Let's Start At The Very Beginning

Chapter 17

Georg rose early the next morning, he had spent the rest of the evening contemplating things, the party, the show, his children, Elsa. It was all changing so fast, he was never one for change, it bothered him if he wasn't the one making said change. It felt like everyone around him was changing, while his old self fought to remain stagnate, his new self, re-emerged from his childhood, was fighting to move forward and see if there was any benefit to this new way of thinking and life

The plan for today was to begin preparations for the party and settle on the arrangements for his parents' visit. How he detested parties, so often there was no purpose behind them. Gallivanting around for the sake of nothing. He was changing, yes, but there were some things that just didn't make sense to him. He sat up in bed and rubbed his eyes with the base of his palms. There were so many things happening at once. Between Maria, Max and Elsa and the children. He needed to give himself and his children some sort of stability amidst the chaos or else he would go crazy and in turn lose his children once again. Elsa always said he was stoic, which he took as a compliment-Elsa! That was it.

He reached over to the nightstand and picked up the receiver while rotating the dial.

Maria was never one to wake up with the sun, which surprised most people. Having children made it even worse. So, when the phone in the hall started violently ringing, she was less than enthused. She looked to her bedside table to see the clock wasn't yet at 7. She begrudgingly threw the covers aside to reveal Michael curled up soundly. This child, how he didn't suffocate was beyond her. She trudged to the hallway, praying Jane did not wake up and picked up the phone.

"Hello?" she muttered as she ran a hand through her bedhead.

"Maria, it's Georg". Maria couldn't help but roll her eyes.

"I hate to be this way, but the bloody clock isn't even at 7 and you wish to chat." she yawned

Georg audibly sighed "I know you're not a morning person, but can you please come over later this morning. Elsa and Max will be gone, the children can play, but I have something I wish to discuss with you."

Maria suddenly jerked awake, this sounded serious, but also timid "Is something wrong?"

"No no no." Georg replied quickly easing her nerves "Nothing is wrong, I just...I just want your input on something. You are my friend and while Max is as well, I think I trust your judgment a bit more."

"Oh alright." she relented "But not till later, I'm going back to bed." she said just as she saw Jane peep out of her room "Well, maybe not now."

"What?" Georg chuckled

"Remind me to call you before dawn tomorrow morning and wake up your children." she hung up suddenly and Georg was cut off laughing.

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Just as promised she arrived and before she could step in the door the children ran out back. It was a lovely day, warm and sunny. Jane and Michael didn't even feel intimidated by Franz anymore.

"Oh Maria," Frau Schmidt happened to be walking by carrying some freshly cleaned towels. "The Captain is out on the patio."

"Thank you." Maria smiled genuinely and offered to help carry the load, but Frau Schmidt said that Georg had been a busy body all morning and she had better see to him.

Maria traipsed through the foyer and out into the backyard. It seems the children had stirred up a game of hide and seek, except for Liesl and Louisa, who sat by the lake comfortably. Maria was surprised Louisa didn't feel like running around.

Kurt was the counter, and she could already hear Jane and Marta giggling from the side of the terrace.

"I see we're already up to trouble this morning." Maria saw Georg sitting at the patio table, nursing a cup of coffee. Without even thinking she walked up behind him and pat his shoulder as she said this