The Anniversary

The fire of the opal ring caught the light and shimmered beautifully. It was perfect, like the woman to whom it would be given.

"I'll take it," said the distinguished dark haired main with slightly graying temples.

"Someone is a lucky lady," exclaimed a cool, lithe brunette that had moved into his personal space. "You wouldn't be in the market for another lovely lady, would you?" She batted her chocolate brown eyes over the rim of her expensive designer sunglasses.

"There's only one woman in my life," muttered Charles firmly. "That's all there ever could be."

"Like I said. She's one lucky lady," the woman cooed. "Are there any more at home like you?"

"You look like you're doing just fine on your own." Charles wasn't dead. It had noticed the stunning woman as soon as walked into the store. She moved like a panther on the prowl; a very expensive panther in her Chanel, Gucci and Manolo Blahniks. He couldn't help but think she couldn't hold a candle to his Alexandra.

"Nice to meet you," he mumbled as he headed out the door and jumped into the white limo waiting in front of the jewelry store. "Did you confirm the roses were sent to Alex?" he asked his chauffeur with excitement. "25 white roses?"

"Yes sir, they went out this afternoon. She already has them.

As if on cue, Charles heard his wife's ring tone on his cell phone. "Hello, darling," he drawled in his best Southern accent.

"Oops, wrong number" she pretended. "I was trying to call my husband; not my lover. Oh, wait, they're the same man aren't they?"

"Very funny. I hope you're almost ready. We're just about 10 minutes out."

"Oh, no. I thought our date was for 8:00 p.m. I'm still in my jeans and sweats," Alex teased.

"Yeah, right. Like you'd ever be late for anything," Charles tossed back. His wife was a stickler when it came to punctuality.

"I just called to thank you for the beautiful roses," she whispered letting her husband know that the gift had touched her deeply. "I counted to see if it was two dozen . . ."

"There better have been 25," Charles laughed. "Although I was tempted to add another 5 for the years we were together before we got married."

"Twenty-five is perfect. I'll see you soon, love." With that Alex hung up and Charles sat back in his seat. He smiled as he thought back to the day they'd met.

He remembered the very instant he first laid eyes on his wife. His heart had skipped a beat. He'd always thought such analogies were a myth until he felt it for himself.

She was a nurse at the hospital where he was interning. They crossed paths by accident but he was too shy to speak to her at first. He thought he'd missed his opportunity when another made itself known. Alex dropped a stack of charts on the floor just as he walked behind her. Being a gentleman, he stopped to help her retrieve them.

When their hands touched, an electric shock coursed between them. Their eyes met at the same time. He thought her blue-green eyes the most beautiful he'd ever seen. He couldn't look away, forcing her to make the first move.

"I'm so sorry. I'm usually not so clumsy," she stammered as she tried to regain her composure.

"The pleasure's all mine," he returned. That simple exchange of words began something the couple would never forget; a romance for the ages.

She waited five years for him to finish his schooling and start his own practice. However, the moment he felt he could give her the things she deserved, he proposed. They were married a few months later. Now 25 wonderful years had passed.

Their marriage wasn't perfect but it was close to it. They had two beautiful children, a simple but lovely home and a life together. Neither of them could have wanted more.

As the limo pulled up in front of his house, Charles knew he couldn't wait a moment longer. He jumped out of the car quickly, which was no easy task given his six foot four frame. He flew to the door and threw it open, calling his wife's name as he entered.

"Alexandra, I'm here. . ." His words hung in the air without an answer.

"Alex, where are you?" Charles turned into the formal living room and made his way to the dining area where his roses sat perfectly arranged on the table. Then he pushed the door open into the huge kitchen, expecting to find his wife preparing a cup of tea. But she wasn't there.

"Alex, answer me you little minx." Charles bounded up the stairs two at a time and glided down the hallway to their bedroom. "Are you still in the shower?"

A quick glance at the bed showed the pale pink gown he'd surprised her with for their date. Her silver heels sat perfectly together at the base of the bed. On the bedside table was the opal necklace and earring set that he'd bought the ring to match.

Moving into the bathroom, he quickly gaged she wasn't in the shower. But it was still damp, indicating that she'd been there a short time before.

Moving from room to room, Charles's panic rose from his stomach to the base of his throat as he threw open each room's door only to find it empty. "Alex, this isn't funny!" Now he was screaming in sheer terror.

Trying to gather himself, he ran back down the stairs and out to the backyard garden. His wife wasn't there either. Without thinking, he leapt the gate between their house and that of her best friend, Janine's. Pounding on the door, he quickly knew no one was home.

Pulling out his cell, he dialed the number of his mother-in-law. As he waited for her to answer, he walked back into the house searching for any clue to his wife's whereabouts. He stopped dead in his tracks once he saw that her handbag and keys were still on the hallway table.

"Hello, dear," came a voice on the other end of the phone. "Aren't you supposed to be out with your wife?" it teased.

"Then I take she isn't there with you?" Charles asked already knowing the answer. Then he tried to calm the older woman's fears as he explained the situation.

"I'm sure she just popped out for a moment," he tried to sound cheerful and light. "I'll call you as soon as I find her." With that he hung up without waiting for another response.

The next call he made was to the police. It took more than a half-hour to reach someone willing to listen to him. "I know I can't file a formal missing persons report for 24 hours," he exclaimed. But by then any clues in the house might be lost. Look, I'll pay for whatever the preliminary investigation costs, but I'm telling you something is very wrong here."

A beep on his phone let him know that there was a call waiting. "Wait a minute, let me answer that. It might be her. Hello! He nearly screamed the words in panic."

"Charles, it's me," the voice on the other end whispered. "I'm sorry, darling, but you have to listen. Don't try to find me. Don't call the police. Don't call anyone. If you do, something bad will happen to one of our children. Do you understand me?"

Fear gripped him and nearly drove Charles mad. He'd never heard his wife's voice sound the way it did; a mixture of aloofness and internal turmoil. Of one thing he was certain. His wife was in trouble. But before he could say an thing, a click on the other end let him know the connection had been broken.

What would he do now?