Disclaimer: I do not own The Sound of Music, or any of the characters. No infringement is intended.
"And now then, these three remain: faith, hope, and love. But the greatest of these is love."
1 Corinthians 13:13
Chapter 1:
The sun steadily rose over the mountains and spilled into Maria's open window and across her face. She felt the blanket of warm light lie across her eyelids, but refused to open them momentarily, not wanting to awake to find that every marvelous thing that had happened was a dream, but somehow, within her, she knew that it was real. It was too vivid in her mind and heart to be dreamt up. Still, it felt so strange, unreal and wonderful.
"You can't marry someone when you're in love with somebody else, can you?"
With these words, she felt as if every weight had been lifted off of her shoulders, and when the Captain gently lifted her and his lips met hers in a soft and captivating kiss, no one could have convinced her that the ground was still beneath her feet. No one could have convinced her that it was truly happening. Most of the words that were spoken between them were a blur, for Maria was too ecstatic and in love to be thinking clearly. There were a few things though, that would remain intact within her forever.
"I love you." The words that had flown from the mouth of the man she loved, danced upon her ears, so beautiful and full of meaning, that it send shivers down her spine. Those three words would ring in her ears for the rest of her life, as the first time he spoke them to her, and as she would hear it from him every day anew, with fresh, pure, and true meaning.
The other thing, was that he asked, "Is there anyone I should go to, to ask permission to marry you?" Those were the words convincing her the following morning that she must have been dreaming. If her legs would have worked, she would have danced with joy. Instead though, they had decided that they would ask the children, first thing the following day.
Finally, Maria bravely opened her eyes, and face the world of reality, which she had come to realize could be far more beautiful than dreams, if she let it be. Slipping out from beneath her thick comforter, she quickly made her way to her bathtub. Letting her nightgown fall to the floor, she dipped her feet into the scalding bath water, she cringed at first at the heat, but soon slid her body down into it, and seconds later, was fully relaxed. As she closed her eyes and leaned her head back, her thoughts again drifted to the previous night.
She watched, silently smiling, as the Captain spread a blanket out across the grass, in front of a tree, looking out to the lake, and sat down. He grinned and pointed to the spot beside him, and she gladly sat down. Instinctively sitting down close to him, and resting her head on his chest as he leaned against the tree, he reached his hand over and grasped hers. She looked up into his eyes, and her lips were soon met by his. Maria knew that this was the only man that she has ever, or could ever, love.
"Tell me something about you, your past, your future, anything," Georg said, once they broke from their kiss.
"Well," she began, tracing patterns on the palm of his hand, "I can easily tell you about my future, because he is right here in my arms." Georg pulled her closer, and they began to talk about their childhood, and events that had led to their meeting. Georg told her about his strict and pleasant, but unloving childhood, much like his children were on the way to having, after he promised himself that he would never do, and about fighting in the war and being a sea captain. Maria told him about life at the abbey and why she had decided to become a nun, touching gently on her dark childhood and teenage years, but speaking mostly about the happier times after she had left home and found God. The conversation flowed so easily between them, and they had stayed out much later than they had realized, for by the time they had returned inside, it was several hours later.
At the door to Maria's bedroom, as they regretfully said goodbye, she tilted her face up to him to offer a kiss, and he gladly accepted. Without pulling his lips away from hers, he whispered,
"Goodnight, my beautiful," so that his lips brushed against hers as he spoke, and she softly gasped. With that, he pulled away a little more, knowing that she needed to take things slowly. She was, after all, going to be a nun, before they had met. She was grateful that he had pulled away, not sure if she could handle herself if he hadn't. His voice along sent shivers up and down her spine.
"Sweet dreams, darling," she replied, as he pulled her into an embrace.
"Until tomorrow," he said with a wink, and turned on his heel and walked toward his own room.
Maria had managed to finish her bath and get ready faster than ever, not that it normally took her long. Filled with excitement and anticipation, she flew down the stairs to meet her fiancee , who was waiting for her at the bottom of the stairs, as he had heard her door open.
Standing on the last step, she was slightly taller than him, and as he pulled her into his arms he lifted her feet up and twirled her around. She laughed, and he set her feet on the ground and met her awaiting lips with a kiss. He led her, hand in hand, to the same room where he had sung Edelweiss and they sat down on the couch. Georg pulled Maria in close to him, and kissed her hair.
Always the first to wake up, Marta found herself in the doorway of the room where her father usually sat in the mornings, reading the newspaper. Her jaw dropped as she saw not only her Father, but also her governess. They were holding hands and he was tracing the line of her jaw, her cheekbone, her forehead, in little kisses and whispering sweet nothings into her ear, until Marta finally managed to stutter out shocked words.
"F-Father? Frau-l-lein?"
"Marta!" Maria exclaimed, jumping to her feet in surprise, while Georg remained on the couch, laughing to himself, his hand still grasping Maria's. Maria walked quickly toward the little girl, but she had already began running through the hall and up the stairs.
"Oh," Maria said, turning toward Georg, who was still chuckling, although Maria was quite startled, and rather embarrassed. "That hadn't gone quite as planned, hmm?" Her frustration was quite apparent, so was her need for the children to accept her as a different part of their lived, so Georg squeezed her hand to comfort her.
"It will be all right, darling," he said, confidant in the children's love and admiration for her, "She has gone up to inform her sisters though, without a doubt." He smiled and gestured towards following her.
The couple, fingers still intertwined, walked up the stairs toward the nursery, which led to each of the children's rooms. Maria was quite nervous, but Georg realized that there was no need to be.
"Are you ready, my love?" he whispered, his breath tickling her ear. She smiled and nodded, and felt a strong warm hand press against her cheek, before he pushed through the door to the two youngest girls' room, where he found Gretl, Marta, and also Liesl.
"See!" Marta exclaimed, looking at Gretl, but gesturing towards the couple's interlocked fingers. "I wasn't lying, Gretl!"
Liesl didn't seem to need much convincing, as she jumped to her feet off the end up Gretl's bed, where Gretl sat, wide-eyed.
"Oh Father! Fraulein! I knew it all along, you know! Friedrich did too, we could tell!" Maria's cheeks turned pink, but Georg seemed amused, as he seemed to with each of the children's reactions.
"Is that so Liesl? Well, why don't you get your brothers and sisters together and meet us in the living room in about half an hour, hmm?" Georg said, before leading Maria out of the room and back down the stairs. Halfway down, Maria stopped.
"Were we that obvious, darling?"
"Well, apparently we were." He grinned. "I had assumed that my imagination was running rampant with what I wanted to see when I suspected that I saw love in your beautiful blue eyes."
Maria began to look down in modesty and slight embarrassment, still with a smile, but Georg caught her chin with his hand, and lifted her face gently toward his and softly kissed her lips.
