Chapter Five:
Georg had thought after the events of the party things would have gotten better. Sadly, things weren't moving as quickly as he thought. She had dutifully tended to his wounds even jokingly kissing them better and they had had a long conversation about the guilt she felt.
Maria was now calling him darling again and she didn't flinch when he reached for her hand. They also shared the occasional peck but still he hadn't been invited back into the master suite. Both he and Maria knew that was the next step to rebuilding their relationship, but both were petrified to make the jump.
Shaking that thought from his mind, Georg reclined back in the lawn chair and blindly searched for his wife's hand, smiling in blissful contentment when he felt her hand slide into his palm with no hesitation.
Opening his eyes, he watched as she skilfully read her book with one hand and held his in the other. They were sat on the path by the gates to the lake on a matching set of lawn chairs gifted to them by Max. The children were playing in the nearby meadow, so they had all the time in the world to be together before lunch.
"Darling…I'm bored" Georg said with a teasing glint in his eye, swinging their joined hands back and forth.
"And what is it you want me to do about that, my love?" she asked playing along by acting uninterested.
"Well for one thing, you can stop reading and pay attention to me!" he said grabbing her book out of her hands and standing up, dangling it out of her reach.
"Georg, you really are a child" she said laughing, reaching over him and trying to grab the book.
"Ah see! I could have hours of fun doing this, you'll never reach the book, my little wife" he said standing on his tiptoes, still holding the book out of her reach.
"Oh really! We'll see about that…" Maria said, walking away. For a second Georg thought he had hurt her feelings. They used to tease each other like this all the time. Maybe things were different now.
His spiralling thoughts stopped when he saw he turn around with an impish look upon her face. Let the games, begin!
When ten minutes passed with no sign of his wife, Georg seriously contemplated sending out a search party. Where did she go?
Just as he was about to head inside, he saw her slim hourglass figure walking back towards the lawn chairs.
"What took you so long, darling? I thought you would have the book by now…clearly your plan didn't work" he shouted across the lawn jokingly.
"I wouldn't be so sure about that, my love" she giggled, seemingly distracted by something behind him.
Before he knew it, he was on the ground beneath seven small bodies that he could only assume were his children. How on earth had they snuck up on him. He was a naval captain for god's sake.
He had never been prouder.
He felt the book slip out of his grip and couldn't help his smile when he heard Maria's victorious "Ha! I've still got it, darling!".
"Okay, okay! You win! Now get these children off me before I get anymore grass stains on my clothes" he grumbled, tickling the children.
It was possibly the happiest the family had been in near three months.
That was until a little voice owned by the third youngest von Trapp daughter piped up, "Father, since we're all happy again are you going to move into the master suite again?".
The question was met by stunned silence and Georg met Maria's panicked eyes. They were so careful that the children wouldn't think anything was wrong. They didn't think about Brigitta's observational skills.
Brigitta's observation induced a tidal wave of panic in the younger children.
"Does that mean, you're going to leave again, mother?"
"Do you and father not love each other anymore?"
"Why do you have separate rooms?"
Eventually Maria spoke, quickly realising Georg's shame about the situation.
"Of course, I still love your father, darlings, and I am never, ever going to leave you all. Wild horses couldn't drag me away" she said calmly before wiping the little one's tears and sending the children off to play.
An awkward silence descended over the couple. It was suffocating.
"I should have seen it coming, I should have known Brigitta would figure it out sooner or later. I mean we haven't been us for quite some time now." Maria said grabbing Georg's hand and fiddling with his wedding ring.
"We should have realised, darling" he said with a sad smile.
Tentatively he broached the topic both were ignoring, "What if I moved back in?" seeing her instant panic he rubbed his thumb across her knuckles and clarified, "just for one night! We'll see how it goes?".
"Georg, I love you, and I know I can trust you; you've proved that to me but I still have that fear" she explained putting both hands on his cheeks and looking into his eyes.
"Maria, if you trust me, I beg you to really trust me. Invite me back into your life. I can't stand one more day of invisibility. See me, Maria! The way I see you! As partners, the love of my life, my soul – See me!" Georg was holding back tears as she held his head in her and she wiped her thumbs over her cheeks.
"Okay, Captain, I see you! I see you now and I hope I'll see you tonight in the master suite" she said her expression a mixture of nervous anticipation and love.
Picking her up and spinning her around Georg couldn't help but thank her over and over as she giggled and slapped at him to put her down.
"Maria, can I come in, darling?" Georg was almost giddy with excitement.
Maria was in the master suite, she had been 'getting ready' for the past thirty minutes. If you could call pacing around the couch 'getting ready'. She wanted to mark the occasion, so she had changed into Georg's favourite nightgown of hers, a baby blue silk number that ended high on her thighs. She decided to hide her choice of nightwear with her robe.
"Yes" she said on shaky vocal cords.
Georg gently opened the door a huge smile lighting up his face. Maria was sat on the edge of their bed, looking nervous. He walked up to her and sat down.
"I feel like it's our wedding night again." she said chuckling.
Georg got the wrong end of the stick and immediately reassured her, "Darling, I would never presume…"
"Oh no! That's not what I meant" she said, her cheeks flushing red, "I meant because it was the first time, we shared a bed."
"Oh" Georg said with a smile, a little embarrassed himself, "Well I'll get ready in the bathroom, tonight" he gave her a kiss on the head before going to get ready.
Maria took the time to disrobe and settle her nerves by taking a long drink of cold water and turning off the main light. When Georg came back through, only the lamps were illuminating the vast room and Maria was propped up against multiple soft pillows. Watching as he made his way to the bed in only his pyjama bottoms. She had missed watching his body. He was honestly, god like in physique. He had a muscular chest with a smattering of curly dark hair that went all the way down past his belly button to places Maria couldn't think about without blushing. The best part was, even though he looked like he was carved from marble he was the best hugger.
"No book, darling?" he teased entering the bedroom.
"Ha ha! You know very well; I left it outside after our stupid little game" she glared at him with a bright smile.
"Oh, I would say the game had a pretty wonderful outcome, wouldn't you?" he said climbing into bed next to her.
She simply smiled at him and said "yes".
Maria couldn't begin to explain how nice it was to be sleeping next to her husband again, it felt like she had been hungry for months and someone had just given her a 5-course meal of her favourite dishes. He really was her soulmate.
"I am so glad we're together again, Georg, I do love you so much" she said, suddenly overcome with emotion.
"I know, darling, I love you just as much" he replied with a wink, "come now, it been a busy day, let's sleep" he didn't want to spend too much time thinking or talking, he couldn't risk pushing her away after she had just let him close again.
Turning of the lamps, they slid down under the quilt and closed their eyes for the night. Content to listen to each other's breathing and feel each other's presence.
But something wasn't right.
Fifteen minutes passed and they were no closer to sleep. It didn't feel like it used to.
"Georg, can you hold me?" came a meek little voice, piercing through the blanket of darkness.
Of course, he would. There was no question.
"Darling, you know I will. I noticed you are wearing my 2nd favourite bedtime outfit too" he drawled taking her in his arms.
Maria stopped and turned to face him, shocked, "You're second favourite, I thought it was your favourite!"
"Well, I suppose it is my favourite outfit, but I much prefer you birthday suit…" he chuckled, letting her know he was only joking. Maria laughed along with him before slapping his arms away in mock outrage.
Coincidentally, once spooned up against each other, they didn't find it hard to fall asleep at all.