"Maria, I told you I'm sorry. What else can I say?" Ann whined as Maria hand stitched a frustrating seam, doing her best to stay focused. She had been working on it for entirely too long.

"You're forgiven, just let me concentrate on this."

"You're only saying that because you want me to shut up." Maria nodded, squinting a bit to focus on her task. The garment in her hands was incredibly tricky. "Well, I won't. I want you to know how sorry I am."

"Ann, please." Maria sighed, looking up to meet her coworker's eyes. "I'm over it now, alright. I'd just prefer not witnessing you…doing that again, if you don't mind."

"I promise, I'll be so considerate next time. It just couldn't be helped! You wouldn't understand." Maria rolled her eyes, there would be no next time, she had decided. As much as she liked an excuse to try something new, she didn't necessarily need a group of friends to run about with. They seemed much more lively than she, much more willing to throw caution to the wind and explore the world. She would have likely enjoyed doing the same merely a handful of years ago, but she had simpley become much more reserved over time.

They continued to work in silence for a while, for which Maria was thankful. Not that she didn't like Ann, she was a nice enough girl, but she very much disapproved of her lifestyle. She had a lot of fun, and Maria would feel a bit envious of it at times, but the truth was that she seemed incredibly risky as a friend. She was irresponsible, immature, and flighty. She would undoubtedly get into trouble one day, and Maria was not willing to be there when it did happen. She wanted to feel sorry for the girl, perhaps even help her if she could, but there was something about her that made Maria want to guard herself to the absolute fullest.

"Fraulein Maria?" She looked up from her machine to see Liesl poking her head through the door, nervous that she wasn't allowed to be there. Maria gasped and jumped from her seat in excitement, rushing over to the newlywed.

"Liesl, you're back." They shared a tight embrace, holding onto one another as if it were their last chance. "How was your honeymoon?"

"Oh, it was marvelous. We saw so many beautiful sights, and the weather was perfect, I could've spent another two weeks there, honestly." She smiled brightly, and Maria loved the calming aura that her former charge had. It was as if she had been consumed by paradise, or perhaps only bathed in love, but it made her glow. She looked absolutely beautiful.

"Oh, you have to tell me everything. Come sit here." She led Liesl into the room and pulled out a little chair, sitting it next to her sewing machine as she continued to work. She felt that she worked incredibly quickly as they chatted, as she was actually enjoying her time for a change. Not that she necessarily disliked her job, but it certainly did feel monotonous at times, not to mention how her hands ached by the end of the day. There were times when she missed the joys of being a governess.

Seeing Liesl after two weeks felt like welcoming home an old friend, at the same time feeling as if no time had passed at all. She had always had a special bond with her, presumably due to the fact that she was the most difficult to win over when they met, and their relationship had been based on a mutual friendship and understanding of one another. She hadn't realized just how much she missed her. She always found that she could be the most honest with Liesl, speak more freely than she could with the other children, more likely due to their age. Not to mention the fact that they shared very similar perspectives on life, albeit Maria's a bit more cynical in recent years, she had to admit.

"Okay, now that I've told you everything, I have to ask you a question. What on earth have you done to my father?" Maria stopped her work, meeting Liesl's eyes in surprise. She saw Ann perk up out of the corner of her eye, but was still ignoring her for a bit. She was simply not inviting her nosy coworker into their conversation.

"I don't know what you mean."

"He's walking around the villa singing and carrying on, and when I came to visit, he was in the back garden playing tag with my siblings. He's most peculiar, and I think you're the reason." Maria scoffed, going back to her work to distract herself. Seeing Georg behaving in such a way had to be a humorous sight though, she had to admit. He was always so put together.

"I can't imagine him playing tag. He likely needs a doctor." Liesl laughed, leaning closer in an attempt at discretion.

"Frau Schmidt told me she ran into you the morning after my reception. Perhaps coming from the direction of his bedroom." Maria could feel Ann straining to listen, and sweat immediately began dripping down her back as her face flushed. She felt lightheaded. "She said you looked quite…disheveled."

"That woman and her gossiping." She worked feverishly.

"So it's true." She rolled her eyes before meeting Liesl's, unamused. She stopped her machine and crossed her arms, taking a deep breath as she leaned back in her chair a bit, awaiting the ridicule. "Finally! Oh, I've been waiting years for this…"

"Please, Liesl, how distasteful."

"You're the one who did it, Fraulein." She blushed heavier, if that were even possible, and Liesl smiled in excitement.

"Why does she call you Fraulein?" Ann, of course, felt the need to interject, unable to control herself much longer. Maria rolled her eyes in frustration, not really wanting to let the girl into her life anymore than she already was.

"I used to be her governess. Though I really have insisted you can call me by name, Liesl." She smiled, shrugging.

"It just doesn't feel right. Though, at the rate you're going, perhaps I'll get to call you Mother one day?"

"For heaven's sake…" She gave her a dirty look, but Liesl only smiled in return. She knew exactly how to get Maria on edge. And, naturally, so did Ann, as she interjected into the conversation once more.

"I'm sorry, what am I hearing? Here you are practically assaulting me with your virtue each day, and it turns out you're no better than the rest of us."

"Ann, honestly, enough out of you!" Ann was taken aback, and Maria felt ashamed for using such a tone with her. They were somewhat friends, after all. "I'm sorry, I'm just feeling backed into a corner."

"Whatever, you bitch." Maria rolled her eyes, unable to take anything Ann said seriously as she pouted at her station, though Liesl seemed offended on her behalf. She shook her head to let her know it was unimportant, and she hesitantly backed down.

"We're having dinner on Wednesday." She smiled shyly, still unable to believe it herself. Liesl took her hand in excitement, and they shared a smile.

"You can let your guard down with him. He's not the same man who broke your heart."

"We've all changed, hopefully for the better." She wasn't sure if she was speaking of him or herself, but she was going to try her hardest to be open minded. She had gone back-and-forth many times in her head on whether or not she should really go through with it.

"No visitors!" Maria's boss appeared in the doorway, and the occupants of the room jumped in surprise.

"I'm sorry, she's going." Maria gave Liesl a look of apology, but the young woman only smiled and stood to hug her.

"We'll chat more later, Fraulein. Will you write down your number so I can phone you?" She smiled, shuffling for a piece of paper and writing down her phone number before they said their goodbyes.

Maria returned to her machine, feeling excited about her date and vaguely wishing she hadn't set it for the middle of the week, she would have loved to go instantly. As much as she didn't want to seem like a silly girl, she couldn't get him off her mind for a second. Her boss continued watching as she and Ann silently worked, presumably making certain they weren't fooling around, before becoming bored and finally walking away.

"I can't believe you…"

"Ann, just work."

"Making me feel terrible for being in love, and here you are sleeping with a former employer." She sighed, picking up another dress and beginning to look it over for her instructions.

"I'm sorry I've made you feel badly about yourself, it's never been my intention." She did feel quite terrible for putting down her semi-friend, after all. That was not the person she was. "And with Georg…I don't know, it was a one time thing."

"A former postulant…"

"Really…"

"But you're having dinner with him. You don't think it'll happen again? After knowing what it's like?" She pushed a blush from her cheeks, not wanting Ann to see how embarrassed she was. In truth, she hadn't been able to get that night off her mind. The feeling of his body consuming hers was never far from her. The whole encounter seemed so surreal.

"No, I have absolutely no intention of anything besides dinner with him. We have the kind of history that we need things to go slowly." And she meant it, she was not going to rush things. The only way they even had a chance at working was to take things slowly. They ruined their chances years ago by avoiding one another until the sexual tension was so much that their worlds collided. She was not going to avoid him any longer, but she was certainly not going to give in to her own weakness.

She was excited to have dinner with him, and she vowed to herself that she would give him a chance. And she vowed to herself, they would take things very slowly. She was sure she would die if she let him in far enough to break her heart again.