Here we are. I have to warn you that at the end of winter break I will have much less time to update. This chapter is the longest ones so far and will hopefully make up for the future in which I will probably be updating fairly infrequently.
The sound of boots on cobble stone echoed as they walked up to the cottage. It was undoubtedly smaller than their home in Austria but beautiful none-the-less. Maria set down Gretl, who she had been carrying for the past couple hours, and gently squeezed her shoulders to relieve the soreness. She gazed up at the large house and elaborate decorum. It had humongous windows and a beautiful garden that overflowed with unfamiliar brightly colored flowers.
She suddenly felt scared. She fumbled with the key to the front door, feeling the cold metal rub up against her skin. The house cast a dark shadow over them as they walked up the pathway to the front door, blocking out the sun.
Friedrich broke into a run shouting "We're finally here." All the rest of them followed in his footsteps, their feet thundering on the ground until they reached the door.
Kurt stayed behind. He was still limping from his fall. As the rest of the children tried to open the door, shouting in dismay when they discovered it was locked, he and Maria walked in silence. Finally Kurt glanced up at her "Mother." His voice was barely audible.
"Yes, Kurt?"
"Um, do you think that maybe, if we really wish hard, father will be waiting for us inside of this house? He did promise he would meet us here."
Maria patted him gently on the bag, staring at her feet. She felt a small glimmer of hope at the suggestion, but didn't want to raise his hopes up. "I'm sorry, but probably not." She gave him a light squeeze.
He removed himself from her embrace to join his siblings, but turned back to her for a moment. "Probably not isn't the same thing as no." He smiled and ran up to the door.
Maria sighed as she approached the front porch. "Move aside so that I can open the door."
"How are you going to do that?" Marta asked.
"I have a key." Maria laughed and the others joined her. She unlocked the door and placed her hand on the brass handle. She paused for a minute, imagining that he would be standing on the other side of the door, waiting to hug her and whisper sweet nothings in her ear while the children fought over room arrangements.
"Well, open it." Friedrich demanded, poking her in the back.
She pushed the door open. Everyone rushed in around her, ducking under her arms to get inside, but she just stood in the doorway, her eyes tracing the polished hard wood floors and the carpeted stairway.
"Mother, I can't get past you." Liesl was still standing behind her.
"Oh gosh, sorry." Maria jumped, moving out of the way so that Liesl could come in. "You'd better run upstairs so that you can get a good room." She suggested.
Liesl nodded and raced to follow the others to the second floor.
Maria watched her as she ran, slowly running her fingers through her hair and letting out a sigh of relief. She felt as if she could finally relax.
"Oh dear, I don't think I can do anymore Georg." Maria panted. He was holding on to her feet while she walked as fast as she could on only her hands. Somehow, she had got it in her head that their family should participate in the games played at a local fair. Now she found herself struggling not to topple over while Georg pushed her along in a wheel barrow race.
"Come on!" She heard Friedrich shout from somewhere.
"You're doing great." Georg encouraged her.
She grunted and exerted her last ounce of strength, and the two of them crashed over the finish line. She attempted to turn around and look at him, but in doing so ended up falling face first in the grass and pulling him down with her.
"Oh god." She groaned, still lying face down in the grass. "I don't know what made me think that was a good idea."
She felt heat as Georg scooted himself so that he was lying next to her. "That was quite impressive my love."
She turned her head to the side and smiled at him, enjoying the feeling of his body pressed up against her. It was a week before their wedding, so this was still the closest they could get to each other.
He leaned towards her, and pecked her gently on the lips. "I truly am in awe of your abilities."
She laughed, facing the ground again. "We came in last." She said, her voice muffled by the dirt.
Suddenly, without warning, she felt the weight disappear temporarily from her body as she was lifted into the air, her feet flailing.
"What on earth are you doing?" She shrieked as he carried her away from the finish line.
"I'm giving you a break from walking." He explained. "Now, do you have anywhere you wish to go?"
"Well, where are the children?"
"Eating, most likely. Or spending all of my money on frivolous, coin-eating carnival games."
"Shall we go and find them?"
He kissed her again and began to walk them through the crowds of people. She lifted her legs to avoid slamming them into people's heads, and became keenly aware of how tall her companion was. She smiled and settled into his arms, feeling completely safe.
Suddenly they stopped.
"A telegram for you, Captain Von Trapp." A young boy informed them curtly.
"Now?" Georg asked.
"Yes sir." The boy said nervously. "Urgent telegram form Herr Zeller."
To her disappointment, Georg slowly set Maria down, keeping his arm around her, and snatched the telegram from the boy's hand. Maria watched him as he unfolded the piece of paper, examining his face for some kind of reaction. As he read, his eyebrows furrowed and his eyes darkened, his arm sliding off of her shoulder.
"They request an immediate reply." The boy explained.
Georg looked up at him, his cold stare bearing down. "Well." He replied, his voice icy, but calm and silky, "Why don't you tell them that I will respond to them when I see fit."
The boy didn't argue. He merely turned and ran off into the crowd.
"Georg, was it really necessary to scare the poor…" She trailed off, realizing it was hopeless to argue over such a trivial subject. There would be other arguments once they were married that would be more worthwhile.
Georg, his face growing paler, read the letter again and then stalked away from her without uttering another word.
Maria shook her head, jolting herself out of yet another day dream. She felt weak at the knees again. She walked into what turned out to be the living room of the house. She slumped onto a couch and threw her head back, studying the ceiling.
"Oh God, I think I may be going mad. I ask that you please protect my sanity so that I may provide for my family." She prayed breathily, her throat dry. "In the name of the father, son and the holy spirit, Amen."
She stretched out on the couch for a moment, kicking off her shoes and feeling the air rush over her bare feet, and closed her eyes. A wave of sadness hit her suddenly, tears collecting behind her closed eyelids. She trembled for a moment, curling up on the couch and crying into her dress. Images of him flashed through her mind. She though first of his happy smiling face, then his dark angry scowl, then a look of fear in his eyes that she had only seen once. She shuttered, then recollected herself and stood up to hunt for the kitchen.
She had no trouble finding it, and once she entered she found that the cabinets were filled with food. She felt a sudden urge to eat sugar cookies, and it was the first pang of hunger she had felt in a while, so she promptly washed her hands and grabbed the ingredients. She pressed her hands into the dough, which was cold and moist. She began molding the dough into small round balls, but for some reason her fingers would not do as she wanted them to and she kept dropping the balls of cookie onto the floor.
She sighed irritably, bending down for the third time to pick up the runaway dough ball.
"Maria."
"Do you think that maybe, if we really wish hard, father will be waiting for us?"
Her eyes widened at the sound of the familiar voice. She stood up and whirled around, her heart pounding.
There was no one there.
"Maria." She heard again.
She twisted ran to the door of the kitchen and peered out, but there was no tall shadowy figure waiting to take her into his arms.
"Maria."
"No matter what happens I will never abandon you."
"But you have abandoned me." Maria whispered breathlessly. The room seemed to spin around her. She immediately felt dizzy. She stumbled over to the sink thinking she might vomit, but before she could get there the colors in the room all blended into a dark fog and she fell into blackness.
"Louisa." Maria threw the door open, and ran to the side of the bed. Louisa was lying there, shivering.
Maria handed Louisa a glass of water, which she accepted gratefully. "Please." She pleaded between sips. "Don't wake father. I swear I'm fine, I just had a long day, that's all."
"Why wouldn't I wake him?" Maria asked, wiping a layer of sweat from Louisa's forehead.
"You really ought to be packing." Louisa told her managing to smile. "You leave for your honey moon tomorrow."
"There isn't a place I would rather be than here with you." Maria insisted.
"Really?" She heard from behind her. She turned and saw Georg standing in the doorway.
"Oh, father, I didn't mean to wake you. I'm very sorr-"
"It's alright darling." Georg said moving to the bed side as well. "What's wrong?" He asked Maria
"She has a mild fever." Maria told him. "I'm trying to help her cool down so that she will be comfortable enough to fall asleep."
"I think I'm alright Fraulein- I mean Mother." Louisa giggled under the covers and tilted her head to one side, smiling up at the two of them. "You two can go."
"Alright darling, good night." Maria whispered, leaning down to kiss Louisa on the forehead.
"Oh no, don't." Louisa covered her face with the covers. "I don't want you to get sick.
Maria pulled the covers away. "I don't care." She asserted. She kissed Louisa's pale cheek then turned back to her husband.
"Goodnight Louisa." Georg said absentmindedly, grabbing Maria's hand and pulling her out of the room.
"You're in quite the hurry." Maria observed once they were out of ear shot.
Georg smiled at her, wrapping his arms around her waist and pulling her close to him. "I've been waiting a long time for this." His hand started to travel down her back.
She instinctively slapped his hand off of her then, realizing what she had done, gasped. "Goodness, I'm so sorry. That was just a gut reaction." She blushed, holding her face in her hands.
"So this is what rejection feels like." Georg mused, still grinning. "It hurts, especially coming from my own wife."
"Oh you!" She pushed him playfully on the shoulder. "I didn't mean it like that." She examined his hand. "Are you alright? Do you want me to get you some ice to stop the swell-?"
Georg silenced her by pressing his lips slowly on to hers. They separated briefly, foreheads still touching, and he said "I think it can wait."
She bit her bottom lip and gazed into his eyes.
I know that was sort of an abrupt ending but I hope you liked it anyway. I have some ideas for where this story is going but am definitely interested in suggestions.
This next part pertains solely to a reviewer named Lily(Guest) there is a spoiler way, way down though if you are interested.
To Lily: I'm kind of confused as to whether you want me to write a story for you or post a story for you. Please clarify.
SPOILER BELLOW.
s
s
s
s
s
s
s
s
s
s
s
s
s
Maria isn't incredibly ill or anything. She isn't going to die of a dramatically fatal illness. Don't worry.
Also, it may be a while before the family is reunited. But never fear, it will happen.