The house was abuzz with activity—it seemed that everyone was running
around as if perpetually stuck on 'fast forward'. Angela had changed her
clothes four times already, trying to decide what would be the most
appropriate attire for the mother of a valedictorian.
When she finally decided on a baby blue pant suit, her favourite pearls, and her hair pulled half back off of her face, she looked in the mirror and wondered how long she had been old enough to have a son who had graduated high school.
Quickly touching up her make up, Angela laughed. She was a nervous wreck, and she couldn't decide if that was because her Nana was going to be there, or if it was because Mrs. Rossini said she'd be bringing a 'big gift' for Jonathon. All Angela could imagine was that it would be some perfect Italian beauty, with breasts like melons—Mrs. Rossini had given much more inappropriate gifts through the years.
Racing down the stairs and pulling her wrap over her shoulders, Angela gave herself an once-over in the mirror. She looked good. Hell, she looked very good.
"Jonathon, honey, it's almost time to go to the school," Angela called up the stairs. She couldn't believe they were finally at the day of his graduation. Her little boy had grown up so much, and she couldn't help but be excited.
"I'll be right down," he called back. It had taken him three attempts to find a suitable tie for the occasion. Granted, he'd be wearing a cap and gown, but he wanted to look good for all the pictures that were to precede the event. As Jonathon fumbled with the tie, he tried to find a way to tell his mother that he might have made a major mistake—one that he knew might hurt her.
*-*-*
"Tony?" Angela rushed into the kitchen, and found him cutting up more vegetables for when they got back. It was his idea to have a huge open house in honor of Jonathon's graduation, and what would be better than having fifty of your closest friends swing by to congratulate him?
"Yes?" He never looked up from the carrots he was so expertly chopping.
"Where you going this crazy when Sam graduated high school? You seemed so...so...together?"
"I was a wreck—remember? Ever day leading up to it, I went through her baby book. But the day of her graduation—oh, that was amazing. I can't remember anything that felt better than watching my little girl take that diploma from her principal." Tony's eyes shone with pride at the memory of Sam's graduation, and with the excitement of the day.
"He's growing up," she said, wishing it were an understatement.
"He's grown up," Tony corrected.
Sharing a nervous smile and a hug, Tony pressed a soft kiss against Angela's temple. "We'll get through this together," he teased.
"Yeah," she agreed.
"Don't you feel old though? Our youngest has grown up, and graduated high school. In three short months he'll be Boston, enjoying the fineries of Harvard, and we'll be here..." Angela tried to sound less somber than she was, but no matter how she thought of it, the big empty house was too much for her.
Tony smiled at the use of 'our' to describe Jonathon. It was true—he had always considered the boy to be his own, but when she said it, Tony felt a warmth surge through him, reminding him just how perfect his life was. "I never feel old when I have you near by," Tony smiled, and when she scowled at his reference to how she was older than he was, he continued. "You make me feel young and vital and like I'm 21 again."
Angela's grin was enough to tell him that she was starting to feel better.
The ringing of the door bell jolted them from their 'moment'.
"I'll get it," Angela said as she turned towards the door. "We don't have much more time before we're running late, so after those carrots, you might want to stop until we get back."
*-*-*
"Angela, why haven't we left yet?" Mona bounded through the living room, looking at her watch. "I want us to be on time—I want to see his speech!"
"Because Jonathon hasn't come down yet!" Angela continued on her way to the door, happily appraising her life. Her mother was there, and in perfect health, she was in love with a wonderful man, who loved her back, and her 'daughter' was pregnant with her first child—what could be better?
Ding dong.
"I really have to get that," Angela said, racing towards the door. Pulling it open, her jaw dropped and she couldn't vocalize at all.
"Hi Angela," Michael said from the doorway, Heather standing beside him, holding a little pink cooing bundle.
2***
"Michael?" Angela stuttered as she finally found her voice enough to greet him.
"Good to know you've not forgotten me," he laughed. When she didn't invite him in, he moved further forward and into the house. "We'll just invite ourselves in," he joked.
Angela's eyes wouldn't shift from the baby.
"Oh, Angela, you remember Heather, don't you? And this is, Africa."
Mona looked upon the happy family and held her tongue, wondering what Angela's reaction would be.
"That's where she was born," Heather added, only fueling the anxiety that Angela was feeling.
"Thank God you guys weren't in Paraguay at the time," Mona joked.
Angela shot her mother a glare.
"Mona, good to see you're still a little ball of fire!" Michael approached the woman to wrap her in a hug.
"How unfortunate it is to see that you're still a slime ball," Mona spat back.
Angela elbowed her, trying to tell her to stop.
"Ow, don't abuse me—I didn't bring Malibu Barbie and her little sister Stacey to visit."
"Oh, she's our daughter," Heather said, in a very blonde moment. "And I'm Heather. I understand that you forgot—it's been so long."
Angela forced a smile. "How sweet."
Michael took Heather by her elbow and led her to the couch, where he sat down and took their daughter. "So how long do we have before we have to be at the school?"
"Ten minutes to leave," Jonathon said, bounding down the stairs.
"Lil' tiger!" Michael stood and wrapped a free arm around Jonathon. "It's been so long."
"Seven years," Tony said, coming out of the kitchen. "Nice to see you again Michael."
"Tony! Wow, I hardly expected to see you around still—I thought you would have traded in your duster for something else by now." He smiled as he extended his hand.
Tony bit his lip, and wished he didn't have this urge to pummel the man standing in his living room.
"Let's go," Angela said, barely managing to get the words out.
"Yeah," Tony grabbed Angela's purse and passed it to her before heading to the kitchen door. "Mona, you riding with me?"
"Sure Ton. Are you and Jonathon going in your car, Angela?"
"Actually, I'd like to go with dad, if that's okay?" Jonathon straightened his tie in the mirror again, before taking Africa into his arms.
"Of course, honey. I'll ride with Tony and mother." Angela felt the jealousy swell in her at the thought that Michael could just walk in and out of their lives at his will, and he'd still hold the upper hand.
***
"I can't believe he showed up," Mona grumbled. "What a way to ruin the perfect day."
"If we get there first, we can find seats and hide," Tony suggested.
The look on Angela's face when she was appraising Michael's new family had hurt him. It was like Tony saw something Angela was wanting, but couldn't give her. They had both agreed that they were probably at a stage where they couldn't have any more children—they both had important careers and neither one wanted to side track themselves for anything. More importantly, they weren't young any more, and not only would having a child be a physical difficulty, but it would also be a very emotional stress to add to their relationship.
Most importantly, neither Tony nor Angela wanted to bring a child into the world without being married, and ever since that night when Tony returned from Iowa and appeared on Angela's doorstep, they had both been reluctant to bring up the 'm' word again.
"We're going to be adults—nothing will ruin this for Jonathon," Angela swore, as if testifying in court.
Tony looked in the rear view mirror to meet Mona's worried look. Reaching across the space between the seats, Tony took Angela's hand and squeezed it softly.
"Valedictorian—who knew all those years of playing with reptiles would pay off?"
There were stifled laughs around the car, but nobody could help but feel somber and distracted.
3***
A hush fell over the auditorium as Jonathon took centre stage. "Good evening, and welcome to Fairfield High's Graduation Ceremony for the class of 1996." There were stunted rounds of applause, and the graduating class made hooting noises.
"Our theme this year was perhaps the most trying experience in organizing tonight. We wanted to find something that not only marked our years as high school students, but also as adults, entering the world. The year book committee nearly threw a fit when we suggested a duel theme—a two page spread quickly became four. But in the end, it was worth it. When Worlds Collide."
Jonathon smiled as he continued. "There's something about it—the theme, that is—that makes you think about where you came from, where you're going and how you're going to get there. It makes you wonder what will happen when you leave this auditorium tonight, and where the person you're sitting beside will be in fifteen years."
"Take a look around—to your left and to your right." He watched as the audience followed his request. "The people beside you—what role have they played in your life? How have they changed you? Was it for the better? The worst?"
"Part of growing up is piecing together the two parts of your life—gathering the bits that mean the most to you, and refusing to let go. Becoming an adult is to courageously hold on to those things which you hold most dear, and remembering that you are the only one who can force them away. Being an adult is remembering what it was like to run in the rain, to chase frogs at the pond, and to learn from your best friend. It's being able to leave your house before work and remember what it was like to skip class on a Monday morning to go for a late breakfast with friends—and it's doing that, from time to time."
Jonathon smiled at the memories.
"When worlds collide...when worlds alter so drastically, it wouldn't be hard to lose yourself—but that's what we're here tonight to celebrate. We're here to honor these 359 students who have held on to who they are in what is nothing less than the big bang of their lives."
There was a series of laughter through out the crowd. "Get your minds out of the gutter and back to Mrs. Geriam's science class!" He laughed.
"Tonight marks the time when our worlds collide, and what we leave here tonight is what we will be carrying into our adulthood, and into our future. But remember not to leave too many pieces behind—we have all carried each other through times of sorrow, happiness and even some anxiety. We survived midterms, finals, essays and football games. We have outlasted some of our fiercest competitors in baseball, and we've stood proud for academic success within our state. We've proven that we can handle what's out there in the world, and now we're moving on to create our own."
The applause filled the auditorium as Jonathon reached to his cap, and moved the tassel to the other side. "Congratulations, guys, we all survived!"
Angela wiped tears from her eyes, wondering when her son became so eloquent, and why she felt like going home and watching home movies from his childhood.
4***
"You were magnificent, sweetheart," Angela said, wrapping her arms around him and hugging him tightly.
"Thanks mom. Tony? Grandma? What did you think?"
"You did us proud," Tony said honestly.
"Yeah, squirt—I think I want a transcript for the baby, when he or she graduates." Sam ran her hand absently over her stomach.
Jonathon smiled. "Planning in advance, are we?"
"You never know," Sam laughed.
"Hey hey hey, slugger," Michael seemed to appear out of nowhere.
"Hey Dad!"
Sam looked between Tony and Angela, and the way their bodies instinctively stiffened, and the space between them widened.
As Jonathon, Heather, Africa and Michael chatted, Sam took Angela by the arm, and tugged her away.
"You okay?"
"Of course, honey. I'm fine. I'm so proud of Jonathon." Angela let her eyes wander back to the gaggle of people who were gathering around Michael, who was surely telling stories of his adventures.
"And now that Michael's here?"
"That doesn't bother me at all," Angela said, trying to cover.
"Then why did you take three steps away from Dad when Michael appeared?"
Angela tried to swallow back her feelings of guilt—she really had stepped away from Tony, and she was certain that they were once holding hands. Had she dropped his hand too?
"I didn't step away from your father—I was just moving to greet Michael."
"Funny how that works," Sam said, disappointed in Angela. "Seeing as Michael was pretty near to dad."
"Sam!" Angela couldn't handle being under the scrutiny.
"I'm just asking...Michael doesn't know about you and dad yet, does he?" Sam moved closer to Angela, and very thoughtfully whispered the next part of her statement. "Dad loves you—you say you love him, and I've never doubted that, but if you make him feel like he's too lowly for you, or if you make him feel like you're ashamed of him, I will never forgive you."
Applying her thickest, most genuine smile she could muster, Sam casually winked at Angela and rejoined the group, once again laughing at Michael's stupid jokes, and cooing at Heather's baby.
"You okay?"
"Why does every have to keep asking me that?" Angela mumbled furiously.
"I'm sorry," Tony said, before turning away from her.
"No, don't be. Come back," she begged, and when he turned back to her, she released a sigh.
"You're not okay," he said simply, as his hand stroked hers. He wished that she didn't flinch when he touched her. Pulling his hand away, he stuffed them into his pockets.
"I'm just surprised," she confessed. "I didn't expect my ex-husband to show up here, baby in arms, with his new wife."
"So it bothers you that Michael has moved on? And that they've built a family of their own?" Tony didn't want to say what he was thinking—that she probably still had feelings for her ex, but he couldn't help but feel wounded.
"No, it's not that." Angela couldn't figure out how to say what was weighing on her mind. "It's just that..."
"Look, you don't have to explain anything to me," Tony said, hurt by her inability to be honest with him.
"Yes, yes I do," she was trying to convince herself, as much as him.
"Angela, no you don't. I proposed to you, you said you weren't ready, and now I understand why. We're not married, and you don't owe me any explanations." Tony walked back to the gaggle and interrupted, handing over his truck keys to Mona and explaining that he had to leave for a bit, and to drive home if he wasn't back before it was time to leave.
5***
I can't believe I was so stupid. I can't believe I didn't see the truth—that she still had feelings for Michael. That's why she has all those stupid reels of home movies still, and all the 'mementos'. I can't believe how stupid I was. Tony berated himself as he walked down yet another street, lined with perfect tall oak trees with big enveloping branches.
He had wanted to marry Angela, and take their chances at building their own family. The image of a perfect, olive skinned blond girl with big green eyes sent his heart a flutter. Tony couldn't believe how much he wanted everything from his relationship with Angela, and how he had barely been willing to acknowledge it until now.
Never fails. I finally get her to break down some walls and I fuck things up by being too demanding, and wanting too much...Then again, maybe she's the one with the problem. She's the one who still has a thing for her ex.
Tony found himself at the local elementary school playground, and as he sat on the swing, he made a decision—he wasn't going to force Angela to move on. In stead, he'd make himself move more forward with his life. There was only so much he could take, and watching her drift away from him was too much.
*-*-*
When he got home, there was no one to be seen. His jeep was in the back, and the Jag was beside it. People should be home.
"Any one here?" The lights were off in the living room, but he could hear voices or something coming from Angela's office.
Knocking on the door, he didn't receive a response.
"Hello?" he said, opening the door. The lights were off, but from the glow of the light from the projector, he could see Angela sitting behind her desk, watching old home videos.
"You're home," she said, never removing her eyes from the screen.
"Yeah. I went for a walk, and got a soda from the 7-11."
"Uh huh," Angela said, still glued to the images on the screen.
"Watching your wedding to Michael, huh?" Tony could feel anger building inside of him at the laughing people enjoying what appeared to be a great wedding.
"Yep," she said, still not looking up.
"I'll leave you alone then." Turning back to the door, Tony wondered if she even knew he was there.
"Don't," she said, for the first time shifting her eyes from the screen.
"Look, you don't need me hanging around. Enjoy." Tony pulled the door closed behind him, and mentally kicked himself for walking away from her again.
Before he had made it back to the sofa, Tony was surprised to feel Angela's hand on his shoulder.
"Please, come back in and watch them with me?" Her eyes were pleading with him.
"I'm not sure..."
"Please?"
He didn't know how she managed to lure him back into the study, but suddenly he was sitting on the window seat, and she was restarting the reel. Angela made her way back and cuddled in with him.
"Doesn't she look beautiful?" Michael's voice boomed, towards the person who was taking the footage. The image of Angela on screen suddenly seemed uncomfortable.
She never could take a compliment.
"Doesn't he look dashing?" Angela's big white crinoline dress moved around as she took his hand.
"Yeah, great." Mona looked much younger, but none the less beautiful. She was dressed in a simple brown floral dress with blue cuffs.
It was definitely the seventies.
"Angela," Tony interrupted. "I can't..."
Trying to leverage his body out from under her, he pulled away.
"Hold on," she said, getting up and setting up a different reel. "This one...This one's my favourite."
Sitting back down and resting against him, she smiled as the footage came on the screen. "This is from when I was pregnant with Jonathon..."
Tony couldn't help but smile at the image of Angela, her stomach rounded out with the little life she was carrying. She looked amazing. He couldn't help but notice the fullness of her breasts or the glow on her face. "You look beautiful."
He had always imagined what it would be like to have that connection with her—the knowledge that they were sharing a baby and every moment through out the pregnancy.
"I felt amazing," she confessed. "I didn't mind the weight, and I didn't mind the throwing up, because 88% of the time I felt spectacular knowing what I was doing." Angela grinned.
"Well, you did a great job," Tony said.
I can't take much more of this.
"You were a big part of how great Jonathon turned out."
"Yeah, well..."
"I love you," Angela said, seemingly out of nowhere.
When Tony didn't say anything, she sighed. "This is what I'm afraid of."
He looked at her, confused.
"I'm afraid that things will go wrong between us...somewhere along the way. When Michael and I met, I never thought that it would end, and..."
"Look, Angela, I understand that you want to talk, but if you're going to compare us to you and Michael, I need to leave."
"Listen to me, please?" He didn't move, and she took that as a sign. "I didn't feel even close to what I feel for you now. That's what makes me scared. It almost killed me when he walked out, and I didn't even love him with even a portion of my heart. I love you more than I've loved anything and if you walked away from me..."
"I wouldn't walk away from you," Tony said feebly.
"You did it three times tonight, and you were about to do it again." She knew that she had caught him.
"Look, Angela. I wish that I could tell you that you were wrong, but you aren't. I've been thinking about it. But not because I don't love you—exactly the opposite. I love you with everything I have, and if I can't make you happy, then I shouldn't let you pretend I can."
"Why do you think that you can't make me happy?"
"Because I saw the way you looked when Michael was here. And I saw the way you pulled away from me when he was at the hall. If you want to be with him...or at least, if you're not sure you want to be with me, we need to stop this now."
"TONY! I don't know where you're getting this from. Well, I do, but you couldn't be more wrong. I just can't help comparing that failed relationship with ours, and wondering what I will do to make this one last. I don't want to ever lose you, and seeing Michael was a constant reminder of the way things were." She had tears falling from her eyes, and she wished that it hadn't been so obvious that her heart was breaking.
"Angela, we're not you and Michael. We're us...And you're my biggest addiction—he didn't feel the same way for you that I do. I could tell when he moved back in. He didn't put you first, and he should have." His fingers gently caressed her cheek as he thumbed away the tears. When she didn't say anything more, Tony continued. "I fantasize about you every minute of the day. And sometimes they're really silly fantasies about you and me, walking around a harbor and eating ice cream cones, and talking about our days. I just fantasize about spending time with you doing all of these wonderful things that I know you're not ready for."
Her big brown eyes looked up at him, and smiled. "Yes, I have those kinds of fantasies too. But I want everything—not just to be able to make love to you or being able to wake up holding you. I want as much as you can give me."
"Tony, what happens when you get some great job offer that drags you across the country? What happens when Sam and Hank move away and they want you to be nearer to them?"
"I tell the employer that I'm not interested, because I'd be miserable with out you. And if they move away, we'll just have to fly back and forth at every possible opportunity, but I don't think they will."
"You'd turn down a great job, because you want to have an ambiguous relationship with me?"
"I'd rather it not always be so ambiguous," he confessed. "But I'd turn down the job because if I were too far away, I'd miss you too much. If I can't commute, then I don't want it." Tony took her hand in his. "Look, I'm not asking you to make a choice, and I'm not asking you to abandon all your old feelings for Michael. I'm just telling you that if your only concern is that we're going to break up, then you're not giving us enough credit."
Standing, Tony forced a smile. "I'm going to bed now, but maybe tomorrow we'll talk through some more of this."
"Night Tony."
"Night Angela."
6***
Tony was restless. Every time he closed his eyes, he remembered the way she looked on those home videos. The image of her, hands resting on her swollen abdomen, haunted him.
I'm an idiot. I shouldn't have said all the stuff I said. I shouldn't have said half of the stuff I said. I shouldn't be allowed to speak.
Rolling onto his side, Tony buried his head in his pillow and wondered if there was any saving his relationship with Angela.
Not that there was much to save so far. Well, other than being his best friend and the only woman for whom he had felt such intense attraction and love, they had never made it past making out on the sofa, and low grade groping. Most of their relationship had been limited to a few stolen kisses and hand holding, and despite how much he enjoyed those, Tony couldn't deny he wanted more.
Give it up, Micelli. She'll let you know when she's ready, and until then you just have to back off. He closed his eyes and continued to toss and turn, finally falling into a light sleep.
"Tony?" Light from the hallway streamed through the crack in the door, and when she didn't get a response, Angela tip toed in to his room.
She had been thinking about the day's events, and something in her clicked—she was so afraid that she was going to lose Tony that she pushed him away, and no matter what she said to herself, she couldn't justify losing him because of her own stupidity.
"You awake?" Still no answer. "At least one of us could sleep," she said quietly as she made her way over to the bed. Pulling back the covers and sliding in next to him, Angela couldn't believe how nervous she was.
Curling up against him, she rested her head on his chest. "I hope you don't mind," she whispered, as she nestled in closer. "I wanted to be with you tonight, but you've already fallen asleep, so I'm just going to stay here, if that's okay."
He didn't answer—she didn't expect him to either—so she just snuggled in as close as she could and closed her eyes.
"I love you Angela," he whispered into her hair when he was certain she was asleep. "And I will do everything I can to keep you in my life."
7***
As the early morning sun broke Angela felt arms wrap around her, and hold her more firmly. She liked the way it felt, so she tried not to move.
"Good morning," she whispered when she was certain that Tony was awake.
"Morning."
"I hope you don't mind me coming in here last night," Angela tilted her head so she could see his face. "I had been hoping you were still awake so that we could talk a bit more, but you were asleep, and you looked so...comfortable."
"I don't mind," Tony said, wishing he hadn't been so turned on by their proximity—one wrong move and she'd know exactly what she did to him. "I'm sorry if I hurt you yesterday."
Angela smiled at him softly—she knew that she had hurt him, and all he had done was be honest with her. "I'm sorry that I did hurt you."
"So now we work on moving on?" He hoped that she wasn't about to walk out of his life, but he wasn't going to pressure her into anything either.
"If you'll still have me." Her hand moved to rest on his stomach, and at the feeling of her hand on his bare skin, he sucked in his breath.
"Oh, I'll still have you," Tony said, trying to distract himself from the feeling of her hand on his body.
Angela smiled at the look on his face, which was slightly reminiscent of a deer in headlights. Leaning in, she pressed a gentle kiss against his cheek, and then moved in closer to his lips. "Do you think you're ready for the next stage of our relationship?"
"Depends. What's the next stage?"
"Do you really want me to explain that to you," she asked teasingly as she repositioned herself to see him better.
"I..." Tony wanted to find a good way to say this, without her getting the wrong impression. "I don't want us to do anything until you're ready."
Passionately kissing him, Angela lets her hand wander down his body, finding its way to his erection. Gently kneading the skin she found there, Angela smiled as she trailed kisses over his skin. "Feels like you're ready."
"I've been ready for a while," he said through clenched teeth, wondering how she could have such control over him already.
"Apparently." Running her hand the length of his erection, Angela expertly moved her hands up the crotch of his pajama bottoms and dipped inside. "I really believe I'm ready," she told him as her hands kneaded him, and her nails dragged over the sensitive skin she found.
Drawing her hands out of his pants, Tony took control of the moment, and gently rolled her onto her back. Straddling her hips, he scanned her eyes for even the slightest bit of doubt, and when he saw none, he leaned in to kiss the nape of her neck.
Nipping at the skin just behind her ear, Angela raised her body to be flusher with his.
Tony continued to explore her body, seeking out all of her erogenous zones, and carefully paying attention to every moan and sigh she emitted.
Placing open mouthed kisses down her abdomen, he sucked at her breasts through the blue silk nightgown, stirring an array of emotions in Angela which confused her and made her feel intensely scared. She had never known passion like what she was feeling at the control of his hands and lips.
Her hands tightly clung to the bed sheet as his hands caressed and fondled her, drawing her closer to climax, and when Tony pressed his body down against hers, his erection pressing against her warm, damp centre, she thought she was going to explode.
"Maybe we should get undressed," she panted as he continued to tease her body through the silk.
"Are you ready, for sure?" Tony looked down on her, and let her know that he was determined not to do anything more than she was comfortable with.
She nodded, biting down on her lip to strangle a moan as he pressed ever so lightly more down on her.
His hands made their way over her hips, and he virtually crawled down her body until she found the hem of her nightgown. Gently gliding it up, he kissed every new inch of skin he found, paying particular attention to her inner thighs when he revealed them for the first time.
As he pulled the material over her hips and then over her head, he stopped to appraise her body, in all of it's near perfection. He remembered the image from the videos, where she was carrying Jonathon, and the swell of her abdomen, and although he never thought it possible, he got even harder.
"I love you," he said, before beginning his trail of kisses again.
"Tony," she panted, wondering how she could be so close already.
"Hmmm," he mumbled, around a mouth full of her breast, sending shivers and shockwaves through her.
"You need to get...undressed," she said, sucking in her breath.
He quickly divested himself of his pajama bottoms, and resumed his trails of kisses.
When he was certain she could take no more, he positioned himself at her opening and began his journey into her.
"I love you so much," she managed, before losing all sense of the English language.
As he began his deep and slow thrusts in to her, she pulled him down so she could kiss him again, and so she could kiss him as he carried her over the edge.
8***
"Good morning," Mona said slyly, like a Cheshire cat. "How did you sleep?"
"Very well," Tony offered quickly, before going about making the family's breakfast.
"How well?"
"Very soundly," he added, as if for good measure.
"Funny thing," Mona began, "I wanted to check up on Angela last night, and she wasn't in her room. So I came to talk to you, and guess what I heard?"
"What?" Tony asked, reluctantly, hoping she hadn't heard them in the morning. He wasn't embarrassed about making love to Angela, but he certainly didn't want her mother to hear.
"Her voice. She kinda made that half asleep grumble of 'come in' and then nothing else..." Mona wiggled her eyebrows mischievously.
"Mona, you're hearing things." Tony continued to mix batter for pancakes (Angela had made a special request for pancakes and whipped cream, although he thought it best not to tell that to Mona.)
"Sure," she said as she eyed him up and down.
"Morning all," Angela said as she walked into the kitchen.
"How did you sleep dear?"
"Fine," Angela said, before helping herself to a cup of coffee. Mona couldn't help but notice that her daughter seemed to be in lighter spirits today. She also couldn't help but notice that Tony had managed to move closer to Angela in the few short seconds she had been in the kitchen and how he helped her pour the cream into her coffee.
"I was saying to Tony, something funny happened last night."
Angela couldn't believe they were facing the firing squad already.
"MONA!" Tony nearly whined, but he could tell by the satisfied look on her face that she would stop now.
"Could you pass the sugar," Mona asked, grinning from ear to ear. It had taken them this long to get together, but if the goofy looks on their faces was any indication, this was only the beginning.
When she finally decided on a baby blue pant suit, her favourite pearls, and her hair pulled half back off of her face, she looked in the mirror and wondered how long she had been old enough to have a son who had graduated high school.
Quickly touching up her make up, Angela laughed. She was a nervous wreck, and she couldn't decide if that was because her Nana was going to be there, or if it was because Mrs. Rossini said she'd be bringing a 'big gift' for Jonathon. All Angela could imagine was that it would be some perfect Italian beauty, with breasts like melons—Mrs. Rossini had given much more inappropriate gifts through the years.
Racing down the stairs and pulling her wrap over her shoulders, Angela gave herself an once-over in the mirror. She looked good. Hell, she looked very good.
"Jonathon, honey, it's almost time to go to the school," Angela called up the stairs. She couldn't believe they were finally at the day of his graduation. Her little boy had grown up so much, and she couldn't help but be excited.
"I'll be right down," he called back. It had taken him three attempts to find a suitable tie for the occasion. Granted, he'd be wearing a cap and gown, but he wanted to look good for all the pictures that were to precede the event. As Jonathon fumbled with the tie, he tried to find a way to tell his mother that he might have made a major mistake—one that he knew might hurt her.
*-*-*
"Tony?" Angela rushed into the kitchen, and found him cutting up more vegetables for when they got back. It was his idea to have a huge open house in honor of Jonathon's graduation, and what would be better than having fifty of your closest friends swing by to congratulate him?
"Yes?" He never looked up from the carrots he was so expertly chopping.
"Where you going this crazy when Sam graduated high school? You seemed so...so...together?"
"I was a wreck—remember? Ever day leading up to it, I went through her baby book. But the day of her graduation—oh, that was amazing. I can't remember anything that felt better than watching my little girl take that diploma from her principal." Tony's eyes shone with pride at the memory of Sam's graduation, and with the excitement of the day.
"He's growing up," she said, wishing it were an understatement.
"He's grown up," Tony corrected.
Sharing a nervous smile and a hug, Tony pressed a soft kiss against Angela's temple. "We'll get through this together," he teased.
"Yeah," she agreed.
"Don't you feel old though? Our youngest has grown up, and graduated high school. In three short months he'll be Boston, enjoying the fineries of Harvard, and we'll be here..." Angela tried to sound less somber than she was, but no matter how she thought of it, the big empty house was too much for her.
Tony smiled at the use of 'our' to describe Jonathon. It was true—he had always considered the boy to be his own, but when she said it, Tony felt a warmth surge through him, reminding him just how perfect his life was. "I never feel old when I have you near by," Tony smiled, and when she scowled at his reference to how she was older than he was, he continued. "You make me feel young and vital and like I'm 21 again."
Angela's grin was enough to tell him that she was starting to feel better.
The ringing of the door bell jolted them from their 'moment'.
"I'll get it," Angela said as she turned towards the door. "We don't have much more time before we're running late, so after those carrots, you might want to stop until we get back."
*-*-*
"Angela, why haven't we left yet?" Mona bounded through the living room, looking at her watch. "I want us to be on time—I want to see his speech!"
"Because Jonathon hasn't come down yet!" Angela continued on her way to the door, happily appraising her life. Her mother was there, and in perfect health, she was in love with a wonderful man, who loved her back, and her 'daughter' was pregnant with her first child—what could be better?
Ding dong.
"I really have to get that," Angela said, racing towards the door. Pulling it open, her jaw dropped and she couldn't vocalize at all.
"Hi Angela," Michael said from the doorway, Heather standing beside him, holding a little pink cooing bundle.
2***
"Michael?" Angela stuttered as she finally found her voice enough to greet him.
"Good to know you've not forgotten me," he laughed. When she didn't invite him in, he moved further forward and into the house. "We'll just invite ourselves in," he joked.
Angela's eyes wouldn't shift from the baby.
"Oh, Angela, you remember Heather, don't you? And this is, Africa."
Mona looked upon the happy family and held her tongue, wondering what Angela's reaction would be.
"That's where she was born," Heather added, only fueling the anxiety that Angela was feeling.
"Thank God you guys weren't in Paraguay at the time," Mona joked.
Angela shot her mother a glare.
"Mona, good to see you're still a little ball of fire!" Michael approached the woman to wrap her in a hug.
"How unfortunate it is to see that you're still a slime ball," Mona spat back.
Angela elbowed her, trying to tell her to stop.
"Ow, don't abuse me—I didn't bring Malibu Barbie and her little sister Stacey to visit."
"Oh, she's our daughter," Heather said, in a very blonde moment. "And I'm Heather. I understand that you forgot—it's been so long."
Angela forced a smile. "How sweet."
Michael took Heather by her elbow and led her to the couch, where he sat down and took their daughter. "So how long do we have before we have to be at the school?"
"Ten minutes to leave," Jonathon said, bounding down the stairs.
"Lil' tiger!" Michael stood and wrapped a free arm around Jonathon. "It's been so long."
"Seven years," Tony said, coming out of the kitchen. "Nice to see you again Michael."
"Tony! Wow, I hardly expected to see you around still—I thought you would have traded in your duster for something else by now." He smiled as he extended his hand.
Tony bit his lip, and wished he didn't have this urge to pummel the man standing in his living room.
"Let's go," Angela said, barely managing to get the words out.
"Yeah," Tony grabbed Angela's purse and passed it to her before heading to the kitchen door. "Mona, you riding with me?"
"Sure Ton. Are you and Jonathon going in your car, Angela?"
"Actually, I'd like to go with dad, if that's okay?" Jonathon straightened his tie in the mirror again, before taking Africa into his arms.
"Of course, honey. I'll ride with Tony and mother." Angela felt the jealousy swell in her at the thought that Michael could just walk in and out of their lives at his will, and he'd still hold the upper hand.
***
"I can't believe he showed up," Mona grumbled. "What a way to ruin the perfect day."
"If we get there first, we can find seats and hide," Tony suggested.
The look on Angela's face when she was appraising Michael's new family had hurt him. It was like Tony saw something Angela was wanting, but couldn't give her. They had both agreed that they were probably at a stage where they couldn't have any more children—they both had important careers and neither one wanted to side track themselves for anything. More importantly, they weren't young any more, and not only would having a child be a physical difficulty, but it would also be a very emotional stress to add to their relationship.
Most importantly, neither Tony nor Angela wanted to bring a child into the world without being married, and ever since that night when Tony returned from Iowa and appeared on Angela's doorstep, they had both been reluctant to bring up the 'm' word again.
"We're going to be adults—nothing will ruin this for Jonathon," Angela swore, as if testifying in court.
Tony looked in the rear view mirror to meet Mona's worried look. Reaching across the space between the seats, Tony took Angela's hand and squeezed it softly.
"Valedictorian—who knew all those years of playing with reptiles would pay off?"
There were stifled laughs around the car, but nobody could help but feel somber and distracted.
3***
A hush fell over the auditorium as Jonathon took centre stage. "Good evening, and welcome to Fairfield High's Graduation Ceremony for the class of 1996." There were stunted rounds of applause, and the graduating class made hooting noises.
"Our theme this year was perhaps the most trying experience in organizing tonight. We wanted to find something that not only marked our years as high school students, but also as adults, entering the world. The year book committee nearly threw a fit when we suggested a duel theme—a two page spread quickly became four. But in the end, it was worth it. When Worlds Collide."
Jonathon smiled as he continued. "There's something about it—the theme, that is—that makes you think about where you came from, where you're going and how you're going to get there. It makes you wonder what will happen when you leave this auditorium tonight, and where the person you're sitting beside will be in fifteen years."
"Take a look around—to your left and to your right." He watched as the audience followed his request. "The people beside you—what role have they played in your life? How have they changed you? Was it for the better? The worst?"
"Part of growing up is piecing together the two parts of your life—gathering the bits that mean the most to you, and refusing to let go. Becoming an adult is to courageously hold on to those things which you hold most dear, and remembering that you are the only one who can force them away. Being an adult is remembering what it was like to run in the rain, to chase frogs at the pond, and to learn from your best friend. It's being able to leave your house before work and remember what it was like to skip class on a Monday morning to go for a late breakfast with friends—and it's doing that, from time to time."
Jonathon smiled at the memories.
"When worlds collide...when worlds alter so drastically, it wouldn't be hard to lose yourself—but that's what we're here tonight to celebrate. We're here to honor these 359 students who have held on to who they are in what is nothing less than the big bang of their lives."
There was a series of laughter through out the crowd. "Get your minds out of the gutter and back to Mrs. Geriam's science class!" He laughed.
"Tonight marks the time when our worlds collide, and what we leave here tonight is what we will be carrying into our adulthood, and into our future. But remember not to leave too many pieces behind—we have all carried each other through times of sorrow, happiness and even some anxiety. We survived midterms, finals, essays and football games. We have outlasted some of our fiercest competitors in baseball, and we've stood proud for academic success within our state. We've proven that we can handle what's out there in the world, and now we're moving on to create our own."
The applause filled the auditorium as Jonathon reached to his cap, and moved the tassel to the other side. "Congratulations, guys, we all survived!"
Angela wiped tears from her eyes, wondering when her son became so eloquent, and why she felt like going home and watching home movies from his childhood.
4***
"You were magnificent, sweetheart," Angela said, wrapping her arms around him and hugging him tightly.
"Thanks mom. Tony? Grandma? What did you think?"
"You did us proud," Tony said honestly.
"Yeah, squirt—I think I want a transcript for the baby, when he or she graduates." Sam ran her hand absently over her stomach.
Jonathon smiled. "Planning in advance, are we?"
"You never know," Sam laughed.
"Hey hey hey, slugger," Michael seemed to appear out of nowhere.
"Hey Dad!"
Sam looked between Tony and Angela, and the way their bodies instinctively stiffened, and the space between them widened.
As Jonathon, Heather, Africa and Michael chatted, Sam took Angela by the arm, and tugged her away.
"You okay?"
"Of course, honey. I'm fine. I'm so proud of Jonathon." Angela let her eyes wander back to the gaggle of people who were gathering around Michael, who was surely telling stories of his adventures.
"And now that Michael's here?"
"That doesn't bother me at all," Angela said, trying to cover.
"Then why did you take three steps away from Dad when Michael appeared?"
Angela tried to swallow back her feelings of guilt—she really had stepped away from Tony, and she was certain that they were once holding hands. Had she dropped his hand too?
"I didn't step away from your father—I was just moving to greet Michael."
"Funny how that works," Sam said, disappointed in Angela. "Seeing as Michael was pretty near to dad."
"Sam!" Angela couldn't handle being under the scrutiny.
"I'm just asking...Michael doesn't know about you and dad yet, does he?" Sam moved closer to Angela, and very thoughtfully whispered the next part of her statement. "Dad loves you—you say you love him, and I've never doubted that, but if you make him feel like he's too lowly for you, or if you make him feel like you're ashamed of him, I will never forgive you."
Applying her thickest, most genuine smile she could muster, Sam casually winked at Angela and rejoined the group, once again laughing at Michael's stupid jokes, and cooing at Heather's baby.
"You okay?"
"Why does every have to keep asking me that?" Angela mumbled furiously.
"I'm sorry," Tony said, before turning away from her.
"No, don't be. Come back," she begged, and when he turned back to her, she released a sigh.
"You're not okay," he said simply, as his hand stroked hers. He wished that she didn't flinch when he touched her. Pulling his hand away, he stuffed them into his pockets.
"I'm just surprised," she confessed. "I didn't expect my ex-husband to show up here, baby in arms, with his new wife."
"So it bothers you that Michael has moved on? And that they've built a family of their own?" Tony didn't want to say what he was thinking—that she probably still had feelings for her ex, but he couldn't help but feel wounded.
"No, it's not that." Angela couldn't figure out how to say what was weighing on her mind. "It's just that..."
"Look, you don't have to explain anything to me," Tony said, hurt by her inability to be honest with him.
"Yes, yes I do," she was trying to convince herself, as much as him.
"Angela, no you don't. I proposed to you, you said you weren't ready, and now I understand why. We're not married, and you don't owe me any explanations." Tony walked back to the gaggle and interrupted, handing over his truck keys to Mona and explaining that he had to leave for a bit, and to drive home if he wasn't back before it was time to leave.
5***
I can't believe I was so stupid. I can't believe I didn't see the truth—that she still had feelings for Michael. That's why she has all those stupid reels of home movies still, and all the 'mementos'. I can't believe how stupid I was. Tony berated himself as he walked down yet another street, lined with perfect tall oak trees with big enveloping branches.
He had wanted to marry Angela, and take their chances at building their own family. The image of a perfect, olive skinned blond girl with big green eyes sent his heart a flutter. Tony couldn't believe how much he wanted everything from his relationship with Angela, and how he had barely been willing to acknowledge it until now.
Never fails. I finally get her to break down some walls and I fuck things up by being too demanding, and wanting too much...Then again, maybe she's the one with the problem. She's the one who still has a thing for her ex.
Tony found himself at the local elementary school playground, and as he sat on the swing, he made a decision—he wasn't going to force Angela to move on. In stead, he'd make himself move more forward with his life. There was only so much he could take, and watching her drift away from him was too much.
*-*-*
When he got home, there was no one to be seen. His jeep was in the back, and the Jag was beside it. People should be home.
"Any one here?" The lights were off in the living room, but he could hear voices or something coming from Angela's office.
Knocking on the door, he didn't receive a response.
"Hello?" he said, opening the door. The lights were off, but from the glow of the light from the projector, he could see Angela sitting behind her desk, watching old home videos.
"You're home," she said, never removing her eyes from the screen.
"Yeah. I went for a walk, and got a soda from the 7-11."
"Uh huh," Angela said, still glued to the images on the screen.
"Watching your wedding to Michael, huh?" Tony could feel anger building inside of him at the laughing people enjoying what appeared to be a great wedding.
"Yep," she said, still not looking up.
"I'll leave you alone then." Turning back to the door, Tony wondered if she even knew he was there.
"Don't," she said, for the first time shifting her eyes from the screen.
"Look, you don't need me hanging around. Enjoy." Tony pulled the door closed behind him, and mentally kicked himself for walking away from her again.
Before he had made it back to the sofa, Tony was surprised to feel Angela's hand on his shoulder.
"Please, come back in and watch them with me?" Her eyes were pleading with him.
"I'm not sure..."
"Please?"
He didn't know how she managed to lure him back into the study, but suddenly he was sitting on the window seat, and she was restarting the reel. Angela made her way back and cuddled in with him.
"Doesn't she look beautiful?" Michael's voice boomed, towards the person who was taking the footage. The image of Angela on screen suddenly seemed uncomfortable.
She never could take a compliment.
"Doesn't he look dashing?" Angela's big white crinoline dress moved around as she took his hand.
"Yeah, great." Mona looked much younger, but none the less beautiful. She was dressed in a simple brown floral dress with blue cuffs.
It was definitely the seventies.
"Angela," Tony interrupted. "I can't..."
Trying to leverage his body out from under her, he pulled away.
"Hold on," she said, getting up and setting up a different reel. "This one...This one's my favourite."
Sitting back down and resting against him, she smiled as the footage came on the screen. "This is from when I was pregnant with Jonathon..."
Tony couldn't help but smile at the image of Angela, her stomach rounded out with the little life she was carrying. She looked amazing. He couldn't help but notice the fullness of her breasts or the glow on her face. "You look beautiful."
He had always imagined what it would be like to have that connection with her—the knowledge that they were sharing a baby and every moment through out the pregnancy.
"I felt amazing," she confessed. "I didn't mind the weight, and I didn't mind the throwing up, because 88% of the time I felt spectacular knowing what I was doing." Angela grinned.
"Well, you did a great job," Tony said.
I can't take much more of this.
"You were a big part of how great Jonathon turned out."
"Yeah, well..."
"I love you," Angela said, seemingly out of nowhere.
When Tony didn't say anything, she sighed. "This is what I'm afraid of."
He looked at her, confused.
"I'm afraid that things will go wrong between us...somewhere along the way. When Michael and I met, I never thought that it would end, and..."
"Look, Angela, I understand that you want to talk, but if you're going to compare us to you and Michael, I need to leave."
"Listen to me, please?" He didn't move, and she took that as a sign. "I didn't feel even close to what I feel for you now. That's what makes me scared. It almost killed me when he walked out, and I didn't even love him with even a portion of my heart. I love you more than I've loved anything and if you walked away from me..."
"I wouldn't walk away from you," Tony said feebly.
"You did it three times tonight, and you were about to do it again." She knew that she had caught him.
"Look, Angela. I wish that I could tell you that you were wrong, but you aren't. I've been thinking about it. But not because I don't love you—exactly the opposite. I love you with everything I have, and if I can't make you happy, then I shouldn't let you pretend I can."
"Why do you think that you can't make me happy?"
"Because I saw the way you looked when Michael was here. And I saw the way you pulled away from me when he was at the hall. If you want to be with him...or at least, if you're not sure you want to be with me, we need to stop this now."
"TONY! I don't know where you're getting this from. Well, I do, but you couldn't be more wrong. I just can't help comparing that failed relationship with ours, and wondering what I will do to make this one last. I don't want to ever lose you, and seeing Michael was a constant reminder of the way things were." She had tears falling from her eyes, and she wished that it hadn't been so obvious that her heart was breaking.
"Angela, we're not you and Michael. We're us...And you're my biggest addiction—he didn't feel the same way for you that I do. I could tell when he moved back in. He didn't put you first, and he should have." His fingers gently caressed her cheek as he thumbed away the tears. When she didn't say anything more, Tony continued. "I fantasize about you every minute of the day. And sometimes they're really silly fantasies about you and me, walking around a harbor and eating ice cream cones, and talking about our days. I just fantasize about spending time with you doing all of these wonderful things that I know you're not ready for."
Her big brown eyes looked up at him, and smiled. "Yes, I have those kinds of fantasies too. But I want everything—not just to be able to make love to you or being able to wake up holding you. I want as much as you can give me."
"Tony, what happens when you get some great job offer that drags you across the country? What happens when Sam and Hank move away and they want you to be nearer to them?"
"I tell the employer that I'm not interested, because I'd be miserable with out you. And if they move away, we'll just have to fly back and forth at every possible opportunity, but I don't think they will."
"You'd turn down a great job, because you want to have an ambiguous relationship with me?"
"I'd rather it not always be so ambiguous," he confessed. "But I'd turn down the job because if I were too far away, I'd miss you too much. If I can't commute, then I don't want it." Tony took her hand in his. "Look, I'm not asking you to make a choice, and I'm not asking you to abandon all your old feelings for Michael. I'm just telling you that if your only concern is that we're going to break up, then you're not giving us enough credit."
Standing, Tony forced a smile. "I'm going to bed now, but maybe tomorrow we'll talk through some more of this."
"Night Tony."
"Night Angela."
6***
Tony was restless. Every time he closed his eyes, he remembered the way she looked on those home videos. The image of her, hands resting on her swollen abdomen, haunted him.
I'm an idiot. I shouldn't have said all the stuff I said. I shouldn't have said half of the stuff I said. I shouldn't be allowed to speak.
Rolling onto his side, Tony buried his head in his pillow and wondered if there was any saving his relationship with Angela.
Not that there was much to save so far. Well, other than being his best friend and the only woman for whom he had felt such intense attraction and love, they had never made it past making out on the sofa, and low grade groping. Most of their relationship had been limited to a few stolen kisses and hand holding, and despite how much he enjoyed those, Tony couldn't deny he wanted more.
Give it up, Micelli. She'll let you know when she's ready, and until then you just have to back off. He closed his eyes and continued to toss and turn, finally falling into a light sleep.
"Tony?" Light from the hallway streamed through the crack in the door, and when she didn't get a response, Angela tip toed in to his room.
She had been thinking about the day's events, and something in her clicked—she was so afraid that she was going to lose Tony that she pushed him away, and no matter what she said to herself, she couldn't justify losing him because of her own stupidity.
"You awake?" Still no answer. "At least one of us could sleep," she said quietly as she made her way over to the bed. Pulling back the covers and sliding in next to him, Angela couldn't believe how nervous she was.
Curling up against him, she rested her head on his chest. "I hope you don't mind," she whispered, as she nestled in closer. "I wanted to be with you tonight, but you've already fallen asleep, so I'm just going to stay here, if that's okay."
He didn't answer—she didn't expect him to either—so she just snuggled in as close as she could and closed her eyes.
"I love you Angela," he whispered into her hair when he was certain she was asleep. "And I will do everything I can to keep you in my life."
7***
As the early morning sun broke Angela felt arms wrap around her, and hold her more firmly. She liked the way it felt, so she tried not to move.
"Good morning," she whispered when she was certain that Tony was awake.
"Morning."
"I hope you don't mind me coming in here last night," Angela tilted her head so she could see his face. "I had been hoping you were still awake so that we could talk a bit more, but you were asleep, and you looked so...comfortable."
"I don't mind," Tony said, wishing he hadn't been so turned on by their proximity—one wrong move and she'd know exactly what she did to him. "I'm sorry if I hurt you yesterday."
Angela smiled at him softly—she knew that she had hurt him, and all he had done was be honest with her. "I'm sorry that I did hurt you."
"So now we work on moving on?" He hoped that she wasn't about to walk out of his life, but he wasn't going to pressure her into anything either.
"If you'll still have me." Her hand moved to rest on his stomach, and at the feeling of her hand on his bare skin, he sucked in his breath.
"Oh, I'll still have you," Tony said, trying to distract himself from the feeling of her hand on his body.
Angela smiled at the look on his face, which was slightly reminiscent of a deer in headlights. Leaning in, she pressed a gentle kiss against his cheek, and then moved in closer to his lips. "Do you think you're ready for the next stage of our relationship?"
"Depends. What's the next stage?"
"Do you really want me to explain that to you," she asked teasingly as she repositioned herself to see him better.
"I..." Tony wanted to find a good way to say this, without her getting the wrong impression. "I don't want us to do anything until you're ready."
Passionately kissing him, Angela lets her hand wander down his body, finding its way to his erection. Gently kneading the skin she found there, Angela smiled as she trailed kisses over his skin. "Feels like you're ready."
"I've been ready for a while," he said through clenched teeth, wondering how she could have such control over him already.
"Apparently." Running her hand the length of his erection, Angela expertly moved her hands up the crotch of his pajama bottoms and dipped inside. "I really believe I'm ready," she told him as her hands kneaded him, and her nails dragged over the sensitive skin she found.
Drawing her hands out of his pants, Tony took control of the moment, and gently rolled her onto her back. Straddling her hips, he scanned her eyes for even the slightest bit of doubt, and when he saw none, he leaned in to kiss the nape of her neck.
Nipping at the skin just behind her ear, Angela raised her body to be flusher with his.
Tony continued to explore her body, seeking out all of her erogenous zones, and carefully paying attention to every moan and sigh she emitted.
Placing open mouthed kisses down her abdomen, he sucked at her breasts through the blue silk nightgown, stirring an array of emotions in Angela which confused her and made her feel intensely scared. She had never known passion like what she was feeling at the control of his hands and lips.
Her hands tightly clung to the bed sheet as his hands caressed and fondled her, drawing her closer to climax, and when Tony pressed his body down against hers, his erection pressing against her warm, damp centre, she thought she was going to explode.
"Maybe we should get undressed," she panted as he continued to tease her body through the silk.
"Are you ready, for sure?" Tony looked down on her, and let her know that he was determined not to do anything more than she was comfortable with.
She nodded, biting down on her lip to strangle a moan as he pressed ever so lightly more down on her.
His hands made their way over her hips, and he virtually crawled down her body until she found the hem of her nightgown. Gently gliding it up, he kissed every new inch of skin he found, paying particular attention to her inner thighs when he revealed them for the first time.
As he pulled the material over her hips and then over her head, he stopped to appraise her body, in all of it's near perfection. He remembered the image from the videos, where she was carrying Jonathon, and the swell of her abdomen, and although he never thought it possible, he got even harder.
"I love you," he said, before beginning his trail of kisses again.
"Tony," she panted, wondering how she could be so close already.
"Hmmm," he mumbled, around a mouth full of her breast, sending shivers and shockwaves through her.
"You need to get...undressed," she said, sucking in her breath.
He quickly divested himself of his pajama bottoms, and resumed his trails of kisses.
When he was certain she could take no more, he positioned himself at her opening and began his journey into her.
"I love you so much," she managed, before losing all sense of the English language.
As he began his deep and slow thrusts in to her, she pulled him down so she could kiss him again, and so she could kiss him as he carried her over the edge.
8***
"Good morning," Mona said slyly, like a Cheshire cat. "How did you sleep?"
"Very well," Tony offered quickly, before going about making the family's breakfast.
"How well?"
"Very soundly," he added, as if for good measure.
"Funny thing," Mona began, "I wanted to check up on Angela last night, and she wasn't in her room. So I came to talk to you, and guess what I heard?"
"What?" Tony asked, reluctantly, hoping she hadn't heard them in the morning. He wasn't embarrassed about making love to Angela, but he certainly didn't want her mother to hear.
"Her voice. She kinda made that half asleep grumble of 'come in' and then nothing else..." Mona wiggled her eyebrows mischievously.
"Mona, you're hearing things." Tony continued to mix batter for pancakes (Angela had made a special request for pancakes and whipped cream, although he thought it best not to tell that to Mona.)
"Sure," she said as she eyed him up and down.
"Morning all," Angela said as she walked into the kitchen.
"How did you sleep dear?"
"Fine," Angela said, before helping herself to a cup of coffee. Mona couldn't help but notice that her daughter seemed to be in lighter spirits today. She also couldn't help but notice that Tony had managed to move closer to Angela in the few short seconds she had been in the kitchen and how he helped her pour the cream into her coffee.
"I was saying to Tony, something funny happened last night."
Angela couldn't believe they were facing the firing squad already.
"MONA!" Tony nearly whined, but he could tell by the satisfied look on her face that she would stop now.
"Could you pass the sugar," Mona asked, grinning from ear to ear. It had taken them this long to get together, but if the goofy looks on their faces was any indication, this was only the beginning.