Let's Start At The Very Beginning

Chapter 23

Maria chose to stay at home the next day. She was too afraid to face Georg, not to mention she was afraid to face her own feelings too. She had been so spontaneous, so vulnerable, she hadn't been that way for years. Sure, she laughed and had fun, but methodically. Liesl, Friedrich and Louisa came by late in the morning, all being very concerned.

"Are you feeling well?" Liesl asked worriedly as she sat on the couch with Maria.

"Are Jane and Michael alright?" Friedrich asked, but Louisa's statement was the one that shook her to her core.

"Is there something on your mind you wish to talk about?" Louisa looked with such earnestness into Maria's eyes that she almost cried. Maria simply grabbed the girl's hand and fought back tears. "No darling, but the children would love to go spend time with you if you'll allow it. They're upstairs though, I'm afraid Jane has a bit of a runny nose."

"Of course," Friedrich nodded in assurance and Liesl rushed upstairs to get Maria's children together.

Maria watched as they walked down the dirt road to the villa until they were merely specks in her vision and then once again shut her door.

She paced around her living room, spotting once again the box on the mantle. She sifted through the pictures. She had pictures of everything, her mother and father, her first day of school, Georg's tenth birthday, Hede's thirteenth, Christmases, one of her Oma, and lazy summer days at the von Trapp Villa, then of course the picture Hedwig had given her years ago of her and Georg looking over the lake.

But she was a child then now she was not, now she had two little lives she was in charge of. It wasn't that simple anymore, it couldn't be.

Suddenly the doorbell rang, and she nearly dropped the box but set it on the coffee table. A pit filled her stomach, hopefully it wasn't him. Maybe it was one of the children, Kurt perhaps.

It was Hede. Maria rolled her eyes.

"Nice to see you too." Hede invited herself in as Maria stepped out of the way. Hede plopped in an armchair and motioned dramatically with her arm. "Would you care to enlighten me as to why you are being a hermit today?"

"I don't have to come by every day." Maria crossed her arms but didn't sit

"No," Hede shook her head, her blue eyes incriminating "But you usually want to."

"I'm not up to it today." Maria sighed as she sat perpendicular to Hede on the settee.

"Funny," Hede smirked

"Stop acting like Max and tell me what I can help you with."

Hede sat up and leaned towards her friend "I want you to tell me why you are not at the villa today, especially after being so cozy with my dear old brother last evening?"

Maria prayed Hede couldn't see her blush, but then again, Maria was never one for subtleties

"Did you argue?" Her voice was genuinely filled with concern for a moment as her eyebrows knit.

Maria merely shook her head. Hede slumped back in her chair "Then my gracious Maria, what is the matter? What happened?"

Maria couldn't dare look Hede in the eyes, it would be embarrassing nonetheless, but this was her brother, not to mention the situation was not exactly easy to explain. Instead, Maria became focused with her hands that were clasped and wringing in her lap.

"Maria, you can tell me." Hede said. It was only then that Maria dared look up to her friend and the piercing blue eyes she shared with her brother and mother.

"Oh, my Lord, you kissed!" Hede nearly leapt out of her chair.

Maria sunk into the settee and covered her eyes with one of her hands "Please do not make such a fuss, it was not exactly, planned or contrived or an-"