She awoke with a loud gasp, sitting straight up in bed. Sweat drenched her nightgown, and her body felt tense and sore. She brought a hand to her chest, feeling her heart racing as she tried to calm her breathing. She felt beads of sweat falling down her back and between her breasts.

"Are you alright, darling?" His words were soft and full of worry as he sat up with her, taking her hand in his.

"Yes." Her body was beginning to calm, but her voice sounded a bit raspy. She stood from the bed and walked to the bathroom, splashing water over her face to cool herself down. It had been a moment since she'd had that dream.

"Maria, are you well?" Georg's hand came to rest upon her back, and she was surprised when he didn't withdraw when he felt the perspiration. "You're soaked; what's happening?"

"I'm fine." She grabbed a towel and wiped the water from her face, taking a deep breath before opening her eyes and meeting his. She felt like she wanted to take a shower immediately. "I'm sorry to worry you."

"Please tell me what's happening."

"It's nothing, just a bad dream."

"A dream did that to you? I'm afraid that's called a nightmare." She shrugged, not particularly caring what it was called.

"I want to take a shower." She moved to turn on the water, knowing he was going to want an explanation, but he said nothing as she stripped off her nightgown and closed the curtain behind her.

She sighed as the hot water washed over her body, relaxing her tense muscles. The dream itself wouldn't have been so difficult to endure if she hadn't lived the reality of it. She would have thought the feelings wouldn't be so intense after so many years, but every time her nightmare returned, she was left with emotions and feelings she hadn't had since the night she left her uncle's house for the last time.

It was likely the argument she had with her husband about the sculptures the day before that set her mind in that direction, she thought. The last time she had the nightmare was her first night as a governess, after a day of being talked down to and ultimately argued with before bedtime for comforting the children during the storm. One thing was for certain, she never knew when it was coming or how to stop it.

Turning off the water, she grabbed her towel and began to dry off. Georg had left the bathroom, but she smiled that he had placed a clean nightgown and underwear on the sink for her. He obviously couldn't have began to imagine the things that had tormented her, but his caring gesture reminded her that the past really was the past; she was loved and safe.

"You're still awake?" Her words were soft as she came back to bed. It was three in the morning, but he appeared to be wide awake, likely awaiting her return. She sat down and pulled the blanket over her legs, not wanting to lay back down yet.

"Of course I'm awake, I'm worried about you." He sat up and pulled her to him. She welcomed the warmth and safety of his arms, pulling him closer to take in his scent. "While we haven't shared a bed for long, you always seem to sleep so soundly."

"I'm so sorry, I...it comes and goes. It catches me off guard every time."

"The same nightmare every time?"

"Yes."

"Here, let's lie down." She obeyed and moved further beneath the blanket. He held her close, and she pressed her face into his bare chest for comfort. "What do you dream about?"

"Oh, darling, I don't know if I can talk about it. I've never told a soul." He placed a kiss upon her forehead as his hand made circles on her back.

"Do you think maybe it's time to let it out, then? You don't have to bear it alone anymore." She felt a tear prickle in the corner of her eye, and she sighed.

"I dream about the day I left my uncle and aunt's house. It all feels just as real as it was."

"So your nightmare is just replaying events from that day?"

"Yes. Do you remember how I told you my uncle was a very cruel man?" He nodded, also remembering how angry she had gotten when he breached the subject. He had stayed away from it ever since. "When I was very young, he would call me names or tell me that I was worthless and stupid, that kind of thing. The more he drank, the more cruel he was to me, as well as my aunt. I remember hearing them argue and shout all through the night sometimes. I would hear him hit her and force himself on her at times. It was completely horrifying."

"You were five when you went to live with them?"

"Yes, but I don't remember it getting really bad until I was eight or nine. He mostly ignored me for the first few years. I was a useless burden to him, so he put me to work on his farm. Though I did love the animals." He held her closer, sensing that she was having trouble continuing. "As I got older, they kind of left me to my own devices. I had to make sure I was fed and clean, and that my clothes were clean for school. I learned how to make my own clothes. I suppose I looked like the orphan I was."

"Did you have trouble making friends?"

"Of course I did, everyone knew I was rubbish. But I didn't mind, really. I spent a lot of time reading and singing high in the mountains. That's how I found the Abbey." She smiled at the memory, reminded of the excitement and sense of hope she felt the first time she saw the sisters tending to their garden. "I knew in that moment that I wanted to be one of them, and I began to read the Bible and seek out the word of God. My uncle was completely outraged when he caught me going to mass one day."

"He had no faith in anything?"

"Quite the opposite. He forbid me from going to mass and took away my Bible. Then when I was seventeen I was accepted into teaching school. I had a few months left to graduate high school, but I was so excited to move on to something better. He found out I was leaving and shouted at me, and this is where my dream picks up. He hit me across the face many times, and then he continued to beat me until I couldn't move or breathe. He hit me with his hands, his belt, anything he could get his hands on. And then, when I could no longer stand, he kicked me. I begged and cried, but he wouldn't stop, no matter what I did."

"Maria..." He had no idea what to say, Her tears flowing freely for having finally let the memory out of her head.

"I did nothing to deserve it, but he was relentless. He only stopped when I lost consciousness. I think he was afraid he had killed me, or something."

"My God, come here." He pulled her close, wrapping his arms tightly around her, as if she would disappear from his grasp. "You absolutely deserved none of that, nobody does."

"I just want to stop remembering." She sighed, fresh tears falling as he held her. She couldn't remember the last time she had cried in front of someone, and she had never once shared her story, even with the Reverend Mother, who had many times pressed her for such details of her young life. She simply could not bring herself to relive the events of her childhood.

But with Georg, it was somehow different. She clearly wouldn't have told him anything had he not witnessed her waking in terror, but she was glad to get it out of her head. What she didn't know at the time was that it would be the last she would ever see the recurring nightmare.

"You are the strongest, most miraculous woman I have ever met, Maria." She gave a small chuckle in response, completely unbelieving. "I mean it. You've endured so much, and look at where you are today. And you've never lost faith. I feel so overwhelmed with love for you."

She smiled at his words, knowing that whether or not she felt that way about herself, he was being completely honest. He held her and soothed her the rest of the night, and she couldn't imagine loving him any more if she tried.