~True Love~

Chapter 1: A calm afternoon

"Well children, what shall we do today?" Maria asked the children jadedly.

"The weather is nice, why not be lazy and stay in the garden?" Brigitta answered before letting out a deep sigh.

"Everyone agrees with that?" Maria's head turned around to see all the faces of the children. They looked rather lazy today, sitting on the stairs, and nobody seemed to disagree.

"I guess that settles it then. And what exactly do you want to do in the garden?"

Kurt, who had been staring at the wall in front of him, suddenly came back to reality. "Of course there is the lake, or we can just lie in the grass staring at the clouds, daydream a little."

Once again, nobody thought it was a bad idea. Maria didn't know what was going on. These always so full of life children, just sitting there, not willing to do anything that required much energy.

"All right. Who are you and what have you done with the Von Trapp children?"

Louisa looked up with a lot of trouble. "What do you mean, Fraulein?"

"You kids are always so energetic and cheerful…"

"Oh but we are cheerful, Fraulein, we're just not in the mood for anything exhausting." Brigitta filled in.

"Did something happen I'm unaware of?" Maria frowned suspiciously. And suddenly some life was visible again in those kids. Louisa turned to Liesl and whispered something in her ear. "Should we tell her?"

"I don't know."

But Liesl's reply came too late, Gretl and Marta were already enthusiastically telling the whole story. "Last night, Marta and I couldn't sleep…"

"So Gretl and I sneaked into our sisters' room…"

"And we woke them up and we had a pillow fight."

Friedrich, who had followed the whole story, continued as Maria was intently listening. "Then Brigitta came to our room, to get us into all the fun. I think it was about 2 am."

Still listening Maria couldn't believe their story. 'How come I didn't hear that?'

"So what you're saying is that you had a big pillow fight with the seven of you, while everyone else was sleeping? I can't believe I slept through all of this!" But in fact, Maria was mainly thrown off because she rather would've been there with them.

"Oh but we tried to be quiet, Fraulein. We didn't want anybody to hear us because we were having so much fun," little Gretl followed in.

"I guess that solves the mystery," she sighed and then pushed herself up from the stairs. "Well, come along, we'll move to the garden as you suggested. It's a perfect waist to stay all day on these stairs."

"Fraulein…" Maria heard Liesl's voice quietly behind her as she was heading to the door, "You won't tell father, will you?"

"Liesl, how long have I been here?"

Liesl knew where she was getting at. "Almost three weeks."

"And do you still think I would tell this to your father?" Maria answered casting her a little smile.

"I suppose not." Liesl replied, smiling back. 'Of course she wouldn't…'

"Tell me what?"

Maria stirred for a minute hearing that deep, yet gentle voice. Not because he had heard she wouldn't tell him the children's story, but something else… Since the fight between the captain and Maria, things had been a lot better. The captain showed more affection to his children and didn't behave so coldly to her as when they just had met. Even though Maria was glad he wasn't so cool anymore, the feelings she started to have wasn't something she wanted at the moment. First and foremost, she was going to be a nun, second he was her employment and third, even if it did matter, there was still the baroness who seemed to be occupying the captain's time. Maria was far away with her thoughts, but that same voice made her come back again.

"Fraulein?"

"Yes?" Maria asked as she came back to reality and realized that the captain had asked her something, "Oh, sorry… a little secret between me and the children."

The captain couldn't do but smile when he saw her cheeks redden a bit. It wasn't until then that Maria had noticed that Liesl was already outside. The girl had left when she had heard her father's voice.

"Yes well… if you'll excuse me, the children are waiting for me." Maria looked briefly into his eyes but almost immediately after cast her glance to the ground, preparing to move herself away from him.

"Yes of course."

As Maria walked outside towards the children, who lay already spread over the grass, the captain couldn't keep his eyes out of her direction. Indeed, it was a lovely day. But when he intended to follow his children's governess outside, an arm enfolded around his waist.

"Georg, darling, it's time."

"Time? Time for what?" He asked, still letting his eyes wander outside.

"Please Georg, this is no time for jokes," Elsa replied seriously in that sophisticated voice Georg knew all too well, and which finally caught his attention.

"Ah yes, the tour around Salzburg."

He moved his eyes from Elsa back to outside, where he saw eight people just lying in the grass, doing nothing but gazing up to the sky. He wished he could do the same, just for once and not to forget in the company of his adorable children and their little governess.