First of all, thanks Martina!
Ok, I know it took me a while for this chapter to be uploaded, so sorry for the ones who care ... I had quite some trouble with this chapter, not really knowing what they could do in the meantime and I'm afraid this vacation has made me a bit lazy! I know, I know, bad me ...
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The children were all still in Maria's embrace when Georg entered the room. His heart melted at the sight in front of him. Unfortunately he had to disturb their moment. He cleared his throat to make his presence known. Immediately 8 heads looked up.
"Darling, children, would you mind coming back outside?"
"No, not at all." Maria replied. She knew the children's aunt was still sitting on the patio and Maria assumed she longed to see her family again.
"Children, there's a little surprise for you outside."
Georg exchanged a look with Gretl asking her not to tell the others. She smiled at the fact that she had a little secret all of her own. In a second the children had left the room.
"Speaking of surprises, look what they gave me."
She walked over to Georg and gave him the photo.
"Well when was that ready?" He asked kinda confused.
"When we brought Chris away."
He stared a while at the photo when Maria's voice sounded again.
"You know, it's our very first family photo."
He rose his head to face Maria.
"Indeed it is."
While giving back the photo, he laid his arm around Maria's waist, pulling her closely to him. After having given her a little kiss, they turned and moved down the hall where they bumped into Max.
"I see you've received your present. I've got the other photos right here."
He reached down the inside of his jacket and took out an envelop.
"The children have watched them, but only wanted to have the one in the frame."
Then he handed it over to the couple.
"Now excuse me, I have some business to take care off."
Georg and Maria watched him retreat to his room where he took the phone straight away.
"Max will always be Max."
Maria couldn't help but chuckle after Georg's little remark.
"What do you say if we wait with watching these until we get some spare time? Rosemarie's waiting."
"I'd say that's a fine idea. Now let's get back downstairs."
-----
"Aunt Rose!" The children exclaimed as soon as they had spotted the lady outside. Immediately everyone, except Gretl, ran towards their aunt to embrace her after such a long time.
"Oh I've missed you darlings so much!"
"We missed you too!" Brigitta replied cheerfully.
"What took you so long to visit us?"
Kurt looked at her, wondering why it had been 6 months since the last time she had been there.
"I'm sorry, but I've been awfully busy. Now I'm here. We'll have time till this evening."
"Wait a minute, you're not here to stay for a while?" Liesl asked sadly.
"I'm afraid not. I haven't got any of my things here and I thought your father perhaps wouldn't want me to."
"I wouldn't want what?"
Rosemarie immediately looked up towards the sound of Georg's voice.
"Me staying here."
"Nonsense. And that's exactly what you're going to do."
"But Georg, I haven't got any of my things with me."
"We'll take care of that. Maria and I have talked, she'd be happy to lend you a nightdress tonight. Your things will be here first thing in the morning."
"But I really can't do tha--"
"Please?" Maria pleaded. "It would be nice for everyone if you stayed for a little while. The children sure have missed you."
Rosemarie was rather surprised by Georg's sudden decision. It hadn't been until that moment that she had seen how changed he was. In the old days he definitely wouldn't have persisted on her staying at the villa. She only had stayed there longer than a day if this had been planned in advance. It was Maria who had changed him so much, and with her warm personality, she couldn't do but like her. She was glad Georg had found someone as Maria. 'They're perfect for each other!' Her thoughts were interrupted by the happy cheering of the children.
"Are you really going to stay?"
"Yes, I suppose I will."
She smiled at the children as the thought of spending more time with them popped into her head. She was Maria truly thankful.
"It's so great you're here! Chris had to leave today, but now you're here!" Gretl said while walking back into the group of her siblings.
"Chris ..."
The children saw the puzzled look on her face and dragged her immediately inside.
"We'll tell you all about him! He's Maria's best friend and he came here ..."
The couple listened until the children's voices grew dim as they were back into the house.
"Well, I guess it's a perfect time to look at those pictures now."
Georg cast a little smile at Maria and both walked into the direction of the gazebo. As they had taken place closely next to each other, Maria sighed while looking around at the view. Here she had seen that lovely image of Georg with Friedrich and Louisa. How she and Georg had stood here, only inches away from each other.
As if Georg could read her mind, he laid his arm around her to pull her even closer to him. Then he bended over to give her a little kiss before he got the envelop Max had given him.
When they were looking at the photos, Maria laid her head down on Georg's shoulder and then she felt Georg's leaning softly on her hair.
The first few photos were the ones Maria had taken of the children. There was one where all of them were sitting like little angels in a row. On another one, Friedrich and Louisa held each other and little Gretl in front of them tightly, with next to them Marta on Kurt's lap while Brigitta and Liesl held the two at both sides. Then there was one with them all pulling faces. The next was with Georg sitting in the middle.
As they went on going through the photos, they suddenly saw the one they didn't recall being taken: Maria and Georg sitting there so near each other while talking.
"Where did this one come from?" Georg asked confused while studying it closely.
"I don't know." Maria replied with the same puzzled tone. "But I do remember that it was awfully quiet that moment we were having our conversation."
Georg turned his gaze to Maria and had this suspicious look on his face.
"Do you suppose the children had taken them while we weren't looking?"
"I suppose they did." Maria smiled.
As she looked at Georg's face, she saw how he was gazing back at the picture, and soon she knew why.
"My, we were quite obvious!" He started.
"Indeed. I was spellbound by your blue eyes and you looked as if--"
"As if I had found my true love."
He turned his gaze back to Maria and saw her looking at him as if he had said that the world's biggest diamond was nothing compared to her. Both moved closer unconsciously and soon their lips touched in this magical moment. As they parted, Maria's eyes opened slowly because she was still relishing the touch of his lips on hers and Georg brushed a strand of hair of her forehead. She smiled faintly at him, before laying her head back on his shoulder.
"Strange how we didn't see it at that time." Maria sighed.
"But we've seen it eventually ... and that's all what matters."
The next photo was again of the couple. This time Maria was laughing genuinely and seemed to be having a lot of fun, while Georg just couldn't hide that little smile as he was looking at her. Even the littlest child could see there was more going on between those two. Except for the two themselves!
They saw two other photos of them alone and then the ones with Frau Schmidt and Hendrika came. Both chuckled at the one where the left side had fallen down.
The photos soon came to an end. Georg put them back in the envelop and laid it next to him on the bench. Maria was still laying with her head on his shoulder when Georg bend his head down to give her a little kiss on her soft hair.
"I can't believe it only happened yesterday." He started.
"Yes ... seems like it has been this way for ages."
Silence fell, but not for long.
"You know ... I was actually scared last night when you were talking with Elsa." She confessed.
"Oh?"
"I feared you'd think of it as a mistake."
"I would never think of you as a mistake." Georg answered as he pulled her even closer.
----- ----- -----
I hope you've enjoyed this chapter, let me know what you think :)
Ok, I know it took me a while for this chapter to be uploaded, so sorry for the ones who care ... I had quite some trouble with this chapter, not really knowing what they could do in the meantime and I'm afraid this vacation has made me a bit lazy! I know, I know, bad me ...
----- ----- -----
The children were all still in Maria's embrace when Georg entered the room. His heart melted at the sight in front of him. Unfortunately he had to disturb their moment. He cleared his throat to make his presence known. Immediately 8 heads looked up.
"Darling, children, would you mind coming back outside?"
"No, not at all." Maria replied. She knew the children's aunt was still sitting on the patio and Maria assumed she longed to see her family again.
"Children, there's a little surprise for you outside."
Georg exchanged a look with Gretl asking her not to tell the others. She smiled at the fact that she had a little secret all of her own. In a second the children had left the room.
"Speaking of surprises, look what they gave me."
She walked over to Georg and gave him the photo.
"Well when was that ready?" He asked kinda confused.
"When we brought Chris away."
He stared a while at the photo when Maria's voice sounded again.
"You know, it's our very first family photo."
He rose his head to face Maria.
"Indeed it is."
While giving back the photo, he laid his arm around Maria's waist, pulling her closely to him. After having given her a little kiss, they turned and moved down the hall where they bumped into Max.
"I see you've received your present. I've got the other photos right here."
He reached down the inside of his jacket and took out an envelop.
"The children have watched them, but only wanted to have the one in the frame."
Then he handed it over to the couple.
"Now excuse me, I have some business to take care off."
Georg and Maria watched him retreat to his room where he took the phone straight away.
"Max will always be Max."
Maria couldn't help but chuckle after Georg's little remark.
"What do you say if we wait with watching these until we get some spare time? Rosemarie's waiting."
"I'd say that's a fine idea. Now let's get back downstairs."
-----
"Aunt Rose!" The children exclaimed as soon as they had spotted the lady outside. Immediately everyone, except Gretl, ran towards their aunt to embrace her after such a long time.
"Oh I've missed you darlings so much!"
"We missed you too!" Brigitta replied cheerfully.
"What took you so long to visit us?"
Kurt looked at her, wondering why it had been 6 months since the last time she had been there.
"I'm sorry, but I've been awfully busy. Now I'm here. We'll have time till this evening."
"Wait a minute, you're not here to stay for a while?" Liesl asked sadly.
"I'm afraid not. I haven't got any of my things here and I thought your father perhaps wouldn't want me to."
"I wouldn't want what?"
Rosemarie immediately looked up towards the sound of Georg's voice.
"Me staying here."
"Nonsense. And that's exactly what you're going to do."
"But Georg, I haven't got any of my things with me."
"We'll take care of that. Maria and I have talked, she'd be happy to lend you a nightdress tonight. Your things will be here first thing in the morning."
"But I really can't do tha--"
"Please?" Maria pleaded. "It would be nice for everyone if you stayed for a little while. The children sure have missed you."
Rosemarie was rather surprised by Georg's sudden decision. It hadn't been until that moment that she had seen how changed he was. In the old days he definitely wouldn't have persisted on her staying at the villa. She only had stayed there longer than a day if this had been planned in advance. It was Maria who had changed him so much, and with her warm personality, she couldn't do but like her. She was glad Georg had found someone as Maria. 'They're perfect for each other!' Her thoughts were interrupted by the happy cheering of the children.
"Are you really going to stay?"
"Yes, I suppose I will."
She smiled at the children as the thought of spending more time with them popped into her head. She was Maria truly thankful.
"It's so great you're here! Chris had to leave today, but now you're here!" Gretl said while walking back into the group of her siblings.
"Chris ..."
The children saw the puzzled look on her face and dragged her immediately inside.
"We'll tell you all about him! He's Maria's best friend and he came here ..."
The couple listened until the children's voices grew dim as they were back into the house.
"Well, I guess it's a perfect time to look at those pictures now."
Georg cast a little smile at Maria and both walked into the direction of the gazebo. As they had taken place closely next to each other, Maria sighed while looking around at the view. Here she had seen that lovely image of Georg with Friedrich and Louisa. How she and Georg had stood here, only inches away from each other.
As if Georg could read her mind, he laid his arm around her to pull her even closer to him. Then he bended over to give her a little kiss before he got the envelop Max had given him.
When they were looking at the photos, Maria laid her head down on Georg's shoulder and then she felt Georg's leaning softly on her hair.
The first few photos were the ones Maria had taken of the children. There was one where all of them were sitting like little angels in a row. On another one, Friedrich and Louisa held each other and little Gretl in front of them tightly, with next to them Marta on Kurt's lap while Brigitta and Liesl held the two at both sides. Then there was one with them all pulling faces. The next was with Georg sitting in the middle.
As they went on going through the photos, they suddenly saw the one they didn't recall being taken: Maria and Georg sitting there so near each other while talking.
"Where did this one come from?" Georg asked confused while studying it closely.
"I don't know." Maria replied with the same puzzled tone. "But I do remember that it was awfully quiet that moment we were having our conversation."
Georg turned his gaze to Maria and had this suspicious look on his face.
"Do you suppose the children had taken them while we weren't looking?"
"I suppose they did." Maria smiled.
As she looked at Georg's face, she saw how he was gazing back at the picture, and soon she knew why.
"My, we were quite obvious!" He started.
"Indeed. I was spellbound by your blue eyes and you looked as if--"
"As if I had found my true love."
He turned his gaze back to Maria and saw her looking at him as if he had said that the world's biggest diamond was nothing compared to her. Both moved closer unconsciously and soon their lips touched in this magical moment. As they parted, Maria's eyes opened slowly because she was still relishing the touch of his lips on hers and Georg brushed a strand of hair of her forehead. She smiled faintly at him, before laying her head back on his shoulder.
"Strange how we didn't see it at that time." Maria sighed.
"But we've seen it eventually ... and that's all what matters."
The next photo was again of the couple. This time Maria was laughing genuinely and seemed to be having a lot of fun, while Georg just couldn't hide that little smile as he was looking at her. Even the littlest child could see there was more going on between those two. Except for the two themselves!
They saw two other photos of them alone and then the ones with Frau Schmidt and Hendrika came. Both chuckled at the one where the left side had fallen down.
The photos soon came to an end. Georg put them back in the envelop and laid it next to him on the bench. Maria was still laying with her head on his shoulder when Georg bend his head down to give her a little kiss on her soft hair.
"I can't believe it only happened yesterday." He started.
"Yes ... seems like it has been this way for ages."
Silence fell, but not for long.
"You know ... I was actually scared last night when you were talking with Elsa." She confessed.
"Oh?"
"I feared you'd think of it as a mistake."
"I would never think of you as a mistake." Georg answered as he pulled her even closer.
----- ----- -----
I hope you've enjoyed this chapter, let me know what you think :)