~ Chapter Thirty-Five ~

"Wow," Anna breathed softly, looking around the quiet beach house. "I can't believe I'm really leaving…"

Sliding her arm around Anna's shoulders, Elsa leaned in, laying her head on the younger woman's and sighing. "A feeling I'm all too familiar with. And it only gets harder, trust me." Then she squeezed slightly and whispered, "Are you ready?"

"No. But let's go, anyway, the cab's probably almost here. Everything packed?"

"Yeah, I packed my greatest treasure. Oh, and some clothes and things, I suppose." Anna rolled her eyes bashfully, and Elsa grinned and kissed her temple. "I still think it belongs in a museum, but… I'll take good care of it, Anna. Promise. Just wish I had something as good to give you."

"No. You gave me everything I ever wanted."

Elsa's giddy little giggle and blush in response to that was yet another gift.

Once they were downstairs, they found Esmé in the kitchen, brewing fresh coffee and making them crepes again. Her smile was easy, and she slid the plates over without a word.

"You didn't have to do this," Anna laughed as she got some coffee to go with her meal. "I was gonna find something in the airport."

"Fuck that. You know it wouldn't be as good as these." Sliding the thin crepe around in the skillet for a moment before dropping it on her "catcher" plate, she glanced at Elsa. "So… last night."

"What about it?" Elsa responded guardedly.

"How was it?"

"ESMÉ, HOW DARE YOU!" While their Romani friend cackled, she poured her own coffee, following Anna's lead. "And not that it's any of your business, but Anna and I were perfectly chaste!"

"Well, not perfectly," Anna corrected before taking a sip. At Elsa's alarmed expression, she sighed and said, "Okay, okay, we were the most lesbian nuns on the planet. Better?"

Laughing even more as she piled fruit in the middle of her own crepe, Esmé said, "So funny that I'm actually going to miss you, catburglar. But… yeah, I kinda am. You make life interesting, for me and for your girlfriend."

Elsa and Anna exchanged a glance. After a few seconds, Anna whispered, "Are you? I m-mean, do I get to… like, obviously I won't make a big deal about it to anybody but family and friends, but… is that… are we…?"

"I… I don't know," Elsa breathed, sitting down on a barstool with her coffee. "That would be accurate. If it's… if we…"

"You two gaylets," Esmé muttered with a shake of her head. "I can't believe you didn't do 'La Lambada Desnuda'. What better time than your last night in Ibiza?!"

"Whenever we do it will be the right time," Anna whispered as they scooted a little closer. Even as Esmé rolled her eyes as if they were hopeless, she also looked a little put out as she looked down at her plate. "What's the matter? Jealous?"

"Of which of you?" she demanded defensively.

"Not us, specifically. But…"

Shrugging, she began sawing through her crepe with her fork as she said, "In that case… then yeah, I am. You two are scared and excited to be starting something new. I miss that feeling. Been a while for me."

"Really?" Elsa asked. "Your activities away from the SEEK House aren't satisfying you?"

"Oh, they are, but not in that way." Flashing a mysterious little smirk, she went on, "I just miss being with someone and trusting them completely, knowing that no matter how much one of us screws up, it's only because we want so much to be there for the other person. It's so rare…"

The way Esmé put it, Anna couldn't help but reach over and take Elsa's hand, squeezing it extra tight. Even as they exchanged a smile, one full of affection and barely-concealed desires, she turned back to say, "Maybe you should pay Rapunzel another visit. You two have weird names, and she already worships the ground you walk on. It's a place to start."

"Sure, sure," she chuckled. "I don't want to start a relationship with a fan. No offense to present company."

"Oh, Anna stopped being 'a fan' when she dragged me out of a Tim Horton's. It never felt that way with her." Smiling, she let Anna's hand go and went back to her crepes. "Even when she was fangirling out, it was… different. More genuine, and more self-aware. I dunno."

"Either way, there's no guarantee Anna's friend will be the same way. Plus, she doesn't have the thing I want most in a relationship."

Scoffing, Anna asked, "What, a dick?"

"A huge salary so I can retire," Esmé corrected, prompting the other two to snort. "But I can't lie, I am a fan of the man-pole. Still…" They all remained silent and chewed while she mulled over some things. "I guess I'm in Snow's camp. I love men, but if the right woman came along… who knows? Maybe I could step up."

"So you're saying you're bi-curious?"

"I'm saying nothing's written in stone. That's ALL. God, knowing my history, I can't believe you're pushing for more."

Elsa appeared confused. "What history?"

She got no satisfactory answer.

By the time they finished eating, the taxi driver was honking his horn, so they assembled their luggage outside and let him begin loading it up. Elsa gave Esmé a quick, superficial hug, knowing they would see each other in a couple of days.

"Was great getting to know you," Esmé told Anna as she hugged her tightly, prompting a little grunt from the shorter girl. "You got my number, right?"

"Yeah, I do," Anna said. Inwardly, she was screaming that she had not one, but two numbers of SEEK members in her phone — her life just kept getting stranger! But she reined it in. "Um, take care of yourself! Safe flight when you do leave!"

"Same to you." Then a second later, she was spasming and letting out an alarmed squeak. "AY! Wh-what are you doing?!"

Dancing backward, Anna flashed her a bashful but glowing grin. "You did say the first one was free!"

As they were pulling away in the taxi, Esmé waved, her other hand holding one of her cheeks through her shorts. When Elsa shot her a questioning look, Anna merely shrugged as if she were just as confused herself.

~ o ~

"A dachsund. Or a big, fluffy German shepherd!"

Elsa laughed. "No way! How about… a Siamese?"

"Really? I mean, they're interesting, but… come on, aren't we supposed to get a dog?"

"Why would we? I don't understand."

As Anna explained about certain lesbian stereotypes, her mind was floating in a semi-pleasant myre between elated and sorrowful. A week wasn't long enough with Elsa, but it was still a week longer than she had ever thought she would have. And that kept the sadness from truly sinking into her bones. That ever-present gratitude to God and the heavens.

Then her phone went off, startling her. When Elsa frowned at her disapprovingly, she asked, "What?"

"Really? 'My Four Hearts'?"

Blushing more than she should have, Anna answered it as quickly as was possible so the SEEK ringtone wouldn't continue playing. "H-hello?"

"Hi, Anna Jo-jo," her mother said cheerily. "You at the airport yet?"

"Yeah, Mom." At that, Elsa froze. She noticed it, but didn't quite get why at first. "We're just waiting for our boarding call, we're kinda early. But we ate breakfast, don't worry."

"Good. We ate?"

"Yes," Anna grunted, not having missed the emphasis.

"That's great to hear. I'm proud of you, and of her. How was shopping yesterday?"

As the conversation meandered, Anna kept track of Elsa's discomfort out of the corner of her eye. It grew the longer she talked to her mother, the longer Elsa was left alone to fidget. At first, she had thought it was simply because the two of them weren't getting to spend time together… until the blonde turned in her seat and gestured for Anna to hand the phone over.

"Huh? Oh, um… hey, Mom, I think Elsa wants to say 'hi'."

The woman laughed. "She does?! Well, I guess she can!"

"Okay, hold on." Handing it over, Anna tried to non-verbally ask why she wanted it, but Elsa ignored her and put the phone up to her ear immediately.

"Mrs. Mayberry? This is Elsa."

"I assumed it would be," she said. The airport wasn't too noisy to keep Anna from being able to hear both sides, as good as her phone's speakers were. "How are you, dear?"

"Quite well. I just wanted to say…" Her eyes flicked to Anna, then back forward. "I've had a wonderful time here all week with your daughter. I knew I would, but it's been even better than I could imagine. So I wanted to thank you again for letting her come along."

"Oh, it's our pleasure; we're just glad you didn't mind footing the bill. I know you have the money to do that kind of thing, but that doesn't mean we Mayberrys are freeloade-"

"No, no!" Elsa cut her off, not wanting to hear any more of that line of thinking. "I would never think that for a second! Please don't worry." Again, she glanced at Anna, and Anna was beginning to suspect something was up. Otherwise, there was really no reason for her to be so nervous about such a brief "thank you" conversation.

"Actually… I was wondering if both of you would be available for dinner. Somewhere close to the airport; I will only have a couple of hours before my connecting flight."

Her mother's surprise was clear in her voice. "With us? Oh, you don't want to hang around with us silly old people. Go somewhere with Anna."

"You have to pick up her luggage, anyway," Elsa laughed softy. "And… it's important to me that we get to meet again. Can you come?"

As her mother was sputtering for an answer, it clicked for Anna. Meeting the parents. Elsa was talking about meeting the parents of her girlfriend. It would be different than when they met as simply two middle-aged citizens that lived in the same house as a friend; now they were, quite possibly, future in-laws. And Elsa wanted to do it immediately. No time wasted, no "we'll get to that the next time I'm in Canada." That very DAY.

"Great!" Elsa was saying when Anna came back to reality, realising with a shock that she had completely missed her chance to protest. "We'll see you then! Um, I'll give you back to Anna."

The minute Anna had the phone in her hand, she managed to croak, "H-hey."

"Your friend is pretty charming when she wants to be," her mom laughed. "Just call us when you get to the airport, we'll be trying to get there at the same time but if you're early or late-"

"Yeah, Mom, yeah. Yeah." Why couldn't she be any more articulate? "I m-mean… talk to you then."

"Okay, Anna Banana! Safe flight!"

"You too." She had already hung up by the time she realised what a stupid response that was.

"Anna?" Elsa asked, biting her lip afterward as she waited.

"Huh?"

Ducking her head, she fidgeted with her fingers. "Are… you mad that I didn't ask you first?"

"Oh. No, not mad. I'm… why would I be mad? We're just going to have dinner with my parents for the first time since figuring out we're kinda-sorta-dating. No big."

"It is a 'big'. I just…" Her hands anxiously snatched up Anna's, gripping them tightly. "I want you to know I'm serious. About us. And I… telling my father will be very difficult. That I can't handle right now, and will have to plan for it, figure out how to approach the situation… but I can tell your parents. I want it to be real, not 'our little secret' or just a fling on the island. And… and if more people know…"

When Elsa never finished her thought, Anna squeezed her hands back. "If more of them know?"

"The more people know, the more there are to hold me accountable. Because… I'm still afraid, Anna. Afraid of mistreating you, or being selfish or distant; I'm so bad with people, and you're the first non-platonic relationship I've ever tried! First one that counts, anyway. But your parents and your friends, and Esmé, they can all help be touchstones. It's…" Her eyes were already filling with tears. "You're all that matters to me, and I won't risk hurting you ever again."

"Oh, Elsa." Picking up her hands, she kissed them tenderly. "You would never hurt me — on purpose, anyway. And even if you do on accident, that's what apologies are for. What learning is all about, you know?" Shrugging one shoulder, she whispered, "I'll probably hurt you one day, no matter how much I'll hate that it happened… and I hope that when I do, we can talk through it. Figure out where we went wrong and just… be better for it. Stronger."

With a long, soft sigh, Elsa leaned in to embrace her. "You make me feel so safe. So… normal. I don't know how you do that."

"Magic."

"Yeah… yeah, it is." They pulled back. Elsa glanced around briefly; nobody was paying them any mind. Based on that, she leaned in and left a little peck on Anna's lips, earning her a startled yip and a giggle.

"You're so bold," Anna said in a throaty tone, and Elsa flicked her nose and backed away, folding her arms over her chest.

"Isn't 'bold' beautiful?"

Laughing, she looked back at her phone to see she had a message from Rapunzel. Its only contents were "THE BAE" and a link, and when Anna clicked it, she gasped.

"Oh my God… you are not going to believe this." When Elsa merely blinked, she passed the phone over.

"Huh. 'The video taken by a local resident appears to depict Esmé Chantefleurie, a singer in the internationally-acclaimed pop group SEEK, helping to cook food for local organic farmers who have come in from a hard day's toil. This is part of the ongoing permaculture farming and sustainable irrigation efforts, which many consider important to the future of Ibiza.'"

"That little shit," Anna breathed, quietly pleased. "She had us thinking she was going out and banging random guys, and instead…"

"She should have said something," Elsa said. "I would have gone with her, helped out in some way… but then again, her carefree 'party girl' image is pretty important to her. That's her 'SEEK Character', right?"

Anna laughed. "It's true. You're the ice queen, she's the party girl, Kida's the badass, and Snow's the cinnamon roll."

That only added to Elsa's confusion. "Wait, how is Snow a cinnamon roll? Why aren't the rest of us pastries?!"

~ To Be Continued ~