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?
But as soon as he heard that laughter that could never be forgotten all of those insecurities washed away.
He walked to the main hall and of course noticed the doors to the ballroom partly open. He looked inside from a distance and was taken back to the first time Maria had ever stepped foot into this house.
It had been a little over a year since Maria and Georg had met, she worshiped the ground he walked on and he regarded her almost as a little sister, except he liked her much better than Hede. She may have only been 7, but she could keep up with him. Maria had changed in the time she'd known Georg and her mother was thankful for it. Often Hede, Georg and Maria would walk home from school together, either parting at the bus stop or Georg, Hede or both walking Maria all the way to her house. One afternoon in particular though Maria felt brave enough to switch things up.
"Why don't I walk you to your house?" She had asked as they came to the fork. It was just her and Georg today, sometimes Hede had after school activities.
"Because I'm older, taller and I'm a boy." Georg explained counting on his fingers
"Well, that's ridiculous, are you worried I won't find my way home or something?" Maria could be sassy sometimes
"Well-"
"You see that mountain?" Maria pointed at an angle behind Georg.
"The Unterberg?" Georg raised an eyebrow
"I know it like I know my way through school, surely I can walk down a straight road."
Georg raised his hands in surrender and let his little friend walk him home. Once they arrived Maria couldn't make her eyes big enough to take it in. She lived in a comfortable home, but this was a palace.
"Wait here I want my mother to meet you." Georg scurried off towards one of the wings, it didn't matter which one.
By the time Georg had retrieved his mother and they made their way to the entrance Maria was gone.
"Did she leave?" Georg looked up to his mother. Hedwig von Trapp was very observant and she noticed the tiny crack in the door in the ballroom.
She walked in straight ahead. Georg couldn't believe it. He was never allowed in the ballroom, no one was, unless there was a party.
He stood by the door. He saw Maria twirling around, not perfectly, but with musicality as his mother approached her.
Her eyes were closed and she was humming.
"I see one of the twelve dancing princesses never went back to bed."
Maria dropped her hands immediately as a look of guilt covered her face, her blue eyes looking up at the woman who she assumed to be Georg's mother
"I-I'm sorry." she stuttered
Hedwig knelt down the little girl and smiled, "You must be Maria?" Maria nodded, her blonde curls bouncing.
"Well I've heard so much about you, the children love playing with you. Maria, why did you come in here?"
"Well, your house is like a castle, and I thought it wouldn't hurt if I peeked in and then I saw it was a real live ballroom. I've only ever read about them, and I had to dance and be part of it."
"Maria, in some people's homes they have rooms that don't like to be disturbed" Maria nodded in understanding. "Do you always say and do what you feel?"
Maria nodded again. "Sometimes at school the teachers make me kiss the floor for the things I say." Hedwig knit her brows, she would definitely have to make a trip to the school.
"Maria," Hedwig shrugged the girl's cardigan back up on her shoulder "Never let go of that part of you, it's honest and pure and good." Maria looked at the woman and a grin slowly replaced her frown.
"Now if only you could make Georg loosen up a bit, he could use it, don't you think?" Hedwig was wicked, knowing her son was listening at the door.
"Do not!" Georg shouted embarrassed and burst through the door, making both his mother and friend laugh.
He saw Maria twirling her daughter, looking at her as if she were a pearl of great price, then turning to her son and placing his feet on hers and beginning to dance.
"You know there are certain rooms in this house which are not to be disturbed." Georg interrupted the moment and couldn't help but smirk. Maria looked up at him wide eyed, neither seemed to have aged since they saw each other last. Maria let go of her son's hands as Georg stepped all the way into the room. Jane and Michael hung back as Maria enveloped her friend into a surprise hug. Georg was caught off guard but reciprocated.
"Looks like you still need to loosen up?" Maria pulled out of the hug.
"I've missed you," Georg said earnestly. Maria gave him a look that said all he needed to hear of her agreement before she turned. "Children," she waved her hand as the two children stood in front of her. "Children, this is my friend Captain von Trapp, you were too little the last time you saw him to remember him." The time Maria didn't like to think about, "Georg, this is Jane and Michael." The Captain smiled down at the children. He welcomed them cordially and led them back to the hall.
"Well Maria, I think you'll be surprised to see my children?" He quipped
"Oh I know, Last I saw you Brigitta was a baby, Liesl and Lou must be all grown up now."
The Captain nodded stiffly before pulling an object out of his pocket. Then a shrill noise filled the air.
Maria's mouth fell open until Michael tapped her and she knelt down "Did he just whistle for the dog?"
Jane leaned in and whispered "No, he whistled for the children." she pointed to the landing and six children of all ages lined up.
Maria was in shock; all she could do was pull Jane and Michael closer to her.
Hey y'all. So, how are we feeling? I know this is kind of slow but just to get it out there, there will not be a flashback in every chapter, but in some of these beginning ones there will be. The bright side is longer chapters tho, but if you're not into that well...sorry. I get it.
Thanks for reading!