Unforeseen Events

Disclaimer: I'm not the owner of the characters of WTB, I own nothing, no copyright infringement intended

Chapter 1

Tony's days passed monotonous and uneventful. Since he had broken up with Kathleen he had stayed home every night, hoping he could spend more time with Angela again. He missed her terribly. Everything had changed since that awful night when he had messed up their almost seven years working relationship. He would never be able to forget the moment when they talked in the kitchen. Is it over? She had asked him and he couldn't find the right words to answer. So he said he didn't know. From that moment things would never be the same. Her face, her beautiful face had expressed everything. At first disbelief, then fear, then sorrow, then pain. She had turned to the stove and looked down. The doorbell rang and he had waited. He wanted to say so much more but the words didn't come out. He saw her shaking and her suppressed tears. One minute had changed his world. And hers. That was months ago, now he wanted her back.

Not so Angela. She was going out three or four times a week with Andy. Her relationship with him grew more and more serious and lasted much longer than he had anticipated; she seemed to be happy and content. Tony was worried about that. Not that he didn't want to see her happy, quite the contrary, in a way he was relieved that she found happiness again. If only it just wouldn't hurt him so much. After he broke up with Kathleen he expected Andy to vanish to the singles market in maybe a few weeks and Angela and he could go back to their life before. He knew that it wouldn't be easy, but he was confident that someday she could forgive him his betrayal and they could live happily ever after. Oh boy, he was somewhat mistaken. She didn't think to break up with Andy. Not at all. Time passed by and Andy was still in the picture. Even more horrifying: his presence was palpable everywhere. He wasn't a bad guy. He was successful, handsome and he worshipped the ground Angela walked on. Angela deserved a man like him. Someone who picked her the stars from the sky.

Tony couldn't even remember the last time he had been alone with her. She avoided being alone with him. Most of the time he was unable to sleep and spent his time studying for his upcoming exams. Only a few more weeks and he would be done with college. He eagerly awaited the time because in his secret dreams he saw Angela coming back to him after his graduation. Now he wasn't sure about it, strictly speaking, nothing was sure anymore. Tony had never such a worse time in his whole life except perhaps when Marie, his wife, had died. He felt lonely and missed talking to Angela and spending evenings with her. Sometimes, when he lay alone in his bed waiting for her soft steps on the stairs he thought it couldn't get any worse, but one night he realized he was wrong.

Tony had sunk into a light sleep when he heard her squeaking bedroom door. He had avoided oiling the door hinges because it gave him the best opportunity to determine when Angela came home. He didn't want to spy on her but he was always relieved knowing she had returned home safely. So far she had come home at an appropriate time after every date. Looking at his watch he realized it was early in the morning. 3.50 am. At first he thought his eyes played a trick on him. He rubbed them and looked again. Nothing had changed, the clock hands were unmistakable. Tony jumped out of his bed and opened his door. He caught Angela before she could shut her door.

"Angela, it's late. Is everything okay?"

She became frightened at his sudden voice.

"Oh, Tony. Sorry, I woke you up."

Tony left his room and crossed the hallway stopping in front of her. He noticed her tired face, her sad eyes and he suddenly realized that she was avoiding coming home early because meeting him made her uncomfortable.

"You need more sleep, Angela. You should come home earlier." He tried to be friendly and protective but had rather wanted to ask her where she had been that long.

"Yes, I know, but I had a very important night, well… I'll tell you tomorrow. Good night, Tony."

"Does that mean you'll find time to talk to me?" he asked softly and hopefully.

"Yeah, uh… I need to talk to you," she replied.

"Okay, good night, Angela." Tony stepped back to his door and with a last look in each other's eyes they closed their doors simultaneously. Tony couldn't find his way back to sleep. He tossed and turned and when his alarm clock rang at six he had barely slept five minutes. A quick shower restored his usual vigor and he went downstairs, ready to prepare breakfast for everyone. The family at the table was smaller after Sam's move out but he had still to feed Jonathan and Mona in addition to Angela. One by one they entered the kitchen and at seven everyone had taken their place. Angela was pale like a ghost and nervous. Her eyes glanced feverishly. The lack of sleep had taken its toll on her. After the usual conversation like "could you hand me the butter?" Angela leaned back in her chair and folded her hands in front of herself.

"I have something to announce," she paused shortly when all eyes were set on her, "there will be some changes in this household in a few weeks."

"Are we getting a bigger TV," Mona asked jokingly, "or have you finally ended things with Andy, the deadhead?" That could be the reason for her bad appearance.

Jonathan didn't say a word. The tension between his mom and Tony had been excruciating the past weeks and he hoped secretly that his grandma was right. He knew it had been a big mistake when Tony dated that blonde with the odd blue eyes but it was short-lived. His mother meanwhile had been seeing Andy for months. He looked at his mom but her eyes weren't giving anything away.

Tony on the other hand didn't believe in a separation of the two of them. Not after Angela came home that late last night and his premonition didn't deceive him.

"What I wanted to say is…," Angela looked around to her family members, "you all know, Andy and I have been dating for several months and he…," she looked around the table, "he proposed to me last night. I'm getting married again."

None of them said a word. It was so quiet that one could hear a pin drop. Mona plucked up courage first.

"Well dear, have you thought about it enough? I haven't seen you writing a list with pros and cons. That's what you usually do when it comes to The M Word, don't you?" Mona was terribly worried about her daughter. "I could be a great help with the cons, dear. Boring, besotted but bonkers, bad bargain and that's only three with b."

Jonathan couldn't believe what he heard from his mother. "I think you are doing the wrong thing mom." He shoved his chair away and left the kitchen without another word.

Mona rose as well. "I hate to say it but our smart boy is right, dear. Don't jump the gun, Angela." With a last glance to Tony who sat pale and motionless on his chair she left the room as well.

Both looked at their plates. Tony's mind was in a haze and the pain in his chest was almost physically palpable. If this was what she had felt after his incident with Kathleen he would never make things better between them. He had certainly lost any chance.

"I should congratulate you," he whispered sadly, "but I … I can't." He jumped from his chair which dropped backwards and ran through the swinging door.

Angela looked after him and went over to set up his chair. This wasn't what she expected. She thought that Jonathan and Mona liked Andy; not as much as they liked Tony but enough to be happy for her. And Tony? She wasn't sure about him. From the time he had gotten together with Kathleen she felt like she was living on a different planet. Before that horrible morning when he told her that he had slept with that girl she thought they shared a path. Learning that she was wrong had hardened her emotions and after dating a few men she had met Andy. Tony had split up with Kathleen for unknown reasons and had displayed an overprotective and possessive behavior toward her. After knowing Andy better and better she was sure she was doing the right thing. She had given up her dreams about Tony and a life with him, it was out of reach. She was tired of waiting for him, tired of his indecisiveness. Andy was nothing but patient and loving. He deserved to be happy and she was sure she could make him happy. But could he make her happy too? At least she wasn't that weighed down anymore. Fate, however, had seemingly not much more in store for her than contentment.

Gasping, Tony entered his room. For weeks he had a pressure in his chest that now grew to pain that was almost too difficult to bear. Finally the thing he was most afraid of happened. He was going to lose Angela to another man and everything was his own fault. He had to get out of here. Slipping into a shirt and sweat pants he left the house unnoticed and started a long jog but he couldn't get the picture of Andy and Angela in front of the wedding altar out of his head. There were decisions to make. Painful decisions. There was no way that he was going to live under the same roof with that happily married couple. There was only one thing he could do.

When he came back the house was empty. Angela and Mona had left for work. Tony took a shower and started cleaning; he had a late class this morning so he could finish the housework before class began. Hesitantly he opened the door to Angela's bedroom. He crossed over to her bed and sat down. He stroked over her sheets and took her pillow in his hands. Then he buried his face in the lacy fabric and breathed in her scent that had been captured during her short sleep last night. When he looked to her nightstand he recognized that something was missing. The photo. The photo of their extended family Mona took so many years ago had disappeared. It had been standing there for years. He couldn't help it as a single tear ran down his cheek and fell onto Angela's pillow. She had moved on and he was left behind.