Let's Start At The Very Beginning

Chapter 12

Maria remembered the day like it was yesterday. This was the day the friendship changed forever. Yes, letters were received and written, phone calls were made, a couple of visits were even had, but nothing was the same.

Maria was at the Villa, she had news to share with the family. She did so at dinner. She believed everything to be calm until right afterwards as she headed to the ballroom to celebrate with the family, she felt Georg yank her arm and pull her into the sitting room. He shut the door behind him.

"England?!" He said flabbergasted.

"Yes," Maria nodded "England."

"For college?"

"Georg, my professor thinks this could be a once in a lifetime opportunity. To travel with her and as an apprentice and continue my education. Georg, I will get to see the world." she practically burst with excitement

"What about your life here?" Georg stepped closer to her.

"I have no life here. Not like you. You have Agathe, you have a child on the way, parents who love you, a beautiful home established." She began to tear up "I have nothing. I have some savings, and this could be my chance to have an adventure instead of watching everyone else have theirs."

"But you have me, you have this family."

"Georg, I know you and I are friends, but I am not part of this family. You have a wife who adores you and a child that will worship the ground you walk on. The only ones who need you like that now, are them." She took a step closer to him and put a hand on his forearm.

Georg jerked away. "You can't leave Ria, you can't." He began to pace.

"Georg," she shook her head "it's all settled I leave in mid-August". Silence covered the room.

Georg walked to the window and looked out, searching for the words. Maria walked up behind him, composing herself.

"I'll join the Navy," Georg stated.

"What?" Maria was suddenly filled with a fear she had never experienced in her life.

"I'll join the Navy." He turned to face her "If you get to have your adventure then don't I get to have mine?" He motioned with his hand.

"That's crazy, have you gone mad?"

"Max has been at it for a year now and he's fine." Georg supplied

Maria rolled her eyes "Max doesn't have a family, a baby to think about". Georg simply shrugged. "Georg, you could get killed." She sounded full of woe but didn't let her voice waver.

"Not if I have anything to say about it." He joked.

"Georg, be serious, this is insane-"

"And you aren't?" He raised an eyebrow.

Maria took a deep breath. "If you do this, you are putting your marriage on the line, your family, our friendship. It will never be the same, we may never be on the same couch-"

"Forget the couch, Maria!" He approached his friend once again. They stood a foot apart. Maria could see his piercing blue eyes, there was no amusement behind them. Georg stared at Maria's pain filled face. Both looked for a second too long.

"Let me go Georg and I will let you." Maria gave an ultimatum

Georg sighed and rubbed his eyes with his left hand. His mother had warned him for years that Maria would grow up, not always picking up his messes behind him. She had told him that he would have to let her go.

"I love you." Georg said in a cordial tone, one that romantic love would never be proclaimed in.

"And I love you too." Maria admitted before remembering where she was and who she was talking to. "Now go to your wife." Maria commanded emotionally.

The Box was opened, full of Pandora's charms, and now they could never all be put back.

"You can't rebuild it by yourself though," Maria added after a beat of silence "You have seven people who depend on you for everything. If you merely ask them, they will get to know her. But I would advise against telling them your intentions. Tell them the truth but tell them the truth." Maria advised.

"What do you know about telling the whole truth?" Georg scoffed.

"I told you the whole truth then, and I told you over and over again. And I was also telling the truth when I said I didn't want you to join the navy. I just didn't want you to get hurt." Maria nearly whispered.

"Maria," Georg sighed "I'm fine, I'm alive. We both have to move on from the past." He returned to his seat and rested his elbows on his knees. Maria moved to sit in the chair across from him.

"Our friendship is rooted in the past. How did we make it that long without a real fight?" Maria leaned back

"Life was less complicated when we were children." Georg admitted "There was no college, no marriage, no family."

"Well, we had Hede." Maria chuckled and silence fell over them again. "Do you think we can figure this out? Me moving back. This Baroness? The children?" she sat up again looking at Georg as if her life depended on it.

Georg leaned forward and took her hand that was resting on the arm of the chair in both of his "We will figure this out, together." He smiled softly

"I love you." Maria said as close to a platonic tone as she could muster while still sounding sincere.

"I love you too my friend." Georg squeezed her hand in reply. "You just can't make me argue with you every time we're in the same room." He chuckled and let go of her hand.

"Well, if you would just admit I'm right then we wouldn't have to." Maria played along as she stood up and offered her hand to Georg like a gentleman offering to help a lady out of her seat. Georg rolled his eyes and allowed her to help him stand. They linked arms and left the office, determined not to fight like that again. They had put another charm back in the box, but they both knew it would never fully close. Maria hoped so anyway. 

Hey y'all. Well, I hope this chapter answered some burning questions. Don't worry there's still a number of chapters with flashbacks yet to come. There will be shift in the story with no flashbacks as the past has less of an impact on the present. Also sorry for not updating. I was on a trip with very spotty internet. Maybe I'll update later in the week or earlier next week. 

Thanks for reading!