Note: Please review, but remember the story is not finished yet, so much could happen!
Ch. 5: "Yes"
Maria peered out at the sparkling water of the lake before her. She couldn't help but recall the last time a certain someone had proposed to her in almost the same circumstances. The resemblance of Georg that Michael had awed Maria. He looked so similar to him it was not even funny. Maria's mouth began to move. She knew she had to answer.
"Yes, I will." She finished. Michael put the ring on her finger and kissed Maria fully. Maria made no movement towards him but kissed him too. She noticed the ring on her finger. It was a gigantic opal ring with many little crystals lining the outside. It was beautiful, but not something Maria would normally wear. She was more into the well, plain beauty from within look. She sighed at this as Michael looked into her eyes.
"I love you." He told her holding her in his arms. Maria smiled.
"I love you too, G…Michael." She shuddered at what she had almost called him. Yet she could not seem to overcome the fact that he was so much like Georg. She did not know whether that attracted her towards him or made her try to distance herself from him. He was similar yet she could tell there was something that was not the same. Michael was wonderful, but Georg was…well no one could ever compare.
Maria tossed in her bedroom that night. Unlike the night she had become engaged to Georg, she did not tell Michael she did not want to leave him. It was actually quite the opposite as she told him she had a headache and needed to get to sleep. In her bed she could not sleep because of the thoughts running through her head.
She was stunned that she had told him "Yes." At the same time she could not have told him "No," either. Michael had in fact taught her how to love again in a way. He had shown her there was still good in the world and that the world really was beautiful. In a way he had influenced her the same way she had helped Georg. Maria tried to laugh off her thought of still being Georg's fiancé. After all Georg was dead and Maria could not be engaged to a dead person. This thought that Maria hoped would make her laugh did nothing but depress her more. She decided that maybe what she needed was closure. Maybe she needed to see Georg's grave and see the children one more time. The children…she hadn't even thought of them. Was it fair to them to go and marry someone else? They were really almost her children and she had told them she would take care of them and be their Mother.
Maria drifted off to sleep with bad thoughts in her head. She longed for the days where things were so simple. Meanwhile as Maria sleep with bitter thoughts and dreams Michael slept with the excitement of having Maria to himself soon.
Weeks slowly went by and the wedding was soon approaching. The two of them seemed to grow more in love with time, much to the happiness of Maria. One day they were taking a walk and Michael sensed something was wrong with her. He stopped and looked at her.
"Is something troubling you?" He asked.
"Oh Michael I just really wish I could have some closure on my fiancé's death. I would love to see his grave and put flowers there. I also want to see the children. They are in a way my children and I feel like I am leaving them." Maria spoke softly. Michael smiled at the fact of Maria finally telling him what was wrong. It was the first time she had mentioned her old fiancé in a long time.
"Well Maria I don't know what we can do about the grave. It is undoubtedly in Austria and we can't go back there, not now. If you would like I would love to have the children at our wedding." He told her.
"Really?" Maria's face lit up with an illuminating smile.
"Yes, I just have to know the name Maria. I know you don't like talking about him, but I would like to know if you don't mind." Michael answered.
"Oh I am really sorry Michael, it is just I really loved him so much. His name was Georg; he looked actually a lot like you, just older. He was so wonderful he had your same piercing blue eyes." Maria did not notice Michael shuddering. Finally he began to put two and two together.
"Maria how many children did he have?" He asked.
"Seven," She began. "Five girls and two boys."
"What was there last name?" Michael asked almost scared to hear it for himself.
"Von Trapp. Surly you have heard of them." Michael looked up in apparent disbelief. He had no idea that his Maria was the same Maria Georg had talked to him so passionately about before he died.
"Darling, do you know of him?" Maria repeated again.
"Yes I did as a matter of fact. I would be delighted if his children attended our wedding." He answered her and gave her a kiss. He loved her more than anything, yet he felt a little bit pained. Was it okay to marry his brother's fiancé? He reminded himself that Georg was dead and would only want happiness for the two of them.
Two weeks later the invitations were sent and everything was in order for the wedding. The day before would be the wedding rehearsal lunch. Maria and Michael had both decided to have the rehearsal at a beautiful lake. Then instead of a formal dinner they would have a nice lunch. Then of course they would be married inside of a church. As Maria prepared her wedding dress she had to laugh at Michael. He was having more issues than her deciding what to wear. He could not decide between a regular tux or his army one. Maria had told him it would be nice to just wear a tux since politics would definitely be dragged in for wearing Austrian army attire. Maria had to laugh at the thought that now she was marrying the Commander of an army. Maybe she was just attracted to Captains.
Maria helped set up the tables she would be using for the rehearsal dinner the following day. Michael saw her and came down and hugged her.
"Darling I have news that will make you very happy." He told her.
"What is it? Tell me." She answered still setting the tablecloths on the table.
"Should I tell you now or are you to busy?" He asked.
"I am never to busy for you." She answered giving him a kiss.
"Well I just got word that the von Trapp's will be able to attend our wedding. They will be here tomorrow for the rehearsal." He told her. Michael did not mention however that the children only knew it was there uncles wedding. He had only told them the first name of his bride to be, Maria. Maria was such a popular name that no one began to think that his Maria was supposed to be their Mother before Georg died.
"Oh did they seem happy?" She asked.
"I know not what they feel my dear, it was only an acceptance telegram." He told her giving her a kiss. He told her to come and take a walk with him when she was finished. She nodded in agreement, but her mind was far away.
Maria began to think of her children and what they were doing at that very second and what they had been doing while she had been gone. It had almost been one year since she had seen them. One very long year, and finally tomorrow she would be able to hug them once again.