Chapter 1
"There's walnut chocolate chip cookies and you take crackers?" Tony narrowed his eyes at her, confused. "Who are you and what have you done with Angela?" He'd come in from loading the car to find her heading into the living room with a box of crackers; for a girls night where she usually ate a dozen cookies herself.
Angela laughed and tossed him a playful smile. "Maybe I'm not hungry?"
"You're always hungry," He countered. "The last time you three had one of these girls movie nights, I had to come home early to bake more cookies because you ate them all."
"I'm fine," She reassured him, "I promise."
"You're still nauseous aren't ya?" He asked shaking his head, "Come here…"
She sighed as he pulled her to him. She was fine, but she would humor him. She hadn't been feeling well for the past week, he was right about that, but she was much better than she had been. It was merely the flu that had been going around; she'd been working longer than normal hours and didn't have time to rest and that was the reason it was hanging around longer than anyone liked.
"And ya still got a fever," He told her, his palm pressed against her forehead. "Angela…"
"Tony…" She said back to him, playfully. She just wanted to curl up on the couch with Sam and Mona, cry, laugh and gush over the most ridiculous of chick flicks. It was the only down time she had for the foreseeable future and she was intent to enjoy every moment of it. "I am still a little nauseous, alright? And I have a fever," She confirmed, "It's the end of the flu. I'm fine. Now can I go, please? They're going to start without me."
"You need to see a doctor," He told her, well repeated. He'd been trying to get her to listen to him for well over a week. Her excuse was always work and she did make a very good point that both he and Jonathon had some variation of the flu themselves which had to run its course. Valid points or not, he was still worried about her.
She gave him a placating nod. "If I'm not better by the time you and Jonathon get back, I'll go to the doctor."
"Angela…" That was four days away; four days he would be gone, four days she could easily pass off how badly she felt over the phone. "I don't think I should leave if you're not feelin' well."
"Sam and Mother are here. Go. Have fun. Take Jonathon to do all those things guys do on college campuses." Hank was gone for a week at a Puppeteering convention; so Sam was staying with them. What one did at a puppteering convention she had no idea, but since it meant Sam stayed with them, she was happy to see Hank go.
"All of them, ay?" He raised a curious eyebrow at her.
"All the things a happily married man and his teenage son can do on a college campus," She amended with a playful smile. There was a time when Tony was in Iowa where she believed that she would never see him again; let alone get married, and now they were here, and happier than ever. It was a bumpy road to altar. They'd had their share of doubts, fights and disagreements. But they never forgot that together was always better than alone. Their first year of marriage was far from sunshine and roses, but they'd survived and found strength in the love they'd built over the course of nearly a decade.
"That was a nice save," He laughed, leaning in to kiss her.
"I thought so," She teased. "Are you and Jonathon going to Taco Loco for dinner?"
He nodded, "As soon as Jonathon gets outta the shower. You want me to bring you tacos, don't ya?"
She laughed, leaning up to kiss his cheek. "Maybe."
He shook his head as she breezed by him, crackers in hand. He considered stopping her, question why she had just been protesting that he wasn't hungry, but wanted him to bring her back tacos, but he didn't. He wanted to let them have this time together, and really as long as she was eating something, he was happy.
"It's about time," Mona said from the couch.
The lights were off, and Sam and Mona were cuddled up on the couch under a blanket. There was popcorn, cookies and cakes on the table, and the TV was on, ready for the movie to start. She'd missed time with them; her two best girls.
"Dad cornered you?" Sam half asked, half laughed, pulling back the blanket they were covered up with so Angela could curl up between them
"He's just worried."
"Well," Mona nodded, remote in hand, "at least you can relax a little knowing he's Jonathon's problem for the next few days."
"Poor Jonathon," Sam laughed.
"I think they're going to have a great time," Angela said, settling back against the couch. "What are we watching first?"
"It's a surprise," Sam told her, leaning forward to grab a box of tissues from the table. "You're going to need these."
"A tearjerker," Angela confirmed, "I would expect nothing less."
"Don't worry, I've got something to cheer us up," Mona laughed knowingly, tossing them both a wink.
"I'm scared," Sam laughed and Angela nodded.
"We're not watching a dirty movie, mother." She knew that gleam in her mother's eye well enough to know what her words meant. She'd probably hand selected a movie from her own collection.
"It's only a dirty movie if you're a prude, dear."
"I am not a prude," Angela contended, but Sam interrupted.
"Did you really get a dirty movie?"
Mona nodded. "One of the finest, from my personal collection."
"Mother…" Angela scolded, shaking her head.
"Let's get the crying over with," Sam said, excited.
"You two are incorrigible," Angela shook her head with playful disgust; her smile giving away any pretense of anger.
"We are," Mona confirmed, "have some popcorn and enjoy the fun." She handed Angela the bowl of popcorn from the table, and pressed play on the remote. This girl's night was long overdue.
"I'd rather have pizza," Angela mused through a mouth full of popcorn, as the opening credits started to roll.
Sam nodded, but the ringing of the doorbell stopped her from saying more.
"We just ordered," Mona mused, and Sam shrugged.
"Must be a slow night," She said, already on her feet and headed for the door. "At least we know it'll be hot."
Angela and Mona nodded, the popcorn bowl wedged between them as they watched the TV with rapt attention.
Sam pulled the door open. She didn't ask who it was or what they wanted; there was no reason to think it was anyone other than the pizza guy. She just wanted the pizza and had cash in her hand ready to hand to him. "That was $22.50…" Her words trailed off, while her eyes made their way up the frame of the man standing before her. "Whoa…you're not the pizza guy," She blew out, through a shocked breath. "Angela! Mona!"
"What is it…" Whatever words were meant to follow seemed to get stuck in the back of Angela's throat.
Mona choked on a mouthful of popcorn; eyes wide with shock. "What are you doing here?"
Michael stood in the doorway. He was a bit grayer around the temples and a bit thinner than they remembered, but he still wore that smile. That arrogant, cocky smile that he thought he could use to control the universe. "I'm here to see my son."
To be continued
