Catching Up
It was getting late as Sasha stood in the kitchen and rubbed her sculpted abs. She glanced out the window to stare into the inky black sky. She let out a regretful sigh. Marcy turned off the tv and looked over at her. She got up and strode over. She gently wrapped her arms around her from behind and reached down to touch them too.
"You'll get them back." Marcy said, kissing her.
"But I just got them back." Sasha complained. Anne walked out of their kids' bedroom. She closed the door quietly and looked at Sasha.
"The abs?" Anne whispered, raising an eyebrow as she shared a look with Marcy. She nodded. Anne walked over to join in hugging Sasha. "It's not like they'll be gone forever."
"That's what Marcy said." Sasha groaned. She wasn't really upset but still didn't like the idea of having to wait to get them back again. "I'm gonna be so old before I get them back this time." Marcy and Anne giggled.
"We're only in our thirties, Sashy." Marcy teased. "If you think you're old then what does that make us?" Sasha mumbled incoherently into Anne's shoulder.
"We must be ancient." Anne said, shaking her head seriously as Marcy snorted.
"Oh my god you two." Sasha said, turning her head to look at them both. She blushed as they both kissed her. They pressed their bodies closer on either side of her. Her temperature rose as she was sandwiched between them.
"You're looking awfully red there, Sashy." Marcy breathed in her ear as Sasha's heart raced.
"Is it because you're stuck between your two wives who got you pregnant?" Anne whispered in her other ear. Sasha shivered and Marcy started kissing her neck. Anne brushed her lips against Sasha's as she caressed her cheek. She let out an involuntary whimper as they both touched her.
"Quiet Sash. We just put the kids to bed." Anne purred in her ear as they continued to pet her. Sasha bit her lip as she tried to repress a moan.
"If you're going to keep being naughty we're going to have to send you to our room." Marcy whispered. Her head was swimming as they took both her hands and led her back to the bedroom. Anne closed and locked the door behind them.
After a couple eventful hours later Sasha lay passed out between them. Marcy leaned over to kiss Anne goodnight before drifting off herself. Anne watched them both as she brushed Sasha's hair out of her face. She glanced out the window deep in thought.
Sasha had seen Grime after giving birth and Marcy had seen Adrias at least once, maybe twice while pregnant. She frowned slightly. Was she ever going to see Sprig? Or Polly? Or Hop Pop? She closed her eyes.
"I wish I could see you again." Anne whispered to herself before falling asleep.
Anne felt so tired. The sound of a quill scratching on paper caught her attention. There was a heavy sigh. She slowly opened her eyes and found herself in a familiar setting. A large telescope was pointed at the starry night sky. She heard crickets chirping outside and turned to see a frail old figure hunched over a table writing something by candlelight. An orange boney hand reached out to grab a green and warty tankard. Anne's eyes widened and she hurried forward. Hop Pop took a sip of Gourd Tea and grimaced.
"You still drink that stuff?" Anne asked half laughing half crying. Hop Pop spat his drink out all over the paper he was writing on.
"Frog dang it Anne!" He said without thinking as he tried to save the paper. "Can you not sneak up on a-?" He turned around and his mouth fell open. He suddenly clutched his chest and Anne panicked.
"Hop Pop no! I'm sorry! I didn't mean to scare you! I-!" She said, raising her hands and rushing forward. He nearly fell off his chair as he stumbled towards her and pulled her into a hug before sobbing. Anne knelt down to hug him properly. He was older and felt fragile.
"Oh my frog!" He cried and pulled back to look at her. "Are you really here or am I dead?" His eyes widened and he slapped his hands to his face. "Did I die!?" He glanced around as if expecting to find his body on the floor somewhere.
"No, no!" Anne said, wiping her eyes. "I'm here or at least I think I am." She looked around and back at Hop Pop. "Where's Sprig? Where's Polly?" Hop Pop laughed and shook his head.
"You think they'd still want to live with their old Hop Pop as adults?" He said, shaking his head and frowning slightly as his face fell. He took her hand and patted it gently. "Sprig is off exploring another continent and Polly is in Newtopia visiting the university."
"Sprig is where?" Anne asked curiously. Hop Pop nodded.
"Yes, a whole new continent. Can you believe it? Ever since he and Ivy got married they've been-" He began before Anne interrupted.
"They got married!?" She demanded as she grabbed Hop Pop's shoulders.
"Well, duh, Anne. It's not like they haven't been-"
"When did they get married? What was their wedding like? Oh my frog do you have pictures?" Anne said as her pupils dilated. Hop Pop delicately pulled her hands off his shoulders. He noticed the two entwined rings on her left hand. Anne followed his gaze and blushed. "Right, well, you can tell me about Sprig's and I can tell you about mine." Hop Pop smiled slyly.
"So you did have a boyfriend after all?" He smirked.
"Ew. No." Anne said, as she frowned at him. "How many times do I have to tell you-"
"I'm only kidding!" He teased patting her on the arm. "Come along now. I'll show you the pictures in the kitchen." He said, leading the way out of the attic. They passed by Sprig's and Polly's old rooms on the second floor. Anne paused and peaked into them. They were mostly how she remembered but had changed as they did. Polly's seemed more lived in and Sprig's looked dusty and neglected. Hop Pop stopped and walked back to Anne. "Yeah, I couldn't bear to change them after they left. I figured I'd leave them just the way they are in case they want to come back. Well, I mean, Polly still lives here half of the time when she isn't building things. But Sprig…" He trailed off. Anne patted him on the back and he shook his head smiling. They continued down to the first floor. Hop Pop walked over to a bookshelf and pulled out a large photo album. He set it down at the kitchen table and hopped onto a seat. Anne pulled one up too and sat beside him.
"Who proposed to who?" Anne asked as Hop Pop opened the album.
"Is that really a question?" Hop Pop replied, raising an eyebrow. Anne considered him for a moment.
"It was Ivy, wasn't it?" She said flatly.
"Bingo." Hop Pop said with a smile as he pointed to the first picture. Anne leaned forward to take a closer look. Ivy was hugging an embarrassed but unmistakable happy Sprig under a large banner that said 'Engaged.' She saw Hop Pop crying and Polly smiling but rolling her eyes while pointing to the sign. She squinted and could have sworn she saw Polly's handwriting above the words 'Engaged' that said 'Dorks.' Anne laughed and Hop Pop turned the page. She poured over the wedding photos. She started to wipe her eyes and she recalled her own.
"And they're happy?" Anne asked.
"Very much so." Hop Pop nodded. "I never thought I'd see him that happy again ever since you…" He cleared his throat. "Anyway, most of the town turned out for the ceremony." He pointed to the various frogs, toads, and newts in the picture while listing off names.
"Wait, Grime was there too?" Anne said in surprise. She frowned as she looked at how close he was standing next to Sprig.
"Well, of course! He was his best man." Hop Pop explained. Anne put a hand to her head as she tried to process this.
"Really?"
"Yes, really." Hop Pop chuckled. "Though Polly did want to arm wrestle him for it." He smiled as he reminisced. He reached out to hold Anne's hand as he looked up at her. She smiled back at him. His hand was so small in her's now. "You've grown up so much since I saw you last. Can you tell me about it before you go?" Tears rolled down Anne's face as she nodded.
"So much has happened. I don't even know where to begin." She squeezed her eyes shut to try to stem the flow of tears. She took a deep breath before opening them again. "Do you want to hear about my career, my wedding, my kids?"
"You have kids?" He said, choked with emotion. "I'm a great grandpop?" Anne nodded and Hop Pop started to cry. He hugged her and she hugged him back gently. "I never thought I'd have great grandkids." He sniffed and Anne patted him on the back. She frowned slightly as she considered this. She pulled back and he rubbed his eyes.
"You mean, Sprig and Ivy don't have kids? Or Polly?" Anne asked questioningly. Hop Pop straightened up and looked at her.
"Anne," He said slowly, "You know Sprig can't have-" He cleared his throat again and looked away.
"Right! I'm sorry. I forgot." Anne apologized quickly. She felt guilty for forgetting. Afterall, it was something they shared in common and were able to talk about that Sasha and Marcy wouldn't ever be able to fully understand.
"Don't worry about it." Hop Pop waved dismissively. "I think he would have been touched that it didn't even cross your mind."
"Still, I should have remembered." Anne said, flipping through the photo album.
"So," Hop Pop said, scooting his chair closer, "How many great grandbabies do I have?"
"Two and a third on the way." Anne smiled as his eyes lit up.
"Any little Hopediahs?" He asked eagerly.
"Uh, no, that isn't a very common name back home." Anne laughed awkwardly. "Plus I'm pretty sure Sasha and Marcy wouldn't allow it." Hop Pop gasped before giving her a smug look.
"So you did marry your two childhood crushes?" He said, raising his eyebrows. "I knew it." Anne blushed.
"What do you mean you knew? How did you even know they wer-"
"Oh please Anne. You left your journal open and lying around everywhere. For frog's sake I think you were even writing in at the dinner table." Hop Pop raised his hands exasperatedly. "Sasha this. Marcy that. I'm pretty sure you were muttering something about them during Love Choice."
"Uh huh." Anne said self-consciously avoiding his eyes. "Well, you weren't wrong." Hop Pop chucked and patted her hand.
"Do they make you happy?"
"More than anything in the world."
