Let's Start At The Very Beginning

Chapter 2

After Maria had opened the gate and felt the familiar crunch between her feet, she began to worry. Sure, she and Georg exchanged letters a few times a year. She'd even seen him right before Jane was born and he was in England visiting his in-laws, but she hadn't seen him except those few times since and had barely heard from him since Agathe passed away. Then again, the year after Charlie died, she refused to go see Georg at his in-laws when he made his once annual trip to England that was no more.

She let Jane ring the doorbell and the trio waited impatiently.

"Do we talk in English or German?" Michael asked. Maria laughed at her son. While they did indeed live in England, Maria ensured the children could speak German. They were fluent in both and often Charlie would get lovingly annoyed that she could say something rude under her breath and make a toddling Jane at least giggle and leave him completely clueless, but he never got to hear Michael speak in his mother's tongue, he was already gone by then.

"Speak in German dear boy, they'll teach you English in school, think of it as a challenge to speak in German for a whole day."

"Can we speak in English at all?" Jane asked, in English

"Of course, when you feel the need to then do it, but keep in mind this is Austria, not England, but never let that part of you go."

Just then the butler opened the door

"Can I help you?" the sour looking man drawled

"Franz? It's me, Maria, Maria Kutschera, remember?"

Franz took a deep breath but didn't smile. "Of course, come on in." he stepped out of the way and let them in the door. Maria grabbed the hand of each child as they stepped onto the landing.

"I'll go get the Captain." Franz said and scurried down the stairs and to the hall. Maria led her children down the small flight behind him and let her children take it all in. They strained their necks looking up at the ceiling and columns.

"I feel like I'm in a museum," Jane whispered. Meanwhile Michael was spinning in circles while looking up, about to trip over his own feet.

Maria watched lovingly as her children took in the grandeur surrounding them, it wasn't unlike her wonder at her first time visiting the von Trapp villa. She noted that the place looked the same, maybe a fresh coat of paint, a replaced lamp or table here or there. But then she saw the double doors, as she walked towards them Jane took notice and followed her mother.

"Children," she smiled and bit her lip. "This is my favorite room in the house." Maria beamed as she cracked the door open. On the outside she was disappointed. The chandeliers were covered, the mirrored wall was dusty, the patio doors had chipped paint, but it smelled the same and she was taken back immediately.

"Is it empty?" Jane questioned.

"That's because you need room to dance darling." Maria grabbed her daughter's hands and began twirling her around all while Michael skipped around them, glancing at his deformed self in the wall of mirrors.

Maria had her children in a place that had changed her, maybe it would change them.

—-----

Georg walked stiffly down the hallway, this was it. The past month's correspondence had come to this moment. A moment he had been thinking and praying for over a year. Having each other in the same town, getting her back into her career in a place she was comfortable, this was the perfect idea, and Elsa, well she would be thrilled, he'd have a guaranteed babysitter, if she could control the children at least.

He had heard of her children, a girl and a boy but had only seen the girl when she was a baby, and later when she was three and her brother was only a year, too young to remember, at a funeral no less. Was this best for them? Would he uproot his brood to move?