Maria had quickly learned one thing about Georg; like her, he was an early riser.
She had known this ever since they had bumped into each other that morning in the kitchen before he left for Vienna. Ever since he had been back, she had avoided leaving her room before it was time to wake the children up, just in case he might be downstairs. She didn't want to be alone with him. She was too lost in her own thoughts when she was around him that she didn't know how to carry herself when he was alone with her in the same room.
She had always felt nervous around him. She had knots in her stomach and her mind raced wildly whenever he looked at her. It made her incredibly uncomfortable because she wasn't able to explain why. She had come to realize it was because she was still holding on to the awkwardness of the night all those months ago. She had refused to confront it, because she was fearful that confronting what had happened would end anything professional between them. Talking about it only seemed like a recipe for disaster. She couldn't believe how wrong she had been.
Ever since their talk only four days before, everything had changed. Maria had realized she couldn't spend her time avoiding Georg. He was her employer, after all. They were living under the same roof. He had caught on to her little act of avoiding him at all costs and he had made it very clear that such a stunt wasn't going to work for him.
She couldn't explain why he insisted on getting to know her, she doubted that he had ever tried to get to know any of the previous governesses. But she supposed this time was different – he was different.
After their talk, she knew she couldn't avoid him, and frankly, she didn't really feel the need to. Their conversation had put some of her nerves at ease, and he had answered many of the questions that had weighed heavy on her mind. She didn't feel uncomfortable around him anymore. She actually found herself enjoying his company.
He was kind, funny, and intelligent – a complete juxtaposition to the stony masked man she had once known. It was refreshing to spend time with this new version of Georg. He had numerous stories about his travels around the world and about his children when they were younger. In truth, she found herself eager to hear about his stories of life. He had so much life experience, and his capacity to tell an interesting tale of his adventures was intoxicating.
She actually felt quite at ease with Georg. He had the ability to make her laugh at the most unexpected times. She couldn't quite explain the ease that had fallen between them, but it was welcome in her eyes. She liked the lack of tension between them. It was nice to just be able to talk to him and have him talk to her. He didn't treat her just as an employee, but he treated her as an equal, a team mate, even a friend. It was a nice change to the awkwardness that had surrounded them only a week before.
She had learned many things about Georg since. He loved old movies. He had been quite the piano player only years ago. He had been swimming since the age of three. He had a soft spot for Italian food. And, of course, he had been rising at the crack of dawn for as long as he could remember.
So, as Maria walked down the hallway to the kitchen that morning to make herself a cup of tea, as she had done for the past three mornings, she wasn't surprised to hear Georg bustling about.
She leaned against the doorway and watched as he walked to one of the cupboards to pull out a couple of mugs, whistling an unfamiliar tune. He began placing sugar and cream into the cups. He was already dressed, sporting a dark green polo and a pair of jeans, which had become a custom for him. He looked extremely at ease, and she liked the relaxed look on him. It showed a more human side of him that she wasn't sure everyone saw.
Realizing she was just blatantly watching an oblivious Georg, she averted her eyes and walked into the kitchen to make her presence known. He turned towards the sound of footsteps and shot her one of his signature smiles that she was sure had charmed many a person.
"Good morning," he said to her. He grabbed two teabags from the drawer and began to put them in the cups. Maria sat down at one of the stools at the island and watched him curiously. Two mugs? Perhaps Elsa or Max had woken up early as well.
"Good morning," she replied as the kettle began to whistle. Georg switched off the kettle and poured the boiling water into the cups.
"Did you sleep well?" he asked. This had become a routine between them. Each morning, Maria would find Georg in the kitchen and he would ask how she slept. She couldn't recall the last time a person had checked in with her in such a way. She kind of liked the normalcy of it.
"I did, thank you. Did you?" she asked. He glanced at her out of the corner of his eye and gave her a weak smile.
"Well enough," he replied. Maria had noticed that he always gave a vague answer when she asked about his sleep. She wondered if there had been something keeping him up. She had begun to notice the dark circles that had been forming under his eyes recently. She quickly shook the thought away. It wasn't her place to worry about whether he was sleeping or not. Her job was taking care of the children, not him.
He picked up the two mugs and placed one in front of her. She was somewhat caught off guard. He had never made her tea before. She looked down at the tea with confusion in her eyes.
"Two sugars, one cream," he told her before taking a sip of his own tea. She was even more perplexed that he had known how she took her tea. It seemed like an oddly intimate detail to know about a person. She tried to recall if she had ever told him how she took her tea. She didn't think so.
"You didn't have to do that," she said, blinking down at the steaming mug in front of her.
"I know," he replied, giving her a beaming smile. Maria looked up and gave him a bashful smile back. She didn't quite know how to feel about the fact that he had been paying attention to how she took her tea. On one hand it was almost flattering. On the other hand, she felt a strange flutter in her stomach.
"What's on the agenda today?" Georg asked as he walked around the island to sit on the stool next to her. He looked out the window at the rising sun, as he often did when they chatted in the kitchen in the morning.
"I was thinking the usual. Studies, lunch, a game, reading," she listed off with a shrug. She wrapped her hands around the ceramic of her cup, revelling in the warmth.
"I was thinking we skip all of that today," Georg said, a sly smile poised on his face as he turned to look at her. Maria's eyes widened. He wanted to skip studies and required reading? She knew he had changed but even that seemed extreme for Georg.
"Really?" she asked. Georg laughed at her baffled look.
"Yes. I thought maybe I'd take the kids into town today. Liesl, Friedrich, and Louisa used to love going window shopping. They would press their little faces up to the glass of every window they passed," Georg said, smiling fondly. Maria couldn't help her own smile from spreading across her face. She loved hearing him talk about what the children were like when they were younger. She could picture the oldest three pressing their noses up against the glass to take a peek at what was inside.
"If that's what you want to do, I don't mind. I could always occupy myself by catching up on marking," she said. Georg's face fell a little, but he quickly covered it up with a weak smile.
"Yes, I suppose you are long overdue for a day off. Sorry about that," he told her. Maria shrugged and gave him a small smile.
"I would have brought it up if it was really a problem. But a day of rest does sound nice," she replied. It really did sound nice to have a day to herself. She loved the children dearly, but they could be exhausting at times. She hadn't really had a day off since she had started working at the von Trapp household. She didn't think Georg had purposely forgotten. He had been going through a lot of change that it might have just slipped his mind. She really didn't mind though. She loved the children dearly, and spending time with them had never been a chore.
"If you want to take the weekend off, I'm sure I can manage," he told her. She didn't miss the way his lips quirked down slightly. Maria smiled at the thought but shook her head.
"Thank you, but I really don't mind. I like spending time with the children," Maria said. Georg looked at her with an intensity she had grown accustomed to. He seemed to get an endearing sparkle in his eye whenever she talked about his children.
"I'm glad," he told her earnestly.
"Although, I was wondering if I could have next Friday off. Jane is coming down to Salzburg for a few days and wants to meet for lunch," she said. Georg nodded and lifted his mug to his lips to take a sip of his tea.
"Of course. How is Jane? You don't talk about her much," he said. Maria cast her eyes downwards. She supposed she didn't really talk a lot about her life outside of the children very much. The children had very much become the focus of her world for the time being.
"Oh, she's fine. We haven't kept in much contact. She's met a new man who has been keeping her pretty occupied," she said before taking a sip of her own tea. It was true. Maria hadn't heard much from Jane until the last couple days, not that Maria minded. The children had kept her relatively busy that she hardly even noticed.
"Oh, I see," Georg said with a chuckle. "What about any other friends from school? Have you heard much from them?"
"I didn't socialize a whole lot on campus. I studied more than I went out. The only times I did go out were when Jane insisted that I go to a party with her," she admitted. Maria was a sociable person, but she was much more focused on her grades than making many friends. She had the odd group of people she had spent time with in school, but no one besides Jane who she felt the need to get in contact with.
"Really? That surprises me," Georg said. Maria raised an eyebrow at him. What kind of girl did he take her for?
"Why?" she asked. Georg shrugged.
"I guess I pegged you for a social butterfly. You're easy to talk to," he said. Maria smiled at him. She was glad he thought she was easy to talk to.
"I can be. I'm just not much of a party girl," she told him. Georg chuckled.
"No, I guess not. But, of course, you can take Friday off," he said. Maria smiled at him.
"Thank you," she said. She took a sip of her tea. He had made it perfect. She could argue that it was better than when she made her tea. "Will Max and Elsa be going with you today?"
"I think so. If I can get them to wake up. We'll have to take two cars," he replied. Maria let out a light laugh. It was never easy travelling with seven children.
"I guess it's pretty hard to transport seven children and three adults in one vehicle," she said. Georg smiled down at his mug.
"I've thought about purchasing a small bus just to get everyone around," he admitted. Maria laughed whole heartedly at that. The image of Georg driving a bus while his children buzzed with excitement in the back was far too comical to her.
"I can't picture you driving a small bus full of your children," she told him. Georg raised an eyebrow at her.
"Well, obviously I'd have Franz drive the bus," he replied with a sly smile. That made her giggle more. She could only picture Franz rolling his eyes as the squeals of Georg's children echoed through the bus.
"I don't think Franz would be too happy about that," she said.
"I don't think Franz would be too happy if he won the lottery. He's a miserable man," he replied. Maria smiled. The man did seem miserable no matter what he was doing.
She took another sip of her tea as they fell into a comfortable silence. She noticed Georg was staring out the window, watching the sun come over the horizon.
"I've always loved watching the sun rise," Georg told her, breaking the silence. "It signals a new day, where everything can change. When I was deployed, I would always wake to watch the sun rise. I knew that somewhere out there, Agathe was watching the same sun."
Georg hadn't mentioned Agathe much in the conversations they had, not that Maria minded. She knew it was still a sore spot for him. Just because he had changed that didn't mean the pain just went away. A quiet look of somberness would cross his face when he did mention her. It made Maria's heart pang. She didn't like seeing him unhappy, not that she should care. It wasn't her place to care about him, but she knew that a part of her would always want him to be happy.
"I meant to ask you, how did you serve in the navy for a landlocked country?" she asked, hoping the topic would dispel some of the pain in his eyes. It worked. Georg laughed.
"I was wondering when you might ask that. Austria doesn't have a navy, but Italy does. I was born here, but I was raised in Italy for about ten years. I had dual citizenship so when I turned eighteen, my father had me enlist in their navy," he told her. Maria nodded in understanding.
"That makes a lot more sense. How long did you serve in the navy?" she asked. She had been rather fascinated about his role in the navy since she had found out that he was a retired sea captain. She found herself wanting to know more about his time serving in the navy.
"About fifteen years," he replied. "I was promoted to captain after about ten years of service. You know, I actually met Max in the navy."
"Max? Really? He doesn't seem like the type," she said with a light laugh. Max was the type of man who groaned at the idea of carrying too many things at once. He certainly didn't seem like the kind of man who could handle the physical labour of being in the navy.
"He's not. He enlisted around the same time I did. He unsurprisingly only lasted six months," Georg said, laughing fondly.
"But you stayed friends?" she asked.
"He followed me around like a puppy for the whole six months. I was annoyed by him really, but he stuck around like the plague. Once he was gone, I didn't talk to him much. Three years later, I walked into a pub and there he was, drunk and unsure of where he was. But he recognized me and insisted I sit down and have a drink with him. Somehow, the next morning, we ended up at a little run-down place Max claimed was his apartment. Since then, he's always kept in contact. I guess he took a liking to me. I haven't been able to get rid of him since," Georg explained.
Maria smiled. The way he spoke about Max was endearing. Georg put on this façade of feigned annoyance with him, but she could tell that Max was like a brother to him. He truly did love Max, even if he would never admit it.
"Maria, father, what are you doing up?" a small voice from the door caught their attention. They both turned to see Brigitta standing in the doorway, already dressed for the day.
"Hello, darling," Georg said, smiling at her.
"Did you sleep well, Brigitta?" Maria asked the girl.
"Yes. I just came down for some water," she said, walking over to the cupboard to grab a glass.
"How would you feel about going into town today?" Georg asked. Brigitta spun around to face her father.
"Really?" she asked, her voice coated with outright enthusiasm. Maria smiled. Brigitta was over the moon that her father had been spending more time with them. She gushed about her father whenever he wasn't in the room.
"Sure. Do you think your brothers and sisters would like to go?" he asked.
"I think they'd be delighted. Maria, are you coming?" Brigitta asked as she filled up her glass.
"Not this time. I'm going to catch up on some marking," Maria said. Brigitta turned back with a frown, her mouth open and ready to speak.
"Now, Brigitta, Maria deserves a day off. You need to give her a break, lest she get tired of you," he said. He caught Maria's eye and shot her a wink. Maria could feel her heart hammer in her chest. Calm down, she told herself. There was no reason her cheeks should be flushing at a simple wink from Georg. She took a sip of her tea, hoping the cup would hide the darkening hue.
"Yes, father," Brigitta said, looking down at the floor. Maria frowned. She didn't want to make the poor girl sad. A part of her felt flattered that Brigitta enjoyed spending time with her. While Brigitta wasn't the most closed off of the children, she didn't easily accept just anyone.
"Besides, Uncle Max and Mrs. Schraeder will be joining us. We'll have a full group," Georg said. Maria watched Brigitta's face twitch, but she covered it up with a weak smile.
"Should I wake everyone up?" she asked. Georg checked his watch.
"It seems they've gotten an extra ten minutes of sleep. If you could wake them up, that would be a big help," Georg said with a smile. Brigitta drank her water before running out of the kitchen, no doubt excited to start the day.
"Oh, I must have lost track of the time. I'm so sorry, I meant to wake them up. I-," Georg cut her off with a soft laugh.
"Don't fret. It's your day off. You have zero responsibility today," Georg told her. Maria shot him a grateful smile.
"Thank you," she said.
"I suppose I should go wake up Max and Elsa. I don't know if you've noticed, but Max gets rather cranky if he's not fed," Georg said. He grabbed his mug and Maria's now empty mug and took them to the sink.
"I've noticed," Maria said while chuckling.
"I'll see you for breakfast?" he said.
"Yes," she replied. He gave her a beaming smile and left the kitchen. Maria found her own smile still plastered on her face after he had left. She liked the moments where he allowed himself to be open with her. It was nice that he had a semblance of trust with her. And she liked that conversation came so easily between them. She spent so much time with the children that it was nice to have an adult to talk to at times.
She pushed herself off her seat and made her way out of the kitchen, a smile still poised on her face.
Breakfast had been a lively affair. Once all the children had realized they didn't have to do their studies, they were practically vibrating in their seats. Maria knew a part of their excitement came from their father taking them out as well. It was endearing that they enjoyed their time with their father so much.
The past few days, Georg had been exceptional with his children. He spent every spare moment with them. He was engaging and attentive, and the children were eating it up. It was all they had wanted for five years.
After they had left, Maria decided to keep true to her word and mark some of the children's work. Even though she was technically not supposed to be working, she knew it would put her mind at ease if she could get all of the marking she had to catch up on out of the way.
She set herself up in the study room and got started on marking. The children were truly intelligent kids. The papers by Friedrich and Louisa were exceptionally well worded and full of insightful ideas. Liesl's work was always refreshing to read. She had just completed a slideshow presentation on World War One and it was concise, but informative. Maria was very impressed. Even Kurt's papers were fascinating, and his spelling had come a long way. Brigitta's literature reports were always a treat. She was a very bright young lady who clearly had a passion for reading. And little Marta and Gretl were developing quite nicely in their maths. Overall, Maria was extremely impressed and proud of the children.
She was about half way through Friedrich's paper on Othello when her phone buzzed from beside her. She was alarmed at first. There weren't a whole lot of people that would be trying to contact her, besides maybe Jane. She picked up her phone to see who the message was from.
Captain: I forgot to ask earlier, but do you need anything? Pens? Pencils? Notebooks? [Sent at 9:43 a.m.]
Maria smiled. Georg could be extremely thoughtful. She tried to ignore the heat that rose to her cheeks at the idea that he had wondered if she needed anything while he was out.
To Captain: I think I'm good. Thank you though. [Sent at 9:45 a.m.]
She turned back to the paper, but she couldn't quite focus on the words. She wondered how he was doing. She wondered if the children were behaving themselves. She supposed there was no harm in asking.
To Captain: I trust everything is going smoothly? [Sent at 9:47 a.m.]
She turned back to her marking. She wasn't even sure if he was going to respond. Obviously, he would be busy watching the children. She almost felt as if she was being a nuisance. When her phone buzzed again five minutes later, she couldn't help the smile that spread across her face.
Captain: Define 'smoothly'. I can barely keep track of them all. I don't know how you do it. [Sent at 9:51 a.m.]
She let out a little laugh to herself. She knew the seven of them could be a handful. Keeping track of each and every one was the trickiest part.
To Captain: I'm constantly counting heads. [Sent at 9:52 a.m.]
Maria turned back to the paper and picked up where she left off. She had gotten through another paragraph before her phone buzzed again. She let it sit for a moment. She was just about finished marking Friedrich's paper.
She wrote out a grade at the top of the page and circled it, drawing a little smiley face next to the grade. She was really impressed with his analysis of the play.
She picked up her phone once she had put the paper in the 'marked' pile.
Captain: Good advice. How's marking? [Sent at 9:54 a.m.]
Maria looked at the pile of marking she still had to complete. There were two papers and two math worksheets left to grade.
To Captain: I'm almost done, actually. [Sent at 9:57 a.m.]
She picked up Marta's math sheet and began to look it over. She had just started multiplication, but Maria was rather impressed by how quickly she had caught on.
She heard the buzz next to her.
Captain: That was quick. What are you going to do when you're all done? [Sent at 10:00 a.m.]
To Captain: I don't know. Read maybe? [Sent at 10:02 a.m.]
Maria truly hadn't given much thought to what she was going to do when she was finished marking. She had expected it would take her most of the morning. Reading seemed like a nice way to relax, and that was the whole point of the day, wasn't it?
She went back to looking over Marta's worksheet and smiled when she noticed that Marta had only gotten one question wrong. She wrote out the grade at the top and placed it in the 'marked' pile. She reached for the next piece of work. It was Louisa's paper on biological diversity.
She had gotten a quarter of the way through before her phone buzzed again.
Captain: If you need any reading material, you're more than welcome to raid my library. Max has already publicly announced where the spare key is kept. [Sent at 10:10 a.m.]
Maria smiled at the message. It was such a thoughtful thing for him to offer. The thought of being able to look through his vast selection of literature made her feel giddy.
To Captain: Thank you. I finished my book the other night, so I'm fresh out of material. [Sent at 10:13 a.m.]
Maria returned to the paper. She was amazed at Louisa's ability to make biological diversity so interesting on the page. She knew the girl had a knack for science, and Maria believed she could go quite far with it one day.
Maria graded the paper and set it to the side when she heard the buzz once again.
Captain: No problem. Max is claiming he's going to buy the children ice cream. You've been warned. [Sent at 10:19 a.m.]
Maria laughed out loud. She could picture six of the children – Liesl was more subdued and less prone to a raging sugar high – bouncing off the walls when they returned home. She could also picture Georg's dismayed expression as he watched his children bounce off the walls, helpless to stop the effects of the sugar.
To Captain: Hey, I'm off duty today. [Sent at 10:21 a.m.]
She smiled as she sent the message. She knew she would help wear them out if he needed it, but she doubted he would let her. He had been very adamant about her taking the day for herself earlier.
She grabbed the next paper. It was Brigitta's paper on Pride and Prejudice. She had practically begged Maria to let her read it for her literature study. Maria suspected the girl was going through a romance craze.
Another buzz caught her attention.
Captain: You'd make me handle seven children on a sugar high by myself? [Sent at 10:24 a.m.]
To Captain: Max will be here. You've got back up. [Sent at 10:25 a.m.]
Maria knew Max would be useless. If anything, he would only encourage the bouncing off the walls.
She turned back to Brigitta's paper. She was thoroughly impressed as she read through the numerous themes Brigitta listed throughout her paper. She hadn't solely focused on the romance.
The buzz went off just as she was finishing the last paragraph.
Captain: Max supplies the sugar. He doesn't deal with the aftermath. [Sent at 10:30 a.m.]
To Captain: If they run around in the backyard, they'll tire themselves out by dinner time. [Sent at 10:32 a.m.]
Maria gave him the soundest advice she could. She knew all they needed was to be able to work off all the sugar. Hopefully that would make it a little easier for Georg to manage.
She grabbed the last sheet in the 'to mark' pile. It was Gretl's addition worksheet. She smiled as she began to mark it.
The buzz came not too long after she had started.
Captain: We can hope. It looks like we've decided to go into a toy shop. Max's idea. Sometimes I think he's my eighth child. [Sent at 10:36 a.m.]
Maria laughed again. Max could be an overgrown child. He acted like it, though not in a bad way. He just had a childish spirit about him that made him incredibly fun to be around.
To Captain: Good luck. [Sent at 10:39 a.m.]
Maria smiled as she sent the last text before turning back to finish off marking Gretl's math worksheet. She was impressed with how well she had scored. She looked over to her pile of marking an realized there was nothing there. She must have marked everything. It wasn't even eleven. She was rather impressed with herself.
She packed away all her things and decided she would take Georg up on his offer to borrow a book.
On her way downstairs, she ran into Mrs. Schmidt.
"Maria, I thought you had gone into town with the group! I didn't think anyone was going to be here for lunch," she exclaimed. Maria smiled at the older woman.
"No, it's my day off. Don't worry too much about lunch. I'll probably just snack on something later," she said. She didn't want anyone to fret over her.
"Are you sure? I could tell the cook to prepare something for you," Mrs. Schmidt said.
"Oh no, I'm quite all right," Maria insisted. It would feel silly eating a meal alone at the large dinner table anyhow.
"If you're sure, dear," Mrs. Schmidt said, giving Maria a pat on the arm before walking in the opposite direction. Maria continued to her destination.
She made it to Georg's study and reached into the fake plant on the table next to the door. Her fingers found metal and she smiled. It was a smart hiding place, she thought, just not hidden enough for Max not to find it.
She slid the key into the door and opened it. She felt a little wary about intruding on Georg's personal space. He said you could, she reminded herself. Somehow, without him, the space seemed rather dark and empty.
Maria scanned the walls of books. It looked like everything was organized by genre. There was mystery, science fiction, non-fiction, and countless other genres that were spaced around the room. Georg was nothing if not organized, Maria reflected. She walked up to the biggest of the collections, his classic literature stash. The classics section nearly took up an entire book shelf.
She scanned over the titles, overwhelmed by the selection he had. Her eyes fell on the row of Charles Dickens novels. She had been meaning to read his works for a long time but had never gotten around to it. She pulled A Tale of Two Cities off the shelf. She smiled at the book. The pages looked a little worn, as if it had been read numerous times. Yes, she decided, reading will be a wonderful way to kill off some time.
She locked Georg's study back up and made her way back down the hall. It looked like a beautiful day outside, the perfect weather to read in
She walked out the back door and took in the bright sun that beamed down on her skin. It was a warm day, but not stiflingly so. There was a cool breeze that passed through the trees, making the leaves dance.
Maria made her way over the old gazebo she had seen many times while walking around the yard, but she had never actually gone inside of it. It had a rustic look to it. If she had to guess, she would say it had been there for over five decades. It didn't necessarily look worn down; it just had an older architectural look to it. It didn't really matter, Maria thought it was a beautiful addition to the yard regardless. It was as good a place as any to read.
She sat on one of the benches inside the glass structure and took note of how it was strategically placed. The trees surrounding the gazebo kept the sun from directly entering, but there was still a great view of the yard and the house. It was the perfect place to read, Maria decided.
She cracked open the book and started reading. She was engaged for a while, but her mind began to wander to the children. She hadn't expected to feel so alone without them. Their constant presence had kept her extremely busy, but now, without them there, it felt too quiet.
She pulled her phone from her pocket to check if there were any messages. There was nothing from Georg. There was a slight pang of disappointment in her chest, but she shook it off quickly. She should be enjoying her day off. She should be thrilled to have a chance to relax. She certainly should not be worried about the children, or their father for that matter. They were probably having a great time.
She tried to focus on the book but found herself putting an extreme amount of effort into actually concentrating. Every few paragraphs, her mind would wander. She would think about the children and if they had already been filled with enough sugar to make them run wild. She thought about Max and Elsa and if they were handling seven children in town all right. But most jarringly, her mind wandered to Georg.
It wasn't anything specific about Georg, her mind just conjured up the image of him in town, taking care of his seven children and trying to keep them under control. Or the way he looked that morning when the pink hue of the rising sun had struck his face and made him look almost immortal. It was the strangest thing. She didn't like where her mind was going with these distractions. Why was she even thinking of Georg at all?
She tried desperately to get her mind on track. It wasn't that she wasn't interested in the book. Her mind just couldn't focus. She let out a huff of air and pulled her phone out to check the time. She had let nearly three hours go by, and she had barley even made a dent in the book.
"Do you like it so far?" the voice made her head snap up. Georg was leaning against the door frame of the gazebo, arms crossed, and hair mussed as if he had been running his fingers through it several times. She suddenly felt self conscious wondering how long he had been standing there. Maria blinked at him. "The book. Are you enjoying the book?"
"Oh," she said looking down at the book in her hand. "Yes, it's very interesting."
"It's probably my favourite Dickens novel," he commented. He uncrossed his arms and moved into the gazebo, taking a seat on the bench opposite of her. Maria closed the book and took a good look at him. He looked exhausted. The dark circles under his eyes were more apparent, his shoulders were slumped, and there was a slight scowl on his face. She immediately knew something was off.
"How was the outing?" she asked.
"Hm?" he said looking up at her. He seemed to have been lost in thought. "Oh, right. It was fine. I was talked into buying two new dolls, a book, two new video games, and two pairs of headphones that cost a fortune. I think I'm getting soft in my old age."
Georg managed a weak smile, but it didn't meet his eyes. Something was bothering him, and Maria was curious about what it was. She didn't want to push him too far though; it wasn't her place to do so.
"Did Max buy everyone ice cream?" she asked, trying to keep the conversation light. Georg sighed.
"An insanely unhealthy amount, yes. The children are running around the yard as we speak," he told her, turning his head. Maria followed his gaze. She could see the children in the distance chasing each other around, except for Liesl. She was sitting against one of the trees, her phone in hand.
"Well, you survived," she told him. He looked back and managed another weak smile in her direction before looking at his shoes. She noticed his fingers twitching on the bench beside him. Something was obviously agitating him. She hoped the children hadn't been the cause. But then again, she doubted it was the children. Georg carried so much love for them. She was sure the children couldn't have put him in such a foul mood.
Maria was at a loss of what to say. She didn't want to ask him outright what the problem was, but she was out of ideas as to how to keep the conversation going. She settled on observing him instead, desperately trying to search for answers in his body language.
His jaw was hard set, and his eyebrows were furrowed as he concentrated on his feet. There was an unreadable look in his eyes – something like a cross between pain and anger. It unnerved her a little. This was the look the stony masked Georg had often wore.
"Do you ever have days where guilt just creeps up on you and lingers in your mind?" he asked. Maria watched his face fall into a deeper frown as he spoke the words. He didn't meet her eyes but kept his gaze firmly on his shoes.
"I think everyone has days like that," she replied tentatively. She knew she needed to be delicate when he was in such a fragile state.
"I was watching them today and I just realized how much time I had lost. Liesl is nearly a woman. She'll be done school before I know it, and then she'll be gone. She won't need me anymore," he told her with a shuddering breath. Maria was taken aback. Since the storage closet, she hadn't seen him in such a vulnerable state. He was open, yes, and he showed more emotion than he had, but he had never become so vulnerable again. Maria's heart broke a little as she watched him.
"It doesn't mean she'll stop needing you," she told him. Georg huffed and shook his head.
"She stopped needing me the day I turned my back on them," he replied bitterly. Maria wanted to say something, anything, that would stop the pain forming in his eyes.
"You were grieving," was all she could come up with. She mentally smacked herself for pointing out the obvious. She wanted to say more. She knew she needed to say more. She felt the urge to make all of the guilt and self deprecation he was feeling go away.
"So were they, but it didn't matter to me. I was so broken up about losing her that I didn't even consider anyone else for a second, not even my own children," he said. Maria was at a loss for what to say. She doubted anything she had to say could ease his mind. "I missed birthdays and talent shows and tournaments. I missed five years of their lives. I don't even know Gretl or Marta because I didn't raise them."
"You were there. You saw them. You gave them a routine. You weren't completely absent," she told him. Georg looked up to meet her eyes, and Maria desperately wished he hadn't. The pain and sorrow she saw in his eyes was almost too much for her to bear.
"I was there physically. I wasn't really there though, not as a father," he said solemnly. "Did I ever tell you how she passed?"
Maria shook her head and felt her heart rate speed up. She had known that Agathe was sick, but she knew next to nothing else about the woman, besides the tidbits the children had shared with her. She wasn't sure she wanted to know. She wasn't sure she would be able to handle Georg telling her. She wasn't sure Georg would be able to handle telling her. She swallowed hard as she watched him open his mouth.
"She was diagnosed with cancer after Gretl was born," he started. "Breast cancer. They had run numerous tests on her, I don't know how they didn't catch it before. They wouldn't let me see Agathe after she gave birth. They told me there was some sort of complication. They just handed me this little bundle and left me there. In the moment, I couldn't bring myself to be too concerned. There was this beautiful baby girl in my arms that was my whole world. Agathe had complications with Kurt and Marta as well. They were usually minor, nothing to fret over. I figured this time wouldn't be any different."
Maria could feel tears well up in her eyes as Georg's voice began to crack.
"I wasn't in the room during the delivery. I had been in Vienna. The systems at the main office had crashed, and they had called me in a few days earlier to assess the damage. Gretl wasn't due for the next two weeks so I thought it would be fine. I jumped in my car as soon as Agathe had called. I wish I had been there. It feels like it was wasted time now," he continued. Maria swallowed again. Her throat felt thick with emotion.
"A nurse came to take Gretl away. I asked about Agathe and they said the doctor was still with her. I figured that if anything had gone seriously wrong, someone would tell me. So, I went to the waiting room. I think I was sitting there for about an hour before the doctor came out. At that point I began to feel a little bit nervous, but I assured myself that everything would work out, the damned fool I was. The doctor congratulated me. I was ecstatic at the time. I loved being a part of bringing a new life into the world. It felt like nothing could bring me down. Until," he choked on the last word. He cleared his throat. "Until the doctor asked me to sit down. He told me that Agathe had cancer and that it was terminal. I remember being so angry when he told me that it was a pure fluke that they hadn't caught it before. A rare oversight, he called it. I knew Agathe had been more tired during this pregnancy. She was always exhausted, but I just figured with it being the seventh time, it was taking its toll."
Maria could feel the tears running down her cheeks as Georg continued his story. She wiped at her eyes willing herself to stop. The last thing she needed was for Georg to see her cry. She needed to be strong, for him if not herself.
"I'm pretty sure I scared the doctor half to death. I was enraged. How did they not catch it beforehand? I didn't understand. He kept talking though, even while I was yelling at him. All I could see was red. He told me they estimated she had three to four months left. I couldn't believe it. Agathe, my darling Agathe, had just brought a new life into the world, and now she was about to lose hers? All because the doctors hadn't caught it in the first place?" he spat. Maria wiped at the tears on her cheeks. Why wouldn't they stop?
"Agathe was unreasonably calm about the whole thing. It was like it was nothing more than a minor inconvenience to her. I think that made me angrier. I wanted her to scream, I wanted her to be as outraged as I was, I just wanted her to react. But she just sat there and watched as I cried. She waited until I calmed down before she spoke. I'll never forget what she said to me. She looked me in the eyes and said 'Georg, you need to think about the children. You can't leave them without a mother and a father.' But that's exactly what I did. I left my children parentless because I was too broken to pick up the pieces she had left behind," he said. Maria looked at Georg. He wasn't crying, but his body trembled a little as he stared out the glass of the gazebo at his children.
"For a long time, I didn't know how I was going to make it without her. We had been together for nearly twenty years. It was like half of me had died with her," he whispered. Maria's heart broke all over again. It broke for Agathe, who had been taken far too soon from the world. It broke for the seven children who had lost their mother long before most of them had even gotten to know her. Most of all, it broke for Georg who had lost the love of his life, and who had ultimately lost his heart.
Georg turned his head to look at Maria, his eyes widening in realization as he noticed her tears.
"I'm sorry. I, uh, didn't mean to go off like that," he said. Maria shook her head as she wiped at her tears.
"I'm glad you told me," she said, forcing a weak smile on her face.
"I don't think I've ever actually talked about it. I never could," he muttered. He looked down at his feet once again, a baffled look in his eyes.
"I think that means you're healing," Maria said softly. Georg looked up at her and fixed her with a weak smile of his own.
"I feel like it's a little late for that," he replied. Maria shook her head.
"Everyone heals at their own pace. Loss is never easy to handle," she said, looking down at her own feet. She felt a pang in her heart that she hadn't felt in a very long time.
"It sounds like you speak from experience," he commented. He wasn't pushing a question, just an observation. Maria glanced at him. He had been so open and vulnerable with her. He had let her see a piece of him that she didn't believe most people saw. She figured the least she could do was share a piece of her.
"My parents died when I was six. Drunk driver. It wasn't easy," she muttered. Georg's expression softened.
"Maria, I'm so sorry. I had no idea. You know exactly how they must feel," he said, looking back to the children who were still running around the yard.
"I've learned that life is unexpected. Sometimes the things we love the most get taken away from us. But every experience brings us a choice. We can live in the loss, which I did for a long time. Or, we can carry the loss with us, not as something sad, but as a reminder that nothing lasts forever and we must appreciate what we have while we have it," she said. Georg turned to look at her again, his eyes scanning her face with intense eyes. Her chest felt like it was going to burst from the intensity of it.
"You're incredible," he breathed out. Maria's chest tightened at his words. She felt her face prickle with heat. She shook her head and opened her mouth to speak but he cut her off. "You are. You suffered a great loss at such a young age, and that tends to change people. A lot of the time, people go to a dark place. I did. But somehow you came out of it as a kind, caring, nurturing person. And what's more is that you have no idea how incredible you are."
Maria felt as if the breath had been robbed from her lungs. She couldn't remember a time when someone had spoken so kindly to her in such a genuine manner. It made the tears form in her eyes once again.
"Maria, I-."
"Maria! I missed you!" both adults turned their heads to watch Gretl run into the gazebo and launch herself into Maria's arms. Maria blinked back the tears in her eyes and cleared her throat.
"Oh, hello! Did you enjoy your time in town today?" Maria asked. Gretl nodded and beamed up at Maria.
"Father bought me a new doll. Do you want to see it?" she asked.
"Gretl, remember, it's Maria's day off," Georg said in a warning tone. Maria looked up at him.
"I don't mind, really," she said. Georg gave her a warm smile, the first smile that had reached his eyes since he had entered the gazebo.
"I'll go get it! Marta will want to show you hers too," Gretl squealed before hopping off the bench and rushing off. Maria and Georg both laughed lightly before looking at each other. A silence fell over them.
"I should probably go check on Max, anyways. I left him in a bit of a sugar coma on the sofa earlier," he said after a moment, rising from his seat. "I'll be right back out to watch the children though, if you want to go read some more."
"No, it's okay. I kind of missed them. I would like to spend a bit of time with them before dinner. I'm sure they have lots of tales about their adventures today," she told him.
"It's your day off, Maria, that means not working," Georg told her sternly. The smile on his face made it difficult to take him seriously.
"I've never considered your children as work," she replied. "I would love to talk to them. You've been with them for most of the day, on a sugar high even. I think maybe you're the one who should take a rest. "
"If you're certain. I don't want to take away your day off," he said cautiously. Maria smiled. She liked this thoughtful side of Georg she was getting acquainted with.
"I'm positive," she replied. Georg smiled.
"Thank you, Maria. For just now. I appreciate you listening. And I appreciate you sharing with me," he told her. He gave her a sad smile. It felt a little odd to walk away from such a heavy conversation. It was as if there was more to be said, but Maria didn't want to dwell on the pain. She knew it was good that they had both said their piece. It was nice that they were able to be so open with each other. Maria had never had that. She had never really talked about her parents' death to anyone before. It was a piece of herself she kept hidden from the rest of the world.
"Anytime, Captain," she replied. Georg nodded before beginning to walk out. He stopped at the door.
"Before I forget," he said turning towards her, "Elsa talked me into hosting a dinner party for a few friends next Friday. I know you asked for the day off, and I'm still fine with that. I'm sure the children will manage on their own for an evening. I just thought I would let you know."
"Thank you. Are you sure you don't want me here to look after the children? I mean, I shouldn't be back too late anyways, so I could keep them occupied," she suggested. Georg smiled and shook his head.
"I have never met anyone as dedicated as you. I'm sure they'll be fine. I want you to have the day off. The whole day," he told her firmly. Maria smiled.
"Aye aye, Captain," she said as she saluted him. He eyed her for a moment, studying her carefully before fixing her with a full smile that brought his dimples out. He walked out of the gazebo, and Maria's eyes followed him into the house.
Once he was out of sight, she slumped against the glass and exhaled a shaky breath. She certainly hadn't expected that conversation when he walked into the gazebo.
Her mind was racing. He had been so open with her, it was perplexing. He had told her things she doubted he would tell most people, and while she was flattered, a part of her was fearful as well. The way he had looked at her had set her nerves on end. It was as if his eyes had been burning her.
She took another shaky breath. Why had he told her? Georg was a private man. He didn't offer information, especially intimate information, easily. In most of their conversation since the other night, their topics had been light, mostly about the children. Occasionally he would ask her questions about school or her views on things, but he had never brought up such a heavy topic.
She wondered why he had come to her in the first place. His best friend was inside and his… okay, she didn't exactly know what Elsa was to him, was also inside. He could have easily talked to one of them. She didn't understand what it was about her that made him feel safe to talk about such things. Not that she was complaining. She was glad Georg could open up; she just didn't know why he put so much trust into her.
She shook her head. Those were exactly the kind of thoughts she needed to avoid. She needed to avoid any thoughts of Georg in general that weren't of a professional capacity. He was still her employer and she was still his employee. Perhaps they had traveled into a friendly territory, but it didn't change the fact that their relationship was professional first and foremost.
Still, Maria couldn't ignore the little nagging voice in the deep corners of her mind that told her that she might have it all wrong. Maybe there was something more than just a professional relationship there. Maybe the way she felt around him wasn't anxiety at all. Maybe there was something more that she wasn't willing to confront.
If that was the case, Maria knew she was screwed.
A/N: That went from 0 to 100 real quick. I really loved writing that last scene. I feel like it was a development for Georg, but also a development for Maria. There were some cute and fluffy moments in this chapter that I enjoyed writing.
This chapter was also a pain, though. I wrote about three vastly different versions of this, but they all felt wrong to me. That's why this chapter took me so long. I knew what I wanted for the next few chapters, but I needed a stepping stone to get there. I can honestly say that I whipped up this chapter in a matter of hours today. Seriously, I've been sitting here for six hours trying to get this thing done. I wouldn't say I'm completely happy about it, but it has us headed in the right direction.
Thank you for the wonderful reviews again. Someone mentioned that they wanted to see some cute texts between these lovestruck fools. I live to appease the masses. I think I addressed a couple other questions from some other reviews (or at least I hope I did?)
Are you guys ready for things to get intense? I am. I'm really excited for the next chapter. It's filled with tension (and it's probably going to be monstrously long, oops).
With that being said, here's a friendly reminder that the rating is going to change from T to M (I won't reveal how soon, but in the near future). It won't be on the main page anymore, so if you're enjoying this weird little journey, please favourite and/or follow so you can keep reading.
Again, thank you for reading. I hope you enjoyed!