"Okay, okay, another!" the redhead giggled, placing the photo onto the neat stack at her bedside table. It had been two weeks since she had woken from her coma, and the doctors had let her know just this morning that it was possible that she could go home in a week or two.
Kristoff chuckled and passed her another photo as he risked sitting on the edge of her bed. To his surprise, Anna pulled her legs in to cross them, patting the place in front of her, inviting him to move closer. Not without a faint flush of his cheeks, he obeyed her silent request, mimicking her crossed legs. When his knees accidentally brushed against hers, there was that perfectly pink flush of her own cheeks, and Kristoff couldn't remember anything looking so beautiful as she did at this moment. She had improved so much since the day she woke. The color had been restored to her pale features, her eyes were bright and blue, and her bubbly, though occasionally stubborn, personality was back in full swing. The only new aspect was that of how shy she could get around him when they were alone, a feeling that was quite mutual for him. But he didn't hate it; not at all.
For the last two days, Kristoff had been gathering boxes of old photos and other items that might help Anna trigger a few memories. He had even unwillingly brought along a few items that might help her remember something of Hans, but to his delight, there was no recollection.
He had kept every photo of himself and Anna, and she couldn't understand what had blinded her when it came to Kristoff before. He was kind, sincere, sweet, and to her disbelief, incredibly gentle despite his large, calloused hands and hard muscle. He insisted on accompanying her to physical therapy sessions on the second floor, and more often than not, did more than the actual therapist. All Anna knew was that she was eternally grateful for the man sitting in front of her.
"Remember this guy?" Kristoff asked with a grin, handing over the next photo.
Anna smiled. "Yes! Of course!" she squealed at the sight of the large German shepherd, tongue lolling out the side of his mouth happily. The way she scrunched her nose in thought was Kristoff's favorite. "Oh, but his name… it's on the tip of my tongue! I think…"
Kristoff chuckled. "Sven," he reminded her.
"Sven! Yes!" she recalled, absently placing her hand on Kristoff's knee as she continued to study the photo, grinning from ear to ear. All too suddenly, realization set in, and cerulean met honey, and she quickly pulled her hand away. "Sorry…" she whispered timidly, a shy grin tugging at the corner of her lips as she stared at the photo in her hand.
"Don't be." Her smiling eyes met his again, and he smiled back before going on. "Do you remember the day I got him?"
"I was with you?" she asked with quiet intrigue.
"Mhm." He gently took another photo out of the box in his lap, and this time it was one of Sven as a puppy. "It was raining. And cold, I might add," he said, offering her the photo. "I was just getting home from an out of town job, and I parked my truck outside of my apartment building to find a pitiful, soaking wet redhead and puppy sitting on my stoop." He smiled at the memory. "There was no getting around you to reach for the door, so I was forced to ask you what was wrong," he teased. "You found the puppy alone and abandoned in an alley. Went to every doorstep you possibly could in the rain to find the owner, but had no luck. You were mortified at the thought of leaving him at a shelter with the possibility of him being put to sleep. And you couldn't take him home because you and Elsa had just made amends, and you didn't want to risk upsetting her."
Anna had been looking down at the photo as he spoke. "Yes, that's right…" she muttered softly, her fingers grazing over the puppy's face. "You made me come inside to dry off and warm up. Gave me hot chocolate." It finally dawned on her, and she jerked her head up to look at him. "The first time we met."
Kristoff nodded, a smile still plastered on his face. "Best day of my life so far."