"Uncle Bruce! Uncle Bruce!"
Uncle Bruce, who had just been starting to think about making his own dinner since Anjanette had told him she wouldn't be home for dinner tonight, looked up in surprise. "Anjanette?"
His niece was out of breath and wild-eyed. "Uncle Bruce - something's happened to Ferdinand! He's gone missing!"
Uncle Bruce took Anjanette by the shoulders. "Calm down, Anjanette. Take a deep breath, sit down, and tell me what happened."
Anjanette took a few breaths, but she was too upset to sit. "I called Ferdinand on his phone to let him know I was done work, and he didn't answer. He always answers his phone. So I went to his house to see what was wrong, and he wasn't there. No one was there." She gulped back tears. "What if he ran away and his parents had to go out looking for him? What if he's hurt and had to go to the hospital? What if..."
Uncle Bruce frowned thoughtfully, holding up a hand to stop her. "Wait a minute. Are you sure he didn't just go somewhere with his parents?"
Anjanette shook her head firmly. "He would have told me. We had plans. Ferdinand's never cancelled on me without letting me know and explaining why." She swallowed hard. "Please, Uncle Bruce - we have to look for him! He could be lost or hurt or...."
"All right, Anjanette." Her uncle laid a hand on her back. "Let's get in the car and we'll drive around, and see where he might have gone. But I want you to promise me you'll stay close. I don't want you running off and getting lost or hurt yourself because you're worried about Ferdinand. It won't help him if I have to look for both of you."
Anjanette was barely listening, lost in her worries about Ferdinand, but she nodded. "Okay."
She followed her uncle out to the car.
Uncle Bruce, who had just been starting to think about making his own dinner since Anjanette had told him she wouldn't be home for dinner tonight, looked up in surprise. "Anjanette?"
His niece was out of breath and wild-eyed. "Uncle Bruce - something's happened to Ferdinand! He's gone missing!"
Uncle Bruce took Anjanette by the shoulders. "Calm down, Anjanette. Take a deep breath, sit down, and tell me what happened."
Anjanette took a few breaths, but she was too upset to sit. "I called Ferdinand on his phone to let him know I was done work, and he didn't answer. He always answers his phone. So I went to his house to see what was wrong, and he wasn't there. No one was there." She gulped back tears. "What if he ran away and his parents had to go out looking for him? What if he's hurt and had to go to the hospital? What if..."
Uncle Bruce frowned thoughtfully, holding up a hand to stop her. "Wait a minute. Are you sure he didn't just go somewhere with his parents?"
Anjanette shook her head firmly. "He would have told me. We had plans. Ferdinand's never cancelled on me without letting me know and explaining why." She swallowed hard. "Please, Uncle Bruce - we have to look for him! He could be lost or hurt or...."
"All right, Anjanette." Her uncle laid a hand on her back. "Let's get in the car and we'll drive around, and see where he might have gone. But I want you to promise me you'll stay close. I don't want you running off and getting lost or hurt yourself because you're worried about Ferdinand. It won't help him if I have to look for both of you."
Anjanette was barely listening, lost in her worries about Ferdinand, but she nodded. "Okay."
She followed her uncle out to the car.
"What lead you to the club where you first saw us, Henry?" Les asked. Henry replied, "One of my neighbors told me that a rock band called A Wave Tossed in the Ocean was going to perform at the club that had opened the previous week. I thought that the name sounded interesting, so I asked him what kind of rock music, and he said, 'I think it's stuff from the sixties and seventies.' I was eager to hear the songs from my youth. When I saw you perform, I knew you were the right fit. Of course, you know how we met backstage." Jimmy said, "And the rest is history." Everyone laughed. "Yes," Henry said. "The rest is history." Just then, Felix looked at his cellphone and said, "It's 10:00, guys." Henry said, "We better go to bed. We've got a big day tomorrow." The boys all said, "Okay. Good night, Henry." Henry smiled and said, "Good night, boys. Pleasant dreams." With that, they retired to their beds for the night.
THE END
THE END
A few hours later, Una and Everett were comfortably snuggled up together on the couch, sharing the last of Una's chocolates which lay in the open box between them, as the credits rolled on the movie.
"That was so good," murmured Una, her head resting on Everett's shoulder. "You know - I was looking forward to your plans, whatever they were going to be, but I was really hoping we'd be able to watch this."
Everett gave a small laugh and shook his head. "I wish I'd known. I could have saved myself all this trouble."
Una grinned. "This year, our Valentine's Day plans were on me," she said. "Next year I expect it to be your turn."
Everett felt a warm rush at the thought of next year, that Una was so certain they would be celebrating Valentine's Day together next year. But then... of course, Everett though. He wouldn't have considered anything different.
"I love you, Una," he said.
"I love you too, Everett," she said.
"That was so good," murmured Una, her head resting on Everett's shoulder. "You know - I was looking forward to your plans, whatever they were going to be, but I was really hoping we'd be able to watch this."
Everett gave a small laugh and shook his head. "I wish I'd known. I could have saved myself all this trouble."
Una grinned. "This year, our Valentine's Day plans were on me," she said. "Next year I expect it to be your turn."
Everett felt a warm rush at the thought of next year, that Una was so certain they would be celebrating Valentine's Day together next year. But then... of course, Everett though. He wouldn't have considered anything different.
"I love you, Una," he said.
"I love you too, Everett," she said.