Cindy's Fall

Senior citizen Arthur Bremen awoke suddenly. He put his right hand over toward the right side of the bed but Margie, his beloved wife, wasn’t there. He got up quickly. He had to find her.
First he looked in the kitchen. Sometimes when one of them couldn’t sleep they made a cup of hot tea. No. She wasn’t there. Then he looked in the master bathroom, even pulling back the shower curtain. She wasn’t there, either. That left the guest bathroom. The light wasn’t on, so he was a little doubtful. But he had to look. No choice. No, she wasn’t there. Where, now, could she be at this hour? He hoped she hadn’t gone outside for some reason. The temperature must be near freezing. He checked both front and back doors and looked out the windows. Nobody moving out there that he could see. Both doors were locked and secured, just as he’d left them when they’d turned in for the night. Arthur checked the study. Was she reading a book? No, no sign. He began to feel faint and to tremble slightly. He closed his eyes a moment to try and regain his composure. He’d have to call Cindy, his daughter. Like it or not. What was it—3 a.m.? Something like that.
A sleepy-voiced Cindy answered the phone.
“Cindy, your mom. I can’t find her anyplace. I woke up and she wasn’t in the bed. I don’t know what to do.” Arthur began to cry.
“Daddy,” Cindy sighed. “We’ve been through this before. I love you very much, but you know you don’t have a wife. Mom died four years ago. When are you ever going to get used to that?”
“I do have a wife, Cindy,” Mr. Bremen sobbed to his only daughter. “I’ve always had a wife. I just can’t find her right now. Please, can you come over. Can you help me find her?”
“Listen, Dad. Go back to bed and go to sleep. I’ll stop by later on the way to the office. Now stop crying and do as I say. Are you listening, Daddy?”
Arthur wiped his eyes. “I’m listening, Cindy. I’ll try. I’ll try to sleep. But I’m scared.”
“You don’t have to be scared, Daddy. I’ll see you in a few hours. Everything is normal. I’m going to ring off now.”
Both rang off. Cindy rose a little earlier that morning so that she could stop by her dad’s place for fifteen or twenty minutes before getting to the office. Poor man. It was the least she could do. He’d taken good care of her and her mom for so many years. As she was about to leave the house, she noticed she had a message on her answering machine. That’s strange, she thought as she pressed the PLAY button.
“Cindy, it’s mom. Don’t forget today’s your father’s birthday. Do try to come by this evening, you and Jeff. I’ll get the cake so you don’t have to bother. Also, dear, if you want a gift idea, I suggest a red sweater. You know how your dad loves turtlenecks.”
Since Jeff had already left for his classes, no one was there to catch Cindy’s fall as she fainted.