I do.

Maybe

I feel so nervous. I have felt like this since Mr. Wattson left. I have nothing to do so I just sit at a table in my room and I look at those beautiful roses. I could not let them down in the livingroom because my mother would ask hundreds of questions. And I know that it is very impropper for young unwed ladies to talk to men without somebody else being in the room. she would be so angry!

"Vivi! Mother just got a letter from one of our neighbours. We are invited for some dance tomorrow." Carol comes into my room without knocking.  She stares on my table. On the roses. "Where did you get those?" She points her thin finger at flowers. "For sure not from the garden." "Well..." I start explaining, "Mr Wattson came here. But nobody was awake so I have politely askd him to come later." She stares at me like if I have told her something rude. "Have you told mom?" Her voice is cold like ice. Have I done anything to her? "No, I was scared. But I will tell her straight away." I answer politely and wait for my sister to leave my room. I follow her down to the study, where my parents work on some papers. 

"Mother,father,... I have to tell you something." I say quietly and I slowly start explaining the morning visit. "WHAT?" My mother screams in disbelieve. "Why have you not told us sooner? And first of all...  Why did you open the door?" "I..." I look at the tips of my toes in white shoes and I shake nervously. "I was curious who might have it been." I addmit. "You and your desire for thigs that are not suitable for young lady." My mother shakes her head in disbelief. "One day it will kill you." I raise my chin defiantly. "Nothing dangerous could have happenned, mother." I disagree with her. "And maybe not all of my hobbies are suitable for a lady but it is me. It makes me who I am." Mother opens her mouthto add something but we hear the doorbell. Saved by the ringing. 

"Good afternoon, Mister and Missis Baker." I hear, now maybe too familiar, voice from the hallway. My sister and I are waiting in the livingroom. Just like we are meant to be. Hermann, as I have recently allowed myself to call him, comes into the livingroom followed by my parents. "FirstI want to appologise" he starts talking to my father and to my mother "for comming here earlier today. I should hav thought of better timing." "For sure, you should have tought of better time for visit. But we trust you not to harm our daughter." my ather speaks up sooner before my mother can. "I wanted to ask if you allowed your doughter to go for a walk with me. Your other daughter can come to, if you worry about Genevive's safety." Mr Wattson's proposal would have been taken as rude, if we were not betrothed. But in our sittuation it is met with possitive reaction. 

We walk down the street to the near park. He offers me his arm and we walk side by side. Caroline walks five steps behind. "It is a lovely day, is it not?" I startwith a smalltalk. How usual. "Oh yes. indeed. I want to ask you something, Genevive..." he looks at me and our eyes meet for a breef moment. "We are supposed to spend the rest of our lives together." I nod, just to show him that the statement was a matter of fact. "I am sure that one day I can fall in love with you. Maybe today, maybe next week, maybe in few years... But... Is there any chance for you to love me?" The tone of his voice makes me shake a bit. I have thought of the possibility of loving him. But what never crossed my mind was an idea of the time we were supposed to live together without love. " Maybe" I answer. "I want to be sincere with you so I can only say maybe. Because I do not know what it takes to love someone. But I will do my best." I smile at him. "For the beggining let us just be friends." I say and I put my hand on his arm again.

  "Maybe..."  His voice shakes as he repeats thatparticular one word.