Maria sat alone in her apartment still thinking about the night that she ran away back to the comforts of the abbey. Trying to fit pieces together she ran the whole scene through her head. From their conversation on the bench outside the gazebo to her running off was being reviewed in her mind.

"Beautiful night, isn't it?" Georg asked as he rubbed his hands together and set them impatiently in his lap. He didn't know what else to say to her, everything felt so awkward now. If he could only settle down he kept thinking.

"Yes, it is," she answered keeping her eyes away from him so he wouldn't catch her staring at him. She was nervous sitting next to him, Maria still remembered that feeling now, she wanted to move closer but she was unsure of what would happen if she did. So, she just sat there looking at different directions to divert her eyes from him.

"I'm sure the children are fast asleep by now."

"Oh yes! I put them to bed at 10."

"Oh…" He scratched his temple, "So…"

"So…"

"Do you plan on being a nun for the rest of your life?" He couldn't believe he just asked that. One of the most stupid questions he had ever managed to come up with in his life he figured. She looked at him and grinned she had to admit that she was stunned by the question yet she found it funny, too.

"That was the plan when I became a postulant."

"Oh… I expect that you will move back into the abbey."

"Yes, when God has decided it time for me to leave, I shall leave."

"Hmm… Wouldn't you rather stay here…?" He paused and turned to look at her. She was one of the most beautiful creatures he had ever seen. She was looking at him now; she couldn't help her self it wasn't worth such a struggle. Her eyes made their way to his and they just sat there looking into each others eyes, for what felt like an eternity.

"What do you mean?" She said still looking into each others eyes.

"I mean, wouldn't you rather stay here…." He paused "…With me?"

"You mean the children, don't you?" She broke away from his eye contact and stared out towards the gazebo. Her fingers were fidgeting with the blue cloth of her dress.

"Yes, of course, but…" he paused again, "I mean if you were to leave I would miss you, too."

"What?" She whipped her head towards him and they were looking into each others eyes once again. He reached for her hand and she quickly pulled it away. "I have to leave."

"Don't tell me that God has decided already!" He called to her as she was walking back to the house. It was not going the way he thought it was supposed to, at least not the way he saw it in his head.

"Yes, I have to go," she hurriedly said as she went running to the house.

He must have sat on the bench for awhile because he didn't catch up with her until all her bags were packed and she was walking out the door again. She figured the sooner she left the better. She couldn't betray God's trust for him no matter how she felt or loved him.

"Wait!" She heard him cry to her from inside the house. She didn't turn around she continued running with her bag and guitar in hand towards the abbey. "I need to tell you something!" She heard him cry out to her again.

She didn't make to far down the gravel road until he caught up to her. He grabbed her arm and she stopped immediately, she looked up at him and their eyes met again. Lifting up her chin so their lips could meet, he went to kiss her. As his lips began to graze hers, she turned her head and she had to hold back her tears.

"I'm sorry, I can't," she sniffed away a tear.

"What do you mean you can't?" He started to go in for another kiss as he whispered, "I love you."

"I've got to go," She cried again. She could feel her tears coming now.

"No you don't, you can stay here, with me and the children. Why are you crying?"

"I can't stay here any longer."

"But why? You aren't going to the abbey this late at night are you?"

"There's always someone waiting by the gate at night, you don't need to worry." And she took off down the road. She never found out why he didn't follow her a second time but she knew then that she was glad he didn't. Tears were streaming down her face and she felt that if he grabbed her arm again, she would have kissed him and had gone back to the villa with him. But, he didn't and she walked all the way back to the abbey by the time she got there it was almost sunrise.

She sat still not knowing what else to do, but think. It was now starting afternoon in Maria's apartment. She wiped away a stray tear as she remembered the night. With her picture in today's newspaper and an interview supposed to take place tomorrow there was no way that Georg and his family wouldn't find her now. To him she was missing and to her heart they were all missing.

Maybe, she thought, she should call the studio and tell them she knew where… she was. What a silly thought she thought out loud. I'll just tell them who I am… No… Yes… I've got to. She made up her mind. She picked up the phone and asked the operator for the station. It rang five times before someone picked up the phone, she was on the verge of hanging up. She had made it a rule that she would only let the phone ring five times for someone to pick it up. She figured five rings was a reasonable amount for someone to pick it up on the other side.

"Hello, this is "Your Cup of Coffee", how may I help you?" Maria heard a man's irritated voice on the other line. She was sort of surprised at first, she had imagined a women picking up the phone at first.

"Yes, I would like to talk to someone about the picture of the women, Maria that came up on the television this morning." Maria said nervously.

"STAN! HEY STAN!" She heard the man calling out to some man named Stan. "There's a lady here who wants to talk to someone about Maria."

"Hello, this is Stan, I here you have some questions about Maria." This man had a kind and patient voice as he spoke to Maria.

"Umm… Yes," Maria paused.

"Well?"

"I have some information about her that you might like to know." Maria started out.

"Well, it seems like you don't have any questions, it's me who has some questions for you!"

"Yes," Maria laughed