Fortuitous encounter
Closing the door shut, Elsa leaned against it and slid until she found the ground. She hugged her legs close to her chest and murmured, "What have I done?" over and over again, as she broke down in tears.
The realisation of what she had done came crashing down on her full force. She had lost control once again. She had proved herself incapable of living a normal life without being a constant hazard to everyone around her. What was worse, she had not only physically hurt her friend, she had also pushed him away when all he was trying to do was help. And even if she knew it was the best thing to do in order to protect him, she couldn't get Marshall's hurt face from her memory. The way he had pleaded for her to listen, to give him a chance to talk, even after seeing what she was capable of, made Elsa feel ten times worse.
She stayed on the cold floor, crying her heart out for what seemed like an hour, until a soft purring sound called her attention. Raising her head from the crook of her arms, she found Olaf sitting on the pile of snow that had gathered around her. The sight of Olaf made her think of Marshall once again and the possibility of him turning his back on her. She couldn't blame him if that's what he decided to do after finding out about her powers, but the pain of losing one of the few people in her life was too great for her to bear. New tears began streaming down her cheeks as she thought of everything she could lose because of her ineptitude to keep her powers in check.
"Stop it. Get a grip, please," she said to herself in between sobs. She was tired — exhausted — but she couldn't get herself to stop crying. The snow kept piling up around her, making the cottage an inhospitable place, and she hated it.
Looking at Olaf once again, she felt guilty for disturbing the animal and not being able to offer him a better place to live. He had been sleeping peacefully on her bed that night while Marshall and her worked in the other room; and now, a couple of hours later, he was sitting on a pile of snow, trying to keep warm anyway he could. She felt a new pang of guilt at how cold the animal was probably feeling, so she moved until she was sitting cross-legged and called him to her lap. She knew she was probably colder than him, but she guessed her lap was better than the snow. She wasn't sure she could help the animal, but at least she could try.
Olaf wasted no time in climbing into her lap and snuggling as best as he could between her legs. Elsa smiled at the cat and wrapped her arms around him. She thanked Olaf for his company, he was a welcomed distraction for her troubled mind.
Elsa woke up with a start to the cracking sound of thunder in the distance. She blinked a few times trying to make sense of where she was, when she noticed Olaf sleeping peacefully on her lap. She was still sitting on the cold floor of her cottage. She wasn't sure how long she had been sleeping there, but the soreness of her legs told her she had been sitting against that door for at least a couple of hours.
She rubbed her eyes and then scratched Olaf's back, making sure she woke him up before she moved. The cat stretched on her lap and then climbed down, allowing Elsa to move her legs. He meowed a few times and then disappeared into the kitchen. Only then, did Elsa remember both of them had skipped dinner the previous night.
Thinking it was best to make sure Olaf had food on his plate, Elsa decided to follow him into the kitchen. She pushed against the door to stand up but the sharp pain she felt on her injured hand stopped her. With the events of the previous night, she had forgotten about her wound and only now she realised it had stopped bleeding on its own at some point during the night. To her bad luck, she had just reopened the wound, making the blood start pouring all over again. She cursed under her breath and finally stood up using only her good hand. She walked into the kitchen and looked for some gauze inside her first-aid kit, but to her disappointment, she didn't find any.
Sitting down with a tired sigh, she buried her face in her good hand and wondered how she could have let her life take such a wrong turn in such a short amount of time. One moment she had been having fun with Marshall, sharing stories and working together; and then, all of a sudden, she was sitting on her kitchen table trying not to crumble into pieces.
She couldn't stand the way she felt anymore. The guilt and shame were eating her alive. The only reason she had slept for more than an hour was because her body was drained after the panic attack, but now that she had woken up, she knew there was no way she could fall asleep again.
The more she thought about the events of the previous night, the worst she felt. Once again the apprehension about people finding out about her powers was coming to hunt her, as well as the fear of being locked up inside a room and treated like a monster. Fear of not living a normal life. And fear of losing Marshall and the few people she knew… Everytime that possibility crossed her mind, she felt like drowning. She didn't want to end up alone. Forgotten inside a room for the rest of her life. There was nothing she wanted more than to erase Marshall's memories and pretend nothing had happened. To turn back time, somehow, and tell him she'd cook a hundred meals for him instead of helping him fix the window.
A soft meow next to her pulled her back to the present, making her aware of Olaf's existence and needs once again. She looked at him and silently thanked him for reminding her that no matter how hopeless she was feeling, she couldn't stay in that chair all day. She needed to do something, even when she felt like giving up.
She stood up and searched in the drawers until she found a clean piece of cloth she could use to bandage her hand; she rinsed her hand as best as she could under the tap, and then wrapped her wound with the cotton fabric. It was by no means the best thing to do to stop the bleeding, but it was the fastest solution she could come up with.
Once her hand was taken care of, she fed Olaf and walked into her room. She moved at a slow pace, unsure of what to do next. She needed help, that much was obvious. Living inside that horrid clinic all those years ago had taught her that not taking proper care of injuries could cause problems in the long run. She had suffered from serious injuries which Weselton had refused to treat, resulting in high fever and illnesses she'd rather avoid.
Of course, in her situation, going to the hospital was off-limits. She wasn't sure what to do on her own, so it was best to ask for Gerda's help rather than pretend she could do something right for once. Sighing for the tenth time since she woke up, she opened her wardrobe door and grabbed the first backpack she could find, soon after she began filling it with clothes and some other things she could need if she stayed with her parents a few days.
All she needed to do was get a grip on her emotions, control her powers long enough for her to make it back to her parents house; and then, hide there until she found the strength to face the disaster her life was turning into.
She made sure every window was properly closed, and even took the time to put a few boxes on top of each other to block the damned broken window. Moving the heavy boxes back to place had only made her feel more frustrated with herself and her life. Angry tears fell down her cheeks as she worked, and she couldn't stop thinking about the countless times she had tried to control her powers in vain. She was disappointed to realise the cursed ice was the only constant in her life. The only thing that she had carried everywhere and that kept making her life harder as she tried to move forward. It was a rock secured to her ankles, and no matter how hard she tried to make it back to the surface, it kept pulling her down. With every mistake she made, she felt like running out of air and swimming becoming significantly harder.
Once she was sure everything was in order, she picked her backpack and walked out the door, not before leaving some more food for Olaf and promising to come get him soon. She walked down the mountain through a different path. The last thing she wanted was running into Marshall, though she believed the chances of that happening were quite low. He was a smart man and she was sure he had already understood the risks of being close to her. That day or any day.
By the time she made it to the bus stop on the side of the road, a drizzle had started falling. She could see the dark clouds in the horizon as well as hear the thunderstorm getting nearer.
Rain hitting the window pane woke Anna up from her slumber and she sighed with contentment at the sound. She loved sunny days on a regular basis, especially during Summer, but from time to time some rain was welcomed. And that day in particular, rain only made her plans better. She had no intention of getting out of bed, unless her fiancé — she loved the sound of it — had a different plan in mind. Thinking about Kristoff made her smile and she turned away from the window to watch him sleep.
Reaching out to him in the parking lot and asking for a ride to her father's company, all those years ago, had been the smartest thing she had ever done. If she was honest, till this day she couldn't even remember how or why they had begun talking to each other at the university cafeteria. But she did remember how eager she was to find him there every week.
For months, she had waited for him to deliver ice week after week, staying over-time sometimes just so she got the chance to see him and talk to him; but there came a day she got tired of waiting at a table. And so, she decided it was time for her to get matters in her own hands. That was the reason she had taken the leap and waited for him, even if she risked his rejection.
She smiled at the memory of his surprised face when he found her by his truck. And it seemed crazy to think about everything they had gone through since that day. Especially now that she laid in bed with a beautiful ring on her left hand. Maybe he was right, and maybe they couldn't fix all their family problems. But there was nothing stopping them from building their own future. They weren't going to leave each of their families behind, of course, but it was nice to think they could have a place to escape. A family to call their own.
She smiled the moment she watched him open his eyes and greeted him with a soft, "Good morning."
"Hey," he said with a smile of his own. "Why so happy?"
"Oh, nothing," said Anna nonchalantly, as she looked at the ring in her hand. "I just found out I'm marrying the man I love. What about you?"
"I just remembered I don't have to work today," he said, trying hard not to laugh.
Anna slowly turned to look at him and gaped at him. "I am this close," she said as she showed him a small gap between her thumb and index finger, "to taking this ring off."
Kristoff laughed wholeheartedly at her and wrapped her in his arms. "Come here."
Anna tried to pretend she was annoyed for a few more seconds, but she couldn't. She hugged him back and kissed his cheek. "I love you," she said with a smile.
"Any plans for today?" asked Kristoff, wondering if they were going to do anything in particular or if he could enjoy Anna's company for as long as he wanted.
"I was thinking about staying…" She sighed happily once again and stretched her arms. "right here."
"Not bad," he said. "The rain outside is the perfect excuse to do just that. Maybe we could order something."
At that Anna looked at him with a questioning expression. It wasn't usual for him to suggest eating food that wasn't home-made.
"I don't feel like cooking today, and something tells me there's no way you'd leave this bed for that."
"No way. I'm too comfortable." Anna thought for a moment what they could eat when the perfect idea crossed her mind. "You know what we should order? Chocolate cake!"
"I was thinking something more similar to lunch, you know. Actual food."
"Oh…" She tried to hide her disappointment. "Yeah, that could work too."
"I'll make sure there's cake for dessert though," he said, rolling his eyes.
"And that's why I'm marrying you."
Kristoff leaned forward and captured her lips in a tender kiss, before he asked, "Have I told you that I love you?"
"Not in the last ten minutes, no," she smiled a t her silly joke and then asked something that she was wondering about since the previous night. "Does your family know you were planning to propose?"
"Only Elsa," he answered, as he found a more comfortable position in bed. "She found the ring by chance and I had to tell her. That's when she told me I'd be an idiot if I didn't marry you."
"Smart woman."
"Shall we let everyone else know soon?"
"I have no idea what to do about that," admitted Anna. It was a happy thing to share with their families, but given the strange situation they were living with her parents and Elsa, she wasn't sure what was best to do.
"Maybe I should try to get in touch with your parents first," said Kristoff, knowing he was part of the problem too.
"I'd really like that."
"And I was thinking…" he said tentatively, not knowing if she'd like his suggestion. "Maybe there's no reason to rush the wedding either. I'd like for both parts of the family to feel comfortable during the ceremony."
"I agree," said Anna in a heartbeat, surprising Kristoff. "Elsa will be my maid of honour, she needs to feel comfortable around my parents. At least they need to be able to be in the same room."
"You meant that she'll be my best man, right?" said Kristoff. His tone of voice was jovial. But his expression, serious.
"No," said Anna. "I clearly said maid of honour."
"Best man," repeated Kristoff. "She'll be my best man."
"The name clearly states the gender of the person. Best man. By definition Elsa can't be it," Anna scoffed.
"Best woman, then." A simple solution to their problem, thought Kristoff.
"She's my friend and my sister."
"In-law," he clarified with a side smile. "She's my sister. And my best friend. You could say she's my best woman."
"That's where you're wrong pal," challenged Anna. "She's your sister-in-law."
"Don't you dare," warned Kristoff, jealousy taking the best of him.
"Too far?" asked Anna. She had been enjoying their silly argument, but the last thing she wanted to do was say something that truly hurt Kristoff.
"Way over the limit," he said, honestly. But he offered her a smile to show her it was okay.
Anna laughed and then groaned, "We'll need to figure this out before the wedding."
"I agree. Though there's nothing to figure out, she'll be my best man."
Anna laughed at her boyfriend once again before finally suggesting, "Better go order some food before we call the wedding off over this."
"Good idea," said Kristoff with a smile as he jumped out of the bed.
"Don't forget the chocolate cake!" yelled Anna once he disappeared into the living room.
"Last stop!"
Elsa raised her head at the bus driver's call and then looked out the window. She had been so absorbed in her own thoughts she hadn't realised they were already in town, more specifically, the bus station.
Whenever she had to use public transport, Elsa chose a seat that was as far away from everyone else as possible, and she always tried to find something to distract herself. That way she could avoid thinking about her powers or anything that could trigger them. It was something Gerda had taught her as soon as the two of them had begun exploring the city, and she still continued doing it. Most of the time, she chose random objects and began counting them. This time in particular, she had had to find something more difficult to keep her mind off her problems. Anna's Maths problem from the previous day had come to mind and she had been trying to solve it for most part of the journey. She was certain she was not getting anywhere close to the final answer, but at least she could keep her mind preoccupied. Several times, her mind got off track, going back to her problems, and she had to take a minute to calm herself down and start over again. For that very same reason, she hadn't noticed the bus getting to its destination.
"Miss?" The driver's deep voice called her attention once again. And that's when she realised she was the only passenger left on the bus. There hadn't been many people on it to begin with. "It's the last stop."
"Excuse me," said Elsa, standing up in a hurry. "I thought this bus stopped near the police station."
"The route's changed," he answered, understanding her mistake. "All buses coming from outside the city must stop here now. Sorry for the inconvenience."
"What bus will take me there?" she asked, even though she wasn't sure if she had enough money to pay for another ticket.
The bus driver looked at her with a puzzled expression and said, "There are no urban buses today, Miss. It's Sunday."
Elsa nodded but didn't say anything about it, pretending it had simply slipped her mind. She thanked the man and got off the bus. Standing at the platform, she looked around until she spotted a payphone and walked towards it. Searching her pockets she realised she didn't have enough change to make a phone call either, so she just dialled her parents number and hoped they'd accept the reverse charge call.
She tried several times, but no-one picked up the phone. She hung up and considered calling Kristoff, but soon dismissed the idea. She was so ashamed she had lost control of her powers, she wasn't sure she wanted Kristoff to find out — not that day at least. He had warned her about working and spending too much time with Marshall. He had said he was proud of her choices as long as she was sure what she was doing… And losing control the way she had, only proved she wasn't sure what she was doing with her life. She kept lying to herself, pretending she could live a normal life, when the truth was she couldn't keep her powers in check no matter how hard she tried.
She drew in a shaky breath, calming herself down, before she walked out of the bus station. Standing in the drizzle, she wondered what was best for her to do. She wanted to get home as soon as possible, but a cab was out of the question. She didn't have enough money for a phone call, much less for a cab.
Tired of wasting her time where she was, she began walking. She hadn't walked the city on her own many times, but she knew what she needed to do. Walk South until she found one of the main avenues. And from there she'd figure out the right way home in no time. The only bad thing was, she was exactly on the opposite side of town from her parents house. She would get there, she knew, but it would take a really long time.
She had only walked twenty blocks or so by the time the drizzle transformed into heavy rain. She had laughed bitterly at her bad luck and continued walking down the street as if nothing had happened. After everything that had happened, she only wanted to get to Gerda. She no longer cared about the cut on her hand or what could happen to her in the future, those worries had faded behind the sadness and guilt she felt. The only thing she needed was someone to talk to. Someone to pull her out of her misery for a few minutes and tell her she was not a complete failure.
After a few more minutes walking under the rain, she found herself in a fancier neighbourhood than the one closer to the bus station. The houses were bigger and fancier. Stylish front yards and luxury cars. Walking some more, she began to recognise that part of town. She remembered the street clearly, even if she had been there only a couple of times. Anna's house was not far away from where she was standing.
The idea of taking the time to find Anna's house did cross her mind at some point. Knocking on her door and asking for a ride didn't sound so bad when she thought about getting home sooner, but she didn't want to risk running into her biological parents. She wouldn't know what to say or do if the ones who opened the door were Idunn or Agdar. Not giving it much thought, she continued down the street, hoping the avenue she was trying to find wasn't too far away.
She was about to cross a street when a car called her attention. She thought it was strange for it to honk when there wasn't any other car around, but she ignored it. A moment later, however, the same car turned the corner and began driving at a slow pace beside her. It was unsettling Elsa how close the car was getting, especially since there wasn't anyone else around, but she tried her best to not to pay it too much attention.
The car honked a second time, and a voice from inside the car called her name.
"Elsa?" said a woman from the car. "Is that you?"
Elsa stopped walking when she heard her name and turned around. Not many people knew her, so whoever was calling her could probably give her a much needed hand.
The person stopped the car near the pavement and lowered the side window to be able to talk to her. Elsa opened her eyes in surprise when she noticed Idunn was the one driving.
"Elsa," she said. "What are you doing under the pouring rain?"
Elsa looked and tried to come up with something to say. She knew she had been near Anna's house, but never did she imagine she'd run into one of her birth parents. For a moment she tried to explain her situation, but it didn't make much sense unless she told Idunn everything that had happened to her. Something she definitely did not want to do. Nonetheless, she understood Idunn's question. She was indeed walking under the pouring rain after all.
"What are you doing here?" repeated Idunn louder, thinking Elsa hadn't heard her over the sound of the rain.
"I'm trying to get home," she said honestly. Idunn didn't need to know every detail.
"The Bjorgman's house?" she asked, unsure if Elsa called her adoptive parents' house home. She watched Elsa nod her head before she exclaimed, "Elsa that's on the other side of town! Get in the car, I'll give you a lift."
Taken aback by the sudden offer, Elsa stuttered, "Umm… I don't– It's not necessary."
"I'm not accepting no for an answer. Get in the car, Elsa." Idunn knew she had no authority over Elsa. But she was in no way letting her daughter walk over seven kilometres under the pouring rain.
Elsa looked ahead, hoping to find a good reason to say no. She didn't want to get in the car. She couldn't sit there with Idunn. She could barely talk to her through letters, there was no way she could simply talk to her.
Understanding Elsa's hesitation, Idunn said, "I know this must be awkward for you. And I understand I might not be your favourite person. But being stubborn and putting your health at risk is simply ridiculous, don't you think?"
"I don't mind the cold rain," she answered, unsure of what to say or do.
"You may not, but I do." Idunn offered her a tender smile and said gently, "Please, I don't want you getting sick." She then stretched inside the car and opened the passenger seat's door.
Not knowing what else to do. Elsa walked to the other side and got in.
Idunn helped her daughter with her bag and put it on the floor behind her seat. She then opened the glove compartment and offered Elsa a piece of cloth she kept there. It wasn't much, but she guessed Elsa would feel more comfortable if she could dry a bit.
Elsa accepted it silently and dried her face and as much of her hair as possible. It wasn't much, since she was practically drenched, but at least she could avoid getting Idunn's car more wet than necessary. Though she was certain the seat of the car was already wet.
In the meanwhile, Idunn took the time to look at her daughter for the first time in months. The meeting wasn't ideal, she was sure of that. She also knew the only reason Elsa had gotten inside the car was the pouring rain; yet, she took the opportunity and tried to get the best of it.
The last time she had seen her was when they showed up at Kai and Gerda's house. The evening they told Elsa the truth. It hurt to know she hadn't had a proper chance to talk to her and apologise in person until now. But then again, when Idunn really looked at Elsa, she couldn't help but think that maybe her need to ask for her daughter's forgiveness could wait. Something in Elsa's demeanour told her she wasn't having the best day… or week — or year if she took everything into account. Elsa looked sad. Truly miserable if she paid close attention to her. Her movements, even when all she was doing was drying herself, were slow and methodical; as if she had to put a lot of effort into every single one of them. There were dark bags under her downcast eyes and she looked thinner or possibly smaller than the last time she had seen her. Her being drenched didn't help the picture. One last thing that called Idunn's attention was Elsa's left hand. A dirty cloth was wrapped around her hand and Idunn could clearly notice blood stains on it. Something had happened to Elsa in the last couple of hours, but she wasn't sure what it was.
Not being able to stop herself from worrying, she asked, "are you okay?"
"I'm fine," answered Elsa almost automatically.
Maybe Idunn didn't know her oldest daughter the way she knew Anna, and maybe she was reading too much into her appearance. But there was no way a person who was fine would look the way she did. "Are you sure you are okay?"
Surprised by the question, Elsa turned to look at her for the first time since she entered the car. She stayed silent for a moment but then she answered, "Yes. Thank you for your help, Idunn."
"What about your hand?" She watched Elsa look at her own hands and stay silent. "I know it's not my place to ask, but it's hard to ignore the piece of cloth that stops the bleeding. Did something happen?" She was making an effort to keep her questions to a minimum, but her instinct to protect her was stronger. Elsa was her daughter after all. She had held her in her arms. She had fed her. They had been together for a whole year before she had done the stupidest thing she had ever done. Thinking about all that made her tear up for a moment, but she quickly blinked her eyes to get rid of the tears.
Elsa raised her left hand and tried to adjust the home-made bandage around her hand. The rain had loosened the knot and it was moving a lot more than it should. "I had an accident at home. I came to the city so Gerda could help me patch it up."
"Why don't we go to the hospital?" offered Idunn. "It's not far from here—"
"No."
"No?" She was surprised at the way Elsa answered — she hadn't even let her finish her idea. "Your hand is bleeding."
"I don't go to hospitals," she said, too serious for Idunn to try to convince her otherwise.
"Okay… No hospital."
They stayed in silence for a moment after that, each woman lost in their own thoughts. Idunn on her part was trying not to think too much on Elsa's reasons for not going to hospitals. She was sure she wouldn't like the answer.
Not knowing what else to do now that they were both silent, she started the car and said, "So, you were trying to get to Gerda's house, is that correct?" She waited until Elsa nodded her head before she began the journey to the Bjorgmans' house.
Idunn knew Elsa was probably more uncomfortable about being there than she let on, so she ignored her wish of spending more time talking with her daughter and simply concentrated on driving. It only took a couple of blocks for Idunn to realise Elsa was not going to say a word, so she offered a distraction from the heavy silence that had fallen between the two. "Do you mind if I turn the radio on?"
Elsa shook her head and mumbled, "it's your car."
Yes, but I want you to be comfortable, she wanted to say, but refrain from it. Turning the radio on, she hoped to find some music Elsa liked, or something to distract her. To her disappointment, most radio stations were having static problems and she could only find one where the announcers were reading the news. She guessed that even though it wasn't at all exciting, it was good enough.
"Not long ago we read some news about climate change. Do you remember, Bjorn?" said one of the men on the radio.
"I certainly do," answered one of his colleagues. "Scientists are concerned about greenhouse gas emission and how it can affect climate all over the world."
"Well, would you believe me if I told you the problem is very real and already affecting us?"
"Isn't it a bit too soon, Arne?" he commented in disbelief. "You're exaggerating once again."
"Would you trust me on this one?" Idunn smiled, it didn't sound like this was the first time one of the announcers contradicted the other. "I'm reading the official forecast report here." After clearing his throat he continued reading, "Last night, several people living in the outskirts of town reported an abnormal snowfall."
"A snowfall? At this time of the year?"
"It didn't last long and it wasn't very strong but it could certainly be considered one, according to the reports," explained the announcer. "Experts say this sudden cold weather is the reason we'll be experiencing some rain during the rest of the weekend."
"How come?"
"Well, when hot and cold air masses come into contact, they push against—"
"I was hoping to hear some music, not silly chit-chat," commented Idunn with a fake chuckle, as she turned the radio off. She tried to pretend the weather report didn't mean much, but something in Elsa's expression told her 'climate change' had had nothing to do with the sudden snowfall. The way she flinched at the mention of it, as well as her grim expression, told Idunn something had happened to Elsa the previous night. That would certainly explain her sorrow, how tired she looked, and the fact she had been walking under heavy rain instead of staying at home like any other person.
The idea of something terrible happening to Elsa while she was alone in the mountain made Idunn feel sick. Part of her wanted to stop the car right where they were and ask Elsa what was going on and if she could help her. But she knew she wouldn't get anywhere if she did that. Elsa could barely look her in the eyes, much less talk to her about her problems. Choosing what was best for Elsa, she continued driving and hoped that Gerda could offer Elsa some comfort. Help her with whatever was going on in her life. In the meanwhile, she would stay alert to anything the news said about the abnormal snowfall.
After stopping the car in front of the Bjorgmans' house, Idunn turned to look at Elsa and offered a small smile before she said, "Here we are."
Elsa looked at the house and then at Idunn. She nodded her head and thanked her for the ride. "Thank you, Idunn. I guess I was farther away than I thought."
Idunn's smile reached her eyes at Elsa's comment. She knew it wasn't much, but she'd take anything resembling a conversation from her daughter. "It was quite a distance to walk under the rain." When Elsa opened her door to exit the car, she gathered some courage and said, "It was nice to see you, dear. Even if it was for just a few minutes…"
Elsa got out of the car and thanked her a second time before she closed the door. Idunn wished Elsa would have said something — anything — but she couldn't blame her. She was the one responsible for all the crap she had to endure during her childhood, of course seeing her didn't mean much to her.
While she was doing what she had initially intended to do that day, which was to do some grocery shopping, Idunn continued thinking about Elsa and their unexpected meeting. It was hard for Idunn to get her head around the fact she had seen Elsa again. Her daughter had been sitting next to her after twenty-three years.
She still couldn't believe her luck when she spotted that lonely girl on the street. She hadn't realised it was her at the beginning, but something had told Idunn she needed to offer that girl a ride. Big was her surprise when she noticed it was her eldest daughter.
Once she finished with her chores, she noticed there was a bag that wasn't her own on the back seat. "What's this?" she wondered for a moment, but then remembered the backpack Elsa had handed her the moment she entered the car. She had put it behind her seat, totally forgetting about its existence until that moment. It was clear Elsa had also been too preoccupied with their car ride to remember about it. "I'll make a quick stop," Idunn decided, and she drove back to Gerda's house to deliver the bag.
She parked the car in front of the Bjorgman's house and picked up her umbrella before she got out of the car. She had only walked a few steps when she noticed Elsa was sitting on the front step under the rain.
"Elsa?" She asked with concern as she got closer.
Keeping her head low and sounding a lot more tired than before, she said, "They aren't home."
"Have you got a spare key in here?" Idunn said as she showed Elsa her backpack.
To her disappointment, Elsa shook her head. "They changed the lock some months ago. I haven't made a copy of the key yet."
Not wanting to see her daughter so miserable anymore, Idunn said, "Come on. You can wait at home."
For the first time since she had arrived. Elsa looked at her and offered a sad smile. "It's not necessary. Thank you for bringing me my bag."
It hurt to know she'd choose to stay under the rain than going home with her. But she was not accepting no for an answer. "I could help you with your hand. I'm not a nurse like Gerda, but Anna forced me to learn a thing or two about first aids. She was always doing silly dangerous things… Climbing trees. Climbing to the rooftop. She was all the time frightening me half to death."
"That sounds like Anna…" Elsa chuckled.
"Yes, it does." She smiled and kneeled in front of her daughter making sure the umbrella covered both their heads. "Look, Elsa," she said, making sure she listened to her. "I don't know what's going on, but I can see something is troubling you. And… Well, I can see life isn't necessarily treating you kindly right now." She gestured to the rain that kept falling down around her. "I won't pretend I've got the answers to your problems. I won't pretend I can take Gerda's place either. Just, please, give me a chance to help you."
As soon as Idunn finished talking, Elsa turned her head, avoiding Idunn's gaze once again.
Knowing well Elsa didn't really trust her, she offered, "You can get dry at home. Eat something if you want. And then, you can call Gerda to make sure she is home before I drive you back here. What do you say?"
Idunn held her breath as she waited for an answer. She couldn't blame Elsa if she chose to stay instead of going home with her; but truth be told, there was nothing she wanted more than for Elsa to accept.
After a minute in complete silence, Elsa finally nodded yes, and Idunn could barely hide her happiness.
This was going to be part of one chapter originally; but, as always, I ended up writing more than I should have. I ended up moving things here and there, and I realised there's no way I could fit everything in one chapter.
I feel like a lot is happening here, and at the same time, nothing is. So I'm not entirely happy with it. I've been working a lot on it in the last two days, so maybe that's part of the problem too. I'm sick of reading the same things over and over again.
As always, let me know what you guys think of it! Plot, characters, grammar, anything and everything is welcomed!
I hope all of you have started 2022 in the best possible way. Personally, I can't complain.
Read you soon!
