"Father, where is Baroness Schraeder?" Marta asked the next morning at the breakfast table. The empty seat near the corner of the table was an obvious sign that something was out of place in the von Trapp household. The Captain looked up from his plate and with one eyebrow raised, he quickly dismissed the awkward situation.

"Oh, Baroness Schraeder? Well, she realized that Salzburg didn't suit her lifestyle and wanted to return to Vienna," he responded casually. It was clear that he was trying minimize the stigma associated with a broken-off engagement.

"So you're not going to marry Baroness Schraeder anymore, are you?" Kurt questioned. Meanwhile, Frau Schmidt was circulating the dining room to collect finished breakfast plates. As she walked around the Captain, he swiftly turned around and asked,

"Frau Schmidt, can we have this chair removed please?"

As the days went by, it seemed as if the Captain was pursuing Maria, constantly asking her if she was going to stay at the von Trapp villa for good. During one instance, Maria and the children arrived home early from an outing that was interrupted by a downpour. Soaked to their skin, the children hurried upstairs to dry themselves off and to change into new clothing. As Maria was about to head up to her room, she was interrupted by the Captain.

"Fräulein?" he asked. Maria turned around and looked down. The Captain was standing at the bottom of the staircase. She still could not face him. Every time she looked at him in the eyes, there was something about him that made her feel weak at the knees. Overwhelmed by this powerful yet unknown emotion, she quickly turned her head away and looked down at her shoes.

"Yes Captain?" she responded nervously.

"I was wondering if, now that uh, Baroness Schraeder is no longer in the picture, you wanted to stay with us for good?" It was quite evident that the Captain was uncomfortable asking this question, yet the fact that he asked her was a sign that he was after her.

"I-I don't know just yet. Excuse me, Captain, but I can't stay in these soaking wet clothes for any longer," Maria stammered then rushed upstairs to her bedroom.

The best way for Maria to avoid the Captain was to take the children out. The mountains were the best place to go on an excursion as it discouraged him from tagging along. After all, to him, home was the sea.

However, she could only avoid him for so long. Another rainy day kept Maria and the children confined to the house. Maria had just finished teaching a new song to the children in the living room. When lunch was served, the children dashed to the dining room. Maria stayed behind. Seated on one of the sofas, she re-tuned her guitar strings.

"So, have you made up your mind?" asked a voice from behind. Maria jumped out of her seat slightly as she was not expecting anyone else in the room. The Captain must have tiptoed into the living room when she was not paying attention. He sat down beside her and extended one arm along the back of the sofa where Maria was sitting. She never felt her heart beat so rapidly before. What was he trying to do? It looked as if he wanted to move closer to her. His body language and his behaviour around her were both bewildering and nerve-racking to her. She was afraid that the Captain would notice her trembling hands as she tightened her guitar strings. Maria knew that he was staring intently at her so she continued to look down at her guitar. She stammered,

"I still don't know, Captain. The children are happy that I'm here and it would break my heart if I…" her voice trailed off.

"If you?"

"I'm sorry Captain, but I just can't make a decision right now. I have too many things to care of," she bursted apologetically out as she rushed out of the room.

The following evening, Maria walked onto the terrace. Although it had stopped raining by then, the ground was still wet. Nevertheless, it was refreshing to have cool weather again after suffering through weeks of dreadful July heat and humidity. She knew the terrace was a safe place to hide especially since it was night time. The Captain was upstairs helping the little ones with their reading, so she knew he would be well distracted for some amount of time.

Stepping towards the terrace railing, Maria leaned against it with her arms outstretched the same way the Captain did. She gripped the railing firmly. It was a beautiful view from where she was standing. The moon was shimmering off the lake which was a sign that the latter was actively flowing. The constant churning waters was very much that of her own mind…lost in her own thoughts, conflicted by a multitude of unexplainable emotions, figuring out what to do next. And the mountain behind the lake—it looked as if it was protecting the water, providing it with the necessary strength to hold itself together and to move on.

"I knew I would find you here," said a voice from behind. He snuck up on her. Again. There was a hint of playfulness in the way he said it, almost as if he was flirting with her. Maria froze completely. The Captain walked up beside her and assumed the same position as her as they both gazed at the mountain. They both stood still on the terrace for a few moments to appreciate the silence that the night had to offer. Then the Captain broke the silence by raising the question.

"I know I have asked you this several times now and you kept avoiding this question, but Fräulein, have you made up your mind about staying here?" he asked.

Maria tilted her head towards the railing. She was absolutely petrified. He had just invaded her safe place and now she was pressured to answer a question that would change both her life and the von Trapps'. The Captain turned towards Maria.

"Fräulein, is there something bothering you?" he asked. He was looking directly at her which left her with no choice but to look at him in the eyes. They were back. The weak knees. The racing heart. The trembling hands.

The Captain placed his hands on Maria's arms and gripped them firmly. She was alarmed as she was not expecting any kind of physical contact from him. He had a look of concern on his face.

"You don't look so well. Are you feeling alright?" he asked. Maria's mouth went dry but was able to utter a response.

"No, I-I mean yes. I'm fine," she stuttered. Then she finally said it. "I'm sorry Captain, but I must return to the Abbey. It's where I belong," she announced. Her voice sounded shaky and distraught, forcing herself not to break out into tears in front of him.

The Captain showed a look of heartbreak followed by a look of disappointment. Releasing Maria from his grip, he took a deep breath and said,

"Well, I don't know what to tell the children." There was a pause. Then he added, "Shall we say goodbye tomorrow morning?"

"Yes," she replied, deeply stricken with guilt and grief. Maria turned around and returned to the house to retire for the night. She was about to walk out on the children's lives forever.