Expect The Unexpected ch. 44

Anna's POV

I never knew that having twins would be so exhausting but I love my little buggers but I also love to get a good night sleep that I haven't been getting for the last month now. I knew that having a newborn is gonna be an adjustment for everyone involved but we have double the crying babies and I'm not enjoying to have to consisting change two smelly diapers. My hands have finally healed so I can eat food without struggle to hold silverware long enough to get it to my mouth and hold up my camera so I can go back to work.

Adrian phoned me about doing a cover for Sports Illustrator for this Olympic swimmer or whatever and I was a little apprehensive about taking it since it would mean leaving Elsa alone at home to take care of the twins and Dylan. I know that I can't just stay at home forever because I have a family to support and diapers are expensive besides it's only a matter of time before Elliot and Annelise blow through the ones we already have.

I don't know how something so small could poop so much. It's ridiculous. The supermodel reassured me that she would be fine on her own with the kids and if she needed anything that Gerda is only a phone call away with Olaf being in the garage, giving the limo an oil change. I told the older photographer that I would take the job and would be there soon. I grab my camera and my equipment before double checking to make sure that I have everything before leaving the house so I don't have to come back. I adjust the strip on my backpack before turning to see Elsa feeding Annelise with a bright smile on her face with Dylan trailing behind her. I know that Elliot is upstairs napping in his crib.

"Wish me luck" I said smiling. "You do not need it but good luck" Elsa said smiling.

"Luck Mama" Dylan said grinning.

"Thanks Munchkin, give a kiss to Elli for me okay" I said kissing the top of her head.

"Yes Mama" Dylan replies.

"Love you, Nelly" I said kissing Annelise."Love you too, kitten"

I take Elsa's face in my hands and pulling her in for kiss that lasted for a few seconds because if it's any longer than that I would never make it on time for work. I pull back to see the supermodel's eyes slightly dilated and her pale cheeks have pinkish hue to them. I chuckle to myself before my wife glares at me as she pushes me out the door and I make my way to the gate that surrounds the house.

"Hey Anna, do you need me to give you a ride?" Olaf shouts.

"No, I'm fine on foot but thanks Olaf" I said waving him off.

There's less paparazzi now but the few reporter looking for an inside scoop on the twins who are going to be sadly disappointed because I want my kids to have as much of a normal childhood away from the camera and limelight as possible. It's gonna be hard with Elsa being a well known supermodel and me being up and coming photographer but they do deserve some normalcy. Quasimodo, the guard that the supermodel hired months before we started dating, opens the gates is an incredibly sweet guy and Dylan has taken a liking to him. He's a bit of a hunchback but fiercely protective of my family as I am and can be pretty scary when he wants to be which is why most of the reporter stopped coming by.

"See ya, Quasi" I waved.

"Bye Anna" Quasimodo said looking up from his wooden curving.

Quasi should get out more and find a girlfriend. Maybe I can find him a woman to date and he won't seem so lonely. I push these thoughts to the back of my mind and walk to the studio to get started on this job. It isn't long before I get there and I take the elevator up to fine Adrian setting up the backdrop for photo shoot when I arrive. "Yo A" I said with a half smile.

"Offspring" Adrian said turning around and holding out his arms for a hug.

"A, how many times do I have to tell you that you didn't birth me" I said hugging him regardless.

"Yeah, yeah whatever. How's the wifey and the kids?" Adrian asked waving me off.

"They're good but I wish that Elliot and Annelise would get on a more normal sleeping schedule" I said stifling the yawn that threaten to come out.

"They will but it won't be for a while though" Adrian said smiling sympathetically.

"Oh boy, anyway where's this Olympic swimmer guy?" I asked changing the subject.

"He's getting dressed but he should be out soon. I have to say that he's more humble than I thought that he would be since the guy's won like six gold metal. He asked for you personally to do this shoot" Adrian said cursing his arms over his chest.

"Really? Why me?" I asked raising an eyebrow.

"I don't know but you are a big huge success" Adrian said nudging my shoulder with his. "I guess but it's still a little weird that he asked for me but whatever" I said adjusting the focus on my camera.

"Here he comes now" Adrian said motioning with his head."Hey Eric, ready to get started?"

I turned to see a guy wearing nothing but a blue speedo, a blue swim cap, and a pair of goggles on top of the swim cap and I have to admit that he has a body of someone that spent a lot of time in the water. He has these dreamy blue eyes that would make any girl swoon but not me because I've seen a wayyyy better pair of blue eyes that I'll see in a few hours. The swimmer walks over towards us before holding his hand out towards me with a friendly smile on his face but it feels a little forced and awkward.

"You must be Anna. I have heard… a lot of things about you"

"Good things I hope" I said shaking his hand.

"Of course" Eric nodded.

"Ready to get started?"

"Yeah but I have to admit that I'm a little nervous about doing this" Eric said chuckling nervously.

"Don't worry, it's like riding a bike and I'll be here to give you directions if necessary" I said reassuringly.

"Um don't tell anyone this but I don't uh know how to ride a bike" Eric said rubbing his shoulder sheepishly.

"Guy really?" Adrian asked raising an skeptical eyebrow.

Eric hung his head in shame and I smack Adrian upside the head. It is a little sadly that he doesn't know how to ride a bike but no judgment here, hell I don't know how to ice skate so I can't blame him.

"A, shut up. Don't worry Eric, we won't tell anyone" I said smiling.

"Thanks Anna" Eric said smiling appreciatively.

Eric hops onto the set and we took a test shots to get him used to being in front of a camera before getting the real shoot under way. I gave the swimmer a few adjustment before getting some pretty good shots to be sent off to the publisher of Sports Illustrator. Eric hops off of the set to get changed while I put my camera and the rest of my gear away when someone calls my name causing me to jump. I almost dropped my camera and I saw my life flash before my eyes as I tried to catch it before it hit the ground; someone would pay dearly if anything happens to it.

"S-Sorry I didn't mean to scare you" Eric said sheepishly.

"don't sneak up on me with my camera in my hands because if anything happens to it, I swear there will be all kinds of hell to pay" I said holding my camera like Gollum from the Hobbit.

"It won't happen again but I would like to talk to you about something" Eric said turning serious.

I raise an eyebrow at the swimmer and I don't know what possessed me to agree to this but I find myself following him to a nearby café. I grab a hot chocolate and a chocolate chip muffin while Eric gets a few simple cake pop and cappuccino before grabbing a table off to the side away from prying ears. We sit for a while in silence before the swimmer looks up at me before sighing like what he's about to say is a huge burden on him.

"Anna, what do you know about Ariel?" Eric asked looking in my eyes.

Time seemed to slow down in this moment as I'm sure that my eyes are the sizes of dinner plates and my jaw on the table as I try to process what he just said. Who is this guy? Why does he know about Ariel? Why does he want to know about her? Did Ariel sent him to spy on me and Elsa? What does she want from me? From us? I frowned slightly causing Eric to flinch under my gaze and rightfully so.

"Who are you and why do you want to know about her? Did Ariel sent you here to stalk me or something?" I asked frowning.

"No, she didn't. She doesn't even know that I'm here with you and the reason that I ask is because she misses Dylan" Eric said holding up his hands in defense.

"Misses her?" I scoffed. "She abandon her on my doorstep in the middle of the night with a note attached without any prior warning then disappeared without any way of contacting her"

"I admit that what Ariel did wasn't the right of going about things but she though what she did was best. Leaving Dylan with her other parent who could provide her with a better life" Eric defended.

"What made her think that I could provide a better life for Dylan? I was a struggling photographer barely getting by so explain to me how I could've provide for three year old girl when I could barely take care of my damn self. What Ariel was purely selfish on her part. She didn't even tell me that Dylan even existed up 'til a few months ago" I said angrily.

"You don't know what she went through all those three years ago. Having to raise a three year old all alone with no help from her family" Eric said glaring at me.

"Then why didn't she come to me sooner or tried to talk to me. I would have tried to help her raise Dylan because I'm not like these deadbeat dads that just walk out on my kids and Ariel knows that"

We stare at each other heatedly before Eric leans back as he takes a deep breath then turned his attention back to me. "Wait why do you even care?" I asked raising an eyebrow.

"Because… I care because"

"Because?" I asked waiting for him to continue.

"Because Ariel… Ariel is my girlfriend" Eric replies."And she's pregnant with my baby"

"SAY WHAT?!" I shouted.

A few people stare at us but I didn't care because I couldn't believe that I'm hearing. Eric…. Eric is dating Ariel and she's having his baby. What the fuck?! Did I enter the Twilight Zone or something? This is so fucking unreal.

"What? Why? How? When? You know what don't answer those because I don't wanna know nor is it any of my business but I do want to know is what does Ariel want from me"

"She doesn't want anything from you or Elsa. Just wants to make things right with Dylan but she thinks after what she did all those months ago will make you keep Dylan away from her." Eric explains. "And I'm here to talk to you about letting Ariel seeing her at least once"

"Damn right I should keep Dylan away from her but I'm not. I don't want to be the reason that Ariel and Dylan don't have a relationship or Dylan not knowing her other siblings but I have one condition though" I said serious.

"Which is?" Eric asked raising an eyebrow.

"Ariel has to sure be that she's not going to run on Dylan again because I don't want her getting hurt by her mother again. If she can promise that then we're good but if she can't then I will end her" I said frowning.

"I will swear to you that Ariel won't run out on Dylan again" Eric said confidently.

"Good then" I said with a nod.

I get up from the chair and walked out of the café, feeling unsure about the future. On one hand, I do want Dylan to have a relationship with her birth mother and her half sibling but on the other hand, I don't know what Ariel has been going these last few months. Eric seems to thinks that she's changed for the better but how can he be so sure? The Olympic swimmer couldn't have known her that long to really know if the former swimmer truly changed but I don't know if she hasn't.

God, this is so confusing. I am going out on a limb here and I am praying that my decision that scar my daughter for life. I make it back home a little after nine to rather quiet home and I know that the kids are sleeping. I set my gear down by the couch before making my way up to my and Elsa's bedroom, pushing the door lightly. I see my wife in bed with a book in her lap and her reading glasses perched on her button nose. I walked into the room fully before flopping down across the bed with my head resting on her thighs.

"Long day?"

"You have no idea. How was the kids?" I asked purposely changing the subject. "It was good but what happened at work. I can tell that you're off" Elsa said changing the subject.

"Nothing, I just missed you" I said shrugging.

"Anna" Elsa said raising an eyebrow.

I sighed, knowing that I wouldn't be able to hide anything from my wife, not like I could hide anything from her before. I explained everything that happened at work and at the café between me and Eric. I took in a breath when I finished and Elsa sets her book down on the nightstand before wraps her arms around my neck as I wrap my arms around her neck. She places a light kiss on my temple before pulling back slightly to kiss me fully on the kiss and smiles at me.

"You know that this will change anything between us and Dylan. She will always be our daughter and she knows that we love her but it is only right that she pursues a relationship with her other mother. You do not want her looking back and wondering about the what ifs"

"I know but I don't want her getting hurt" I said sighing.

"I do not either but there are some things out of our control and we can't protect her from everything no matter how much we want to" Elsa said smiling.

"You're right as always" I said smiling.

"Not always but a decent amount of the time" Elsa said giggling.

"I love you Elsa" I said resting my forehead against hers.

"I love you too"

The End