I know it's been a while, but here it is. This is a chapter about discovery.
-Your husband is dead-
The four words seemed to drive daggers straight through Maria's chest. Her breath caught in her throat. A waterfall of powerful emotions coursed through her in a matter of seconds. She looked down the path outside the house and saw tall delivery boy running in the opposite direction.
The paper fluttered out of her hands as she tore out the door after the stranger. The man seemed to notice she was chasing him and started running even faster, taking a sharp turn onto another street.
She followed him, ignoring the stitch in her side, even after he disappeared down the road. Her rush of adrenaline carried her into a crowded town, where people were bustling about. She stumbled into the middle of the fray, her feet throbbing.
She looked around frantically but everyone looked the same, and she could not identify the dark hair of the mail deliverer. The mass of strangers began to swirl around and she felt herself starting to black out again. She shook her head, swaying slightly from side to side, fighting with every muscle in her body to keep from plummeting to the ground.
"Excuse me Miss, are you alright." She heard a voice from behind her.
She swallowed and took another step, stumbling over her weak legs. A wave of nausea hit her, and she struggled to prevent her insides from flying out of her into the street. Finally she turned around to face the voice which had addressed her, shaking her head.
Two hands grabbed her firmly on the shoulders before she toppled forwards, almost crashing head first into the ground beneath her.
"Let's get you inside." The voice, which she now recognized as male, said softly. She felt the change in temperature and smelled something mouthwateringly delicious as she was pulled gently inside an unfamiliar building. She tried to lift her head from being buried in the man's shoulder but everything was so blurry that she got dizzy and was forced to close her eyes again.
"She seems sick. I don't really know what to do."
"Oh dear," She heard a woman's voice. "Call the doctor. Get me some cold water and a washcloth."
"Yes ma'am." She felt the grip on her shoulders start to loosen.
"Don't drop her! Help me get her upstairs first you idiot."
As she was hoisted in the air, what was left of her consciousness disappeared.
The first thing she noticed was a wet washcloth over her forehead and eyes. The second thing she noticed was that her stomach was spinning again. "Oh god. I'm going to vomit." She muttered, leaning over the side of the bed and gagging, because she hadn't eaten anything all day, into a waste basket. She felt a gentle hand rubbing her back, and realized she had no idea where she was. Finally opening her eyes, she saw that the person comforting her was a doctor, and that there was an elderly woman standing in the corner of the room.
"Hello, dear." The woman smiled anxiously. "How are you feeling?"
As the rest of the room came into focus, Maria's nausea subsided. "I'm fine. How long have I been out?"
"About 20 minutes." The doctor supplied.
Maria's eyes bulged. "I have to go." She yelped, throwing the covers off of her, and heading for the door. "I have children, and cookies waiting for me." The washcloth tumbled onto the floor.
"Ma'am, sit down." The doctor demanded. "I'm sure your children will be fine."
Maria reluctantly returned to her spot on the bed. She stared at the doctor expectantly.
"Please, try to relax."
"Well, it's hard to relax when you have seven children who are probably worried sick about you, and a batch of cookies which are likely burning in the oven back home." Maria spat. It felt good to have someone to argue with. She felt a familiar fire burning in her chest that had been absent for the last few days.
"I'm sure that your husband will take care of them while you're away." The doctor tried to soothe her. "And he'll understand your absence once you tell him-"
"My husband is dead, sir." She interrupted him coldly. It was the first time she had said it out loud, and it felt like venom flowing out of her mouth.
After sharing a glance with the woman, who had skillfully blocked the doorway, the doctor took Maria's hand gently. "I'm terribly sorry for your loss."
Maria shook her hand out of his grasp. "Thank you very much, but I don't need your sympathy." She stared straight ahead, feeling a well of tears collect under her eyes. "I'd prefer if you would just give me some medicine, so that I may return to my family."
The doctor's eyes flew once again to the old woman.
Maria pursed her lips. "I'm sorry doctor, but, is there something seriously wrong with my health?" She watched as the doctor slowly shook his head. "Then I really ought to get going." She stood up and marched towards the door.
"What is your name, ma'am?" Asked the woman blocking the exit.
Maria closed her eyes and sighed in irritation.
"What will we say if people ask who we are?" She asked him as the loaded the car with luggage.
"Just make something up I suppose." Georg suggested. "We'll tell people you are my governess."
She laughed and he placed his hand on the small of her back. "That will be rather difficult for me." She sighed. "I'm an awful liar."
"Really?"
Maria nodded sincerely. They wandered back into the house to retrieve the children.
"Well, I suppose you'll need some practice, won't you?" He grinned boyishly at her.
"What are you suggesting?" She asked, narrowing her eyes.
He grabbed her around the waist and pulled her close to him. With their faces inches apart and their noses touching, he whispered, "Fancy a bit of role play?"
Her mouth parted into a small 'o' for a moment before he pressed his lips onto hers. When they separated she whispered excitedly "Well, yes, certainly; but do we have time?"
He lifted her ceremoniously into his arms and carried her out of the foyer.
"Georg!" She shrieked.
"Call me 'Captain'," He said with feigned seriousness. "Fraulein."
She swallowed. "Um, my name is Agathe. Agathe Schraeder." Guilt washed over her for the thievery of two honorable women's names. She hoped that the lie was not as easily read by these strangers as it was by her conscience.
Apparently, she had been believable enough. "Agathe, please lie down and rest. I'm sure that your family is fine." The woman gently took her by the shoulders and guided her to the bed. "Would you like to tell me where you live so that I might go fetch your children and bring them to you?"
"No." Maria said quickly, "I mean, I wouldn't want you to go through the trouble when I can easily go to them myself." She was still unsure of who she could and could not trust. Somehow, they had known the location of the cottage, and there was no telling where they were getting their information. Though her paranoia felt slightly unwarranted, Maria couldn't bear to expose the children to anyone no matter how kind and generous they seemed.
The woman eyed her curiously but let the subject go.
Maria waited for someone to say something. When no one did she looked back and forth between the two strangers. "Why am I still here?" She asked.
"We're waiting for some test results." The doctor explained.
Maria's heart started thumping. "But you said there was nothing seriously wrong with me." She said hurriedly. "Did you lie? Do I have a dreadful illness?" She started to hyperventilate. "I can't leave my family. Their father just passed away, and they don't even know yet. They need me. I- They- Please don't let this be happening." She pleaded, half to the doctor, half to god. She felt the tears she had so skillfully hidden roll down her cheeks. She mumbled gibberish under her breath, unable to speak fluently.
"Just tell her doctor." The woman demanded harshly.
"Listen, Agathe," The doctor began, his voice coaxing Maria back into a state of tranquility. "I can tell that you have been going through a tough time."
"Really?" Maria interrupted coarsely.
"Let me finish." The doctor said firmly. "Your condition," He began.
Maria's chest tightened and the sound of the word 'condition'. She opened her mouth to interrupt him again, but he gave her a stern look so she bit her tongue.
He sighed and started again. "Your situation is really very common."
"What is it doctor?" Maria pressed, narrowing her eyes at him. She was starting to get impatient. She had to get out of this bed.
"Agathe, you're pregnant." Blurted the woman moving away from the door and kneeling at the bed side.
"What?" Maria stuttered. Stunned, her whole body went numb. She just gazed blankly at the doctor, who was glancing with concern back at the woman. She felt dizzy again and fell backwards, her head slamming onto the bed. Somewhere in her body, she felt a sense of relief, and an ounce of excitement. However, more powerful than the hope, was an overwhelming dread at the implications of the word, "Pregnant?"
The doctor nodded.
Maria shook her head. "No. It isn't possible." Her voice shook. "I can't-" Her voice was cut off by uncontrollable sobs. "I-" She watched the ceiling blur as her eyes glassed over. Unable to speak, she closed her eyes tightly, letting tears trickle down her cheeks. She tried without luck to steady her breathing.
After a long stretch of silence, she felt the doctor's hands rest once again on her shoulder. She shoved it off, glaring at him.
"No." She pushed herself up to her feet and walked out the door.
Before she knew it, she was striding swiftly up the path in front of the house. When she reached the door she paused with her hand on the gold door knob, her fingers trembling. She had run over the potential conversation she was going to have to have with the children in her head several times. No possible scenario made the future seem any brighter.
She burst through the front door, and heard a chorus of voices.
"Mother."
"You're back."
"Where were you?"
"Is everything okay?"
"I thought you were dead."
"I thought you left forever."
"You scared us."
Maria offered the children a comforting hug. "Did you get the cookies out of the oven?" She pulled out of the hug for a moment to ask.
Liesl nodded proudly.
"Good." Maria smiled. "Why don't we have a snack then?"
"You go unpack, Mother." Brigitta insisted. "We'll find the plates. We left you a drawer in the master bedroom wardrobe."
"Do you want children?"
"I've never thought about it, really. The prospects of becoming a nun kind of put a damper on the whole children thing for me."
"And now that you aren't going to be a nun?"
"I honestly don't know."
"Don't you want a family, Maria?"
"I already have a family." She paused to snuggle her head into his chest. "I have the children. I have you."
She was in the bedroom when she pulled herself out of her thoughts. She turned sideways in front of the mirror, studying her own reflection. She smoothed down the front of her dress as much as possible to see if it was noticeable.
It wasn't.
"Yet." She reminded herself quietly. "It isn't noticeable yet."
Standing there, staring into her own tired eyes, Maria became aware of her stunning lack of faith. Why was everything going so horribly wrong? She didn't deserve this. Even if she did Georg certainly didn't, nor did his family. Why would god ruin the lives of such wonderful people? She didn't understand. "How could you?" She asked aloud, her voice brimming with anger.
Suddenly, she didn't care to receive and answer from Him. There couldn't possibly be a legitimate reason for the events of the last weeks. She briskly grabbed her suitcase and opened it, flinging her belongings into the bottom drawer. At the bottom of her bag, she found an envelope. Scribbled on the front of the envelope was her name Maria in Georg's handwriting.
She flipped it over in her hands a few times before deciding that she couldn't bear to read it. She still didn't want to throw it away either so she began searching for a place to hide it. She entered the hallway and walked over to the closet. She found it to be completely empty, except for a few balls of dust and;
In the corner of the closet was small vase filled with fully bloomed, fresh, white flowers.
It was edelweiss.
As the two of them exited the stage, he grabbed her hand firmly. It was now time to put their barely thought out plan into action.
He kissed her during the black out, a brief kiss that was filled with electricity. She thought she could feel a tear running down his cheek as he pressed his lips against hers. When he pulled away his eyes were shining in the dark. "Maria."
She put a finger to his lips and hushed him gently.
"Maria, before now I thought that Austria was my home." He continued, whispering, despite her protests. "It was where Agathe and I raised our family. It was all that I knew."
She lifted a finger and tenderly wiped a tear that was trickling down.
"But, you, you and, and the children. You are my home. Where ever you are, I will be happy. You are my edelweiss." He kissed her again, but this time when he pulled away his face was hard and determined. Any trace of emotion had been washed away from his cold expression.
Maria opened her mouth to speak, but he stopped her.
"Now, let's go." He commanded harshly.
She followed him.
There you have it. Take from it what you will. Review if you have ideas or comments. I am at a loss of where to go from here so, help would be nice.
Do you hate the new title? Should I change it back to 'Lost'?