“An Anniversary to  Remember”
By Lori G.

CC turned over, but upon not feeling his wife next to him, he awakened suddenly.  He blinked his eyes a few times and glanced around the room.  A quick stab of fear shot through him as he searched for a sign of Sophia.  He finally caught a glimpse of her standing next to the open French doors, which led out to the balcony.  Her small frame was silhouetted against the moonlit sky.  Her white, satin nightgown was blowing softly in the gentle breeze.  She looked like an ethereal angel from above.  CC crawled out of bed and walked over to the door.  Sophia could hear the rustling of blankets behind her so she wasn’t surprised when she felt CC’s arms snake around her waist.  He was only wearing boxers so all she felt was the warmth of his strong arms sliding across her nightgown.  Even after all of these years, she still shivered with excitement whenever CC touched her.  She pressed her body next to his and closed her eyes as she inhaled his sweet scent.  She loved this man like no other and was amazed by how deeply she let herself fall in love with him.  He captured her soul a long time ago and etched his initials across her heart.  It was CC who quietly spoke.  “Honey, are you okay?”

Tenderly, Sophia replied, “Oh, yeah, I’m okay darling.  I woke up and felt the warm breeze coming through the door so I just wanted to come over here and admire the sights and sounds of the night.  The night time offers a certain serenity that is so calming.  We tend to appreciate the daytime with the glowing, hot sun and the hustle and bustle of activity, but most of us just don’t reflect on the beauty that the nighttime shines upon us.  It’s so rejuvenating and is such an integral part of the circle of life.”  

CC pulled his wife closer to him in a nonverbal show of love and respect.  “Yes, darling you are so right.  I am so amazed by your understanding and appreciation of the world around you.  Your vitality and depth with which you love is so infectious.  You’ve always been so patient and caring with everyone that surrounds you.”  CC pointed to the sky and said, “You see those stars, I thank the lucky ones for allowing us to exist in this very moment.  I almost feel as if I don’t deserve you.”

“Hey, don’t think that way,” stated Sophia.  “We have been through way too much to be thinking along those negative lines.  You know, it’s partly because of you that I’ve become who I am today, which is a woman who is deeply in love with the man who is holding her.  Throughout our history together, we have brought out the best and I might add, the worst in each other, but in the end, it’s always been about you and me being one entity.  Some days, when I’m just enjoying a quiet moment, I think back to those times when we were so far apart.  I think about the people who came between us and almost split us up for good.  There were times when I never thought we would ever find each other again, but destiny won out and look at where we are today.  We’ve been there countless times for our children, our friends and our business associates.  This is our time now.  We were made for each other so we deserve to enjoy the love that we’ve created.”

CC smiled at his wife’s words and then added, “I knew that I found someone special when I first laid eyes on you.  The sight of you still makes me go weak in the knees and being able to share my days and my nights with you has only made me feel grateful that you came into my life in the first place.”  He then kissed her temple. 

Sophia twisted around in CC arms so that she was now facing him.  She reached up and gave CC a few light kisses to tease him and then when she could feel him tighten his embrace, she kissed him with unrestricted passion.  CC responded with the same intensity.  As Sophia slowly pulled way, she looked up into CC’s chestnut eyes and whispered, “CC, please make love to me right now.  I need to feel close to you and feel your arms hold me tightly.  I love so much that sometimes it hurts.”  Sophia lifted her nightgown over her head and let if fall into a heap onto the balcony. 

As her body glistened in the moon’s hazy beams, CC picked up Sophia and carried her over to their bed.  He placed her down gently and said, “Sophia, you hold the key to my heart and I love you very much.  I have everything that I’ve ever wanted since I have you by my side.  ” He lied down beside Sophia and gracefully kissed her. 

CC was awakened to the sound of the shower running.  As the last vestiges of sleep washed away, he glanced over to Sophia’s side of the bed and saw a vacancy.  He let out a yawn and stretched out his limbs.  His mind began to race as he thought of the many errands he needed to accomplish by day’s end and how he needed to make up yet another excuse to Sophia as to why he needed to leave the house without her.  This would be the third excuse this week.  He had to meet Miss Bennett one more time. 

Sophia emerged from the shower and dried off with a towel.  She looked around for her clothes and realized that she had forgotten them in the bedroom.  She noticed CC’s white shirt hanging on a hook so she grabbed it and slipped it on.  Due to CC’s height and build, the shirt looked more like a mini dress on Sophia’s tiny frame.  Upon hearing the water turn off, CC climbed out of bed and walked to the bathroom door.  He slowly opened it as to not intentionally frighten Sophia. 

Sophia saw the door glide open and greeted CC warmly.  “Honey, its okay to come in.”

CC’s head popped around the door and he said, “Good morning darling.”  Upon seeing Sophia standing by the sink dressed in only his white shirt, his heart skipped a beat.  Sophia looked so sexy.  He walked over to her and began to rub her shoulders and nuzzle her neck.  “Morning,” replied Sophia.

“Dressed in my white shirt, I would have to say this is a fantasy come true kind of a morning!” said CC in a boyish tone. 

“Oh, CC stop.  I forgot my clothes and this was the closest thing within my reach.  What is it with men going crazy with puppy love whenever they see a woman wearing a white shirt?” Sophia asked. 

“Well, coming from this man, all I can say is that seeing my wife dressed in only my shirt is just plain sexy, and baby, your body still gets me hot,” stated CC.  He then leaned around and gave her a kiss. 

“Okay, okay, down boy.  So what are we doing today?  I know the kids are coming over for dinner tomorrow night, but our anniversary is two days away so I think we ought to plan something special to mark the occasion,” remarked Sophia. 

“Well, darling, I’ve already taken care of the arrangements for this weekend.  You don’t have to worry about anything.  I have something very special planned for us, but it’s a surprise,” said CC. 

Sophia let out a throaty laugh and then said. “Well, Mr. Capwell, you know how much I love surprises so I guess I will just have to wait patiently until Saturday.  In the meantime, do you want to start our plans early and have lunch with me today at Moxi’s?”

“Honey, I would love to start our anniversary celebration this afternoon, but unfortunately, I have to run a few errands that I need to complete so how about we just make a date for a quiet dinner for two right here at the house, say around 5:00pm?” inquired CC. 

With protest in her voice, Sophia whined, “But CC, this is the third time this week that you said you had errands.  What is going on with you?”

“I’m just finishing up with the final plans for this weekend,” defended CC.  “Trust me; you are going to love the weekend festivities that I have planned for us.  I want to make this anniversary one of our best ones to date.” 

Sophia turned around and gave CC a soft kiss.  “Well, then I will thank you now in advance for the lovely weekend.”  CC was touched by her words and just smiled and gave his charming wife a big hug.

While CC was completing his errands, Sophia decided to go to Legacy Village mall to pick up the royal blue cocktail dress she has specially designed.  She wanted to look and feel her best for CC.  The dress fit perfectly with the cap sleeves and a neck line that was low enough to show some cleavage.  The bodice was decorated with sequins and the skirt portion flared out so when she moved, it flowed like the ripples on a river.  The length stopped at just above the knee.  She knew that CC loved her legs so she bought a pair of sexy, sling back, open toed heals that had a small blue crystal adorning the strap that curved around the top of her foot. 

As she made her way down the mall, she caught a glimpse of CC on the bottom floor.  He was at a fair distance, but she could recognize his stature anywhere.  He was just standing there, but appeared to be looking around as if he was waiting for someone.  Suddenly a young, blonde, cute girl bounced over to him.  A smile broke over CC’s face and the girl smiled back.  The two exchange a few sentences.  Sophia continued to look on with much interest as she saw the girl laugh and then touch CC’s arm.  CC returned the laugh.  Then the young girl handed some papers to CC and stepped close to him as he sifted through the papers.  The girl reached in her purse and removed her cell phone.  CC began to recite his number since Sophia could see that the girl was adding the digits.  CC smiled again and then extended his right hand.  The girl gave him a firm hand shake and then they appeared to thank each other.  After the exchange, the girl excitedly turned around and strutted away.  CC didn’t appear to watch her leave since he is more interested in the paperwork that was now firmly in his grasp. 

Sophia began to walk towards to closest escalator as she could see CC begin to walk towards the exit.  She hastened her steps, but by the time she reached the top of the moving staircase, she could see CC exiting the mall.  Sophia’s expression dropped as her mind tried to wrap itself around the idea that CC could be cheating.  Sophia abandoned her plans to continue shopping as her heart was no longer enjoying the task of buying anything more for this upcoming weekend.   

Sophia looked at her watch.  It read 5:30pm.  CC was still not home.  Just as Sophia was about to walk up the staircase, the door opened and CC walked in.  Sophia glared at him and sarcastically stated, “So do you own a watch?  I remember you saying that we would share a romantic dinner at 5:00pm, but it’s now 5:30pm.  Where have you been?”

With a calm voice, CC answered, “Honey, I am so sorry for running late.  I tried to finish my errands as quickly as possible, but I got waylaid and I know that I should have called, but once I finished up with my last errand, I just jumped in the car and headed home as fast as I could.”

Sophia sternly stated, “CC, you have gotten home late three nights this week and I’m starting to get concerned.  By the way, I was shopping today at Legacy Village and I saw you talking to some blonde girl.  Is she the reason why you’ve been coming home late?  Who is she CC?  Is she part of the surprise for our anniversary?  Will she be joining us or will you meet her afterwards?”

“Oh my God, no she is not the reason why I’m late.  Sophia, honey, I swear to you that my meeting with Miss Bennett was strictly a business transaction.   I can’t explain it to you right now about my connection with her, but I assure you that it was 100% innocent.”  CC was trying to plead his case. 

“Yeah, innocent for you maybe, but I could read Miss Bennett’s body language.  CC, I know what I saw and she was flirting with you,” insisted Sophia.   

“No, she was not.  We had some business to take care of and that was all!” countered CC.

“CC, you may not be able to see it, but women do still flirt with you.  You think it’s all innocent, as you just stated, but they don’t see it that way.  They either see a sugar daddy or are just looking for a fun time.” 

“Darling, I’m not interested in her and I assure you that she is not interested in me in that way,” remarked CC.  He just couldn’t believe that this conversation had escalated to this ridiculous point. 

“Then, tell me who she is, why were you and her laughing together and what documents did she hand to you CC?” pressed Sophia. 

“As much as I want to answer those questions, I just can’t right now since I have to go make an important phone call,” said CC.  He needed to call Miss Bennett’s office before 6:00pm to make sure she received the money transfer.  

“If you leave right now and refuse to answer my questions, then you will be sleeping alone tonight!” threatened Sophia. 

Against his better judgment, CC looked at Sophia one last time and said, “Darling, this isn’t what you are thinking and I will just have to explain it all to you later.”  Then he turned away and walked to the study.

Upon seeing CC actually turn around and leave her, Sophia became outraged.  She stomped up the stairs and walked into their bedroom.  She slammed the door and then went to her closet to pack some clothes.  

Kelly heard the doorbell ring and got up to answer her front door.  

To her surprise, she saw her mother standing in front of her.  “Mama, hi.  What are you doing here?”

“Hi Kelly.  Can I please stay with you for the night?” asked Sophia. 

“Um, yeah, sure you can.  Come inside.  Is daddy with you?” inquired Kelly.  She then gave her mother a quick hug. 

“No, he’s not!  He’s at home, probably sulking as we speak,” stated Sophia was bitterness in her tone.

“Why, what happened?” Kelly asked with a very quizzical note since she knew her parent’s anniversary was only two days away and she was shocked that they would be fighting so horribly that it would make her mother leave the house.

“He and I just had a fight.  He has come home late three nights this week and then earlier today, I was at the mall picking up my dress for this weekend and I saw your father talking to this young blonde girl.  They shared a few laughs and then she handed him some papers.”

“And . . . what else happened?” asked Kelly.  “He gave her his phone number,” Sophia said.

“So who was she and why did daddy give her his number?” asked Kelly.

“Your father wouldn’t tell me who she was or what was contained in the documents and why he gave her his number.  The more I pressed him for an answer, the more stubborn he got.  He just kept telling me that he couldn’t tell me right now, but that soon I would find out.  Well, that answer was not good enough for me.  I think I have every right to know what was going on, but CC doesn’t seem to feel the need to explain himself or explain why he was chatting it up with some young, flirty girl.  What really got me angry was when he walked away from me right in the middle of our argument!” 

“Mama, if you are thinking daddy is having some sort of affair, I think you are wrong.  I know that you two are deeply in love with each other and I cannot believe for one second that daddy would do anything to jeopardize your marriage.” 

Sophia replied, “Yeah, that’s what I thought too and that is why I confronted him about her.  I know that CC loves me, but it was very unsettling to see him with that girl.  What really upset me was when I saw her add his number to her cell phone.”

“Mama, there must be a plausible explanation for all of this.  Please don’t be so upset.  I know that daddy must have had a good reason for not explaining this bizarre meeting.  Please just sit down and let me go make some tea and we can try to figure this out.”

After entering her kitchen, Kelly went straight to the phone and called CC.  Upon answering, CC heard his daughter’s voice on the other end.  “Hi daddy, it’s Kelly.  You probably know that mom is here.  She is really upset and hurt.  Can you at least tell me what happened with this girl that mama has been ranting about?”

With a low tone, CC replied, “No I didn’t know that your mother was at your house.  That’s good to know since I was worried about her whereabouts.  The woman is a salesperson for Marine Life.  I wanted to surprise Sophia on our anniversary by buying us a sailboat.  The salesperson was giving me the final paperwork and she took my phone number in case I had any questions.  Since Marine Life has a satellite office at the mall, it was just convenient to meet her there.”

Relieved by her father’s words, Kelly said, “See I knew there had to be an easy explanation.  But after you saw mama get so angry with you, why didn’t you just tell her the truth?”

“I just wanted to keep this a secret and was willing to sacrifice your mother being mad at me for a few hours in order to surprise her on our anniversary.  I just didn’t expect Sophia to get so upset and actually leave the house,” CC responded.

“You know that she suspects that this woman was flirting with you,” Kelly stated candidly. 

“Yes, she stated that point when she was grilling me about my meeting with Miss Bennett.  Now that this has gone so far, how do I explain to her that my only intention was to make her happy?  Now our anniversary is ruined,” CC surmised. 

Kelly quickly countered, “No, I doubt it is ruined.  Just let me talk to mom and I’ll see if I can convince her to go back home.”

“Okay honey, but please don’t tell her what the surprise is.  I really want to make this anniversary special,” remarked CC. 

In a more upbeat tone, Kelly said, “Bye daddy and please don’t worry anymore.  I’ll make sure that mama will understand that this was all a misunderstanding.  I promise I won’t give away the gift, which by the way is very cool.”

“Thanks Kelly and please tell your mom that I’m sorry and that I love her,” spoke CC and then he hung up the phone.

As Kelly walked back into the living room with a tray containing steaming tea, she witnessed her mother pacing. 

As Kelly set the tray down, Sophia began to voice the words that were ticking off in her head.  “Your father can be so infuriating.  He just doesn’t ever see when women are flirting with him.  He thinks he is just being playful with them, but in reality, he is making them think that he really likes them.” 

With insistence in her voice, Kelly spoke, “Now mama that is just ridiculous!  You know that daddy loves you and only you so please don’t feel jealous or angry.  I know that daddy will explain this all to you, but you need to just calm down and then go back home to daddy.”

“Honey, I can’t right now since I’m just too angry.  I’m sure he has some grand explanation, but right now, I’m not in the mood to hear it,” stated Sophia. 

“Mama, now don’t get mad at me, but while I was in the kitchen, I called daddy to find out what happened,” Kelly stated tenuously.

“Kelly, you shouldn’t have done that since this is between your farther and I, but since you’ve already spoken to him, did he tell you why he was being so obstinate about this?” asked Sophia.  

“I’m sorry mom for intervening, but I needed to know what was going on.  I can’t give you the specifics, but I can say that he was in the middle of making arrangements for your anniversary this weekend.  That girl was just a salesperson.  I swear to you that he didn’t do anything inappropriate with that woman.  The whole thing is actually very romantic and if you would just stop being so stubborn, then you would know in your heart that daddy is only guilty of trying to do something wonderful for your anniversary.  Before he hung up, he said he was sorry and that he loves you.” 

Sophia’s face softened and she realized how foolish she had been.  “Oh, Kelly, I feel so childish for going off on this tangent.  I am embarrassed with myself for not trusting your father.  The only explanation that I can give is that I love CC so much and I guess there is always that little piece of me that thinks he is just going to go away.”

Kelly walked up to her mother and hugged her.  “Mama, please go home and tell daddy all of this.  I’m sure his heart is breaking right now.”

“You are so right Kelly.  Thanks for listening to me and for saying all of those wise words.  Thank you for making that call to your dad.  He really is a wonderful man and I am so lucky to be his wife,” said Sophia. 

Sophia gathered her belongings and headed home.  She stepped through the door and looked around for CC.  She didn’t have to look very long as she saw him sitting on the couch just resting his head on his hand.  As she approached him, she could see his features conveyed a look of sadness and depression.  Sophia felt a wave of guilt wash over her as she knew she was the catalyst for his gloomy mood.  Tears began to well up in her eyes as she walked into the living room.  CC was brought out of his reverie by the sound of Sophia’s heals on the tile. 

“Oh, you came back home.  Did you just come by to pack more clothes?” CC asked Sophia. 

Sophia stepped over to the couch and sat next to CC.  She looked into his sad eyes and then reached up and placed her hand on his cheek.  With a soft tone, she said, “CC, thank you so much for being my caring husband.  Thank you for putting up with my jealousy and for loving me the way you do.  Please know that I truly love you with all of my heart.  I am so sorry that I got cross with you and even sorrier for walking out.” 

Before CC could reply, Sophia leaned into him and kissed him.  At first, CC didn’t respond to her touch since he was confused by the sudden change in her demeanor, but then he gave in and kissed her back.   

“So, I guess Kelly told you about the surprise?” asked CC.

“Yes, but reluctantly.  She did say that there was a surprise, but she didn’t tell me what the gift was.  I’m so sorry to have ruined this for you.  If it’s any consolation, I will still be surprised when I see it since I’m sure I’m going to love it.”

CC looked at Sophia and said, “I’m sorry that got so angry that you felt the need to leave, but do you really think I would do anything to intentionally hurt you?  Don’t you know by now that you are the only one for me?  I’m not interested in any other women.  You are it for me.  You have to know that I would go to the ends of the earth for you and that my life with you is a gift that I treasure each day of my life.” 

“Oh CC, I know that you wouldn’t do anything to hurt me.  I just jumped to the wrong conclusion and assumed it was that girl who was trying to flirt with you.  I’m so sorry that I left.  I was just confused and mad that you wouldn’t tell me what was going on.  I just didn’t connect the pieces that she was just a salesperson.  Seeing you with her just clouded my rational judgment.  I can’t help it, but I still get jealous.  Can I plead foolishness and ask for your forgiveness?” Sophia asked.

CC looked away from Sophia and continued, “This isn’t exactly how I wanted our anniversary weekend to begin.  It was supposed to be so romantic.  I wanted to give my bride a special gift to make her feel like a queen.”   

“I can’t tell you how terrible I feel for ruining your surprise and causing you to feel so awful.  I really want to make it up to you.”  Sophia snuggled close to CC and gave him another kiss and then asked, “How about we start our anniversary celebration right now and head upstairs?”

Much to her surprise, CC replied, “Actually, as much as I would love to make up with you right now, I think we should wait until our anniversary.”

Sophia was slightly disheartened, but could completely understand.  After all, what she did to CC was exactly what she promised herself she wouldn’t do.  She knew how it felt to have someone walk away so she was disappointed in herself for not trusting CC.  She gave him a warm smile and with gratitude in her voice she said, “Okay darling.  I’m looking forward to this weekend.  I really do love you.”

CC smiled in return and said, “I really love you too kid.  Let’s just forget about this past week’s misunderstandings and concentrate on making this anniversary about us and the love we share?  We will have a nice time tomorrow with the children and grandchildren and then the weekend is all ours.  Now let’s go and enjoy a quiet dinner and yes, of course I forgive you.”  He hugged his wife and felt her give him an extra squeeze.  He was happy with her return home.

The sunshine was peeking over the horizon just as Sophia opened her eyes.  She felt like taking a nice long walk so she leaned over and gave CC a soft kiss on the shoulder and then she got up slowly as to not wake her husband.  After she got dressed, she walked into the bathroom and took out a tube of lipstick from the drawer.  She proceeded to write a message on the mirror. 

The combination of the sun’s rays streaming through the windows with the sounds of the birds chirping, CC was once again pulled into another day.  He rolled over and noticed that the morning had already greeted Sophia and she was up and about.  He climbed out of bed and walked to the bathroom to take a shower.  Upon switching on the light, Sophia’s message appeared.  She had drawn a heart and inside she wrote CC and Sophia.  Underneath the heart, she had written, ‘Gone for a walk”.  He just smiled and then proceeded with his morning shower.  The pair spent the balance of the day doing odds and ends around the house and then the prepared for the children’s visit.        

The rest of the family had already arrived and were gathered in the living room.  CC and Sophia appeared at the top of the staircase.  Sophia looking gorgeous in her blue dress.  CC was dressed in a black suite with a royal blue tie to compliment Sophia’s party dress.  As the happy couple entered the living room, in unison, the family yelled, “Happy Anniversary!”  After everyone shared hugs and kisses, they all adjourned to the dining room.  About half way through the meal, CC stood up with a glass of wine in hand and said, “I would like to make a toast to my forever bride.”  He then turned to his right to face Sophia.  “My darling wife Sophia, I can’t express in words the love that I feel for you.  We have struggled through some of the worst of times, but have also shared some of the best of times.  This time in our lives is certainly the best.  Some days I feel like I need to pinch myself since this all seems like a dream.  We have the family together and you and I are together.  Life just doesn’t get any better than that.  I love you beyond words.  Thank you for being in my life and for being my wife.”  With the conclusion of his speech, everyone raised a glass to honor the marriage of CC and Sophia.

Sophia stood up and took a few steps forward into the waiting arms of CC.  They hugged each other tightly and gave each other a few kisses before sitting back down.  The family resumed their chatter and Sophia turned towards CC.  “Thank you honey for the beautiful words.  I feel the same way towards you and cherish what we share.  You are the best and I love you with all of my heart.”  CC leaned over the table and gave Sophia another series of kisses.  They seemed to forget that they were sitting at the table with the family surrounding them until Mason cleared his throat to break them up.  Once they came out of their infatuation with each other, they went back to engaging in the pleasant conversations.  

CC slowly opened his eyes as he drifted out of his restful slumber.  He looked over and saw Sophia peacefully sleeping on her side.  He slid over and cuddled up to Sophia’s back.  He wrapped his right arm over Sophia and began to massage her arm.  Sophia stirred and then opened her eyes.  “Happy Anniversary darling,” CC said quietly.  He then kissed her on the cheek.  “And a Happy Valentines Day.” 

Sophia turned over to lie on her back and then stretched her arms and legs.  She smiled and then said, “Good morning.  Well, Happy one year anniversary to you too.  We made it baby to the one year mark this fourth time around.”

“Honey, we sure did and we are still going strong,” commented CC.  “In reality though, this is more like our 35th year anniversary since that’s about how long we should have been married.” 

Sophia thoughtfully replied, “Yeah I guess so since we’ve know each other for at least that long.  All that matters now is the here and now.  We are together and happy.  I can still vividly remember looking into your sincere eyes when I said my vows to you last year.  Nothing has ever felt so right.  There were no doubts.  There was just a sense of peace.  Thank you for taking me back and letting the pages of our story to continue on.  I love you.” 

CC looked lovingly into Sophia’s eyes and said, “My dear, I love you too with all of my heart.  I am so grateful that you came back into my life.  Spending our days together is beyond a blessing.  You are my precious Sophia.” 

So what is on the agenda today?  I can’t wait too see what you have planned.  How should I dress?” asked Sophia. 

“You should wear something comfortable.  I have a full day planned so we should get moving.”  CC leaned down and gave Sophia a small kiss on her lips before he got out of bed.  Sophia began to protest since he left the bed so quickly.  He reminded her that she would have to wait a little while longer, but that the wait would be worth it.   

CC looked quite handsome and young dressed in his khakis and white Polo shirt.  Sophia also wore khakis along with a yellow, cotton blouse.  As they pulled into the marina parking lot, Sophia asked, “So is the surprise on the yacht?  CC replied, “You’ll just have to wait and see.”  They walked along the dock in the direction of their yacht, but CC stopped suddenly and turned to face Sophia.  “My darling, you mean the world to me and I just wanted to give you a small token to honor our anniversary.”  He directed Sophia to turn around and to her surprise; her eyes came to rest upon a 10.7 meter luxury sailboat.  After a few seconds of stunned silence, Sophia said, “Wow!  I can’t believe that this was the surprise.  I am truly shocked.  That is just fabulous darling!”

“Well, I’m glad you like it,” said a pleased CC.  They walked up to the boat and CC pointed to the side.  In script writing, was the name ‘Princess Sophia.  Keeper of the Flame’.  “I want everyone to know that how special you are,” stated CC.  He then stepped aboard and offered his hand to Sophia.  She boarded the sailboat and was awestruck by its elegance.  The motif was blue and beige.  The sails were navy blue.  The beige, plush, leather seats were trimmed with navy stitching.  The cabin below contained a kitchenette, a quaint seating area and a small bathroom.   

The happy couple embarked on an afternoon of sailing.  Once they reached their destination just inside the break wall, CC anchored the boat and then served Sophia a stylish lunch on the deck.   They just sat together and looked out over the waves of the ocean.  Sophia spoke, “This has been the most amazing day.  Thank you so much CC for making this such a memorable anniversary.”

CC gave Sophia a kiss on her head and replied, “The day isn’t over yet.  After we get back to the marina, we are going to spend the rest of evening on our yacht.”  Sophia thanked CC again and then snuggled close to him.  She wanted to savor each second.           

As they stepped into the cabin of the yacht, Sophia’s heart melted as the whole room was filled with white, pink and red roses.  CC walked over to the sound system and turned it on.  As he walked towards Sophia, the song, Valentine, by Martina McBride and Jim Brickman began to play.  He held out his hand and Sophia graciously accepted it.  CC always felt like he was walking on air whenever he danced with Sophia.  He pulled her close to him and closed his eyes as he held his beautiful bride.  It almost felt like this was their first wedding anniversary all those years ago.      

When the song ended, Sophia broke their embrace and walked over to her handbag.  She pulled out a ring box and handed it to CC.  Inside was a gold ring for his pinky finger.  The Capwell family crest was engraved on the top.  “Look on the inside,” instructed Sophia.  The inscription said ‘To My Forever Love CC’.  CC was so touched by Sophia’s thoughtfulness.  He placed the ring on his finger and then said, “This is absolutely wonderful.  This means more to me than you can imagine.  Thank you so much darling.”  He leaned over and gave Sophia a kiss. 

Sophia replied, “You are welcome my love.  I just wanted to let you know how much I care.” 

CC placed his hands on Sophia’s shoulders and gently turned her around.  He held his hand over Sophia’s eyes and began to lead her to the bathroom.  “Another surprise?”  Sophia chuckled. 

He stopped once they were both at the entrance and then he dropped his hand.  “Okay, you can open your eyes.”

Sophia let out a gasp of amazement at the beautiful sight that surrounded her.  The flickering of several candles gave the room a warm, yellow glow.  The Jacuzzi was filled with red rose petals.  On the edge, a champagne bottle was resting in a bucket and two empty glasses were sitting beside it.  A black and white wedding photo of Sophia and CC flanked the other side of the Jacuzzi.  Beside it was a ring box. 

CC turned to Sophia and began to unbutton her blouse.  “Let’s just enjoy this soothing Jacuzzi.”  Sophia just gazed into his eyes as CC slowly undid each button and then removed her shirt and let it tumble to the floor.  Sophia then slid her arms up under CC’s shirt and lifted it up as her hands slid up his chest.  Soon, they were both undressed and settling down in the bubbly, warm water.   As the invigorating jets massaged their bodies, they both relaxed their muscles and the let the water work its magic.  CC poured the champagne and handed Sophia a fluted glass.  They both sat there for a few minutes letting the water and the champagne take effect. 

Sophia then started to laugh a bit.  “What is it darling?” asked CC.  “Well, I was just thinking about all of the places that we have romanced each other.  Let’s see, there was Pebble Creek, the many places we visited it Europe, the guesthouse, an ambulance, inside a helicopter, the presidential suite at the Capwell hotel, the beach and of course, right here on our yacht.” 

“I’ve enjoyed every second and looking forward to many more places.  Happy Valentines Day sweetheart.”  CC then reached over and picked up the black ring box.  He turned it towards Sophia and opened it.  Nestled inside was a three carat, princess cut, trilogy diamond ring.  “This represents our past, present and future,” said CC.  Sophia picked up the ring and just stared at the dazzling setting.   “Read the inscription,” CC said.  Sophia turned the ring over and the engraving read, ‘To My Forever Valentine’.  CC took the ring from Sophia and slipped it on her right ring finger.  Sophia was speechless.  Even in the dimly lit bathroom, the ring still sparkled brightly.

“Oh CC.  It is absolutely gorgeous.   I am just astonished by everything that you planned for today.  The sailboat was a complete surprise, the lunch was great, this bathroom is heaven and now to top it off, this spectacular ring!  This has been a wonderfully romantic day.”  Her eyes were riveted on her ring and then she turned towards CC and gave him a lustful kiss.  She never kissed another man like she did with CC.  With him, there was a sense of freedom and trust.  She let down her guard and let him enter into the most secret part of her soul.   

CC pulled away and said, “How about you and I get out of this tub and go into our bedroom and make this anniversary last forever?”  Sophia didn’t have to answer since she stood up and pulled CC along with her.  They grabbed a towel and wrapped it around each other, but still created a water path as they made their way to their bedroom. 

As they lied down on the bed, the towel fell away and CC said, “Even after all these years, I am still so awestruck by your beauty and I cherish each moment that we share.  I love every facet of your being.  You are like the air that I breathe.  I can’t live without you.  Happy Anniversary my favorite love and Happy Valentines Day.” 

Sophia replied, “Happy Anniversary to you too my beloved CC.  You are my one and only Valentine.”  She closed her eyes in anticipation of CC pressing his mouth to her waiting lips.  She hungrily kissed him as if this was their last kiss.  She was just so overcome with emotion thinking about all of the fabulous events of the day.  Every muscle in her body seemed to ripple with excitement as CC’s hand glided up her still wet leg and then over her stomach and then up to her breast.  He placed kisses down her neck, then her shoulders and then began working his way down her body.  Her breath caught in her throat and she wrapped her arms around CC’s shoulders.  Mr. and Mrs. Capwell’s incredible love for each other made this anniversary celebration unforgettable.

Written by Lori G.