should tell them."

"Tell them?"

"And ask to join them."

"What?" Now it was my turn to shriek.

"Polyamory, ever heard of it?"

"I have-"

"Didn't you say that they said things that could mean they were open to having that sort of relationship with you?"

"Well they-"

"That you were one of the only people who fit the description of their ideal partner?"

"Yes, but-"

"And that now they're open with being intimate around you?"

"They are-"

"Plus, walking in on them got you very excited, so why not give it a shot? Worst case, they don't feel the same way, but a little awkwardness is easy to get over. And best case, they do feel the same and it's a win-win-win for everybody."

"But what if they think I'm too old for them? I'm like… at least twice their age."

"Ever heard of a MILF?"

I couldn't help but release a snort at my friend's antics. "No way you're being serious right now."

"Says who?"

"Says me!" I let out an exasperated sigh. "What if they say no?"

"Then they say no. They'll love you as a mother, nothing can ever change that."

"I think being told that your mother has a crush on you and wants to sleep with you could change your feelings towards her very much."

"Iduna…" Honeymaren was putting on her 'I'm very serious about what I'm about to say next so shut up and listen' voice. "They said it themselves. They didn't want to lose another parent. I think that even if they don't feel the same, your relationship won't change all that much. They want to keep you close after what you all have been through." She paused before putting on a sultry voice. "And from what you told me before, it sounds like you'll all thoroughly enjoy yourselves if it does work out."

"I'm not even going to ask you to elaborate on that."

"Remind me when's the last time you had good sex?"

"Sometimes being friends with you brings me physical pain."

"Hey, you were the one who kept calling me to complain that Agnarr was about as good as a flopping fish in bed."

"Drunk college me was probably exaggerating-"

"And I know for a fact you haven't had much action since. I mean, come on, you said it yourself. Though, not to worry. I can assure you from experience that after lesbian sex, you're never going to go back."

"You are incorrigible," I said seriously, thankful that we weren't on video call so she wouldn't be able to see the smile creeping up on my face.

"Just being realistic," she teased, each word punctuated with her infectious laughter. "Plus, considering they're fine with being together as sisters, a mother isn't too far off in terms of taboo."

"I suppose… thanks for the talk, Honeymaren."

"Don't mention it. I do have to head off though. I'm helping Ryder watch over the kids tonight. Some anniversary thing."

"So you're going to spend the night pumping your niece and nephew full of sugar, I assume?"

"They don't call me World's Greatest Aunt for nothing!"

"Please, for the sake of humanity, never procreate."

"Only time will tell. Let me know how it goes with the girls. Remember, maybe they just need a bit of a maternal touch." I was left to listen to three short beeps of her hanging up, followed by empty silence.

What am I supposed to do now? I thought, burying my head in my hands.

A/N - Did I think there would be more build up to what's about to happen next? No, not really. If this story feels like it's all over the place, that's because it is, but I'm trying to get my shit together, I promise. Next chapter soon, and lets just say don't read it in public. Until then, stay hydrated and wear a mask :)