AN: First of all, thank you to everyone who reviewed, followed, and favorited. Your support means so much, and it honestly gave me so much more motivation to write. I'm also aware that what I'm attempting to write is really intense for a first fanfic, but I have a couple of reasons for it. Forgive me for taking a while to get another chapter out. I had a few written up that I just didn't like, so I started over a few times. I also took some time to update the last chapter, fixing some spelling and grammar things that bothered me.
Trigger warning: rape (please skip until you see the next bullet point)
• I, unfortunately, have had a very similar experience to Maria's. A lot of the stories I read on here portray the Captain as some fierce sex god that makes Maria wish she had gotten with him a while ago. While I am unashamedly a fan of those, I wanted to try something different. I wanted to portray this scenario in a different light. I also wanted to make this more clear: Maria did consent (I have also updated the previous chapter to make this more obvious and clear). However, during the act she began to regret it. I tried to show that before, her intense feelings got the better of her, allowing her to forget the circumstances they were in. I tried to remember how I had felt when the situation happened with me, and I attempted to make it fit in with Maria's personality. I want to make this abundantly clear: there is a difference between rape and regret. Maria consented before, and regretted it later. As an example, I regret eating all the sugary snacks I had today, but that doesn't mean I didn't consent to eating them. I made the choice myself, and I obviously can't take it back now. I do not condone rape in any way, shape, or form. I myself was a victim of sexual assault.
Anyways...
• The movie is so lighthearted and fun, and I guess I just want to explore how messy I can make it. As always, please feel free to correct me on grammar and spelling errors!
• My sister thinks my writing is boring, please let me know if you agree! I'm open to suggestions.
September 12, 1937
34 Aigen
Leontopodium nivale, better known as edelweiss, is commonly known as a symbol of alpinism and Austria. The mountain flower has a very short life span, living for as little as two years, and at most seven. Its beauty and scarcity made it a favorite of many in the von Trapp household. However, edelweiss was no longer just a flower to the family. It was symbolic of Maria. After a rather explosive argument between Georg and Elsa shortly after Maria's departure, it was understood that Elsa would be leaving and not returning.
The children sat quietly at the table, waiting for their father and the Baroness. When their father entered the room without the Baroness' arm linked with his, Brigitta knew that something had happened.
"Father? Where is the Baroness?"
"Ah, I'm afraid the Baroness will be returning to Vienna. She missed it far too much, and I don't believe she would enjoy living out here in the countryside."
The next day, Georg took the children for a much-needed trip into the mountains, which included picking edelweiss. At the dinner table that night, Marta barraged her father with questions about the flower. After answering each and every one, Brigitta had a question of her own to ask.
"But Father, wouldn't that make Fräulein Maria kind of like edelweiss?"
Silverware clattered to the table as the room went silent. Brigitta mumbled a very quiet oops, earning a kick under the table and a ferocious glare from Louisa. From Gretl to Liesl, each child had a different reaction. Gretl and Marta, who secretly called Maria Mother, were nowhere near healing from the emotional trauma of their governess suddenly leaving. Thus, the mere mention of the name Fräulein Maria spurred a Pavlovian response. Gretl's eyes welled up, and her chubby fingers were too slow to catch the first tears before they fell. Marta, ever the reserved one, sat in silence and stared at the floor. The floor seemed infinitely more interesting than her surrounding family and the schnitzel sitting uneaten on her plate. Brigitta instantly realized that she shouldn't have mentioned "she who must not be named" (Louisa's newest nickname), and joined Marta in looking at the floor. Kurt stopped eating for once, a sign that something was truly wrong. Fräulein Maria had been the one to teach him to be less incorrigible. She was a mother figure when his immature self needed one the most. Louisa's grief presented itself in a form of absolute rage. She was slow to love and trust, and her governess had managed to earn and break it within weeks. As soon as Louisa had come to love her, she was gone. Friedrich attempted to do his best impression of reserved Marta, but failed miserably. His confident exterior crumbled, and he quietly wept thinking about the woman he dreamt of having as a mother. Liesl was not a child, and she had noticed the change in dynamics between her father and her governess. Her grief was more complicated. She, out of all the children, had the most vivid memories of their mother. But Fräulein Maria had somehow wedged her way into the space in Liesl's heart where she kept memories of her mother. With her mother and now Fräulein Maria gone, her heart was truly broken and empty. Slowly, each child turned to their father's grief-stricken face.
"Father, I'm sorry, I really shouldn't have-"
"No, no Brigitta. It's quite alright. I suppose Fräulein Maria is very much like edelweiss."
"But Father, how?" Gretl's young mind couldn't quite comprehend the similarities between a flower and her former governess.
"Well obviously she had a very short life span here, so that's one," Louisa blurted out. Brigitta, who usually chose words over actions, kicked her sister under the table.
"Louisa! You shouldn't say such things!"
"What? I'm not wrong." And suddenly, the room was silent again. But Gretl wanted to know more. Her tiny voice cut through the awkward silence like a knife.
"I would say she's beautiful like edelweiss too. Right, Father?" The tension in the room was palpable. A grimace spread across Liesl's face, her eyes screwed tightly shut. She had a most odd look on her face, as if she was one second away from getting up and running. This did not go unnoticed by Brigitta. When Liesl finally opened her eyes, she made direct eye contact with her sister. Brigitta mouthed the words you know something, and an intense staring contest began between the two. Both Friedrich and Kurt frowned a bit, as they really didn't know how to add to Gretl's comment. Louisa sat low in her chair, her arms folded tight against her chest. Silently, she watched the staring contest between Liesl and Brigitta, and vowed to ask them about it later. Marta, however, loved where her sister's questioning was going.
"Oh yes! Sometimes at night when Fräulein Maria sang me to sleep, I pretended that she was an angel!" Marta's face brightened as she spoke, and dimmed when she instinctively looked to the empty chair where her beloved governess once sat. Liesl hissed through her teeth, and Brigitta continued observing her like she was the most fascinating book she had ever read. Louisa rolled her eyes before speaking.
"Yeah, an angel of death and deceit." At that, all the children looked at her with wide eyes.
"Louisa!"
"Stop!"
"What is wrong with you?!"
"Alright, that is quite enough," Georg said harshly, silencing his children, who were arguing and shooting daggers at their sister. Louisa abruptly stood, her chair scraping loudly against the floor. Without another word, she stomped out of the room. The distant echoic sound of her bedroom door slamming shut made Liesl and Brigitta- who had since resumed their staring contest- jump. Marta and Gretl were beyond confused, and just wanted to discuss how Fräulein Maria was like their favorite flower.
"I thought she was an angel sometimes, too," Gretl stated quietly. "If angels can sing, I bet they sound like her." Gretl's innocent quip silenced the room for the third time that night. Soon, the silence became too much for little Gretl, who began wailing as loudly as Georg had heard since she was a baby. Liesl rushed over to her youngest sister, soothing her while she cried. Brigitta, who now felt extremely guilty for causing such extreme emotional outbursts, was about ready to excuse herself from the table when Marta spoke.
"If Mother... I mean, Fräulein Maria, really is like edelweiss, maybe we can find her in the mountains?" Georg choked when his daughter used mother and Fräulein Maria in the same sentence, hastily reaching for a napkin to cover his mouth. Gretl, if it was possible to, cried even louder than before. Brigitta saw that the majority of the family was distracted, and managed to get up from the table and slip away with hardly anyone noticing. Liesl continued whispering to Gretl and stroking her hair, but it was all for naught. Friedrich and Kurt looked immensely uncomfortable, sitting rigidly in their seats. Throughout the entire ordeal, Marta had been doing some thinking.
If Father thought Fräulein Maria was like edelweiss, maybe he thought she was very pretty? Whenever I asked about Mother, Father always told me that she was very pretty. Maybe that means Father likes Fräulein Maria like he liked Mother?
Marta looked hopefully to her father.
"Father, you said edelweiss is like Fräulein Maria, but you didn't say why," Marta said. Liesl stopped whispering to Gretl, and her head snapped up to her father's. If the situation wasn't so tense and upsetting, the look on his face would've been comical. He was slowly turning red, and silently, Liesl was upset that Brigitta wasn't there to point it out. He drummed his fingers on the table, a telltale sign that he was nervous. Marta was shaping up to be the next Brigitta, and if he wasn't careful with his words, he would have hell to pay. He cleared his throat before speaking.
"Well, erm, I suppose you can always find her in the mountains." Georg didn't realize that he had already majorly screwed himself by saying that Fräulein Maria was very much like edelweiss, implying that there were more similarities between the two than just being in the mountains. Unfortunately for him, Marta had a very good memory. How was he supposed to know the conversation would escalate this far?
"But Father, you said she is very much like edelweiss. So she must be beautiful too." Georg watched as Liesl's eyes narrowed at him from the opposite end of the table. Silently, she was begging him to respond so the conversation could end before it got messy. But neither Liesl nor her father were aware that Marta's train of thought surpassed her father calling Fräulein Maria pretty.
"Erm, yes. She is beautiful." Georg relaxed and took a long sip of his drink. Kurt let out a small ew, and Friedrich had checked out of the conversation as soon as Marta had started talking again. Gretl stopped crying, as if she knew where her sister was going with her questioning.
"And don't you think Mother was beautiful too?" Liesl's eyes were the size of saucers. Suddenly, she knew exactly where Marta was going with this. She looked up at her father, hoping he would get the message of avoid the question, change the subject, and send us to bed. Alas, her father was far too stressed and anxious to catch whatever she was trying to communicate.
"Yes, your mother was beautiful. She still is." Liesl made the same odd face she made earlier, and slowly sank into her seat. Marta, on the other hand, looked positively gleeful. She had her father right where she wanted him.
"If Mother is beautiful and Fräulein Maria is beautiful, then do you like them both the same way, Father?" At this, Kurt immediately stood up.
"Okay, that's enough. I'm full. I'm going to bed," Kurt spat out, pushing away from the table. Without even waiting for a response from his father, he took off, Friedrich hot on his tail.
"Marta, you need to understand there is a difference between the way I feel about your mother and the way I feel about Fräulein Maria," Georg stated. "There are many different ways to like someone. Now, I believe we are quite finished." He spoke with a tone of finality, and his children knew better than to push. Marta and Gretl cleaned up quickly and rushed upstairs. Liesl, however, stayed behind. She lingered for a moment in the doorway before turning around to face her father.
"Father? I know how much she meant to you." Georg looked to Liesl, considering his daughter who was on the brink of adulthood. He gave her a barely perceptible nod.
"And I know how much she meant to you all," He said. Liesl stepped forward, and dared pose a question that had been on her mind since the departure of her beloved governess.
"Father, it was love, wasn't it?"
His rough lips brushed against her soft inexperienced ones. Hands fumbled frantically for buttons, dainty fingers ran through coarse chest hair. Her head lolled back, the creamy skin of her neck exposed to the hot air surrounding them. Her eyes closed as a moan escaped her lips, his wet mouth trailing down her neck. His fingers pushed the material of her shirt away, grazing over her untouched breasts–
"Father?" Georg was brought back to his senses. Liesl looked at him curiously.
He had never felt as simultaneously in love and aroused as he did in this moment.
"Yes." His simple answer brought a sympathetic smile to his eldest's face.
"I'm so sorry Father. We'll bring her back."
After tucking Marta and Gretl into bed, Liesl passed by Kurt and Friedrich's room and entered the room she shared with Louisa and Brigitta. The rest of her siblings were sitting on the floor, legs crossed, deep in thought.
"Don't worry, we already yelled at Louisa," Kurt said. Louisa rolled her eyes and gave her brother a shove. Liesl nodded and joined them on the floor.
"Liesl? Do you know something about Father and Fräulein Maria?" Brigitta asked. Friedrich, Louisa, and Kurt turned to look to their sister.
"Father told me he loves Fräulein Maria. I think that maybe she loves him too." Liesl's siblings looked at her disbelievingly.
"Really, Liesl? Father flat out said that he loves her? He would never do that," Brigitta said glumly. Louisa nodded her head in agreement.
"You have to believe me. I know it's true. Regardless, we should all try and seek her out. Let's start tomorrow by going to the abbey."
When the children went to the abbey to see Maria, they were sent away and told that she had left. The children were told that she wasn't seeing anyone and was experiencing severe family issues. As the weeks passed, the children began to lose hope. They visited less and less until they never visited again. The children were completely unaware that their former governess was busy growing their half-sister.
September 6, 1943
Volksschule Pestalozzistraße, Salzburg
The line of kindergarteners making their way into their classroom was a long and winding one. The kids were soaked after coming in from playing outside, their muddy boots squeaking noisily all over the floor. At the end of the line was Rosmarie, who was far from excited for art class. Recess had been particularly rough.
"Rosmarie! You splashed mud all over my boots! I'm telling Herr Klaus!" Frida, her overdramatic classmate yelled. Rosmarie froze and spun around to face girl, noting that there wasn't a single drop of mud on Frida's boots. She frowned deeply, scrunching up her nose.
"Frida, I don't see mud on your boots. I wasn't splashing in the mud, I was just walking." Frida made a show of digging her boots into the earth, soaking them in muddy soil. Rosmarie gasped.
"Now there's mud on them!"
"You can't do that!" Rosmarie screeched. Her anger got the best of her, and she surged forward, grabbing fistfuls of Frida's raincoat and tugging on her. In response, Frida grabbed Rosmarie's coat and began tugging back. They stumbled over each other's feet before crashing to the ground, landing in a miry puddle.
"Look what you did!" Frida sobbed. Suddenly, Rosmarie felt really bad. She knew she shouldn't feel bad, after all, it was Frida who started the argument. Nevertheless, she couldn't help but feel guilty, so she too began to cry. Herr Klaus approached the girls and helped them out of the mud before sending them directly to the headmaster's office.
As such, Rosmarie was to be spending her final class of the day in disgusting muddy clothing. Not only was her clothing filthy, but her hair was a mess. The wispy blonde curls that fell out of her ponytail were crispy and caked with mud. When her art teacher, Frau Hede, entered the room, all Rosmarie felt was embarrassment. She sank lower in her seat, as if that would hide the stains on her shirt and messy hair. She eyed Frida from across the room, who seemed to be handling the situation better than she was. Rosmarie scowled her way before she was interrupted by the teacher.
Hede was an interesting sort of person. She was very quirky, and wore her most colorful outfits to school. She firmly believed the more abstract her outfits were, the more her students would pay attention to her. Since it was the first day of school, she donned a bright green dress with a fancy white hat to match. She had about six dangly bracelets on each wrist – each in a different color – and her hooped earrings hung low from her ears.
"Good evening class! My name is Frau Hede and I will be your art teacher! Are we all excited to make some art today?" Not a single child in the class dared to speak. Much to Hede's dismay, only the sound of water dripping from raincoats responded to her enthusiastic question. She could tell that the class was tired and wasn't going to respond well. After all, it was last period and they were all drenched – some more than others – from playing outside. So much for the colorful outfit. "Okay, let's start with something easy. Everyone get out some paper and draw whatever you want. I'll walk around the room and watch for today."
The class tentatively began to follow Hede's instructions, messily drawing crude sketches of mostly stick figures and animals. However, Hede noticed one student in particular who was definitely releasing some intense emotions. The girl, covered in dirt, angrily scraped a bright red crayon across the paper, tearing through it and accidentally drawing on the table. She ceased her violent scribbling and stared at the desk, rubbing at the red stains and willing them to disappear. Hede saw her bottom lip trembling and stepped towards her, kneeling down to her level.
"I see you've decided to use crayons today. The rest of the class seems to be starting with pencils. Not only that, but you use your left hand! I can already tell that you're a unique one. Come with me, we'll go to the washroom and get you cleaned up." She reached for the girl's hand, inwardly cringing as her sticky skin came in contact with hers. The girl was silent during the entire walk to the washroom, and Hede took this time to take in her appearance. She was very small and frail, with long dainty fingers and curly blonde hair. The fair skin on her face was peppered with freckles, and one look in her blue eyes indicated that she was far away. Hede ran a finger through the girl's curls, separating the strands that were glued together with mud. The girl looked up at her and gave her an eerily familiar half smile. No matter, Hede would ponder that later. First, she needed to take care of the girl with no name.
When they arrived in the washroom, Hede began soaking paper towels in soap and water before gently wiping the girl's arms and legs down.
"Hello, you're far away. I don't believe you've given me your name."
"Rosmarie." The word was whispered delicately, like the seed of a dandelion following the current of the wind.
"Rosmarie," Hede whispered back. "What a beautiful name. I think it suits you very well." Another half smile grew on Rosmarie's face, and her eyes lit up as she focused on Hede.
"Thank you for helping me. I fell while I was playing outside." The small lie escaped Rosmarie's lips.
"Oh no! I'm glad you're not hurt. I can definitely clean mud but I can't fix a broken bone!" The laughter that escaped Rosmarie's mouth was contagious. When Hede looked her in the eyes, she felt connected her in a way she didn't quite feel with any of the other kids she taught. There was something familiar about Rosmarie, but she couldn't put her finger on it yet.
Maybe I know her mother or father from somewhere?
"So, tell me a bit more about you and your family."
"Um... I live with Mama and my Gotte. Mama has a job sewing clothes and stuff. Gotte likes gardening and sometimes she sells the fruits and vegetables we grow!"
"Oh, just you three?"
"I've never met my father. I would really like to, and I ask Mama about him all the time!" Rosmarie's eyes lit up while she spoke of her father. She clearly loved him, although she had never met him.
"I'm sure that someday, when the time is right, you'll be able to meet him. Now, let's finish getting you cleaned up." The two remained in the washroom for a little while before heading back to the classroom. The rest of the students had begun to pack up their things, ready for class to end. As the children gathered their backpacks and materials, there was a knock on the door. Hede was confused for a moment before remembering she was going to have a special visitor after class. She raced to the door and flung it open, revealing a young girl on the other side. The bell rang as she entered, and the kindergarteners formed a line at the door, waiting for their teacher to dismiss them. "Oh! One moment Brigitta, let me just see to my students." She followed a quick dismissal protocol before sending the kids on their way. "Oh Brigitta! It's so good to see you!"
Hede and her brother reconciled only recently after years of only corresponding via letter. She had distanced herself from him after the passing of his wife, Agathe. Hede's brother had turned into a solemn, hateful man, and he refused any and all help from her. She was beyond frustrated when she stormed out all those years ago, informing him that since he adamantly refused help, she would be leaving. Since their reconciliation, she had heard numerous stories about how the children were faring in school and at home. She also learned that her nieces and nephews tore through governesses like nobody's business. She frequently stopped by the villa when she was able to, savoring every last second with the children she adored so much.
"Oh Aunt Hede, there's so much to tell you!" The sixteen-year-old raced to her aunt, enveloping her in a tight embrace. The two made their way to the tiny plastic chairs Hede's students previously occupied. They laughed as they sat down, realizing that half of their bodies hung off of them.
"Well, lay it all on me, Brigitta!"
Brigitta proceeded to summarize the events of the last few days: Liesl and Friedrich getting ready to go back to university, Louisa and Kurt meeting their stern secondary school teachers, and Marta and Gretl's first crushes.
"Okay, but how are you, Brigitta?" Brigitta sighed and leaned back against the cool plastic.
"I'm doing alright, Aunt Hede. But I am worried about Father." Hede's heart warmed to know that Brigitta genuinely loved and cared about her father so much that she deemed it important to mention it to her aunt. Her niece paused before whispering her next statement. "He has not been the same since Fräulein Maria."
"Her? My brother is still lamenting over Fräulein Maria? It's been six years!" Hede had heard countless stories about the infamous twelfth governess over the years. Hede remembered her very unusual and unflattering blonde hair, and the way her smile lit up every image. She was actually about to make a snarky comment on her hair when she remembered that Fräulein Maria was considered sacred to her nieces and nephews. It was quite funny and ironic to her, considering Fräulein Maria was to be a nun, and she was worshiped like some sort of god in the von Trapp household. She'd even received pictures from Marta and Gretl when they were little. They had lovingly scribbled in hearts surrounding their governess' face in nearly every picture they had of her. When she saw group pictures of the children with their governess, she felt as though she was looking at a picture of a happy family. In most pictures, Marta and Gretl clung to Fräulein Maria's side, matching crowns of flowers atop their heads. She had seen many pictures of them in their God-awful outfits made out of curtains, back when their father was a shell of his former self. Thinking about the governess reminded her of a thought she had earlier...
Maybe I know her mother or father from somewhere?
She would have to see another picture of Fräulein Maria to be sure she wasn't just seeing things. She needed to approach the subject gently, knowing Brigitta's perceptiveness was through the roof. "She really left a mark on your family, didn't she?"
"That would be an understatement, Aunt Hede. Actually, I have a bit of a confession to make..." Brigitta nervously eyed her aunt. "All of us children have secretly been trying to figure out where she is. I know we'll find her! Liesl and Friedrich have been especially helpful. They have the most freedom, so sometimes when they're not busy, they venture into town trying to find her. We still haven't looked everywhere, so we haven't given up hope yet." Brigitta sighed before speaking again. "Truthfully, I think Father knows something we don't. He acts very odd when we mention her."
"How so?" Now this was getting interesting. Hede's brother very rarely mentioned Fräulein Maria, and when he did, it was to joke about how he wouldn't be the man he was today if she didn't crash into his life.
"Well, he gets all moody and quiet, and he looks like he's thinking about her. I know my brothers and sisters and I will never forget her, but the look on his face when her name is mentioned is intense. I can see it in his eyes, Aunt Hede!" Brigitta sadly looked down to her hands and started to play with her fingers. Hede recognized this as a nervous behavior. She knew because her brother was famous for it. She knows more than she's letting on.
"What else do you know, Brigitta?" Brigitta's eyes snapped to her aunt's.
"Um... Well... Liesl did mention something years ago, right after Fräulein Maria left." It wasn't like Brigitta to be inarticulate, so Hede knew whatever was coming next was heavy. "I mean it's nothing really, Liesl was still in her lovesick phase, reading romance novels every night and dreaming of Rolfe–" Her aunt interrupted her nervous ramblings.
"Brigitta, what did Liesl say?" Brigitta took a deep breath before rapidly spitting out Liesl's piece of information.
"ShesaidthatFatherwasinlovewithFräuleinMariaandthatheconfirmedithimself." Neither woman knew quite what to say, so they continued staring at each other, listening to the clock tick on the wall. After a few silent moments, Brigitta spoke up. "Um... Basically we don't really believe Liesl. She was boiling mad when we denounced what she said. She kept assuring us that Father told her himself that he loved her. When the rest of us asked him, he ignored the question." Hede had a sneaking suspicion that something had happened between her brother and the governess. When the Baroness' sudden departure happened immediately after Fräulein Maria's, she was incredibly curious. However, she never asked, fearing her brother would become miserly again.
"Brigitta, did you personally notice anything between them?"
"Maybe a couple of times when they looked at each other and lingered for a few moments. There was also the time they danced together at the ball for the Baroness. Fräulein Maria's face was all red! I think maybe it was a small infatuation, but I don't think it was love. I don't think they knew each other well enough!" Hede absorbed the information Brigitta told her before attempting her next plan of attack.
"Have you got any pictures of her that maybe I can hold on to? I'm not quite sure I remember what she looks like. I could let you know if spot her." A grin broke out on Brigitta's face.
"Oh Aunt Hede! That would be wonderful! Actually, I have one on me. I can't give it to you, but I can find one that you can have. I carry this one with me all the time. I know in my heart I'll never forget her, but I feel safer when there's a picture of her with me." Brigitta retrieved the slightly crumpled picture from the safe confines of her pocket. She passed it to her aunt with the brightest smile on her face. "I think she looks so beautiful here." Hede nearly choked when she looked at the picture. Holy shit! She gasped and attempted to disguise it as a way of complimenting Fräulein Maria's beauty.
"Oh yes, she does look beautiful here!" Her eyes were wide as she took in the image. The slope of the nose, the freckles, the deep blue eyes... But there was more to Rosmarie that was familiar that wasn't displayed in Fräulein Maria. Brigitta watched her aunt curiously as she traced her finger over her former governess' features. Reluctantly, her aunt passed the image back to her, and she tucked it gently into her pocket, patting it as if it were a small treasure. "You know what's funny? I have a student who reminds me of her. I wonder if they are kindred spirits..." Hede trailed off, her mind racing.
Surely she can't be hers? Fräulein Maria was a postulant!
She had a lot of thinking to do before she gave her niece any solid advice. "I think you all should keep searching for her. She couldn't have gone far, right?" Brigitta shook her head.
"No, and to be honest, I don't think she ever became a nun. None of us really thought she was meant for that life. I think she would be happiest in the mountains or in the countryside with us... The mountains! I should check there!" Brigitta leaned forward and gave her aunt a hug. "I'm going to see if I can find her at our favorite picnic spot. Thank you for letting me rant, Aunt Hede. I'll be sure to come visit again soon!" Brigitta skipped out of the room, leaving Hede alone with her thoughts.
AN: Thank you all for reading! I'm not sure how I feel about this chapter. I rewrote it multiple times. I knew I wanted to introduce Hede to the story, and I had so many different versions of how to bring her into it. I stuck with the quirky art teacher persona and decided it fit with Rosmarie going back to school.
Note for me: en dash, added date, fixed italics
