The letter came right before Christmas Day as if St. Nick himself had placed it in their mailbox, Tony was officially a Williams. They got to ring in the new year together. "1947. What happens in 1947?" Amy asked as they sat by the fire, Tony on Amy's lap with a rattle.
"I don't know." Rory shrugged. "It's kind of nice for a change, not knowing."
"It does sound a little exciting." Amy smiled. Amy picked up Anthony and stuck out her tongue at him. Tony shook his rattle excitedly and laughed. Amy laughed along with him and lifted him over her head to tickle his tummy with kisses. Amy placed him back on the rug by the fireplace next to Rory.
Rory looked at Amy. He was smiling but nearly in tears. "Second to my wedding day, this might be one of the happiest days of my life." Fireworks rang in the distance as Amy leaned in to kiss him.
"Happy New Year." Amy smiled as she kissed him again. "Did you want to umm... you know... ring in the new year in the bedroom."
"Sshh." Rory looked down at Tony.
"He doesn't understand us, you idiot." Amy nudged him playfully. "I'll take Anthony to his crib." She picked up Tony as he yawned. "See, he's half asleep already." Amy began to walk down the hall to Tony's room. "You'd better be ready for me when I get back!" She yelled to Rory from the other end of the hall.
"When am I not?" Rory replied as he snuffed out the fire in the living room and hurried to bed.
Mid-January came with a light dusting of snow. Amy pushed Anthony in his little blue pram down the halls of the shopping mall, tardis blue of course. She'd already purchased loads of new baby clothes and a little plush toy zebra that Tony picked out himself. He was in the pram with it, cuddling it while he slept as Amy decided it was time to shop for herself. "Oh, I like this one." She whispered as she smelled the bottle on display in the perfume department.
"Ah, yes. With hints of sandalwood and vanilla." The saleswoman stepped forward. "It's feminine but not overly sweet. Subtly strong."
"That is so typically me." Amy smiled. "I'll take that, thanks."
As the woman bagged Amy's purchase, she felt a tapping on her shoulder. "Um, hello... Sorry to bother you..." A teenage girl with bright head hair smiled back at her with a book in hand. "I'd love for you to sign my copy of Summer Falls... if it's not an inconvenience."
"Oh, sure thing." Amy laughed and took the book and pen from the young lady's hands. "You aren't a natural ginger like me, are you?" She smiled.
"No, it's dyed." The girl chuckled. "I'm normally a mousy old brown. I'll never look half as lovely as you, Mrs. Williams." Her big doe eyes looked up at Amy.
"Oh, sweetie. You look wonderful, of course. It's just that us redheads can sense each other, you know. We're a rare breed." Amy joked as she handed the book back to the girl. "I signed but didn't ask who to make it out to." Amy grabbed her perfume from the saleswoman.
"There's no need." The girl quickly put the book into her purse. The unnatural redhead looked down at the sleeping Anthony. "How is he?" She asked.
"Oh, he's great, very sweet. Doesn't fuss much." Amy smiled. "I think he's a gentle soul like his dad."
"Like your husband, you mean?" The girl asked.
"Yeah, like my husband..." Amy paused for a moment as she found the question a bit out of place. But she carried on. "Well, I'm glad you've been reading my books. It's a real treat to meet a fan, honestly. Thank you!" Amy waved goodbye as she pushed the pram down the hall towards the elevators.
Alice was moving away forever, off to California. She was going to be a star on the big screen. She just wanted to see Anthony one more time, to know he was happy. She followed them from a distance as they made their way back home. Dr. Williams greeted them at the door. He kissed his beautiful wife and picked up their child from the stroller. A sudden flash of jealousy ran through her. Alice wanted so much to hear the doctor say she was pretty one more time. Maybe someday they'd see her again in the movies. But until that day, this was goodbye.
As little Tony grew up, he could sense that his parents were different but he figured every child felt that way about their own family. He didn't talk like them and even though they'd been living in New York for over a decade, they still didn't try to act like Americans. "Ok, Shut up! It's happening!" Amy ran and sat down in front of the TV while Rory passed around the drinks. The year was 1953, Anthony was 7 years old and it was Coronation Day. They'd invited neighbors to watch.
"When do we get ice cream?" Tony asked.
"Ssshhh. Ice cream after." Amy ran up to the television and turned up the volume. "I miss remotes." She whispered to her husband. Tony always heard them say made up words, he figured it was weird adult stuff he didn't understand just yet. Anthony sighed in frustration and laid out on the rug looking rather bored by the whole thing.
"Hey, show your queen a little respect, Tony." Rory joked.
"She's not the queen of America so she's not my queen." Anthony replied reaching for his toy firetruck on the floor beside him.
"Ouch, that actually hurts a little." Rory looked at Amy chuckling.
"No matter what you do, he's going to be an American, Rory" Amy laughed.
"So the king of New York wants ice cream, does he?" Rory stood up and began walking to the kitchen.
"Yeah!" Anthony jumped up excitedly. "And we have Cokes! Make floats, Dad!"
"You've got terrible manners for a king, you know that?" Rory smiled.
"Sorry, sir." Anthony walked up to his dad. "Please, make floats, dad. And I can help. I scoop ice cream really good."
"Why thank you, your highness." Rory curtsied sarcastically. He chuckled as he watched Tony jump on a stepping stool to reach the freezer. He grabbed the big bucket of vanilla ice cream, hugging it with both arms. He was always thinking of Anthony's future and worried from time to time as most parents do. But it was different for Rory and Amy, they knew what could happen to him before it happened. "Should we tell him, about us?" Rory whispered to his wife as they watched him slurp up a float in front of the TV.
Amy wrapped her arms around her husband. "We can't keep living like this, counting down to the next catastrophe like we're living to death. Just live."
Rory passionately kissed his wife, picking her up in the the process. "Happily ever after."