Page 219 of The Life of Anna-Tenth Anniversary Edition: Act 1

“Answer it. Come on in when you’re done.” He held the door as the Pendletons walked into the Italian restaurant, then followed, leaving Anna alone outside.

She turned and walked a few feet away from the entrance. “Hello?”

“Anna, Engel, how are you doing?”

Anna smiled at the sound of his voice. “I’m good. I’m in Washington, D.C. right now.”

“Are you really? Only eight hours away from me right now. Tempting to come see you.”

She giggled. “I don’t know how Devin would feel about that.”

“Hmm.” Kurt paused. “You are there with him?”

“Yes.”

“Are you with him now?”

“He’s just gone into a restaurant.”

“Gut. Alex wants to talk to you.”

“Alex?” Anna’s dream rushed back to her and she walked over to a nearby bench and sat down.

“Anna, are you alright?” Alex sounded . . . anxious?

“Y-yes Alex. I’m fine. Are you?”

“Ja, Schatzi.”

Anna winced at his use of his pet name for her. Why did he keep calling her that?

“I saw you. Last night. You came to me.”

“I did?”

“Ja. I always see you.”

“You do?” Anna stared at the big tree across the path. Her dreams were... real? “Did you... see me that night... when I was sixteen?”

“Ja. And other times as well.”

Anna’s head spun. All those times she’d seen him, he’d seen her too? Why hadn’t he told her? “Oh.”

“What’s wrong?”

“N-nothing.” She inhaled and forced her mind to focus on him. “Is there something I can do for you, Alex?”

“Anna, I know you. I know your voice and your facial expressions. Something’s wrong. What happened?”

Anna fidgeted, not wanting to confess that her rings were gone, but it would be wrong to not tell him the truth. “My piercings. The rings...” She hesitated and then blurted out the words, bracing for his anger. “They’re... gone.”

Alex exclaimed loudly in German and Anna pulled the phone away from her ear, wincing. “Did that bastard take them out?”

“Not on purpose . . .”

Alex was quiet for a moment. She heard a low voice in the background. Wilhelm?

Alex sighed. “I’m sorry I shouted,” he said in a gentler voice. “Tell me what happened.”

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