Only once she was tucked between the bed sheets, her head smothered by both her pillows and her quilt did Maria allow herself to scream quietly into the downy sound-barrier. She kicked her legs onto the soft mattress and tightened her hands into tight fists as she held the tower pillows-and-blankets over her mouth.
She felt so full…full of energy, full of love, full of hope…and didn't know what to do with it all. If she had been alone, she certainly would have been jumping on the bed, dancing around the room, singing as loudly as she could – but she knew that the children were right down the hall…and so was he.
Just that thought – that one little bit of the Captain in her mind – was enough to prompt another feeling of overwhelming joy, and she punched her fists into the pillow in a blind effort to relieve the sensation of being purely overwhelmed.
When her arms and legs muscles finally gave out and her voice scratchy, Maria re-arranged the blankets and pillows and sat up in her bed so she could see the stars out the window.
She was certain that she won't get any rest that night – she was too filled with joy.
At least those were her final thoughts before she slumped back on the soft pillows.
That night Maria not only dreamt, but she remembered. She was back in the restaurant with Max, watching his lips come closer to her, her body completely freezing while her mind screamed at her, remorse coursing through her veins though the kiss hadn't happened yet. She watched herself and Max at the table, completely removed from the situation, saw how her body fought with itself, confused and frightened. A cuckoo clock is heard and Maria is suddenly back in her own body, running through the door and under those same stars, back to the abbey, scared of what the next day would bring. But then the abbey is gone and she's running, faster than she has ever run before – through the streets of Salzburg, watching the cafés, the dress stores, the zoo pass by her. Max is still with her and her nausea worsens as the world around her spins too quickly, the scenery changing faster than she can adapt, and she doesn't know where to go, so she goes home.
At least that's how she feels when she bursts through the door of the villa. She is home.
And then she realizes it is not the world that is spinning, it is her, and she is on the terrace and she spins into the Captain's arms. She realizes the clamoring noise around her has become music, that raises to its final crescendo.
And then there's stillness.
The world disappears around them, and his eyes are locked with hers.
And the feeling of dread is gone…the remorse, the uncertainty, the fear all disappear as their lips meet. And this time Maria is not a bystander watching. Her senses are hypersensitive – she tastes the sweetness of his lips, feels the warmth radiating from his body, smells the spiciness of his cologne, hears him moan her name and when she opens her eyes, sees the love in his eye.
Because in her dream, she has no doubt he loves her.
A loud bang wakes Maria, followed by two gasps.
Having been in a deep sleep, Maria is barely awake when she opens one eye to see Marta and Gretl standing beside her bed holding hands, looking guiltily at the alarm clock they had knocked over in the dark, now lying in pieces.
"What's wrong girls?" Maria mumbles, but a flash of lightning that illuminates her room answers before they can. The storm is back.
"We tried to sing, fraulin Maria, but singing we couldn't sleep." Gretl tries to explain, but jumps nearly a foot in the air when the thunder 'answers back' to the lightening.
"Well come on in" she says, lifting up one side of the covers. The girls do not hesitate to scramble under them, and Maria wraps her arm around the two of them, pulling them close to her chest. Softly she began to hum Edelweiss to lull the girls to sleep. Maria falls asleep lost in an evening that passed weeks ago.
As he had done his entire life, the Captain awoke as the sun was rising over the mountains. Every morning since Agathe had become ill, he had dressed immediately after waking, never spending a moment longer with his thoughts than necessarily.
Yet this morning, well this morning was different. The minute his eyes opened, Georg waited for his legs to swing towards to the side of the bed, an action that was truly more of a reflex than voluntary, but after a few seconds of waiting it was clear his body was in no rush to get up.
He contented himself instead of watch the sun rise – something he had never done in his life before Maria. Agathe had enjoyed sleeping late, and at those early hours had been his time with the children.
The sun's oranges and reds made the white tops of the mountains appear more volcanic than majestic, and the Captain's mind returned to the events of last night. They had played and re-played throughout his dreams all night, which may at least partially account for his unparalleled demeanor that morning.
When she had walked in the room in that dress, he had to hold his tongue to curse the Fates, or God, or whatever force more powerful than himself that had made her chose that dress. The dress that made her utterly irresistible. What evil would to tempt him so while she cried over the loss or illness of a friend. And then the anticipated devastation was replaced with elation and excitement, and her entire being glowed and she looked breathtaking.
And so they danced, and he was no longer a Captain and she a governess, and when they kissed…he wouldn't let himself think about that while he was lying in bed alone, a new day dawning.
He knew that his mind should be filled with worries – concerns about what he would say to Maria that morning, how they would act around the children, if the kiss was simply a kiss or if it meant something more to her, what society would think … well honestly he didn't care whatsoever about the last one. He was too contented remembering the feeling of her in his arms, the sense of perfection when his lips met hers, and the elation when she responded.
And then suddenly the Captain couldn't waste another moment in bed when he could be with her. He had seen her most mornings, sitting out on the terrace watching the sun come up. The realization that she could be brewing tea right under his feet motivated him to jump from the bedclothes, slip on a pair of black slacks and a grey shirt and quietly run down the stairs, running his fingers through his hair instead of slicking them back as he usually did.
He went directly to the kitchen, where the cook had his cup of coffee already made for him. He requested an additional large mug of tea, and made his way to the patio.
To his surprise and disappointment, the railing that Maria normally occupied was only the perch of a small bird. Probably the same lark that had sang to them the night before.
He paused, unsure where to go from there. He had been so sure that she would be down there…
Normally he had no problems filling his mornings –the quiet house at that hour was the perfect environment for getting paperwork and military research done – but the thought of locking himself in his study alone was depressing at best considering the giddiness he was trying to repress.
The children.
The solution was so simple – he was so filled with energy that the coffee in his mug was shaking and desperate for an outlet, and the children always seemed to have some kind of a plan up their sleeves.
With confident steps, he ascended the stairs, never pausing to set down the two mugs that he was holding in one hand. Reaching the boy's room, he knocked lightly with a free elbow before peeking through the crack. He again marveled at Maria's ability to keep some semblance of sanity to their room that usually appeared as though a small tornado had gone through. Both boys were sprawled across their respective beds, blanked balled up around them.
He was further disappointed when he checked on the older girls, finding them sleeping as well.
Opening the door to Gretl and Marta's room, he expected to see two smiling faces playing with their dolls, or at least two slumbering figures. He did not, however, expect two empty beds, sheets thrown on the floor, with some furniture overturned.
His mind automatically shifted to military-drive as his heart skipped a beat. As his training had engrained in his responses, he took several deep breaths and forced himself to think rationally rather than emotionally.
His feet were moving before his mind was, his elbow lightly tapping on Maria's door. When there was no response, he opened the door a crack. The sight in the room was enough to give him pause.
As he had suspected down on the patio, Maria was still asleep, but she was not alone. Curled on either side of her were his two youngest daughters, their heads resting on her shoulders and their arms wrapped around her waist as Maria slept on her back with her two arms encircling their little bodies.
The Captain stood in the doorway and watched as the three, all clad in white nightdresses, breathed in and out. Eventually he realized that he had no right to be there – he knew his daughters were safe and should have left immediately after seeing them- but he couldn't bear to take his eyes away, to leave the peaceful utopia he had discovered.
His eyes paused to examine each of his daughter's faces and he recognized how much Gretl looked like Agathe, and recognized features in Marta's face that he saw every day when he looked in the mirror.
He finally allowed his eyes to roam to Maria's face, and felt his heart warm at the serenity he found. Even in her sleep she was smiling slightly, and he felt blessed to see such stillness in a body and mind that was constantly going.
In due course the ceramic mugs began to burn his fingers and as quietly as he could, he placed the two on the nightstand beside the bed.
He clearly was not as quiet as he had hoped, as at the slight bang the heavy cups made on contact with the wood, Gretl began to stir. He was reaching for the doorknob when he heard her small voice.
"Mother?"
The Captain's breath caught in his throat and he turned slowly back towards the bed. His youngest daughter had been speaking in that half-asleep stage, as her eyelids only then began to flutter as she stirred and hugged closer to Maria. The only mother she had ever known.
Two months ago to hear his daughter call another woman 'mother' would have sent him into a fury of despair, bitterness, and heartbreak. That morning, however, it warmed his heart, reminding him again how blessed his entire family was the day Maria thoroughly chastised him. If he once believed Elsa had saved his life, he knew for certain that it was Maria who had given it back to him.
Though he could have stood there and watched his children and their governess, his Maria, sleep for hours, he maintained enough cognitive function to recognize that would be both highly inappropriate and shocking to all three when they awoke.
He again turned towards the door, hoping his youngest daughter had fallen back asleep, but luck was not on his side. He would have to get the floorboard replaced immediately.
"Father?" she asked in surprise.
"Good morning darling" he whispered as quietly as he could.
Like a trigger, he was no longer done his sentence and Maria's eyes too fluttered open.
"Georg?" she asked in a surprisingly clear voice. "Is everything alright?"
The Captain couldn't help but notice how her arms tightened around the children as she spoke. This instinctual protective act just added to the thrill of hearing his name be the first word out of her lips in the morning.
"Everything's fine…I'm sorry for waking you. I went to check on the girls this morning and panicked when they were not there."
"There was a storm, Father. Marta and I tried to sing, but the thunder was too loud and we couldn't hear each other" Gretl spoke in her wisest tone as she stretched her arms wide before returning them around Maria's waist. Clearly she was not willing to get up yet.
Maria looked to where her clock normally stood, but found it missing. Her eyes travelled to the floor and the memory of the bang in the night made sense.
"What time is it?" she asked the Captain, fully awake by his presence.
"Only half past six. I'll leave you to sleep for another hour."
But Maria's eyes had found the tea.
"No, I'm awake, please stay. Is that for me?" she asked as she propped herself into a semi-seated position in bed.
Seeing as she couldn't very well lean over for fear of crushing Gretl (who had fallen back asleep), the Captain handed her the mug, and took a seat on the foot of the bed, being careful not to sit on Maria's feet. The only chair in the room was piled high with the fabric he had given her a couple nights before so that she could make some dresses to wear to school, at the time not knowing if it would be immediately or in the winter session.
"How was your sleep?" he asked after he took a sip of coffee. It was not the question he wanted to ask, far from it, but there were delicate ears in the room, and he knew Gretl was part parrot – she would repeat everything and anything to her older siblings and though she may not understand everything that was said, they certainly would.
"Surprisingly good." Maria answered truthfully. She was grateful for the return to normalcy. She hadn't been sure what to expect at the breakfast table that morning – how to speak to him, how to act around him, how to keep her face a normal shade with his eyes on her… She was comforted in the recognition that their friendship had not suffered from the progression of their relationship. Still, a massive shift was recognizable between the two – gazes held longer, words chosen more carefully, and the Captain didn't realized when his fingers started to gently rubbed Maria's feet through the quilt.
"Surprisingly?" he asked with a pointed look. He knew it was childish to play such games, making implications out of what was most probably an innocent statement, but he was determined to bring colour to her cheeks.
"Considering I was nervous about today…" she continued with a slight gleam in her eye.
The Captain could tell that she was baiting him on just as he was she, and was relatively sure he would ultimately be the one caught.
"Why would you be nervous about today?" he took the bait.
"There's somebody I knew I would have to face, and I wasn't sure what I should say, how I should act, that kind of thing."
"And what happened to make facing this person such a dilemma?"
"Last night was an exciting night for me, Captain von Trapp."
"Do tell"
"Well I got this telegram that changed my life, and now today I have to go to the school and speak with the teacher I will be interning with."
They were both smiling at the banter, each knowing what the other was talking about right from the get-go, but pushing it out as long as possible.
"You truly are unique" the Captain said as Maria took a sip of her tea, but continued before she could question his comment. "So you're planning on going to the school today?"
Maria nodded as she swallowed. "The telegram told me to be at the school right after lunch to meet with the teacher, get a feel for the building, and start lesson planning. Of course only if that works for you and the children."
"Of course it's not a problem. Have you decided when you're going to tell the children?" the Captain asked, maintaining the whispered tone they had been using so the girls would not wake.
"I was hoping you could help me with that – the last time I tried to plan a 'great reveal' I managed to convince you my friends were ill and dying."
"I may have overreacted slightly" the Captain conceded.
"You think?" Maria retorted wryly, earning her toes a gently squeeze.
"Why don't you tell them at breakfast? They're going to be so excited, not to mention it'll save us from having to think of some story of where you're going all afternoon."
"And what about you, Georg? Any great plans for the day?" she asked conversationally, not wanting the Captain to leave.
She needn't have worried, as he was in no rush to go. He turned slightly so he could rest his back on the metal footboard of the bed, kicking off his shoes so that he could sit with his legs up on the bed, careful not to kick his daughter, and face Maria directly.
To her delight, he gently moved her legs, still wrapped in their covers, from their position on the bed so that they were sitting on his lap.
"Well I thought about giving a wild and crazy party for Liesl's teenage friends this afternoon while you're away, but then decided than an intern should get a ride into town on her first day of work."
Maria flushed with pleasure and embarrassment.
"Really Georg, I can walk or Franz can give me a ride. You giving up your entire afternoon to act as my chauffeur is completely unnecessary."
"Perhaps not necessary, but my pleasure" he responded easily. "If it makes you feel any better, we can take the children with us, and while you're working we can go shopping for school supplies and clothing."
Had Maria's hands not been filled with two girls and a mug of tea, they would have flown to cover her mouth.
"Oh but I promised I would take them after Liesl and Friedrich declined a Vienna-trip. I completely forgot!" she admitted.
"Not to worry. I'm quite certain Louisa and Friedrich are thrilled with this situation. They seem to find me to be much easier to manipulate into buying them things than you."
"They do certainly have a knack for getting what they want" she agreed.
"You should see the two of them when they put their differences aside and plot together – they are a force to be reckoned with!"
"Imagine what they could do if all seven of them worked together!"
"They could have schemes going on for weeks without anyone knowing with that combined force."
"I am quite certain they could sell milk to a goat-herder if they put their minds to it."
"And the poor victim would probably think it was his idea to begin with!" said the Captain, and then two of them rang in the morning with their laughter.
