t was the day of the funeral, and joy was certainly the last thing Kristoff was feeling right now. He knows that he has every right to be feeling the deep and painful emptiness in his heart, but he can't help but feel guilty that he is unable to express the slightest bit of happiness. After all, not only were funerals a time to grieve and say goodbye to those you love, it was also a time to celebrate that loved one's life and accomplishments. Kristoff felt that he should be able to at least spare a smile. Besides the tragic death of her parents, Anna had a wonderful life and everyone enjoyed being around her. So, why was it so difficult for him to celebrate the beautiful life she had? How was he unable to celebrate the life of someone who made his own that much better?
When Kristoff expressed these thoughts to Sven, he told him that it was okay to be feeling the grief that he did and that nobody would or should judge him for it. Since Sven couldn't give him the advice he was seeking, he would just have to face Anna's funeral with a heavy heart and not even an inch of joy to be found.
The funeral was held at the local cemetery, where Anna would be buried next to her parents. Kristoff's heart moaned in pain as he watched two of the pallbearers, one of them being Sven, close her casket. That was the last time he ever saw her beautiful face in person.
Afterward, there was a lunch held at Anna's favorite diner in her honor. He sat at a table with Anna's sister, Elsa, his parents, and Sven as people offered their condolences.
No matter how sympathetic people's words were, none of them seemed to work. None of them would bring back Anna.
"Hey buddy, are you alright?" Sven asked as he placed a gentle hand on his shoulder. "Sven, I just watched my wife get buried six feet underground," Kristoff replied angrily. "What could possibly make you believe that I'm okay!" Kristoff could hear his voice start to raise a little louder than he expected, but he didn't care. How could Sven ask him such a question?
"Sorry, it's just that...I knew you were trying to find some light in all this. That you were trying to figure out how to be happy and celebrate the wonderful life Anna had."
Kristoff huffed, "Yeah well I tried that, and guess where it got me." There were a few seconds of quiet as if Kristoff was expecting someone to answer. "Nowhere, that's where!"
"Kristoff. Baby, he was only trying to help. Please don't take it out on Sven. We all miss Anna and wish that she was still here with us," Bulda said trying to calm her son's nerves. "If you think you're feeling bad then look at Elsa. The poor dear lost her sister, the only family she's ever had, and even though she's hurting….she's putting on a brave face. Because she knows that's what Anna would want her to do."
Kristoff stared into his mother's deep chocolate eyes and once he found some comfort, he spoke once again. "You're right Ma. I overreacted. Sven, I'm sorry for lashing out at you like that. I know you were only sticking your neck out for me."
"No hard feelings man. It was silly of me to ask such a question."
An hour later the lunch ended and everybody began to head home. Kristoff tried to stay as long as possible, even offering to help out with the dishes because home was the last place he wanted to be. Could he even call it home anymore? Without Anna there to greet him with happy kisses and warm hugs at the door it seemed wrong to do so.
This would be his first time going back since Anna died. He had been staying with Elsa to help her cope, but also to delay going back to the house where he and Anna had created so many memories.
As he walked through the front door, instead of warmth, the house felt dark, cold, and tired.
He wasn't all that surprised, as he was expecting it to feel this way. Anna was the heart of the house after all. The very being who had kept it alive.
Now that heart was gone. Wandering somewhere in the heavens. Or so he believed.
The bed felt no different from the house, for it too felt empty and cold. As he fell asleep, his dreams were plagued with Anna's death. The scene playing over and over again in his mind as if he were there to witness it. He tried to wake up. Tried his best to open up his deep brown eyes and rid himself of this terrible nightmare. But his mind wouldn't allow him. It was like it wanted him to watch this painful scene. As if it was some sort of punishment for allowing this tragedy to fall upon her.
The night was long and he up to a damp pillow from his tears that he shed. This was normal now, though, for it continued to happen every night.
63 years passed since the day he lost Anna, but his memories of her remained the clearest ones he had. Now being the age of 95, he found that he was no longer able to do most of the things he used to.
He now needed a cane to maneuver about and stayed inside for the whole day. He could no longer drive and was a member of a service that brought groceries and other necessities for the elderly who were no longer able to get it themselves anymore.
He never moved out of the house and the house, though not so much as it had used to, still felt sad. His parents and Elsa offered for him to come live with them, but he refused because no matter how cold the house felt, selling it would be like losing Anna all over again. He also still wore his wedding ring, a simple gold band for that was all he and Anna could afford. He never took it off, as he assumed most would do when their partner had passed on. He never had any intention to marry again because Anna was the only one for him and the only person he'd ever love.
The biggest change, however, was that he was always tired. He used to be so active in his younger years. After all, one had to keep up with their physique when they were in the police force. Even when he quit, he still went on long runs and, on occasion, would go to the gym, making sure to keep up more so for his health than the figure.
Now his days were spent watching TV or sitting out on his rocking chair that he and Anna had bought as a set years ago. That was his favorite thing to do because, even though her chair remained empty, he would still talk as if she was still there. Sometimes people walking by would give him funny looks, but he didn't care.
That night he fell asleep in the same unwelcoming bed, and instead of having his mind darkened with the nightmare he had struggled with for so long, he was greeted by Anna holding out her arms, a warm light behind her.
"Anna?" he asked. "Is that you?"
She smiled at him with that warm smile he missed so dearly. "It is my love. I've come to get you. It's time for us to go." She walked up to him and took his hand, pulling him into a strong embrace as she did so. "I missed you," he said, his voice cracking. "I missed you so much." Tears fell from his cheeks and onto her freckled shoulders. He didn't notice before, but he saw that Anna was wearing his favorite dress she owned. The one she wore to their first date. She looked as young as the day he lost her and when he looked down at his own hands, which were no longer dressed in wrinkles and veins, he realized that he did, too.
"I missed you too my love. So much." Her teal eyes starting to swell with tears
"I missed you. I've been so lonely without you. Please never leave me again," he muffled into the crook of her neck as they embraced again. "Never," she whispered. "Now come on, it's time for us to go."
He looked at her with wrinkled brows. "Go?" he asked. "Go where?"
"Into the light, silly. That is the only way to get to heaven."
Kristoff swallowed the lump in his throat. "You-you've been waiting for me this whole time." She nodded, still smiling as brightly as the sun. A grin matching hers formed on his face.
"Are you ready?" she asked brightly. Kristoff kissed the top of her head, "As long as I'm with you I'll always be ready." And with that, they walked into the light holding each other's hands, happy to be reunited once more.
