"We figured out it's been about a year since your trip to South Carolina."
"Your one year Anniversary."

Sam and Jonathon's words had haunted him ever since they had said them. He couldn't figure out why at first. It was like someone's name being on the tip of your tongue. You knew you knew it but you couldn't remember it no matter how hard you tried.
"One year anniversary?" he had said silently to himself during the party the family had thrown for them. Even during the drive down he kept hearing Sam and Jonathon's voices going round and round in his head. He just couldn't figure out why their words had bothered him so much. Okay so they had been married for a year. Unintentionally of course. "I mean hey stranger things have happened." he thought to himself. It wasn't until they were in the Judge's chambers trying to find grounds for their annulment that he finally realized why he had felt so uneasy ever since Sam and Jonathon had said it was their one year anniversary.

"Well, marriage unconsummated " the judge had drawled in his southern accent.

There right there it had hit him. The judge might as well as taken his gavel and hit him on the head with it. That is why he had been feeling so uneasy. It wasn't the fact that they had never consummated their "marriage." No. it was something else. Something deeper. Something unforgivable he had done.
Something he had to-needed to apologize to her for.

He glanced over at her. She was fast asleep. He could look at her forever but considering the fact that he was driving he didn't think that would be a good idea. So he reluctantly took his eyes off her and back on the road. But, he could still see her. She was engraved in his heart. She always had been and now he knew she always would be.

He sighed as his thoughts drifted once again to their words. They had been married for a whole year and had never consummated their marriage. They had never made love. But, he had- with another woman. He had broken his marriage vows. Unintentionally of course. After all neither one knew that they were married. So why should he feel guilty if he didn't know? If they had known he never would have stayed in that hotel room. Even if they had been married in name only he still would never have betrayed her. There was no doubt in his mind.

But, still a part of him did feel guilty. Uneasy. After their date last night he could feel the two of them getting closer. Closer than they had been in- well since they had broken things off with Kathleen and Andy. He wanted things to continue as they were. He wasn't quite there-yet. But, he knew some day he would be. But, first there were a few things he had to do first. Starting with apologizing for hurting her like he did.

He sneaked a glance over to her and saw her eyes slowly open.

"Well hey there sleeping Beauty Boss."

"Sleeping beauty Boss?" she laughed.

"Yeah, you were sleeping. You're beautiful and you're my Boss." he winked at her.

"If you say so." she smiled back at him stretching her arms above her head. "How long before we're home?"

"I'd say about an hour."

"Good."

"Hey Angela?"

"Yeah?"

"I need to say something to you."

"Okay. What?"

"Well ever since the family threw us that Anniversary party something has been on my mind."

"Oh, I so agree with you! I mean can you believe that gift Mother gave us?! But, hey I guess we shouldn't be surprised should we? But, still we can't keep it especially with Billy in the..."

"No Angela," he interrupted her. "I'm not talking about that."

"Oh then what are you talking about?" she asked in confusion.

"Ummm remember when Sam and Jonathon said that it was our one year anniversary?"

"Yeah."

"So that means we've been married for a year."

"Very good. My ex-hubby is such a smart man." she teased him.

Her smile faded when she saw the look on his face. It was pensive. Thoughtful. Serious. Obviously he had something much much deeper on his mind.

"Tony, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to..."

"No, Angela I'm not upset about what you said. I'm upset about what I did."

"What did you do? And is what you did have anything to do with what Sam and Jonathon said?"

"Yes, it does."

"Okay what?"

"Well ever since Sam and Jonathon said it was our one year anniversary I had this uneasy feeling. And it really intensified when the Judge mentioned marriage unconsummated as one of our grounds for getting our marriage annulled."

"Tony? What does one thing have to with another?"

"Angela." he said softly. "I need to apologize to you."

"For what?" she asked perplexed.

"Angela, I did something unforgivable. I didn't mean to. I mean if I had known that we were married I never would have. You have to believe me. Please baby you have to believe me."

"Tony, what in the world are you talking about?"

"Angela, I cheated on you while we were married."

"Cheated?!" She was confused for a few moments until she realized what he was referring to. His relationship with Kathleen. She glanced over at him and her heart sank at his expression. It was one of remorse and guilt. She didn't want him looking or feeling guilty. After all, neither of them had known. "Tony you can't seriously think I would hold what happened between you and Kathleen against you? Or that I would ever think that? We had no idea that we were married. I mean if you cheated then so did I."

"I know that logically Angela. I mean yeah neither one of us knew that we were married. But, I still feel guilty for hurting you. And even though I know up here" he said tapping his head. "That I shouldn't feel guilty since we didn't know. I do in here. " he said tapping his heart.

"Tony, what's done is done. The past is just that- the past. Neither one of us should have any reason to feel guilty. I mean it's like we said we had no idea that we were married."

"If we had I never would have. Even though we were married in name only. You still were my wife. You believe me don't ya?" he asked fear creeping in his voice.

"Of course I do." she assured him giving him a smile that made his heart skip a beat.

"Thank you Angela." he said to her giving her a smile that made her heart skip a beat.

They rode in silence for a few minutes each lost in their own thoughts.

"Hey beautiful boss?"

"Yeah?"

"How about some music?"

"Sounds good."

He pushed the tape in and immediately the soothing voice of Frank Sinatra filled the jeep as It Had To Be You began to play.

Smiling at each other they joined their hands in silent communication.

Some day soon it would be them.