Six months later
It was just after three in the morning (the bad three, Anna would call it). Edward had been having a bad night, Kristoff could tell, which meant Anna had too; and he was never sure when to intervene. Right now the crying had stopped but there were footsteps slowly walking up and down the hall. Whenever they paused the baby made an offended noise and they started again.
This was silly. Kristoff got up and poked his head out of the door. Anna didn't notice until she walked right past him. "'S okay," she said. "I got this, you go to bed, you have to work tomorrow…"
"How much sleep have you had tonight?"
"I'unno. Sleep is for the weak."
She didn't protest when he took their son from her and stepped back into his room, settling the baby against his shoulder. "Lie down for a bit, Anna. Before you fall over."
"'K."
To his surprise she didn't go to her own room, but walked past him, fell full-length on his bed, and was asleep within seconds.
Edward smelt of milk and baby shampoo. He wriggled his head into Kristoff's shoulder and then fell asleep, something his mother had presumably been trying to get him to do for hours. "Little beggar," Kristoff said softly. "D'y'know what's strange, Teddy? If my life had gone to plan, if I'd got the things I thought I wanted, you wouldn't even exist." The baby ignored him, drooling onto his pyjamas. "And that would be terrible. That would be - the worst thing I can imagine."
He looked over at his bed. Anna was fast asleep on top of the covers in her dressing gown. He couldn't go in her room, that would be weird. And he didn't want to risk waking Edward by putting him down in his basket. He'd just sit up on the other side of the bed and let Anna sleep.
Kristoff's alarm went off at seven. He rolled over and turned it off, then rolled back to face the centre of the bed. He could remember why Anna was asleep on the other side (well, she'd woken at the alarm and muttered 'S'no'mornin', s'too early' but she was asleep again now), and Ed was here in the middle, but he didn't remember lying down.
He needed to get up, but instead he found himself watching Anna sleep. He hated to do anything that would wake her. How long have I loved you? He thought. I don't know. God, I'm such an idiot.
He knew now what he wanted. He wanted this. He wanted to wake up next to her every morning. It sounded so simple in his head.
Edward was waking up, squirming around and muttering, working up to a proper cry. Kristoff shook Anna gently by the shoulder. "Hey. Anna. You need to feed him, I can't help him there."
Anna opened her eyes blearily, then started rummaging at her clothing. Kristoff turned away and sat up, and by the time he was on his feet she had managed to attach the baby to her breast and go back to sleep. "That's a good trick," he said, and got no reply.
On the way home from work Kristoff went to the supermarket, and had a baby handed to him as soon as he was in the door. He put away the shopping with one hand while Anna showered, then put Edward in his bouncy chair while he made dinner, rocking it with one foot while he stirred a saucepan. Anna took over while he changed out of his work clothes, and eventually they were sat side by side eating.
"We make a good team," Anna said. "Oh, when I was going out earlier I saw Mrs Cake next door, she asked if you could pop in some time and check her smoke alarm batteries?"
"Yes, sure."
"I said you would. Well, she asked if I could ask my husband and it took me a minute to realise she meant you! Though I didn't bother to correct her, it would take too long to explain - does she think we've been married all this time, d'y'think?"
"Goodness, I don't know. Possibly."
Mrs Cake had also smiled at Edward, and said "Goodness, he's getting to be a sturdy little chap! Look at those cheeks." And Anna had smiled and agreed, but had remembered how she'd noticed that morning that the baby now filled up half his Moses basket, which meant he would eventually grow out of it and need a proper cot; which would need to be in his own room; and that led down a path that had at the end of it Decisions about Living Arrangements, and she wasn't ready to go there yet.
Because what was next? They had two bedrooms. A couple with a baby would manage fine, but they weren't a couple. The obvious solution was for her and Edward to live somewhere, maybe here, and for Kristoff to live….somewhere else.
Edward was getting bored in his play gym and had started thrashing about. Kristoff, who had finished his dinner, got up and went over to play with the baby. Anna watched them as she finished eating. Maybe they could all move somewhere larger together? Would that be weird?
"My mother thought I should have offered to marry you," Kristoff said conversationally. "I hope you're not offended that I didn't."
"Yes, terribly."
"Sorry."
But then, at some point, Kristoff would want to marry someone. It was inevitable. He'd meet someone, someone who would treat him well and appreciate being treated well in return, and he'd marry her, and Teddy would wear a bowtie at the wedding and look adorable, and he'd be happy. Maria was over and in the past and soon Kristoff would realise that and start looking around. How would that work if he was living here?
And Anna didn't want him to go. She told herself she was being selfish, wanting someone here to help her with the baby, but of course it wasn't just that.
She collected up the plates and took them through to the kitchen. Kristoff followed her, carrying Edward. "We should get this one in bed," he said. "Leave the washing up, I'll do it in a bit."
"You don't have to. I can do it."
"It's fine." He handed her the baby. "It won't take a minute."
"I can do it. I can cope."
He looked at her strangely. "Of course you can. But it's two plates and a saucepan. I'll do it while you're feeding him."
"Well, maybe I should get used to doing things myself."
"Why?"
"For when I'm not living with you any more."
He looked puzzled, and Anna walked past him and out of the kitchen without meeting his eyes.
"Anna?" he said, following her. "Why would you say that? I'm not moving out. Are you going somewhere?."
"Well - there isn't enough room here for all of us, is there? Not when Teddy gets bigger."
"No, I know - I guess - I didn't think we were there yet."
"We're not, but…" She cuddled the baby against her shoulder. "We will be. This was never a long-term arrangement, was it."
Kristoff didn't say anything. Anna tried again. "I'm not kicking you out or anything - I like having you here - I just -" She took a deep breath and turned to face him. "Someday you're going to want to have your own life again, properly, and I can't be so selfish as to get in the way of that. Even if I want..." She faltered at his expression.
"Why would I want to be with anyone but you?"
She stared at him.
"I mean, I don't want anyone but you," he said. "I -" He sighed. "Real smooth, Bjorgman."
Edward started crying. Anna turned to him and tried to shush him, and when she looked back up there were tears in her eyes. "Then why didn't you say?"
They both stepped forward at the same time; mindful of the fidgety baby, Kristoff resisted the urge to pull her into his arms, but settled for cupping the side of her face with his hand and kissing her.
Edward wailed. Anna pulled back a little and laughed. "Give us one minute, Teddy, this will benefit you too -"
"Put him to bed," Kristoff said, "And then we can sit down and -"
"- kiss some more?"
"I was going to say, talk about it - but I like your idea better."
(Home is wherever I'm with you
And I'll stay there forever as long as you stay too
I'm never gonna leave, it's what I am, it's where I'm from
I've found home, it's you
And it's all, it's all that I want)