A/N: I revised the last few paragraphs of this so the other chapter would make sense. So enjoy and read and review please!
Ch. 9: Chinese Tradition
"Georg, I just wanted to say that I…um…am really sorry for how I acted yesterday. It wasn't right." Maria began.
"You were stressed. You had a right to be. I should be the one apologizing. I had no right to come in and ask you that question." Georg answered.
"No I didn't have any right. You had every right to ask. I was engaged to you after all." Maria told him.
"Well apology accepted then. I suppose we were both wrong and I am sorry." Georg told her.
"You're forgiven." Maria told him.
"Good so we are all made up right?" Georg asked her. Maria nodded at him.
"Yes we are, but Georg, can I ask you something?" She asked.
"Of course you can Maria, what is it?" He asked focusing on her.
"Can you tell me what your point was again when we were talking last afternoon?" Maria asked.
"My point?" He asked.
"Yes. What was the point of you arguing with me so much? You seemed to have a very good point." She told him.
"Oh you mean my point that I love you more than anyone will ever love you in your life. Yes that is my point and it is still true. I just hope the point you made last night was not true." He answered gazing into her eyes. "What made you feel so mad Maria?"
"Because all you said yesterday made so much sense. I realized that I loved Michael, but not the way I love you. He is more of a friend. The truth was that I never felt anything when he kissed me or touched me. I figured that must be how normal love feels. I was upset you seemed to have it all figured out before me." She answered.
"Maria all you had to do was tell me how you felt, that's all I asked." Georg said coming closer to her in the booth. He was secretly jumping up and down knowing that she never felt anything by his brothers touch.
"I know but I thought you would be mad if I told you that I thought I fell in love with him. I could tell you were jealous." She told him.
"I still am." Georg told her. "He got to spend a year of his life with you while I was battling those Nazis."
"I am sorry Georg…I really thought…" Maria began
"…That I was dead. Yes you have mentioned that a few times. Honestly though I would have been dead if it hadn't been for you." Maria looked at him questionably. "You were my reason to live. I would have given up all hope if it wasn't for you." He finished.
"Georg what did you want to do to me yesterday? That wasn't right for the circumstances?" She whispered.
"Kiss you like you have never been kissed before." He replied bringing her lips to his. For the first time in nearly a year the two of them sat kissing entranced with one another. Maria felt a shiver run down her spine as he put his arms around her. Georg ran his fingers down the side of her back and kissed her fervently. He was so happy that finally things seemed to be working out. He held her in a tight hug while he put a stream of gentle kisses on her face. Maria could not help but giggle. She finally really knew, just hours earlier, she was about to make the worse mistake of her life.
"I love you Georg, more than anyone in the world." Maria told him.
"You don't know how good it sounds for me to hear that…" Georg tried to continue talking but found Maria's lips pressed against his eagerly. To Maria it felt so good to finally feel the love in a kiss. She could not believe that she had almost married someone else. She could not imagine being in anyone else's arms but Georg's.
"You are undoubtedly the best kisser in the world." Maria whispered to him. Georg laughed a little at the sincerity of her words. She obviously was very sorry for the way she treated him the day before.
"Well if I am, then lucky for you, but it stinks for the rest of the world, because you my love are the only one I will ever kiss for the rest of my life." He said. She just smiled and laid her head on his shoulder.
The waitress brought out some fortune cookies.
"We are eating dessert first?" Maria asked in confusion. Georg tried to keep a strait face.
"Well you see it was just discovered that in China they eat fortune cookies first before the meal." He said. She took one in her hand and passed it to him. "Oh let me correct myself the woman eat theirs before the meal. The men eat it after." Maria rolled her eyes.
"That is a strange tradition dear." She told him. He had to laugh at her face.
"Please Maria just open it." He told her. She shrugged and opened the tiny white fortune. The note popped open and out popped the simple words:
I love you. Will you please marry me?
She glanced up at Georg, tears filling her eyes.
"Well will you please be my wife Maria? I love you more than anything in the world. I would be the luckiest man alive if I had you as my wife." Georg pulled out a simple gold-banded ring with a small sapphire on the top of it. Now Maria was full out crying. She could not speak she was crying so hard. Through her tears she nodded. Georg put the ring on her hand then brought his face towards his and kissed her until they were both out of breath.
"Is it also a Chinese Tradition to ask someone to marry them through a fortune?" Maria asked.
"You know, I don't know." Georg said thoughtfully. Maria laughed with him and began to kiss him all over.
Once they had both eventually calmed down they began to eat and talk about their wedding plans.
"Well personally I say we should get married tomorrow if everything could get worked out. Then we can take a voyage to America for our honeymoon." Georg said. Maria laughed at him.
"Tomorrow darling? Don't you want a nice wedding? I mean I don't mind, but what about everyone else?" She asked.
"The wedding will be nice as long as you are my bride." He answered her. "I'm just plain sick of being engaged to you."
"Hey…" Maria started before she saw Georg's mischievous smile spread across his face.
"You know what I mean Maria. If we don't get married soon, I mean in the next few days soon, I fear we might end up being sinners." He told her.
"We are already sinners Georg." Maria said.
"I know you know what I am talking about Maria." He said smiling at her witty attempt. She laughed with him and kissed him excitedly. He backed away knowing they should stop.
"Okay I agree lets get married tomorrow. Actually can we get married tonight?" Maria asked eagerly. Georg saw the fire and passion in her eyes. He was so glad to see it finally return and was also surprised to see all the fire in them. He laughed at her.
"My dear lets go and prepare today and we will get married in the morning, alright?" He asked her.
"Alright, but lets get married early, like at seven in the morning." She said getting up from the restaurant seat.
"Seven in the morning it is my love." He told her kissing her passionately again. As they road back to the house they discussed what they would say to the children. Georg wanted to trick them, but Maria told him that the poor dears had too much bad news and trickery involved in their young lives already.