Maria had to hand it to him, when Georg put his mind to something, he really committed.
The past few days had been almost a complete contradiction to the man Maria had known only days ago. He was patient, kind, and caring towards his children. He made an effort to spend time with them each day, aside from meal times.
He had listened to the children read one day while encouraging Kurt and Friedrich in their theatrical antics. The boys were nearly ecstatic when their father had joined in on the reading. Georg had proven to be nearly as theatrical as the two.
The next day, Georg had participated in one of the games the children had decided on. It was an intricate game, made up completely by the imagination of the children. Maria scarcely knew what was going on most of the time. There was a ball, an excessive amount of running, and some sort of relay involved. Maria had been delighted in Georg's good sportsmanship. He never once questioned any of the children's unorthodox rules.
The day after that, Georg had even shown up to observe their studies on the terrace. He went around to each of his children and asked them to tell him about what they were studying. He was attentive, and even provided assistance to them when needed. It had warmed Maria's heart when he sat between his two youngest and pretended to be stumped when they asked him a simple math question.
He was trying to be kinder to her as well. He spoke softly, he never got cross, and he took her suggestions to heart. It was unnerving to Maria. After tearing him down into such a vulnerable state in the storage room, she had felt beyond guilty. She knew the way he had broken down had only made room for the changes he was now making, but the look in his eyes, the look of a broken, torn apart man came back to haunt her.
She saw the same look in his eyes every night as she tried to fall asleep. She tried desperately to push the image from her mind, but it would always come back. Sometimes the sadness and pain would turn into something else, a more intense stare that she had caught in his eyes more and more when he was looking at her. It was a look that scared her, because she had no idea what he was thinking in those moments.
Not only had Georg's behaviour changed, but for some reason, so had his wardrobe. She hadn't seen a tie or suit jacket on him in nearly four days. It was almost unnerving. Instead of being made up in suits made of delicate and expensive fabrics, Georg was sporting a very relaxed look. He had begun to wear dark denim and polos in all colours, typically with the top few buttons undone.
Maria had been perplexed by such a change. She knew it was only a physical reflection of his inward change, but it was, in a word, distracting. For a man who had been dressed rather conservatively in the short time she had know him, it was strange to see so much skin. And for the life of her, Maria could scarcely avert her eyes. She had firmly convinced herself that it was because it was a change that she wasn't used to.
What bugged her the most was how she had begun to notice small details about him. It seemed positively ridiculous to notice the small scar under his bottom lip, or the jagged scar along the inside of his right bicep that disappeared under the sleeve of his shirt, or the way his fingers would twitch at his side when he seemed agitated or uncertain about something.
She couldn't fathom why she had taken notice of such small details with him, or why she was even looking at him at all. Her focus was meant to be on the children. She and Georg were supposed to maintain a strictly professional relationship, and that's the way she wanted it. When she had told him that she wanted to start over so that they could work together, she had meant it. She wanted them to be a team, a professional team.
And yet, it didn't stop her from noticing the way the sunlight brought out the chestnut highlights in his dark, slightly mussed hair that afternoon as he read to his children, who all watched him with wide, attentive eyes. The nine of them sat on an old picnic blanket near the lake, the warm sun beating down on them while they listened to Georg read.
The children had been ecstatic when their father had suggested he could read to them during their required reading. Brigitta later confessed to Maria that it was the first time she would be hearing her father read to her since she was a mere infant. The children were all sprawled out across the picnic blanket, facing their father, while Maria sat near the back of the group with Gretl beside her, leaning against her arm.
Georg was an exceptional reader. He did not hesitate, nor did he stutter as he went through the passages, as many people Maria knew may have. His voice was strong and clear as he read, the silky tone of it keeping the children, and Maria, completely attentive to every word.
He had a very soothing tone, she reflected. It was smooth and rich, and Maria was sure he could outdo her at reading a bed time story to the younger girls with the vast number of voices he had in his arsenal.
It was a beautiful afternoon, Maria thoughts as she roamed her eyes over the von Trapp yard. It wasn't a smothering temperature, in fact, a cool breeze would roll through the yard every so often. Not a cloud darkened the sky. Maria closed her eyes and just inhaled the fresh air. She didn't have any worries in the world in the moment. She felt safe surrounded by the children whom she had grown very fond of. She hadn't felt so at peace in a very long time.
"It seems I've put your governess to sleep," Maria heard Georg muttered. Her eyes snapped open and she found eight pairs of eyes staring at her, one pair sparkled with something akin to mischief.
"Oh no, I was just closing my eyes for a moment," Maria replied, her face prickling with heat. Georg chuckled.
"Sure you were," he said, a smirk playing on his lips. Maria cursed herself for finding her eyes falling to the rough patch of skin beneath his bottom lip. She briefly wondered where he might have gotten it from.
"Father," Brigitta said from Georg's side. He took his eyes from Maria's to look at his daughter, and Maria let out a breath she hadn't known she had been holding. His eyes had been having that affect on her for a while now. She had felt as if his looks were robbing the air from her lungs from the intensity in his eyes. Maria chastised herself. He was merely looking at her! It certainly wasn't anything to get in a fuss over.
"Yes, Brigitta?" he asked, tapping his daughter on the nose with his finger. Brigitta beamed up at her father.
"Could you join us for required reading more often? I like the voices you do," Brigitta said. Georg smiled down at his daughter. He shot a quick glance over to Maria. It had become a ritual for them. Anytime the children asked him for something or began to open up to him, he would shoot Maria a thankful glance, and Maria would acknowledge his achievement with a smile.
"I'm sure I could make some time to join you more often. That is, if all of you are okay with it," he said, surveying the rest of his children. Shouts of approval rang through the air, causing Georg to laugh. He gave another glance in Maria's direction and shrugged, seeming surprised that his children wanted him around. She gave him as small nod of encouragement back.
"Georg! There you are!" Max's voice cut across the yard. Nine heads turned to look up at the terrace where Max stood with Elsa, the two looking quite a contrast to each other as Max wore a baggy jumper and jeans, while Elsa stood tall wearing a pressed skirt and a silk blouse.
While Maria had been wary of Max when he had first come to the house, her fears of awkwardness and embarrassment had dissolved quite quickly. On the day after Max and Elsa's arrival, Max no longer fixed Georg with pointed stares in her company, and Max had been very pleasant to Maria. He had even made it his mission to seek her out and properly introduce himself, a gesture Maria greatly appreciated.
Max was warm and funny, and Maria enjoyed having him around. His presence was able to dispel any tension from a room. He also kept every room he entered quite lively. He was always cracking jokes, more often than not, at Georg's expense.
She knew from the lack of awkward glances between Max and Georg that the two men must have talked about that night, which made Maria feel a bit anxious. She was curious as to what they might have talked about, or what they might have said. How did Georg explain it? Did he explain everything? She had tried not to think of it much. She didn't want to think about what Max knew of that night. In fact, she didn't want to think about that night at all.
While Max had welcomed Maria with open arms, Elsa seemed a bit more wary around her. She was kind, of course, but she didn't speak much to Maria. Instead, she seemed to watch Maria a bit skeptically, especially when Maria and Georg were in the same room, which made Maria extremely uncomfortable. If Georg and Max had spoken about Maria, perhaps Elsa and Georg had as well. Perhaps Elsa knew what had happened, and that's why she watched Maria closely.
However, it seemed unlikely that Elsa knew in the way Georg conducted himself around her. It was as if there was something unspoken between the two that caused a strain. Whether Georg noticed it or not, he became quieter in Elsa's presence. He was more reserved, and he seemed to place that stony mask back on. Not that he was unkind to Elsa, on the contrary, he was polite and attentive, it just seemed different from how Georg spoke with Max, or his children. It was almost as if he was stiffer in her company.
"Welcome back. I trust your trip to town was successful?" Georg's voice pulled Maria from her reverie. She watched as Georg closed the book and set it in his lap, tapping the fingers of his left hand on his knee. There it was again, she wondered why he might be agitated.
"Max bought two dozen strudels," Elsa said, her tone in feigned exasperation as she shook her head. Max turned to her, his lips parted, and eyes narrowed.
"I thought we agreed we would keep that between us. How could you expose me like that?" Max asked. Maria heard the children attempt to stifle their snickers. Maria bit her own lip to keep a giggle from escaping her throat.
"Frankly, Max, I'm surprised you didn't get three dozen," Georg said, a cheeky smile spreading across his face. Maria noticed his dimples coming in full force, making him look years younger.
"Very funny, Georg," Max replied, glaring in Georg's direction. Georg only chuckled.
"Georg, would you come and join us for a bit before dinner?" Elsa spoke up. Maria watched as Georg's jaw twitched slightly. He looked back to his children, scanning their faces, before looking back at his friends. She knew he was struggling to make a decision, and her heart went out to him. With his guests staying in his home, he couldn't very well abandon them – even for his children.
"Yes, of course," he said softly. He shot the pair a smile, but it did not quite reach his eyes. Maria heard a few disappointed sighs come from the children. Obviously, they did not want their father to leave them.
Georg began to stand, picking up the book as he did so.
"Now, which one of you is going to take over for me?" Georg asked, holding the book out.
"I will, father," came Friedrich's reply. Georg smiled down at his son and handed him the book, ruffling his hair gently. Georg took a glance at his watch.
"Dinner will be ready soon," he told his children gently, lingering to look down at each of them. The last person's eyes he met were Maria's. He gave her a sad smile before turning to walk up the steps of the terrace. She watched him meet Elsa and Max at the top of the stairs and usher them inside.
She couldn't help but feel bad for Georg. He was in a bit of a sticky situation. Here he was trying to make amends with his children, but he had obligations somewhere else. She knew he was trying; she just wasn't sure the children would see it that way.
"It's not fair," Louisa muttered. Maria forced her eyes from the door to look at the girl.
"What's not fair?" she asked simply, shaking off her thoughts.
"Mrs. Schraeder has had father for the last two years. We just got him back, but she seems to be taking up as much of his attention as she can," Louisa replied, keeping her glare fixed on the door where the adults had just entered. Maria could hear a few murmurs of agreement. She sighed. She supposed that answered her question about how his children saw it.
"Now hold on, I know you want to spend time with your father, but he has guests. He can't just ignore them the entire time they are here," Maria told the girl.
"He did it to us," Kurt muttered. Maria winced. She supposed he had ignored his children for the better part of five years. She could see how they would be upset. They had just gotten him to spend time with them, and now they didn't want that time to end. They craved his attention constantly, after having been deprived of it for several years.
"At least Uncle Max tries to talk to us. Mrs. Schraeder has barely said more than four words to any of us," Brigitta piped up. Maria knew she was fighting a losing battle, but she didn't want the children resenting Elsa, or Georg for that matter.
"Maybe she doesn't know how to talk to you. Have you tried talking to her?" Maria asked them. The children glanced around at one another.
"No," Kurt mumbled after a minute.
"But what could we even talk to her about? All she seems to like is shopping, clothes, and father," Marta, usually the quietest of the bunch, said.
"We can't assume to know her from the little information we've learned about her," Maria replied. She was practically defending a woman she barely knew, and it was almost laughable. But Maria knew if the children expressed such displeasure to Georg, he would likely be less than happy about it. Whether they were an item or not, it didn't matter. Elsa was a guest and should be treated as such.
"But that's all she talks about," Friedrich groaned from where he lay on the blanket. Maria sighed. It didn't seem like she was getting anywhere.
"We should give her a chance," Liesl spoke softly as she braided Marta's hair. Maria looked up at the girl and shot her a thankful smile. Liesl had become what Maria considered to be an ally. After Liesl's initial wariness about Maria dissipated, she had become more forthcoming. If she was having an issue, albeit with boys or studies, she began to confide in Maria. She had even begun to back Maria up when the children argued. Maria scarcely considered Liesl a child she had to attend to, but rather a friend in the midst of the situation.
"I could show her my dolls," Gretl spoke up from where she sat, nestled into Maria's side. Maria chuckled.
"I'm sure she would love that," Maria said half heartedly as she smoothed Gretl's hair. In all honesty, she had no idea if Elsa had any desire to get to know the children at all. Maria only hoped for the best in that Elsa just wasn't used to children. She hoped that was the case, because Georg's children were truly wonderful, and if she were able to get to know them, Maria was certain Elsa would love them.
"Can you all promise me to at least try to talk to her? Even just a little at dinner?" Maria asked. Mumbles of agreement met her ears. She knew they were reluctant, but she also knew they would stay true to their word.
"It's time for dinner," a warm voice called from the terrace. Maria turned her head to find Georg leaning against the railing, a barely perceptible smirk spreading across his face. She wondered just how much of that conversation he had heard.
"Isn't it early, father?" Brigitta asked. She let out a little squeal as Kurt smacked her arm.
"Shut it," he growled. Maria raised an eyebrow at him, and he instantly looked regretful. "Sorry."
Maria bit her lip to keep from laughing. Anyone who got in the way of Kurt and his food was sure to be in for it.
"Er, yes, well, I wanted you to get all washed up for dinner. I don't know about you, but I'm starving!" Georg said with a broad smile on his face. Maria narrowed her eyes and glanced down to check the time on her phone. Brigitta had been right, it was rather early to go in, and Georg had barely been gone for more than fifteen minutes.
The children began to rise, Gretl and Marta running up to meet their father. He greeted them with kisses on the tops of their head and took their small hands in his. The rest of the children filed in through the doors, while Maria gathered up the picnic blanket. She hadn't realized Georg was still waiting at the top of the steps with the two girls until she turned around.
"You don't need to wait on my account," she told him, walking up the stairs. He raised an eyebrow at her, a smirk planted on his face.
"Well I just wanted to make sure you weren't late again," he said. Maria rolled her eyes. He could still be an ass sometimes, she reminded herself.
"It was one time," she groaned. Georg chuckled.
"On your first day too. First impressions stick, you know," he said. Maria turned to look him in the eye. He knew as well as she did that her first day at the house was not his first impression of her. She wondered if he was thinking of that night when he said it. I would have been the first impression she made on him. Surely, he couldn't be thinking of it. But then, why was there that mischievous glint in his eye? The one that made her feel like he was telling her an inside joke? She didn't have much time to dwell on it before he spoke again.
"Let's go in. I really am starving," Georg announced, breaking the eye contact and leading the two girls in through the door. Maria trailed behind them.
Georg handed the two girls over to Maria, and she took them upstairs to get washed up alongside their brothers and sisters. She was glad for a moment to recollect herself as she watched the youngest girls wash their hands.
She wasn't sure what was wrong with her. Her heart rate seemed to increase whenever he merely looked at her. It was ludicrous! He was her employer – a man she had honestly not spent more than a few days with. But then, why did her lungs constrict when he walked into a room?
She took a deep breath as she stepped up to the sink to wash her hands. She willed her body to calm down. She couldn't understand her reactions. But she wouldn't dwell on it – she couldn't. She would just go on as is, and perhaps avoid interacting with him as much as she possibly could. If she could just solely focus on the children, perhaps her confusion would drift away.
She stepped away from the sink and called out to the seven children. They all met her in the hallway, eager to go down to dinner.
When they walked into the dining room, Georg, Max, and Elsa were already seated. Max seemed to be in the middle of telling some extravagant story.
"And then the woman asked Elsa if she should give the bags to her father to carry. Her father! Not only am I a bag boy, but now I'm an old man. I mean we're the same age!" Max cried out. Elsa laughed.
"Not quite the same age, darling," Elsa replied.
"Okay, I'm a few years older, but certainly not old enough to be your father! By God, I would have had to have been seven when I -," Max was cut off.
"Good evening, children, Maria," Georg interjected, shooting a glare at Max. Max held up his hands.
"I wasn't going to go there, Georg. I was merely pointing out the fact that I couldn't possibly be old enough to be Elsa's father," Max defended. Georg kept a pointed stare in Max's direction.
"Yes, well as enchanting as that tale was, I would rather not have you explain it in front of my children," Georg muttered to Max, just out of the children's earshot. Maria had picked up on it, stifling a giggle as she passed the two men to make her way to her seat.
"Very well. And how are you lot this evening?" Max asked as the children all sat down. There was a collective murmur of 'good' that filled the room.
"How are you Mrs. Schraeder?" Liesl asked. Maria shot the girl a soft smile and a nod. Elsa looked between Liesl and Georg. Georg gave Elsa a small shrug before raising an eyebrow in Maria's direction, but Maria turned her gaze towards Elsa instead.
"Oh, I'm fine dear. Did you have a good afternoon?" Elsa asked. Her voice was cool and polite, but Maria couldn't help but detect some tension in the way she held herself as she spoke to Liesl.
"Yes. Maybe you and father should join us one afternoon for our reading," Liesl suggested as she began to dig in to her meal. This time, Elsa looked across the table to Max who held up his hands and shrugged.
"If you don't think I'll be intruding," she said tentatively. Maria glanced over to Georg, who was studying Maria carefully. He raised his eyebrows at her and cocked his head to the side slightly as if asking a question. Maria quickly looked away. She knew he had caught the end part of their conversation in the yard, and he probably suspected that Maria had put them up to this.
"We would love to have you, all of us," Maria was surprised when she had heard Friedrich's voice speak up. He had not seemed very keen on getting to know Elsa earlier. It brought a smile to her face. She had been noticing him take initiative more and more in recent days, and she was glad for it.
"You're welcome too, Uncle Max," Kurt piped up. Max smiled at the young boy.
"I would love to attend one of your readings. Georg, do you read to them?" Max asked, turning his attention to Max.
"I have, yes," Georg muttered, finally taking his eyes off Maria to look at Max. Maria let out a shaky breath. His scrutiny had been suffocating. She tried to distract herself from her heated cheeks by eating a few forkfuls of vegetables.
"Of course, you do. Did you know that your father was a drama nerd in high school?" Max asked the children. All seven of the children looked at their father with their mouths hung open. Even Maria gaped at Georg. He certainly didn't seem the type. If anything, she had made the assumption that he would have been more into sports in high school.
"Max, for God's sake, I wasn't a drama nerd," Georg muttered. Maria could see the tops of his ears turn red as his tried to bury his attention in his food.
"Ah, but you starred in every production," Max quipped.
"You never told me that," Elsa said with a light chuckle, placing a hand on Georg's arm. Maria could see him flinch a little at the contact, and she once again found herself wondering what left things so strained between them.
"He never told me that either. I confiscated one of his yearbooks last night, and there he was, on the stage," Max said. The children shared gasps of awe. Now it was Maria's turn to keep her gaze firmly planted on Georg.
"How did you get my yearbook? I keep the study locked," Georg growled, snapping his head up to glare at Max. Max only laughed, obviously not threatened in the slightest by Georg's tone.
"Yes, but you don't hide the spare key very well," Max said. Georg groaned at his plate, keeping his head down.
"What plays did you do, father?" Friedrich asked. Georg sighed. Maria wanted to laugh at the usually well put together man becoming bashful and embarrassed in front of her eyes. It was rather endearing.
"We mostly put on Shakespeare plays," he said to his son, avoiding eye contact with everyone at the table.
"Which was your favourite?" Maria was surprised to hear her own voice rise up. She hadn't thought before opening her mouth. She stilled; her body frozen in place. Why had she gone and asked that? He obviously didn't want to talk about it. But still, she couldn't help but feel a little curious.
Georg's head snapped up at the sound of her voice. He narrowed his eyes at her, but it wasn't the cold, hard stares she was used to before his change. It was more so one of annoyance rather than anger.
"I played Hamlet in my last year, I would have to say that was my favourite," he spoke quietly before returning his attention back to his food. Maria briefly let her thoughts travel to a young Georg playing Hamlet on a stage. It certainly explained his theatrical readings. The more she thought about it, the more she could see Georg being a man of the stage in his younger years.
"How charming. What other plays did you star in?" Max asked, a playful smirk plastered on his face. Georg groaned again. Maria bit her lip to keep from laughing. Max certainly knew how to push Georg's buttons.
"Children," he said, obviously trying to stray away from the current line of conversation, "How about we do a movie night tonight?"
The children looked from Maria to their father.
"Really?" Marta asked.
"Yes. I know you've been watching movies with Maria after dinner, but why don't I join you tonight?" he asked. Maria was surprised to hear this suggestion. He hadn't expressed interest in joining their movie nights before, but then again, she had never asked.
"Yes, please father," Gretl squealed. Georg smiled.
"Max, Elsa, I'm sure the children wouldn't mind if you joined," Georg said, looking between his friends.
"Are you going to be starring in it?" Max asked, earning giggles from the children and an exasperated sigh from Georg.
"No, Max," Georg muttered through gritted teeth.
"Pity. Anyways, I have a video conference with a potential business prospect in an hour, so I'm afraid you'll have to count me out," Max replied. Georg nodded, a glint of relief sparkling in his eyes. Maria doubted he wanted to be mercilessly teased for the remainder of the night after he had just been exposed in such a way.
"Elsa?"
"I'd love to, but I was actually hoping you could have Franz drive me into town. I ran into an old friend and I was hoping to meet up for drinks with her tonight," Elsa replied, looking around the table to give the children apologetic looks. Maria swore she saw Georg's shoulders release some tension.
"Of course, I will tell Franz after dinner," Georg said, giving Elsa a small smile. He looked around the table, his eyes falling on Maria. "I guess it's just us then."
Maria tried to look away, but her eyes seemed to be stuck on his. The ocean blue washed over her like a wave, and it was as if that was all she could see – there was nothing else. It wasn't until he looked away, a small smile on his lips, that she realized the fluttering in her chest. She inwardly groaned. Hadn't she just told herself upstairs that she would avoid interaction with him if she could? She had just practically stared the man down. She willed herself to calm down and think rationally.
The movie could pose as a problem, but the children would be there. Besides, movie nights were usually quiet. Everyone followed the plot on the screen in front of them and kept to themselves – well, except Kurt, who liked to have a running commentary. There's no way they would even be able to remotely interact during a movie, right?
Dinner finished rather quickly after that, the children not wanting to waste a second before having a movie night with their father.
"We should wear our pajamas!" Gretl announced as the children were rising from the table. "Like a pajama party."
"If you want to have a pajama party, then we will have a pajama party," Georg said, smiling at his youngest daughter. The children cheered and ran off to get ready for a movie night with their father. Maria finished off her last bite of vegetables as she watched the children rush off.
"Elsa, I texted Franz. He'll have the car ready in ten minutes, if that suits you," Georg said, a polite smile poised on his lips.
"That works beautifully, Georg. Thank you," she replied, stepping towards him to give him a kiss on the cheek. Maria averted her eyes, feeling somewhat out of place watching the scene in front of her. "I'll be back later."
With that, Elsa and Max walked out of the room together, leaving Georg and Maria alone. Maria stood from her seat, shifting from foot to foot as she stood a whole table length away from Georg. His eyes, however, burned her as if he were right beside her, stinking a hot iron to her skin.
"You know, if you want to have a night with just the children, I'm happy to turn in early," Maria said, a last-ditch effort to get out of the awkward circumstances. She did love movie night with the children, it was always nice to just sit and have a couple hours of calm with them. But would she really be needed if Georg was there? Perhaps he wanted to spend time alone with his children. Or at least that's what she told herself when she suggested she leave them alone for the night. Georg cocked his head to the side as he studied her.
"No. I think it would be better that you join us. You were the one who started this collective movie night, and the children adore your presence. I think you should stay," he told her. She was rooted in place at what he had said. It sounded as if he really wanted her there, or at least believed the children really wanted her there. "Of course, unless you are exhausted, then by all means, you don't have to stay. I know my children can be tiresome."
"No, no. I love spending time with them," she replied with a small smile. And it was true, she did love spending time with them. She just wasn't sure how much time she could spend with him before her brain exploded. She really needed to figure out what was wrong with her. Maybe she was getting sick? For the first time in her life, she prayed that she was.
"Well I suppose we have to get ready for this pajama party," he said. Maria let out a strained chuckle.
"I guess so," she replied. She walked to the end of the table where he waited for her, and together they made their way out into the foyer.
"What's the movie for tonight?" he asked. Maria shrugged, refusing to look up at him.
"It's Brigitta's turn to pick. I'm not sure what she has in mind," Maria admitted. Internally, she figured it would be some sort of romance movie. The girl seemed to be in love with the idea of love, but then again, many young girls are.
"I suppose we'll find out soon enough," Georg replied.
"Yes, I suppose we will," Maria said as they came to the top of the stairs. Her bedroom was within view. If she could just make it there without inhaling anymore of his earthy cologne, maybe she would make it through the night unscathed. She just needed a minute.
"I'll see you downstairs," Georg said as they stopped in front of her door.
"Yes," Maria replied in a low murmur. She slowly opened the door to enter her room, shooting a small smile at Georg over her shoulder as she entered. Georg flashed her a smile in return before continuing on down the corridor.
Maria huffed out a breath as she walked into her room. She was angry. Surprisingly though, she wasn't mad at him, as she had gotten used to being made at him for the past wild. She was mad at herself, for letting her mind get so clouded and muddled. She was utterly confused about the thought racing through her mind. She needed to get a hold of herself. The fluttering in her chest and the racing of her heart needed to stop. It was ridiculous. There was no logical reason that she could explain why she was having such a reaction. At least, she wouldn't let her mind travel that far.
She took a deep breath as she opened her wardrobe, deciding to slip on a pair of leggings and a t-shirt. She wasn't sure she wanted a repeat of the night that Georg had found her prancing around the bedroom in a tank top and shorts, that was the last thing she needed in the moment.
She changed quickly, not wanting to keep the children waiting. The whole way down the stairs, she mentally put herself in check, swearing not to let herself react in the way she had all night.
She came to the door of the sitting room, watching as the children all situated themselves with pillows and blankets.
"Why do you want to watch that movie?" Kurt groaned as he fidgeted with the sleeve of his pajama top.
"It's my turn to choose! You don't get a say," Brigitta retorted, resting a pillow against the armrest of the couch. Kurt huffed.
"But it's so girly," he whined. Maria stifled a laugh as she stood in the doorway. Kurt often complained that the movies the girls picked were 'too girly'.
"Leave her alone, Kurt," Liesl said from her spot in one of the arm chairs. She hadn't looked up from her phone. "You made us watch that god awful action movie the other day. It's Brigitta's turn to choose, so we will watch what she wants to watch."
"Friedrich, do you want to watch it?" Kurt asked, looking back at his brother who was slumped on the floor, setting up a little camp of pillows and blankets for Marta.
"It doesn't matter, Kurt. We all get a night to pick. Tonight, it's Brigitta's night," Friedrich replied diplomatically. Maria smiled at the boy's response; he really was becoming a fine young man. "There you go, Marta."
Marta plopped down on the pillows and blankets with a squeal, and Louisa moved to sit beside her.
"Ugh, fine," Kurt groaned, slumping down in the armchair beside Liesl with a huff. He cocooned himself in a fluffy blanket, his face stricken with defiance.
"And what is the movie we've chosen tonight?" Maria spoke up, making her presence known. Seven heads turned. Brigitta smiled up at Maria with wide eyes.
"The Princess Bride," she replied. Maria raised an eyebrow and looked over to Kurt.
"Really? Kurt, you do know there's action in this movie, right?" Maria asked. Kurt perked his head out of the blanket a little.
"There is?" he asked. Maria smiled and nodded.
"Yes. Lots of sword fighting," she told him, moving into the room to sit with Gretl on the couch that was otherwise unoccupied. The girl immediately slunk against her.
"Oh," was all Kurt said as he sat back in his chair. Maria chuckled. She was quite excited for the movie choice; she hadn't seen the movie since she had been quite young.
"Brigitta, why don't you set the movie up while we wait for your father?" she asked. The girl got off the sofa she was sitting on and inserted the disc into the DVD player, grabbing the remote off the mantle and setting off to work.
"Where is father?" Gretl asked.
"Maybe he's still changing," Maria suggested with a shrug. She doubted it would take Georg that long to change, but what else would he be up to? Her question was answered.
"I'm right here," Georg muttered. His entrance was nearly comical. He was clad in a pair of striped, navy blue pajama bottoms and a grey t-shirt. His hair was mussed, coming down in wavy locks across his forehead, and he was attempting to balance a tray holding four large bowls filled with popcorn. His brow was creased in concentration as he set the overfilled tray down on one of the tables near the door.
"I thought snacks were in order," Georg said with a sheepish smile. Maria couldn't help her own smile that spread across her face. It was a small act, but she knew it showed how much he was really trying.
"Father! Come sit with me!" Gretl called over to her father. Georg looked between the young girl and Maria. Maria closed her eyes briefly and prayed he would sit somewhere else. Though she knew she would be safe – safe from what, she wasn't entirely sure – with Gretl between them, but she still wasn't keen on the proximity. She knew she would still be able to smell his cologne, which was able to fill her mind with fog. But there was no reason he would deny such a request from his baby girl.
"Okay, but you'll have to share this popcorn with me," Georg told her with a smile. Gretl nodded against Maria's arm and Maria inwardly cursed. "The rest of you will have to share too, so buddy up."
The children rose from their seats to grab a bowl of popcorn. Marta and Louisa had one between them on the floor, Kurt placed the bowl on the table between his and Liesl's chairs, and Friedrich and Brigitta had their bowl between them on the sofa across from Maria, Gretl, and Georg.
"Gretl, can you hold on to this?" Georg asked as he took his seat on the other side of the girl. Maria's fears were proven right; she could instantly feel the scent of his cologne waft up to her nose. Gretl sat up and took the large bowl in her small hands, resting it on her knees. Georg looked over her head to Maria. "I'll try to share."
Maria shot him a weak smile before looking up at the screen. Brigitta was still fumbling with the remote.
"It's input two," Friedrich muttered, before stuffing a handful of popcorn in his mouth. Brigitta did as instructed, and the menu popped up.
"The Princess Bride? I haven't seen this in a very long time," Georg said, a lazy smile spreading across his face.
"Do you like it, father?" Kurt asked in between mouthfuls of popcorn. Georg looked to his son.
"Kurt, don't talk with your mouth full," Georg told him. "And yes, it's a good movie. Not that gooey, if that's what you're worried about."
Kurt nodded, turning his attention to the screen as the movie began. Maria began to feel herself become immersed in the beginning of the movie, which she was grateful for as it tamped down her racing thoughts.
She was beginning to feel herself calm down, having been so on edge about dissipating any of her body's unnecessary reactions. She started to feel like she had a shot of making it through the night without anymore stress weighing on her mind.
She reached into the popcorn bowl aimlessly, when she came into contact with something soft and warm. She looked at the bowl to find her fingers against Georg's in the bowl. She felt the breath leave her lungs as she looked up over Gretl's head to find a pair of ocean blue eyes staring back at her. His eyes were unreadable as a slow smile spread across his face. He removed his hand from the bowl, slowly, and not without letting his fingers brush against hers. Maria averted her eyes and grabbed a few pieces of popcorn, struggling to regain breath.
Why did he have that affect on her? And for the love of God, why did that have to happen? She felt her heart beating erratically in her chest and she willed it to slow down. Nothing had even happened! It was silly, something out of a cheesy movie. She had accidentally touched his hand; it was no big deal. Then why did her hand feel like it had just been burned?
Maria turned back to the movie but found that she couldn't follow the storyline from where they were. She could vaguely hear Inigo Montoya utter his famous line, but it was hard to hear over the thundering of her heart.
"Is he going to kill this guy?" Kurt asked. Both Maria and Georg turned their heads towards the boy, who had unsurprisingly monopolized the popcorn bowl.
"Kurt, just watch the movie," Georg told him. Kurt huffed in his seat, stuffing another handful of popcorn into his mouth. Maria let out a breathy chuckle as she watched the boy. Georg turned his head to look at her.
"What?" he muttered in a low voice.
"He kind of reminds me of Max," Maria admitted. And it was true. While not physically, the resemblances were uncanny – their love of food, their dramatic huffs, their slight impatience for things to happen. Georg let out a barking laugh, and Maria was glad he hadn't had a mouthful of popcorn in that moment. Surely, he would have choked.
"Shh," Gretl uttered from between them. Georg gave Maria a comical shrug and turned back to the movie, but Maria's eyes seemed stuck on him. It's as if she couldn't look away, even though her mind begged her to.
He looked at peace, more at peace than Maria had ever seen him. There was a permanent smile playing on his lips while his eyes seemed to sparkle. His mussed hair gave him a very youthful look as the wavy locks landed wherever they pleased, instead of being neatly combed back with, what Maria suspected, a lot of product. His shoulders no longer held the tension of the world on them as he was slumped against the couch. His body had seemed to release all of the stress and tension. Maria found herself smiling, she was truly glad he was able to relax in the presence of his children.
Realizing she was blatantly staring at Georg, she turned her head back to the movie. She chastised herself from even staring at him in the first place. She wasn't even supposed to look at him, she reminded herself; not until she figured out what in the world was wrong with her.
For most of the movie, Maria succeeded in not looking back at Georg. She kept her head turned towards the screen, refusing to take her eyes from the action folding out in front of her, even if she wasn't necessarily taking any of it in.
It wasn't until she felt Grelt slump against her shoulder that she turned her head. Gretl looked to be out like a light. Her eyes were shut, and her breathing was shallow and even. Maria made a move to take the popcorn bowl from the girl's lap and gently set it on the floor, being sure not to move too quickly for fear of waking the girl up.
Once the bowl was on the ground, she reached her hand out to smooth over Gretl's hair – something she had come accustomed to doing when the young girl fell asleep on her – not aware that Georg had the same idea. Once again, their fingers met, and Maria's traitorous eyes flicked up to Georg's. He was already looking at her, with the same intensity as before, causing her cheeks to flush with a fury. This time, Maria removed her hand without a second thought, pulling it back as if she had been burned, and turning back towards the screen as quickly as she could.
She could barely keep up with the storyline above her mutinous thoughts and the memory of the look in Georg's eyes. It was positively ridiculous. She couldn't fathom what was happening. She knew in the back of her mind that the night from many months ago was probably coming back to haunt her. She hadn't confronted the thoughts of that night, and she didn't plan on it. She prayed that if she just ignored it, it would go away.
For the rest of the movie, Maria stared blankly at the screen. She couldn't keep her mind on the movie, but she didn't let her thoughts wander either. She just sat there, with Gretl slumped against her, keeping her mind blank. If she didn't dwell on it, maybe she wouldn't have to confront it.
The movie came to an end more quickly that Maria had anticipated. Brigitta shut off the TV, letting a silence fall over the room. Maria looked around the room at the sleepy faces of the children. It was barely past the younger children's bedtimes, and yet, all of the children looked exhausted.
"That wasn't so bad," Kurt muttered after a moment.
"I told you dummy," Brigitta exclaimed. Georg held a finger up to his lips.
"Shh, your sister is asleep," Georg whispered. Liesl began collecting all the bowls around the room.
"I'll take these to the kitchen," Liesl said in a soft voice.
"Thank you," Georg whispered gently, "The rest of you should head up to bed. You look exhausted."
The children began gathering up the numerous blankets and pillows strewn across the room and filed out into the foyer in a zombie-like manner. Maria went to rise, but Gretl's weight kept her down. She heard Georg chuckled.
"Would you like me to bring her upstairs?" Georg asked.
"If it's not too much trouble," she said, avoiding his eyes.
"As you wish," Georg replied. Maria's eyes snapped up to his as he uttered the same line that had been used in the movie. He shot her a sheepish smile before gathering his youngest in his arms. Gretl made no noise, nor did she resist. Georg stood with his little girl in his arms, and Maria followed suit.
"Perhaps you could put them to bed tonight?" Maria suggested.
"I would love to," Georg replied with a soft smile, "Are you going to come say good night?"
"I'm quite exhausted myself. I think I'm going to go to bed as well. If you don't mind." Maria told him.
"Of course, I don't mind. My children run you around all day, the least I can do is put them to bed. We'll walk you up," Georg said. Maria inwardly groaned. She had forgotten that the children's rooms were on the way to her room. She thought she might have been able to make a quick escape and avoid any further interaction with Georg. They started to walk towards the door.
"This was fun, thank you," Georg said as he stepped aside to allow Maria to walk through the doorway.
"I can hardly take any credit," Maria replied, keeping her eyes on the floor in front of her. Georg moved to walk beside her.
"You're not good at taking praise, are you?" Georg asked, chuckling to himself.
"I've never been much good at it, no," Maria replied as they began to ascend the stairs. Just another minute, then you'll be safe, she told herself.
"Well, thank you. For starting movie nights, for taking care of my children, and for that little conversation you had with them today." Maria looked up at Georg.
"I'm not sure what you mean," Maria lied.
"I heard the children express some displeasure about Elsa. I appreciate that you're trying to get them to give her a chance," he said as they stopped at the top of the stairs.
"I just think they need to get to know her. She seems lovely," Maria replied, looking past him. Her bedroom was only a few paces down the hallway. How she wished she could be there instead of having such an uncomfortable conversation. It wasn't really uncomfortable, she reflected. She supposed it was just the confusion racing through her mind that made her feel uncomfortable talking to him.
"You don't even know her," he whispered. It wasn't an accusatory tone he took, but rather one filled with curiosity. He studied her, and Maria wished she could remove herself from his scrutiny.
"Everyone deserves to be treated fairly," Maria said with a shrug. A slow smile crept on Georg's face.
"You just see the best in everyone, don't you?" he asked, shifting Gretl in his arms.
"I believe everyone is inherently good. People just do bad things sometimes," she said earnestly. Georg watched her carefully for a minute. Maria could feel her face flush; she was sure she was bright red at this point. Why did he have to look at her like that?
"I should probably put this one down," he finally said. Maria nodded, feeling relief pulse through her.
"Yes, good night, Captain," she said as she began to move past him, towards her bedroom.
"Good night, Maria," she heard his soft voice call after her.
She entered her bedroom and leaned back against the door as she closed it. Her head was spinning. Why was he affecting her like this? She struggled to regain her composure as she closed her eyes. The image of Georg's intense stare flooded behind her eyelids. She felt her pulse quicken.
The whole evening, she had been a mess; her mind had been clouded and confused, her heart had been hammering in her chest, and she knew she had been different shades of pink all night. It didn't make any sense. She had never felt such a way before, and frankly, she didn't like it. She didn't like feeling nervous and unsure around him. She didn't like the way she lost her breath when he merely looked at her. She felt utterly uncomfortable.
She knew it wasn't his fault. He hadn't done anything wrong, truly. He was just being kind, she reminded herself. He was making up for being so cruel and cold in the beginning of her employment. But she almost wished she was dealing with that Georg instead of this one. She didn't know how to handle kind and gentle Georg.
She shook her head. No, she would not dwell on it – she would not dwell on him. That would only mean trouble. She and Georg had a strictly professional relationship, and she would work like hell to keep it that way.
A/N: Hello! Yes, this chapter was fluffy and cheesy and slightly confusing on Maria's part. Honestly, I'm not happy with this chapter. I wrote it tired out of my mind, in between studying and it's certainly not my best work. I debated on cutting it entirely for a while, but there are some things in here that are necessary for context in the next chapter. Maria's confusion has me confused. Like with Georg, I feel bad for her because she's just as conflicted as he is.
This really felt like a filler to me, even though I do like writing Georg interacting more with his children. Overall, I feel like this is a ridiculously long, weird chapter, but I needed it for future chapters. I also really just needed to get it out of the way, so I can move on to the next part of this confusing, wild ride (which will get better – I have a plan, I promise).
Speaking of which, you can expect loads of tension in the next chapter. I've had this next chapter planned out for a while now. It's going to be tense, it's going to be a little awkward, and it's not going to be out for a week. I'm writing several exams this week, so I won't have much time to actually write the chapter until the end of the week, I'm so sorry. I'm hoping it will be worth the wait.
As always, thank you for reading what I have affectionately dubbed "My Trash Baby". I' so grateful that you have kept reading, and I appreciate every single review. Seriously, I might get a few framed.