Work Text:
December of 1930
Liesl - age 10
Friedrich - age 7
Louisa - age 6
Kurt - age 5
Brigitta - age 4
Marta - 4 months old
Hede's children:
Arnfried/Arne - age 9
Matthias - age 6
Hannelore - age 2
"No! I wanted to hang that one up!" Brigitta whined when Kurt hung the Christmas bells in the Christmastree.
"You're too short anyways," Kurt replied.
Liesl rolled her eyes, and tried not to snort. There was a rivalry brewing between both siblings. It seemed as if they were constantly trying to prove that they were better than the other.
Kurt was ahead of Brigitta, physically, and with his knowledge, but ever since he found out that she was catching up to him with her reading skills, he was constantly trying to show Brigitta that he was in fact still more capable than her.
"I'm not too short!" Brigitta defended.
"Yes, you are! Look, I'm this taller than you!" Kurt showed with his hands.
"Just because you're a little bit taller doesn't mean you're tall all of the sudden, Kurz," Louisa interjected.
"Don't call me that – I'm not short!" Kurt retorted as he put his hands on his hips and glared at his older sister.
"Well, don't call her that then," Louisa told him, keeping eye contact with her brother, before he broke it.
Louisa hung her dragonfly ornament in the tree.
Each child was given their own special ornament, carefully picked out by their parents, for their first Christmas. Liesl's was a deer, Friedrich's a horse, Louisa's a dragonfly, Kurt's a hummingbird, and Brigitta's was a swan.
This afternoon they were going to town to get Marta's ornament, and presents for Christmas's morning. The oldest five children had drawn a name, to help decide who they were to buy a present for.
"Alright, I want everyone, ready to leave, in the hall in fifteen minutes," Georg announced, clapping his hands together.
"Papa, do we have to go?" Kurt whined.
"If you want presents, then yes," his father told him, as he tried to usher him out of the room.
"But what if I'd just tell you what to buy? Then I could stay here," Kurt pleaded, turning around to face his father.
"Kurt, it is not up for discussion. You are going to go, pick something out for your sister or brother, and you are going to do all of it with a smile, do you hear me?"
He sighed. "Yes, father."
"Good lad. Now, get your boots and coat on," his father said, while tickling him.
"Stop!" Kurt shrieked, trying to get away from his father's hands.
"Get going then. It's not my fault that you're still here!" his father teased.
"Yes, it is!"
His father let him go, and he immediately stepped back.
"Off you go," his father said, ruffling his hair, and sending him off with a gentle smack to the back of his head.
𖡼
"Mother, don't you think this one is perfect for Marta?" Liesl asked as she held up a beautiful dove ornament with feathers.
"Darling, it's beautiful! Georg, what do you think?"
Georg looked up from where he was standing and looked at the ornament his daughter held in her hands.
"Hmm, yes. I think it suits her well. She is the most peaceful baby we have had, eh?" he smiled.
Liesl giggled.
"I was not the most peaceful?" Brigitta frowned.
Agathe hummed. "Compared to some of your siblings you were, love."
Georg snorted. "Yes, you were quite peaceful, just not as peaceful as Marta. You never wanted to sleep. Though I'm not entirely certain whether that was your fault, or your siblings's fault."
"Why?" Brigitta asked, scrunching up her nose.
"I think father means that we were a bit rambunctious, so whenever you were finally quiet we'd accidentally or not so accidentally wake you up," Liesl explained.
"Oh."
"Yes, Liesl, you are correct," Georg said. He squeezed his daughters's shoulders.
"Let's see what our troublesome three are up to, eh?" He looked around the shop, to see where they had gone.
"Look, that's you!" Louisa said to Kurt as she pointed to a gnome.
Louisa and Friedrich laughed at her joke.
"That's you, Louisa!" Kurt retorted as he pointed at another gnome.
This time Kurt and Friedrich laughed.
"Alright, alright. Enough of finding your siblings's doppelgängers," their father interrupted.
Louisa smirked and pointed at another gnome. "That's you, father!"
The boys snorted.
"You should be in trouble for that – the audacity!" Her father rolled his eyes and shook his head.
"That's not fair. You told me we weren't allowed to find our siblings's doppelgängers – I found yours," Louisa said innocently as she shrugged.
"Cheeky menace," her father muttered as he shook his head and tousled her hair. Strands of hair slipped out of her braid. Louisa immediately tried to flatten her hair back down.
"If mama complains about my messy hair, you're the one who's going to take the blame!"
"Alright, well, your mother is going to pay for Marta's ornament, and then we can go on to the toy shop. Why don't we wait outside for her to finish, eh?"
The three siblings nodded, and ran towards the door.
"No running in here, children! I can't have you break anything," a lady from behind the counter cried desperately.
"Sorry, ma'am!" they replied in unison as they walked out of the shop.
𖡼
After they had bought everything they needed. The different groups reunited.
"Papa, may we please buy some sweets?" Louisa pleaded.
Georg looked at Agathe.
"Yes, can we, please?" the other children joined in.
"Hm, if you can give a compliment to one of your siblings you may get a bit of extra pocket money. It's up to you whether you spend it on sweets or save it," Agathe said.
The children cheered.
Their father held up his hand. "We'll have to see if the compliments are up to our standards."
"Who is first?" their mother asked.
"I'll go first," Louisa stepped forwards, "Alright, Liesl, I like your shoes," the girl said.
Her father tutted and shook his head. "No, none of that, my girl. I don't want to hear anything about materialistic things or someone's appearance – think harder."
Louisa thought for a moment. "I… I like how Liesl always helps others."
A smile appeared on Liesl's face. "Thank you."
Their father squeezed Louisa's shoulder, and handed her a schilling.
"Did you all see what a compliment can do? A few meaningful words can brighten someone's day," their mother explained.
"Can I go next?" Kurt piped up.
"Go on, lad," his father encouraged.
"I like how Louisa always finds the best frogs!"
They all snorted.
"Thanks, Kurty," Louisa smiled.
"Ah, well, we'll have to accept that compliment, don't we? Our Louisa has a great eye, especially when it comes to slimy creatures, after all," their father winked as he handed Kurt a shilling.
"It is a good compliment!" Kurt defended.
His mother placed her hand on his head, and gently stroked his hair. Kurt leaned into her, carefully turning the shilling around in his hands, observing it.
"I like how Brigitta is so clever, and is always kind to others," Liesl said. Brigitta blushed, and gave her sister a hug.
Agathe hummed. "That is a great compliment, Liesl."
"I like how Kurt always tells the best jokes, and manages to find us good food," Friedrich said.
His father raised his eyebrow. "Good food, eh? Don't you mean he's a great thief when it comes to matters of the stomach?"
"I- I… Uh- Maybe?" the boy stammered.
His father broke his stern composure, and shook his head as he smiled. He handed both him and Liesl a shilling.
"I like how Friedrich is really good at football and running, and how he tells good stories, and how funny he is," Brigitta said.
"Thank you," Friedrich smiled, wrapping an arm around his younger sister.
"There you go," their father said as he handed Brigitta a shilling.
They started walking towards the sweet shop.
"Louisa, come here, darling," Agathe said suddenly as she motioned to the spot beside her.
Louisa furrowed her brows. "Why?"
Her mother raised her eyebrows. "No 'why', but 'yes, ma'am' you mean."
"Yes, ma'am," she said - careful not to sigh - as she sauntered towards her mother.
"What happened to your hair? It's not very cooperative today," her mother said as she tried to flatten her hair and tuck some loose strands back into her braid.
Louisa scowled at her father, who quickly averted his eyes.
"It's not fair to blame my hair if it's not my hair's fault."
"Ah, well, we can't expect hair to stay where it's told to stay, can we?" her father said sheepishly while he scratched the back of his head.
Agathe narrowed her eyes and shifted her eyes between father and daughter.
"Don't mess her hair up anymore. It's wild enough already," Agathe scolded her husband.
"Yes, ma'am," Georg saluted.
"You know, if we did that we'd be in trouble," Louisa told her father.
"That's the nice thing about being an adult, love. You don't get in trouble anymore."
Louisa squinted her eyes. "I don't believe that."
"You don't, eh?"
"Yes, because adults go to prison, and that sounds worse to me," she remarked.
"Aye, well, that's fair, I suppose."
They were silent for a moment.
"I nearly got in trouble because of you. I should ask mama to not give you any dessert tonight, for ruining my hair," Louisa said.
"You can't do that."
"Yes, I can!" The girl turned around to her mother. "Ma-"
Georg quickly put a hand over her mouth. "Shush."
"If you don't get me into trouble, you'll get a bite from my dessert. How does that sound, eh?"
He removed his hand.
"If you give me two bites, we have a deal."
He sighed. "Alright."
She held out her hand.
"It was nice doing business with you, Fräulein," he said as he shook her hand.
"Likewise, Captain," she smirked.
His little girl using big words – where had she even picked that up from? He resisted the urge to ruffle her hair, and shook his head instead.
𖡼
"Come here, love," Agathe said as she pulled Liesl in for a hug.
"I'm positive that you are going to be an amazing Maria. All you have to do is believe in yourself."
The children were performing in the nativity play their school put on every year in the church on Christmas Eve. Liesl hadn't really touched her food during much earlier scheduled dinner - it was more like a afternoon tea really - because she was too nervous.
Liesl murmured something inaudible, and clung on to her mother even tighter.
"Hmm, what, darling?"
Liesl took her face out of her mother's coat, and looked up. "How come they're not nervous?"
"I think that your siblings are nervous, but in their own way. Why do you think Friedrich and Louisa keep bickering, hm?" her mother said, brushing a strand of hair out of her face.
Liesl smiled. "I suppose you're right."
"Let's not keep your old man waiting. Go on – I'll help Kurt with his shoelaces," her mother said as she let go of her, and patted her back.
"Thank you, mama," Liesl smiled.
The girl ran outside to join her father and other siblings, who were already waiting with bikes in their hands. As soon as her mother came out with Kurt, they were off.
After their father had dropped Liesl, Friedrich, Louisa and Kurt off, he would get back with the bus and wait until it was time to for the performance get the youngest two and his wife, and they'd go by car.
Just before the performance started Agathe managed to see the children.
"You brought Marta!" Friedrich exclaimed at the sight of his mother with his sister in her arms.
"Of course we did. She's excited to see her big siblings perform. See," Agathe said as she stroked Marta's cheek, causing the girl to smile.
"We'll do our best, Martie," Friedrich told his little sister.
"You will be fabulous, I'm sure she will love it!"
"Mama, you'll keep Marta awake for my bit, right?" Kurt asked.
"I'll try, but I can't promise you anything. It's quite late already, and I assume she's tired after this busy day."
"Ahw," Kurt sighed as he slumped his shoulders.
Agathe ruffled his hair.
A teacher started gathering the children.
"Hm, it looks like you have to go. Toi toi toi, and don't forget to have fun!" she encouraged.
"Bye, mama! Bye, Marta!" the children echoed as they ran off.
𖡼
"There we have our performers!" Agathe exclaimed when the siblings came running to their parents.
Georg embraced Liesl and Louisa.
"Did you see me, papa?" Louisa asked proudly.
"Yes I did, ladybug. You were amazing."
Louisa was content with his answer and went to her mother.
Liesl still clung on to him. He managed to kiss his daughter's head that was tucked into his chest. Liesl held him even tighter. He stroked her head.
"You did good, Selly. You made me a proud man," he told her softly.
Brigitta appeared beside him. From the looks of it she'd already handed her siblings their bouquet of flowers, and was now waiting patiently for her turn to give her sister her bouquet.
Georg gently pulled his daughter away, but kept an arm wrapped around her.
"Liesl, we got you flowers," Brigitta said as she handed her sister a bouquet of flowers.
Liesl looked up at her father, "Really?"
He nodded.
A large smile appeared on Liesl's face as she studied the bouquet more carefully and saw the different her parents and sister had picked out for her.
"Let me have a hold now," her mother said as she hugged her tightly.
Liesl giggled. "Wait, you'll squish my flowers!"
Her father came to the rescue and took the bouquet from her hands.
Georg looked to see what his other performers were up to, and saw them playing tag, but it became clear that they were using the flowers to tag the other person with.
"Oi! Be a little more respectful to the flowers!" he scolded them.
Louisa stopped and turned to face him. "It's not like they have feelings or anything."
"Yes they have."
He nearly broke his stern composure when he looked at Kurt who was looking at him with his mouth open, shaped in a perfect 'O' – clearly believing every word he said.
"Besides, you know better – you are to handle things with care," he added.
"Sorry, father," the boys echoed.
Louisa clearly was mulling what he'd said over in her head, before she snapped out of her thoughts and her delayed 'sorry' came.
He walked over to his sons, and pulled them in for a hug. "You did good, lads."
Unlike Liesl they pulled away rather quickly. He squeezed their shoulders before he returned to Agathe.
"Let's go home, eh?"
She nodded. "Yes – they will be exhausted."
He cleared his throat to gather everyone's attention. "Alright, it's time to go. You lot," he pointed at the performers, "will go ride your bikes home with me. Your mother, Brigitta, and Marta will go back by car with Franz. Understood?"
The children responded with a 'yes, sir'. Of course Louisa and Agathe had to add a salute with a matching grin. He had to contain his laughter – his little girl looked so much like her mother.
Kurt slumped. "Why can't I go back by car?"
"Because I said so. Now, get moving," he said, adding emphasis to his point by directing Kurt towards the exit.
𖡼
"No, it's my turn! You did it last year!" Brigitta said to Kurt.
"I did not! Louisa put Jesus in the crib last year!" he retorted.
"That's not true!" Louisa defended.
"Alright, quit it right now," their father interjected, annoyedly from his armchair.
"I think it is only fair to let Liesl put baby Jesus in his crib – she was Maria," their mother spoke up.
The children thought about it before nodding in agreement.
Liesl blushed, but took the figurine from the box and carefully added it to the nativity scene.
"It's time for presents!" Louisa announced.
Her mother managed to grab her by the elbow before she had the chance to bolt off, and scolded her, "Not so fast, madam. You will sit down and wait until it is your turn – ungrateful and impatient children will not get anything."
Lousia slumped, while the other children looked at their father, checking if they'd really wouldn't get anything.
"I would listen to your mother if I were you," he told them.
He gave them one last stern look before shifting it into a more pleasant one. "If you lot sit down your mother and I will start handing out the presents, hm."
The children started cheering, and immediately ran to the settee to sit down.
The first present was for all six of them – a ledger they could use for their newly found club.
Agathe leaned into Georg, who wrapped an arm around her, both watching their children's reactions - sometimes pinching each other to make sure it was not a dream - and above all enjoying the time they spent together.
Aside from having to step in a couple of times here and there to calm some very excited children down it was a perfect evening.
𖡼
"Can you do Louisa's hair? I have to do Brigitta's and have to help her brush – she has a lot of knots. Louisa's hair is already brushed, you just have to make sure that her hair is out of her face," Agathe said to Georg.
"Ah, so that is my punishment for messing her hair up last week, eh?"
Agathe rolled her eyes and playfully slapped her husband. He caught her hands, and took the opportunity to jab her in her sides freely.
"You stop it, Georg von Trapp! Or I'll punish you properly."
He let her go.
"See – so it is a punishment!"
"If you call spending time with your daughter a punishment…" she teased him.
"You are putting words in my mouth!"
"Alright, let's hurry up. If we are late for mass it's your fault."
"As if! I'm a punctual man!" he defended.
"If you say so, Captain," she mocked him with a salute and all.
He playfully smacked her behind. "Behave yourself."
"Ah, now he goes to doling out swats, because he knows I'm right," Agathe said loud enough for him to hear as she returned to the girl's bathroom.
Georg grinned and shook his head. He checked the time and saw that she did have a point with them running late. He quickly went to the bedroom Louisa and Brigitta shared.
Louisa was struggling to reach and button the buttons that were on the back on her dress.
"Let me help you with that, eh," he said as he walked to stand behind her.
"They just don't close – stupid dress."
He started buttoning them.
"You don't reckon it's because you have short arms, hm?"
Louisa furrowed her brows and turned around to direct a glare at her father. "I don't have short arms!
"Oi, turn back around – I can't button your dress."
Louisa complied and turned back around.
"What do dresses for girls have buttons for anyways?" he muttered.
Louisa shrugged. "'Dunno. Maybe to get my big head through more easily."
"Oi, stop moving!"
"Sorry," she mumbled.
"But yes, you do have a big head indeed."
"That's because I need to store my cleverness somewhere."
"Fair enough."
He quickly finished buttoning her dress.
"Your mother sent me to do your hair. What do you want me to do with it?" he asked as he walked over to the desk to grab the hairbrush.
When he looked to see why she was not sitting down in the chair at the desk already, he saw a mischievous smile creep up on her face.
"I don't think I like that smile. Sit down."
Louisa giggled and ran to the chair. "Told you that you'd get in trouble," she shrugged innocently as she sat down. He started brushing her hair.
"Well, I intend on showing your mother that I'm very much capable of doing your hair and making sure it stays in its ordered place the whole day, but I need your help with that."
"Maybe," she answered.
"Maybe, what?"
"Maybe I'll help you. I'm not sure what I'd get out of it…"
Georg sighed. "Nicely-in-place-sitting-hair is what you'll get out of it," before she had a chance to react he asked, "Now, what will it be?"
"Two braids, please."
He got to work, and started braiding.
"Alright, stand up and shake your head for me, please."
Louisa stood up and looked at him sceptically.
"Just do as I asked and give it a test."
Louisa started shaking her head.
"Almost. Do it like this too – so I know it will stay in place." He demonstrated how she should shake her head.
Louisa giggled and joined her father.
"Let me add a couple of bobby pins, and it will do," he concluded after he had observed the way her hair moved.
After making sure the last strand of hair was tightly secured he sent her off, "Hurry up, and go put your coat on."
Louisa thanked her father quickly by giving him a hug before she ran off.
𖡼
The bus went every half hour, and because of that they arrived twenty minutes early in town. They decided to walk around until it was time for mass.
"Don't even think about it!" Agathe warned her children when they were nearing some large puddles and she could already see their faces light up.
"Wasn't thinking about it!" Kurt replied.
Georg and Agathe shared a look.
"Surely you weren't. You're not allowed to fib, Kurt," Georg told the boy.
Most of the time Georg thought Agathe was being overdramatic about the children having to keep their clothes clean, but this time he agreed.
"You will keep your nice clothes spotless – all of you, understood?" Agathe asked, giving them the look.
"Yes, ma'am," the children echoed.
"Stay with us, unruly bunch – I don't want you running or doing God knows what that will spoil your clothes," he said, stretching his hands out for a child to take.
Brigitta and Kurt practically ran to their father.
"Oi! What did I say about running, eh?"
They looked at him sheepishly. "To not do it – sorry."
He crouched down to straighten Kurt's shorts. "Look at all these creases," he tsked.
"But you're creasing your suit too, papa," Brigitta pointed out.
He looked down at his pants and saw that she had a point. He straightened up, and placed Kurt on top of a short wall that was high enough for him not having to crouch down.
Kurt held on to his head - afraid he was going to lose balance it seemed - as he continued smoothing out the wrinkles with his palm. After that he repositioned Kurt's stockings, making sure they were even high.
Once he was finished he lifted Kurt off.
"Fritz, your turn," he said, motioning for his oldest son to come over.
When he wanted to lift his son onto the wall the boy shook his head. "I can do it," Friedrich said.
"So you can crease your shorts? Don't think so," Georg muttered as he easily lifted his oldest son up on the wall.
Once he'd fixed the boys' shorts and stockings the family continued their walk.
𖡼
"Settle down," Agathe ordered the children when they were trying to seat themselves on a pew, but kept bickering about who should sit next to whom.
Georg pulled Louisa next to him, and Kurt to sit on the right side of him.
Louisa whined, "But I wanted to sit next to Friedrich."
"Tough. You'll sit next to me."
It was clear that Kurt was also not too happy with the seating plan, since he crossed his arms and pouted.
Georg looked at his wife and saw that she had the same plan as him by separating certain sets of siblings from each other.
"Dieter!" Kurt exclaimed as he waved at his friend.
The boy looked around to see who had called him before a smile appeared on his face and he waved back.
Georg felt like rolling his eyes. At one moment his children could be crying, and the next minute they had forgotten why they'd even cried in the first place, all happy and smiling.
He saw his daughter rolling her eyes. "He looks stupid," she said.
"Who – your brother or him?" he asked.
He felt a hand collide with the back of his head. When he looked to see who it came from he saw his wife shake her head disapprovingly.
"Both," the girl replied.
She had a point. He didn't like that Dieter kid either – he looked a bit stupid and self centered. And Kurt did look a bit silly with his pouting, and smiling and waving. Though he reckoned she looked a bit silly as well with her pouting.
"Louisa von Trapp, that is not a Christmas thought!" Agathe reprimanded.
"Sorry," the girl apologised, trying to look earnestly, though he was certain he could see a smile on her face. She was clearly not meaning what she said.
He squeezed her leg. "You shouldn't alway say what you think," he said.
"Why not, papa?" Kurt asked.
Clearly Liesl - seated on the other side of Kurt - was following their conversation too, as she explained to her brother, "Because you can hurt someone's feelings with your words."
Georg hummed. "Yes, that's right. And it will only get you in trouble."
"But what if it's the truth? It's not my fault people can't handle the truth, is it?" Louisa asked.
"No, it is not. But I'll tell you what, eh. If you really want to tell someone the truth, then you are to do it nicely. You don't just go around and tell people that they are stupid – it's not useful information for them to have. You know why?"
She shook her head.
"It's not useful, because most likely it isn't anything they can fix within a minute or so, especially if you're not giving them constructive criticism – specific feedback so they can apply it. You wouldn't like it if I told you that I didn't like the colour of your eyes, would you?"
Louisa shook her head again.
"If you notice how someone has some muck smeared on their face you can go over and tell them that, so that they can wash it off quickly. But if you don't like something about them that they cannot fix quickly or at all, you keep it to yourself. Understood?"
"Yes, father," he heard his children say.
When he looked further down the pew he saw that Friedrich, Agathe, and Brigitta were following the conversation as well.
His wife winked at him – agreeing with him, and pleased with his explanation.
Mass started, and it didn't take long before Georg saw Louisa's and Kurt's legs swinging and wiggling.
They had noticed that the other was swinging their legs as well, and were now trying to make a contest out of it. Their swinging became more frantic, so he decided to put an end to it.
When they swung their legs up he grabbed a leg of each, and whispered, "All this swinging and wiggling will make you slower when you race me back to the bus station after mass. I wouldn't swing all the speed out of them, if I were you."
Louisa and Kurt shared a look, one that he wasn't really sure he liked, and then they looked up at him with a mischievous grin.
He might have gotten himself in trouble with Agathe - since she wanted them to keep their clothes as clean as possible - but they were perfect still-sitting angels for the rest of mass.
𖡼
Later that day Georg's sister, her husband, her children, and his parents would come over for dinner and stay the night.
For the first time in his life he wasn't nervous to see his father. Surely, he wanted to keep the atmosphere pleasant, but for once he wasn't afraid of his father's judgement – he was happy, and proud of his family, and that was all that mattered to him.
They had arranged the children in a neat line in the hall to welcome his parents. He fixed Friedrich's collar quickly. "There you go, Fritz," he said, patting him on the shoulder. The boy smiled up at him.
The doorbell went, and Agathe opened the door.
"Welcome, come on in!" his wife greeted his parents.
His parents had always critiqued him for everything he did. The one thing they did encourage was him marrying Agathe. They liked her, and everytime he saw her with them he could see why.
He admired how she was able to be so hospitable, polite, and open to other people - while looking elegant - especially to his parents. She might not show it - and not be aware he knew - but he was aware that she did not like his parents, and blamed them for a lot of his pain.
His mother embraced his wife, and kissed her on the cheek. "Merry Christmas, sweetheart."
"To you all the same, Mrs Von Trapp," Agathe replied politely.
"Oh, call me Hedwig!" his mother corrected.
This was how it went every time. His parents would tell her to call them by their names, but she stuck to 'ma'am', 'sir', 'Mrs', and 'Mr'. She had told him that it made her feel uneasy hearing him call them 'ma'am' and 'sir', while she addressed them more informally, especially because he had told her that when he was a child his father would sometimes get angry with them if they called them 'mother' or 'father', instead of 'ma'am' and 'sir'. This was her little way of resisting.
"Hello, son," his father greeted him, holding out his hand.
"Hello, father," he replied, shaking the outstretched hand.
He didn't reckon it would ever feel less awkward and forced between them.
"The children are excited you are here," he supplied.
August looked at his grandchildren who were still standing in a line.
"Right. I see they have grown," his father replied.
"Yes, sir, they have."
Awkwardly, his father went to greet his children.
"Georg! You look very well," his mother exclaimed as she embraced him.
"Thank you, mother. You look well too."
When Georg glanced at his children and father, he saw his father slowly relax.
Sometimes he was afraid he didn't know how to act around his children - especially if he'd been away for a couple of days from home for his work - but they made it come natural to him.
He assumed it was the same for his father now he had realised he shouldn't intervene with their upbringing and discipline, and let him and Agathe do the job.
"Großmutter, do you like my new shoes?" Brigitta asked.
"Such nice shoes you have there, Brigitta! You must be very happy with them," her Großmutter replied.
Brigitta smiled, happy with the compliment and the shoes she had gotten the day before. "I am!"
"Does it make you run faster, hm?" her Großvater asked.
Brigitta nodded eagerly. "It does, Großvater."
Her father hoisted her up. "Show them how fast you run."
She wiggled her legs to show how fast she could move them.
"Very fast indeed," her Großvater replied.
𖡼
Hede arrived later with her husband and children.
"Uncle Georg!" his cousins exclaimed.
"Hello, you lot," he replied, ruffling their hair, and squeezing their shoulders.
"Georg," Hede's husband greeted him, as he shook his hand.
"Heinrich."
"How have things been going?"
"Good. We enjoyed our evening yesterday. The children were thrilled they had the chance to perform. How have things been with you?" he answered.
"Just the usual. We had a nice evening too."
"Glad to hear."
Heinrich walked towards Agathe to greet her.
His sister hugged him.
"Hello, Hedie," Georg greeted his sister.
"Hello, Georg."
She pulled back from him.
"How are they?" she asked.
He immediately catched on to who she meant. "They're quite alright today, if I say so myself."
"Good. I just hope they don't scold me too much for being late – it just happened. You know how it is with children, and especially on Christmas."
"It's not as if they can do anything about it, now can they?"
Hede hummed. "You're right, but still."
He nodded. "I understand."
She sighed. "I'll just have to face them."
"They're in the sitting room. We'll go together."
"Let's go say hello to your grandparents, children," Hede told her children.
The group made their way to the sitting room. The children were practically running to meet their nieces and nephews.
"Hello mother, father," Hede greeted her parents, embracing each briefly.
"You are late, Hede," August stated.
Hede smiled awkwardly. "We are indeed, father."
"We know how it goes. We were nearly late ourselves for mass this morning," Agathe winked.
Georg wrapped an arm around her, and squeezed her arm. He was so grateful for her.
Their father left it at that, and greeted his son-in-law.
Georg smiled when he saw his children showing their niece and nephews the presents they had gotten, and when he saw them playing together.
"Who thinks it is time for presents?" Agathe asked the children, who all erupted in cheers.