About a minute after the Reverend Mother had left a very confused Maria alone in her office, the sound of the telephone's ring pierced the silence. It made Maria nearly jump out of her skin, her gaze falling on the stationary little black device on the desk. She looked back at the door, hoping the Reverend Mother would come back in and relieve her of this favor. But when the phone rang a second time, her gaze turned back to the phone.

Sighing, Maria got up from her seat and hesitantly picked up the receiver. What would she say? What if it were someone extremely important that couldn't delay? Suppressing a groan, Maria held the phone to her face and said hesitantly, "Hello?"

What she heard was the last thing she expected.

"Hello, Fraulein."

Maria gasped and had to hold onto the desk while her knees gave way and sank to the floor, clutching the receiver as though it were keeping her alive. She had not heard that voice for six weeks, but the person it belonged to she had dreamt of every night.

"Georg!" she exclaimed, a tear running down her cheek. "Oh my goodness! Wha . . . how –"

The sound of his laughter made her heart, already swollen with happiness, burst with joy. "Well, after these past six weeks of torture, my patience ran out and I nearly ran to the Abbey to break you out and elope. Then when Max suggested that might be a tad bit . . . drastic, I called the Reverend Mother to ask if I could have a chance to at least hear your voice before tomorrow. So we set it up to surprise you."

"Oh, Georg . . ." Now Maria really was crying tears of joy. "I can't tell you how much I . . . Oh, there aren't any words to describe this . . . And just so you know, if you'd gone through with your original plan I don't think I'd have minded."

Maria heard him sigh, and more than anything she not only wanted to just hear him, but see him and touch him too. "Oh, Maria . . . tell me I'll see you tomorrow."
She smiled. "You'll see me tomorrow."

"Tell me we're getting married tomorrow."

Her smile widened. "We're getting married tomorrow!"
"And tell me that soon we'll be alone for six and a half weeks."

This time, Maria felt her nervousness come up and give her a poke, so all she managed was a high-pitched, "Mm-hm."

A pause, then Georg said in a gentle voice, "Tell me what you're feeling, my love."

"Um," said Maria, immediately relaxing a bit at the tone of his voice. "Well, excited, happy, I can't sit still, impatient…"

He chuckled. "And nervous?"

She gulped and nodded. Then, remembering they were talking on the telephone, said in a small voice. "A little."

"Maria, that's natural. You have nothing to be ashamed of."

"You're not angry, then?"

"Angry?" he laughed again. "Of course not! If you want the truth, I'm a little nervous, too."

"You?" she practically exclaimed. Why on Earth would her Georg be nervous? Unlike her, this was not his first wedding. "Why?"

"Because you are the best thing that has ever happened to me and my children. And the fact that tomorrow you will become an official member of this family, my beloved wife . . . still seems too good to be true? What did I ever do to deserve a treasure like you? Besides that, you are young, and beautiful, full of life and energy. I am older than you, and do not have a clean slate, with seven children and –"

"Georg," she said firmly. "I fell in love with you. You, exactly as you are. I wouldn't change a single thing about you, and don't go wishing you could change yourself for my sake. For there is no need."

A few moments of silence passed before Maria heard Georg speak again, in a soft tone smitten with a longing. "Oh, to kiss you right now . . ."

The young woman blushed, and held the phone ever closer to her ear. "Just be sure to be at the altar tomorrow waiting for me, then you can."

"Of course I will," said Georg. "And can I count on you being there to walk up that aisle to me?"

"Never doubt it," said Maria, feeling a little nervous again. "I will just be praying all night that I don't trip or stumble down that long aisle . . . in front of all of those people . . ."

Georg chuckled. "Don't worry. Just keep your eyes ahead, straight on me, and you'll be there in no time. And I'll be watching for you, for I know you'll be the most beautiful sight."

Maria said, "Georg, you haven't even seen me in my wedding dress, or the dress itself. How do you know what I'll look like."

"Maria, Maria, Maria . . . you don't need a dress to be beautiful."

Now Georg could practically see her blush, though it was only a telephone call. Suddenly, a series of exclamations sounded from the upper floor. Georg looked up, knowing exactly who was making those noises.

"What was that?" said Maria.

"Oh, only our darling children," said Georg, slightly annoyed something had interrupted the first chance he had to hear Maria's voice in six weeks.

"I know I saw them only this morning, but how are the little dears?"

"Restless and excited," replied Georg, shaking his head. "Just like us, I suppose. But have you any idea how jealous I've been of them?"

Maria laughed, having a feeling where this was heading. "On Saturdays, you mean?"

"Oh, yes," said Georg wryly and a bit bitterly. "You can see them with Max in town, but I? Oh, no, that wouldn't be proper."

For a moment, Maria forgot all of her fears, for the most powerful emotion in her heart was her love, especially for him. "Just remember, beginning tomorrow, we'll never have to be apart again."

Before Georg could respond, another exclamation, this time in song, came from upstairs. He let out a long sigh. "I don't know how on Earth I'll get them to sleep tonight. Then again, I don't know how much I'll sleep tonight either."

"I doubt I'll sleep at all," said Maria honestly. "Well, I'll let you go do your parental duty."

Georg groaned. "I feel like I only just said hello."

Maria smiled. "Me too. But we have plenty of time to make up for this and the past six weeks. Starting tomorrow."

"You're right," he sighed, and closed his eyes, her image coming before his eyes again. Soon he would see her, clad in white and carrying flowers, coming towards him . . . his bride. "I love you."

Now he could hear her smile. "I love you, too."

"Until tomorrow, so long."

"Farewell."

Now both smiled and said in sync: "Auf Wiedersein, good-night." And they shared a laugh.

"Good-night," he murmured.

"Good-night," she breathed, and then the line went quiet.

Georg pulled the phone away from his face and looked at it for the moment, the tone of the dead line almost silent. A Shakespearean line suddenly came to mind.

"Good night, good night! Parting is such sweet sorrow, that I should say good night till it be morrow."*

And with that, he hung up the phone and made his way upstairs.

Surprisingly, all three of the children's bedrooms were empty. So he followed the sound of their song to – why did it not surprise him? – their governess's empty room. Inside, he found them all dancing or jumping either around or on the bed, singing the same song they had sung Maria's first night in the house.

Crossing his arms, he leaned against the open doorway and cleared his throat dramatically. It did the trick; all seven children immediately froze, silenced and looked appropriately guilty.

"Well, I would call this déjà vu, but the absence of your former governess and future mother nearly colliding into me prevents me from doing so." Oh, what he wouldn't give for that to happen again.

"We're sorry, Father," said Liesl, taking a step forward. "The little girls had nightmares and the rest of us could not sleep, anyway."

Georg sighed. "It seems like no one can fall asleep easily tonight. But we all have a big day tomorrow and at least need to try. All right?"

The children nodded, and followed him out of the room. "Besides," said their father cheerfully, "I dare say your little song celebration in there must have tired you out at least a tiny bit."

The children shared an embarrassed laugh.

Upon reaching the three bedrooms, Georg patted both of his sons' shoulders before they headed off to bed. "If you need any help with your suits, ask me or Max before we head for the church."

The boys nodded, smiling, and headed into their own room. The three older girls each kissed their father's cheek before heading into their own bedroom with a "good night!"

"And no late night reading, Brigitta," said Georg before he closed the door. She nodded.

Alone with his two youngest, Georg reached down and immediately they put a tiny hand into his big ones. "Come on, you two."

Upon entering their bedroom, Gretl and Marta each asked him a question simultaneously: Gretl asked for a story, Marta asked for a lullaby.

Georg laughed. "All right, story first, lullaby last.

Gretl immediately ran to her bed, got under the covered and hugged her favorite doll to her, ready. Marta clung to her father's side, wanting to be close, so Georg picked her up and, after sitting on the edge of his yougest's bed, set her on his lap.

"Which story would you like to hear?" he asked.

"Beauty and the Beast!" said Gretl enthusiastically, and Marta nodded.

Georg chuckled. This was their favorite, especially after their older sister had pointed out all of the similarities in their lives to the fairytale. He happened to agree, and was more and happy to tell it. "All right, once upon a time . . ."

* Romeo and Juliet Act II, Scene 2, Lines 198-200.