Chapter Eight

Maria couldn't sleep at all the evening of December 23rd. It was unbelievably cold in the villa and another battle with Friedrich had her very upset. If Georg could see him, he'd be so disappointed.

Maria tossed and turned in bed. She didn't want Georg to have to deal with Friedrich's terrible behavior, it would be distracting for him when he wasn't at home to be worrying about that. However, if Georg were here though, he'd know what to do about it, for she was at a loss. Exhausted but unable to sleep, Maria rose out of bed and proceeded to draw herself a hot bath. She loved taking hot baths, it relaxed her opened her pores, and soothed her muscles, especially now that her pregnancy was further along and her body was changing.

Maria sank into the warm water, sighed, and let her body relax, if only her mind could.

Once again in the dead of night, the Captain approached his home. He could not wait until he could hold his beautiful Maria in his arms and see their child growing inside her, he could only imagine how beautiful she looked.

Carefully, so he would not wake anyone, the Captain opened the door and climbed the steps, avoiding the fifth step, because it creaked, loudly. Georg planned on looking in on the children first, but a glimmer of light from the master bedroom caught his eye. Maria was still awake at this hour? In her condition? Now a bit uneasy, the Captain turned his steps toward the master bedroom. Perhaps Dr. Krieger's treatment hadn't worked, or perhaps something even worse.

Maria heard the door open and moved to cover herself in case one of the children needed her. The little ones didn't usually knock on the master bathroom door since Georg left for the war.

Maria didn't have time to reach her robe or her towel before the door opened, so she attempted further immerse herself in the bubbles.

Georg couldn't find his voice when he saw Maria in the bath. She was always very beautiful, but the soft light, the water, the changes pregnancy had brought to her body made her even moreso.

The silence after the initial creak of the door told Maria that her nocturnal visitor wasn't one of the children, nor one of the housemaids. She could feel the person's eyes on her, a familiar feeling. Maria knew almost instinctually that Georg was here with her, watching her as he entered their. Almost involuntarily, Maria sighed out his name, in a silent prayer that he was real and not some figment of her overtired imagination. "Georg."

The Captain regained his senses at the sound of his name leaving her lips, "Yes, Maria," he replied, moving into her line of sight. "This is a very unexpected greeting."

Georg knelt before Maria as she remained in the bath, "I've missed you so much, my love," he whispered, one hand dipping behind her head to lift her lips to meet his.

Maria responded gratefully. She'd missed Georg; there could be no greater Christmas gift than her beloved husband being home.

Before either of them knew what was happening, Georg had lifted Maria from her bath and carried her to the bed, completely disregarding their sheets and his navy uniform as her wet body made contact with both the bed and his chest.

"You're beautiful," Georg whispered as he leaned over her, slowly unbuttoning the brass buttons on his uniform jacket and removing it.

"No," Maria whispered. "I'm fat and wet..." she blushed.

"You're pregnant," he corrected. "And nothing is more attractive to a man than the sight of his wife with his child inside of her," the Captain replied as he trailed light kisses down her face to her neck, down her torso and finally to the small mound of her belly where his child grew. "So very beautiful," he said before he returned to her mouth and they lost themselves in the passion of each other.

The next morning Maria and the Captain woke early and were at the breakfast table before any of the children woke up.

"They are going to be so happy to see you," Maria told him as he sipped the first decent cup of coffee he'd had in a while.

"And I them. I never thought I'd miss them this much," Georg confided. "I never thought I'd miss you this much," he said even softer and kissed her nose.

"Father!" Brigitta exclaimed, always the first one up at the breakfast table. "Father! You're home!"

"Hello, Darling," the Captain greeted, hugging his daughter. "I missed you."

"I missed you, Father! Mother, didn't know if you'd be home for Christmas," Brigitta told him.

"I'm home for three whole days, Sweetheart," the Captain told her as Marta and Gretl's excited cries of "Father! Father!" echoed through the halls.

Soon six of the seven children were gathered around their parents, hugging, kissing, and talking excitedly. Only Friedrich was absent.

"Kurt," Maria asked. "Where's your brother. It's time to eat."

"He said he'd be down," Kurt replied. "Do we have to wait for him?"

"Yes," Maria replied. "It's Christmas Eve and we're going to eat as a family as long as we can."

Ten minutes later, Friedrich emerged fully dressed in his Hitler Youth uniform. Every time Maria saw him in it, it turned her stomach. She studied Georg's reaction to the uniform, but he did not register surprise. Georg did know the rules about boys serving in the Hitler youth and he knew of the problem Friedrich was having separating fact from fiction. Georg had always been very good at masking his emotions, it was only a brief flash in his eyes that told her where his true heart lie on matter.

"Heil, Hitler," Friedrich greeted his father, with the customary salute.

"Good morning, Friedrich," the Captain replied. "We're among family. There's no need for formality. There are no ranks here."

"Yes, Sir," the teen replied and sat down to eat.

The Captain blessed the food and the chatter around the table started up again as the children eagerly shared their stories of school and friends since they last saw their father.

Georg listened attentively to his children's stories, but his eyes were on his wife. He could see she was very uneasy in Friedreich's company and very upset that he was finding out about Friedreich's actions the way he was. After breakfast he'd speak with her about it. Then, he'd have a word with his son.

The children went off in their own way after breakfast and Maria and Georg retired to the salon.

"All right," he said, when he was sure they were alone. "How long has he been like that? You wrote in your letters there were problems, but this is a very big change."

Maria sighed. She knew this topic could no longer be avoided. "Since just after you left, and the order went out about the son's of Reich officers. I know he had to join it; I just didn't think he'd ever begin to believe in it. Not after what you taught him."

"He's really buying into their lies, then," Georg observed. "They really know how to cripple a country don't they? Overthrow its leaders, enslave its men, and corrupt its youth."

"Georg, maybe he's just misguided. You are his idol and you're fighting for..."

"No!" Georg practically shouted. "Friedrich is my son! He knows why I'm doing this. He's not a boy, like Kurt, he's a man now. He knows and understands the difference, Maria!"

"All right," she capitulated. "You don't have to shout at me."

"I do, Maria, when you're busy making excuses for him!" Georg defended.

"Georg, Friedrich is still a boy, though, at least in a lot of ways. For the last few years, when he should have been learning how to be a man, you weren't much of a father to him. He's just gotten you back and..." Maria argued.

"I can't believe you're blaming me for this!" Georg shot back,

Maria cut him off, "I'm not blaming you. I'm just...you are jumping to conclusions, Georg."

"No, Maria, I am not! Franz," Georg practically bellowed. "Bring Friedrich to me immediately!"

A few moments later, Friedrich came into the salon, but this time he didn't salute his father.

"Have a seat, Son," Georg invited. "Your mother and I need to talk to you."

" My mother is dead," Friedrich replied as Maria began to inform Georg of the new way of things between her and Friedrich. "Friedrich prefers to call me Maria."

"Maria," Georg said softly. "Please go up and check on the girls."

Maria did not argue. She knew Georg and Friedrich had things they needed to work out, so she did as he asked of her. Almost. Instead of going upstairs, she remained downstairs just outside the salon door. She had to know what was going on with their son.

"Now," Georg began. "I've only been home a very short time and, in that time, Friedrich, I have not appreciated what kind of behavior I've witnessed from you. You were late for breakfast, rude to you brother and sisters, rude to your mother, and to me and it stops now."

"She's not my mother. Stop saying she is!" Friedrich shouted at Georg. "She doesn't care about us; she doesn't care about what I want."

"Friedrich, Maria cares about you and everyone in this family..."

"She does not! She only cares about herself and that little brat. I was too blind to see it at first, but my friends, my real family, they made me see it!" Friedrich yelled, cutting his father off, something he'd never dared do before the war and the youth came into his life.

"Friedrich," Georg said evenly, battling with his temper. He knew if he was going to get anywhere with Friedrich he had to keep his head. "You are a member of this family and my oldest son. Circumstances being what they are, I had to because I'm head of this family, become a member of the Reich's Navy. I did not do that because I believe in it, Friedrich. The Nazis, the Hitler Youth, the Auxiliary...it is lies, they all tell lies. I only did what I did to protect Maria and all of you children. I know I'm partially responsible for you being in the position you're in, but only you are responsible for what you choose to believe."

Friedrich was quiet as he absorbed his father's words. So, what Maria had said was true. His father was a traitor...what did they say to do about traitors? Report them to the proper authority, that's right. He'd do that as soon as the holidays were over, he'd do just that. For now, he'd bide his time, so he replied, "All right, Father."

Georg shook his head, "You're young, it's easy to make mistakes when you're young. Lord knows I did. Now apologize to your mother and brother and sisters and we'll have a nice family Christmas, all right?"

"Yes, Sir," Friedrich replied leaving the salon. He'd do as he was told for now, but as soon as winter hiatus was over, then he'd do the right thing.

The three days the Captain had on leave flew by for the family. Christmas was celebrated joyfully and as a family, but all too soon it was time for Georg to return to the base. The family lined up to see him on his way.

Georg had a little something to say to each of his children, who had formed their familiar line, oldest to youngest, in the hall. "Liesl, your mother's going to need a lot of help around here as her "condition" progresses. I know you can handle it," Georg said as he held his eldest daughter to him.

"Of course, I can, Father," Liesl assured him. "Be safe."

The Captain nodded and moved to Friedrich, "Remember, what we discussed, Son. You're the man of the house now. You take care of your mother and sisters, all right?"

"Yes, Sir," Friedrich nodded, and accepted his father's embrace. Over the last few days the family had felt like it always should have, happy, together, connected. Friedrich was even more confused now than before about what he was being taugh at the Youth meetings, his father's lessons and actions, and his own mind. He would have to think on things a little more.

"Louisa, stay out of mischief. You're a young lady now, so I except you to mind and help your mother," the Captain said, hugging his most spirited child. "No more frogs."

"All right, Father," Louisa agreed as he let her go and moved to Kurt.

"Kurt, you keep helping your sisters and stay alert. You'll be a man soon enough, so I'll rely on you to help keep the family safe. Be brave, Son." The Captain knew Kurt was having a hard time dealing with his being gone, but he wanted the boy to buck up a bit and take a lesson from all of this.

"Yes, Father, I won't let you down, Sir," the eleven-year-old declared as he squared his shoulders and let his father ruffle his hair.

"Brigitta," the Captain said softly, as he noticed his smart yet passionate ten-year-old was beginning to cry. "Don't worry. It'll be all right, it'll be fine. You keep studying hard and when I get home, we'll go over maps of all the places I've been, okay, Sweetheart?"

All Brigitta could do was nod as she fiercely hugged her father once more before he moved and knelt before the two littlest ones.

"Marta, Gretel, you be good girls. You mind your manners and study hard at lessons," Georg said, his own voice very clogged with emotion.

"Do you have to go back, Father?" Marta asked.

"How long will you be gone?" Gretel wanted to know.

"Yes, Darlings. I must go back and I'm not sure how long I'll be gone. Not long, I hope," he said as he tightly hugged them.

Finally, he came to Maria, who was doing her best not to cry. "Don't," he whispered, as one tear found its way down her cheek. "Don't."

"Georg, it's so..."

"I know, but our children need you strong. Our baby needs you strong, I need you...don't cry, Maria. Please." Georg almost begged as he cradled her next to him.

"I love you," she told him. "We all love you."

"I love you too, Darling. Keep writing, and I'll answer when I can," Georg told her.

"I will, my love," Maria answered, holding him tightly once more before she let him go.

The family stood together in silence for a long moment after Georg left. Finally, Maria collected herself and addressed her children, "Come along, now children. Let's have a verse or two of "Favorite Things."