Two days after Christmas, Maria awoke to a world of white. Though they had had a few snowfalls previously, most had been only a few centimeters, enough for snowball fighting and perhaps a small snowman but not much else. It appeared, however, that this snowfall was considerably larger and would allow a full complement of winter activities. Friedrich seemed to agree with her assessment, for he begged to go sledding as soon as they began eating breakfast that day. Maria glanced to the Captain for permission, and he nodded. "It seems you will get a chance to try out your new sled," he said.

"Do you want to come, too, Father?" Friedrich asked eagerly. Georg chewed thoughtfully for a few seconds before answering.

"Perhaps I will, at least for a short while. It has been quite some time since I last went sledding, and I do not have any pressing business to attend to at the moment." His agreement was met with cheers of excitement from all the children. Maria felt like joining them but contented herself to merely smile at their jubilation while she continued to feed Gretl between her own bites. The older children immediately began to debate the best sledding hills around the villa, only stopping when Maria promised that they could each choose a hill as long as it was close enough to walk to.

Max had returned to the villa the previous day, but he was still sleeping and thus did not join them on the sledding excursion. The children all gathered in the foyer soon after breakfast, and Maria strapped Gretl to her chest before tucking her coat around the baby and taking Marta's hand. Georg, Friedrich, and Liesl all had sleds tucked under their arms as they set out though Liesl soon gave hers to Louisa who was debating with Friedrich about who would win a race. They reached the first hill–Brigitta's choice since Maria had declared they would go from youngest to oldest. It was a relatively gentle slope, but that did not seem to dampen the older children's enthusiasm. Friedrich and Louisa were first on the sleds, racing as they had vowed to do during the walk. Friedrich won the first race, and Louisa immediately challenged him to a rematch. Georg offered the sled he carried to his children, and Brigitta surprised everyone when she was the first to take him up on his offer. She decided to join in the race, emerging victorious. Maria congratulated her, a questioning look in her eyes, and Brigitta shrugged with a slight smile. "That part of the hill is a bit shorter and steeper than where they were," she explained simply. Maria chuckled. She supposed she should not be surprised by the clever tricks the five-year-old came up with anymore.

Kurt's chosen hill was a bit higher than Brigitta's though still a relatively gentle slope. Georg surprised everyone when they reached it by hopping on the sled he was holding, offering to take Marta down with him. The taciturn girl, who Maria had noticed was quite fond of her father, immediately nodded. Georg took her in his arms, holding her close to his chest as he pushed off with one foot. The sled started down the hill, picking up a bit of speed but never gaining too much. Kurt and Louisa had both jumped in the other two sleds by the time Georg and Marta reached the bottom, and they started down as their father pulled Marta up in the sled. Immediately, Marta asked to go again, and after confirming that Friedrich, Louisa, and Brigitta did not want a turn immediately, Georg took her down again.

Louisa's hill provided the first real challenge of the morning. Friedrich and Louisa were undaunted by the steep incline, but Liesl declared that she was tired of sledding, building a snowman with Brigitta and Marta instead. Kurt seemed torn between joining his younger sisters and his older brother and sister. After watching Friedrich and Louisa race down the hill a couple times, he finally turned to his father. "Could we maybe go together?" he asked. "Just for the first couple times until I get used to it," he hastened to add.

Georg glanced over his head, giving Maria a small wink. "Of course, son," he agreed. Sitting on the sled, he let Kurt climb on in front of him. He wrapped his arms around his son before they both started down the hill, and they were soon laughing merrily. Somehow, Kurt convinced his father to pull him up the hill on the sled, and they immediately turned around to go down a second time. As the sled flew down the hill, the right side hit something–Maria did not see what–and bounced off the ground. Kurt, who had grown more confident and was leaning forward instead of sitting back in his father's arms, bounced with it. Maria clamped a hand over her mouth as she watched him teeter on the edge of the sled before slowly tumbling off. Georg, of course, immediately realized what was happening as well. He reached out, wrapping both his arms around his son. The action unbalanced him as well, and they both tumbled out of the sled, rolling together down the slope as the sled raced ahead. Maria told Liesl to watch her younger siblings before running to the spot where she had seen them stop. Both lay in the snow, unmoving.

"Kurt! Captain! Are you hurt?" she called, skidding slightly on the slippery hill.

"Uh uh," a small voice remarked, somewhat muffled. Kurt slowly crawled out of his father's embrace. Maria noted that his eyes were wide and wet, and he seemed to be struggling to hold back tears. However, now that she was sure he was unhurt, she did not look at him long, more concerned for his still-unmoving father.

"Captain!" she called again.

A groan came from the huddled figure on the ground. "I believe my entire body is bruised," he remarked, his voice slightly muffled. Stiffly, he rolled over and pushed himself into a sitting position.

"You're bleeding!" Maria gasped, seeing the streak of red across his cheek. He tugged off a glove and reached up his bare hand to gently probe the cut above his eyebrow.

"Likely a scrape from a rock. It probably looks worse than it is; wounds to the head bleed horribly."

"Are you really okay, Father?" Kurt asked anxiously from behind Maria. Maria could hear the undertone of self-recrimination in his voice. Georg obviously heard it as well, for he hastened to reassure his son.

"Just fine, my boy. I have certainly taken far worse tumbles in my life. However, I think I will sit out the rest of sledding for the day and return to the house to clean up a bit." He slowly pushed himself to his feet, swaying slightly before finding his balance. By that point, the other children had arrived as well, all watching him worriedly. He gave them a reassuring smile. "I am fine, I promise. I will just take it easy for the rest of the day, and I am sure I will be as good as new tomorrow."

"Do you need someone to help you back to the house, Father?" Liesl asked, Gretl in her arms.

Georg took a couple tentative steps forward before shaking his head. "I can make it on my own, but thank you for the offer. I will see you all back at the house when you are finished." He took a couple more steps toward the house, and Maria noticed that he was struggling not to limp. She bit her lip to keep from saying anything, not wanting to worry the children. Upon seeing that no one was moving, Georg gave his family and Maria a wide smile. "Please, do not stop the fun on my account. Continue with your plans for the rest of the morning. I believe you still have two more hills to visit." Those words finally spurred Friedrich and Louisa to action, and they began toting their sleds up the hill again. After a few moments of hesitation, the rest of the children and Maria followed, Kurt trailing the furthest behind and still watching his father suspiciously until he was out of sight.

The children were more subdued after the accident, and they all agreed to skip the final two hills. Maria did not press the issue, for she could see they were all worried about their father. They were quiet as they returned to the villa and stored their sleds, disappearing up the stairs to clean up for lunch without a single reminder from Maria. After peeling the layers of clothing off Marta and Gretl and washing them up for lunch, Maria brought them both to the dining room where Georg was already waiting along with three of the older children. Maria thought he might be leaning a bit more heavily on the back of his chair than usual while he stood behind it, but she did not spend long watching him, fearing that her interest would alert one of the children that perhaps all was not as well with their father as he was attempting to convey.

Friedrich and Kurt joined them, and Georg smiled. "Good. We can eat now." He sat, and everyone else followed suit. Maria said the blessing, and the sound of silverware soon filled the room. For once, it was the Captain who broke the silence. "Do you have any other adventures planned now that we have a nice blanket of snow on the ground?" he asked.

The children looked to Maria who gave them a small smile. "I thought perhaps we could build some snowmen and snow angels. And I am sure that there will be at least one snowball fight."

"Boys versus girls?" Kurt suggested.

"You would be outnumbered," Louisa pointed out.

"If Father plays, it won't matter," Friedrich countered.

"Oh-ho, you have quite a bit of confidence in my snowball fighting abilities," Georg remarked.

"Because you're better than any of the rest of us," Kurt said simply. Georg looked around at his children before meeting Maria's eyes. He stared at her a moment before she blushed, lowering her eyes under the heat of his gaze. He gave a crooked smile.

"I feel that perhaps you may be underestimating your Fraulein's ability." The kids all looked to Maria who simply shrugged. She had not had many snowball fights in her life, for neither the Abbey nor the farm where she grew up afforded many opportunities for them, but she had found during the couple in which she had participated that she was quite adept at both making snowballs and aiming them.

"I suppose we will just have to see," she remarked.

"Can we have the fight tomorrow?" Friedrich questioned.

Maria glanced at Georg who grimaced slightly. He seemed unsure of the best way to turn down his children gently, so she stepped in to help. "I think your father might need a bit more recovery time to be in fighting form. Perhaps we could build snowmen tomorrow instead?" The children readily agreed, and they spent the rest of lunch debating who could build the best snowman and what other creatures they might create from the snow.

By the time the new year came, they had actually managed two snowball fights as well as creating a host of snow creatures which adorned the villa grounds. Somewhat surprisingly, however, the children seemed eager to return to school as the first day of winter term approached. Even Louisa, who had always been the most reluctant to leave on school mornings, had begun to talk about a couple of the girls she knew who she was looking forward to seeing again. Maria was grateful for their eagerness, for it made packing their school bags much easier, but she herself had begun to dread the start of the new term though not because the children would be back in school. While she did enjoy their company and would miss them, she also enjoyed the quieter time she had with Gretl and Marta. However, the start of the school term meant the holidays were officially over, and Maria had told the Reverend Mother she would evaluate how her position as governess was working at that time.

She finally worked up the courage to bring up the topic with Georg during their talk the Saturday before the children returned to school. Max had gone back to Vienna two days before, promising the children he would return in due time with presents which had appeased them somewhat though they still missed him. Maria could tell Georg missed him as well though he would never say as much. Their talks the past two nights had been much longer than usual, however, leaving Maria quite tired in the morning since Marta and Brigitta were both early risers. She was not sure how Georg managed, for he often stayed up later than her, but she had seen him up most mornings when she rose from bed. She suspected that if she asked, he would once more cite his naval training.

"Captain, I was hoping that I would be able to return to the Abbey for a few hours soon if it's not too much trouble."

He turned from where he was pouring their drinks, eyebrows raised. "Is something wrong?"

"No, it's just that I. . . I promised the Reverend Mother I would evaluate how things were going after the holidays, and since it is now after the holidays, I want to make sure I keep that promise."

"I see." He passed her a glass and set his own on the side table. Though he was looking directly at her, his expression was inscrutable, and her hands danced nervously in her lap. She knew what she wanted to do long-term, but she had no idea if he was amenable to the idea as well, and she was struggling to bring herself to ask the question. While he had given no indication that he was displeased with her work, she was by nature fairly critical of herself, and she could not help but consider her faults and worry that perhaps he would not want her to continue because of them. They sat in silence for a few minutes before he finally broke it. "How do you feel things are going?"

"I have enjoyed my time here very much. The children are wonderful."

"The feeling is mutual." She gave a non-committal hum. "Are you planning to stay, Fraulein?" he asked directly.

Maria could not stop the small sigh of relief, for she could tell by his tone that he would not ask her to leave if she did not want to. "If you will have me, yes, at least for awhile."

"We would be happy for you to stay as long as you are willing. You have truly worked wonders with the children." They fell silent again as Maria contemplated what to say next. The truth was, she had thought and prayed quite a bit over the past few days and had finally come to accept that her future did not lie at the Abbey. Therefore, Georg's offer to let her stay was quite a relief, for she would have nowhere else to go. However, she was not sure that he realized just what he was offering, for he likely expected she would need to get back to the Abbey sooner rather than later. She needed to clarify that point so that she could start to make other arrangements if needed.

"Actually, I need to speak with the Reverend Mother about more than just my time here," she remarked. He gave her an expectant look and she took a deep breath, steeling herself. "I do not think I will ever be a nun," she told him.

His eyes widened slightly but after a moment, he nodded thoughtfully. "I can see that," he told her. "And do not worry, Fraulein, I meant what I said about having you here for as long as you are willing. No matter how long that may be."

"I do appreciate that, Captain, but I also know that there will be no need for a governess eventually. After all, even Gretl will one day go to school and if you ever remarry. . ." She trailed off, suddenly uncomfortable with their topic of conversation. Georg also looked a bit sheepish, and he cleared his throat before continuing.

"Be that as it may, there will be some time before that occurs. Circumstances are likely to change."

"Of course." They were silent for a few seconds before Maria realized she had never received an answer to her query. "May I go back to the Abbey? I do not have a particular preference for any day, but I thought it might be good to go on a weekday while most of the children are in school."

"Of course you may go, Fraulein. You can choose a day that works best for you, just let me know beforehand so I can arrange other childcare. Perhaps the day after tomorrow?"

"That would work well."

They talked for a bit longer, but their conversation was more stilted than usual. Something seemed to have changed between them, but Maria could not figure out exactly what it was. After a few minutes of halting conversation, she decided that she was too tired to continue and bade the Captain goodnight. Her last image of him before she left the room was watching him stare into the fire with a glass of brandy in his hand, obviously deep in thought about something. She wondered what it could be. However, she did not dare ask; instead, she turned and walked quickly to her room, knowing she had her own thinking to do.

Two days later, Maria stood outside the Abbey gates, contemplating the fact that they did not seem to have changed at all though it had been nearly four months since she had last seen them. She had taken a bus into the city that morning despite the Captain's offer to drive her, for she was hesitant to be alone in a car with him for reasons she could not explain to herself. She told him that she enjoyed the extra time on the bus for introspection, and he accepted her answer though she could see that he did not fully believe it. Maria was not sure she fully believed the excuse herself, but she decided not to think too hard about it.

She rang the bell at the front gate, and one of the sisters came almost immediately. Maria smiled when she saw the familiar face of Sister Margaretta, a nun who had always been kind to her and stood up for her, even when Maria had done things of which the other nuns did not approve. "Maria. The Reverend Mother said you were coming today."

"Yes. I had a few things I wanted to discuss with her." Maria felt suddenly nervous, and she glanced down, unable to meet the kindly nun's eyes. She realized that the current occasion could easily be the last time she saw Sister Margaretta. The nuns at Nonnberg Abbey were not officially cloistered, but they did not leave the Abbey very often. And though they allowed the occasional visitor, generally it was under rather extreme circumstances. Maria felt like she should say something, thanking the other woman at the very least for all the help she had given over the years. But Maria found the words were not coming to her.

"Is something troubling you, Maria? Is that why you came to talk to Reverend Mother?" Sister Margeretta asked gently. Maria chanced a glance upwards, and the kindly gaze suddenly loosened her tongue.

"Oh, Sister Margeretta, I am just so confused! I thought when I came here that dedicating my life to God was the right step for me, but now I am not sure."

Sister Margeretta smiled gently, reaching out to squeeze Maria's shoulder. "Maria, dear, when you came to us, you had not seen much of the world, and based on some of the things you have mentioned over the years, I imagine that most of what you had seen was cruel. But there is so much more to the world than that. Perhaps God has led you down this path for a reason."

Maria stared at the kindly Sister for a moment, realizing that her words made a good deal of sense. For days, Maria had struggled with the thought that by leaving the Abbey, she was abandoning God, but perhaps it was God's plan all along for her to find a different path. After all, becoming a nun was not the only way to serve Him. "Thank you, Sister Margeretta," Maria finally declared. "For everything. I do not know how I would have managed my time here without all the help and support you gave me."

"You would have managed admirably, I am sure, but I am glad I could be of some help."

Maria hesitated a moment before giving the older woman a hug, and Sister Margaretta happily returned it. The clock above their heads chimed ten o'clock, and Maria pulled back, a bit frazzled. "I am going to be late for my meeting!" Sister Margaretta smiled indulgently.

"Go, my child. And trust God. I have confidence that he has a great plan for your life, and if you open yourself up to the possibilities, I am sure you will find it." Maria returned the smile before turning, hurrying to the Reverend Mother's office. She reached the door just as the clock sounded for the final time, and Maria took a moment to straighten her clothing before knocking on the door.

"Ave," the Reverend Mother's soft, familiar voice called from inside. Maria entered, bowing her head. "Maria, it is good to see you again. You are looking well."

"Thank you, Reverend Mother."

"Is your post as governess agreeing with you?"

Maria heard something in the Reverend Mother's voice that caused her to look up in confusion. She sounded almost. . . teasing. But that simply could not be right. The Reverend Mother did not tease. Still, there was a sparkle in her eyes that Maria had not seen before. She hesitated slightly before answering honestly. "I have enjoyed my time with the von Trapp children."

"I am glad to hear that. I thought the assignment might be well-suited to your personality."

Maria definitely heard the teasing lilt that time. She considered how to best respond for a moment before finally saying, "I have found that certain of my habits are beneficial when dealing with the children."

"I imagine that is what you wanted to speak with me about today."

"You had mentioned when I took this assignment that we would evaluate how it was going after the holidays."

"And?"

"And. . . I am very much enjoying my time. I would like to stay."

"I see." The Reverend Mother did not sound surprised, but Maria noted the teasing was gone from her voice as well. She was back to her normal serious tone as she asked, "Have you considered how long you would wish to stay?"

Maria swallowed hard but pushed forward. "I do not have a specific timeframe in mine. I spoke to Captain von Trapp, and he mentioned that I am welcome as long as I would like to stay."

"Given that you are staying, have you considered other aspects of your future?"

Maria knew it was the moment of truth. She had made her own decision and even talked about it with both the Captain and Sister Margaretta, but telling the Reverend Mother would make it final. "I think we both know that I am not well-suited to become a nun," she finally remarked.

The Reverend Mother pursed her lips for a moment. "May I ask what brought you to this conclusion?" she finally asked. Maria looked at her, a bit confused. She had assumed the Reverend Mother agreed with her about her future and had set up the assignment in order to help Maria see for herself that she should consider a different path.

"I. . . well, frankly Reverend Mother, I have felt more comfortable with the children than I ever have at the Abbey. It made me wonder if perhaps the religious life is not for me."

"And with their father?"

"The Captain? What about him?"

"Have you felt. . . comfortable with him as well?" The older woman seemed to hesitate over the word choice for a moment before finally choosing the one Maria had picked as well.

"He has been most kind to me," Maria replied a bit cautiously.

The Reverend Mother peered at her carefully for a few moments before visibly relaxing. "Excellent. I am happy to hear that. I had heard he was a kind, honorable man, so I am happy to hear that has been true for you as well." Maria nodded, now more confused than ever. Fortunately, the Reverend Mother did not seem to require more response than that. "Normally, in such a situation, we would help you find a place outside these walls to ease the transition, but I suppose that will not be necessary in this case."

"No," Maria answered, her head reeling slightly though she also felt the tension easing from her body. Perhaps things would work out well for her after all.

"I assume that you took all of your belongings with you when you first entered the von Trapps' employ?"

"I did."

"Is there anything else we could help you with?"

Maria thought for a moment, but she could not honestly think of anything. In many ways, she had been preparing for this departure for months even if she had not acknowledged that fact. "No. I thank you for all the help and support you have given me these past two years."

"It was our pleasure, Maria. Know that even though you God has a different plan for your life, we have enjoyed having you here." Maria could not stop her eyebrows from rising skeptically. To her surprise, the Reverend Mother chuckled. Maria was not sure she had ever heard the venerable woman make such a sound. "You were a breath of fresh air, Maria, and sometimes that is exactly what this Abbey needs," she clarified. "We will miss you, but I do think that God has great things in store for you outside these walls."

"Thank you, Reverend Mother." Maria bowed her head. The kindly older woman squeezed her shoulder affectionately before walking her to the door.

"If you ever need us, please call," she said, and Maria nodded before leaving. Her heart felt lighter already. She was so focused on her own thoughts that she almost ran into two young women coming the other way down the hallway, postulants that she recognized from her time at the Abbey though she could not remember the name of either at the moment. Mumbling an apology, she stepped aside to let them pass. They glanced at her only briefly as they passed. Maria was about to continue her own journey when the sound of her name caught her ear. It came from the direction the postulants had been traveling; glancing back, Maria saw they had bent their heads together, whispering to each other. Unable to ignore her curiosity, she remained where she was, listening carefully.

"Yes, that's her," one of the postulants remarked.

"You're sure? I cannot imagine her with a handsome war hero."

"Convenience, I am sure."

"Surely he has plenty of options."

"Oh, I am sure he avails himself of all of them." Their voices faded as they rounded a corner, and Maria could hear no more. She frowned, puzzling over what they had said. Were they questioning her ability to be a governess? She supposed that was not too surprising as she had questioned it herself at first, but why should it matter to the other postulants? And what did they mean by options? Had the Captain considered other postulants as possible governesses? No, that would not make sense given what the Reverend Mother had told her when she first received the assignment. He also did not seem to be expecting her when she arrived at the villa, so she doubted he had any input into the choice of governesses. Perhaps they meant something else.

Before Maria could pursue that train of thought too long, she shook the thoughts from her head, deciding that it might be best not to pursue them. It was clear the young women were gossiping, and in Maria's experience, no good ever came from gossip.