1984

Tony stood at the counter washing the dinner dishes, thinking about his conversation with Sam. About half an hour before, he had finally worked up the courage to tell her they were moving to Connecticut. He had accepted a job as a manager of an apartment building. But his news didn't received the excitement he'd hoped for. She didn't seem happy, especially at the prospect of moving right into another apartment. When the conversation turned to an eccentric woman who lived there, who had a daughter who was looking for a housekeeper, Samantha's interest was peeked.

"Me a housekeeper?" He thought to himself.

He was standing alone now, in their small one bedroom apartment. After their discussion, Samantha had been so excited that he'd had to tell her three times to get to the bathroom to get ready for bed. She had seemed so happy when he'd brought up the idea of them actually living in a house. He knew that the smile on her face had sealed the deal. And so did everyone else in the room.

"I can't believe tumorrow is de big day," Matty said. He, Joseph, Robert and Lena were sitting at Tony's small table watching their favorite boy. As they watched him dry the dishes and put them away, each of them couldn't help but be a little proud. He had gone through so many trials in his young life, but yet he had come out on the other side a better man.

"I am so glad he had jou as such a good example, Matty. Jou worked so hard to help him become de man dat he is." Lena was still all a glow from being reunited with her husband that morning. She was so glad that Tony had taken on the role of a single father as well as his father had.

"Where have you been?" Joseph said as he watched Marie appear a few feet in front of them.

"I was just checking on my Sambina." She walked over and stood next to Tony. "She's growing so quickly. I'm so glad they're leaving Brooklyn. Did you all see?" She tried to smack him hard on the shoulder, but in her new state it had no effect. "She's got another shiner."

"Vell, don't jou worry about dat, Marie." Matty said, offering his seat to her.

"Besides," said Lena. "Tumorrow is goin' tu be the conclusion of a very long week."

"What do you mean 'conclusion'? Tomorrow is when the work begins." Joseph said trying to pick something out from between his teeth. "We are going to be busier than ever for the next long while. If everything goes according to plan they should end up together somewhere around the fall of 1986."

"Jou know jou are not a very good teller of de jokes, Josef," Lena said. She tried laughing, but realized that neither Joseph, Robert or Marie was smiling. "Okay, how come every one else seems tu know but a me? Jou guys are all a ways leaving me in de dark."

"Well, Lena, remember you do have a tendency to want to take things into your own hands. Remember when Tony got off the bus? You were trying to get him to find Marie's that very same day. But Lena, that's not how it works. He had to find her on his own. We can't force them into situations. We can make suggestions, but it's up to them to decide what to do next. He and Angela have got to chose for themselves."

"But what about dat speech he gave when he was seven, about "knowing her when he saw her"?" She said, a little sarcastically.

"He did. Remember, that's what happened with me." Marie looked over at Tony. He had finished the dishes and had walked over to the sofa, grabbing a picture of his wife.

"Well, Marie. What do you think?" Tony said talking to the picture.

"I think it's a good move, Tony." Marie loving answered his question, knowing full well he couldn't hear her. She moved over to the couch to be near him.

"You think so?" He said, imagining what her next line would have been.

"Yes, sweetheart."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, already!" Marie waving her palm in front of her face. She looked over at him with all the frustration of a wife listening to her stubborn husband. "Things never change with him." She turned to look at the group. "See Lena, this is why it's going to take a while. Heaven help Angela. I really love the guy, but man oh man."

"It doesn't get any easier, Marie." Robert tried to reassure her frustration. "Every time Mona goes out on a date, I have a conversation with her about playing hard to get and dressing a little less seductively. She doesn't listen to me either."

"But why is it goin' tu take two years?" Lena interjected.

"Well, they are very different from the young adults they were thirteen years ago. They both have been hurt by love now. Tony by losing Marie and Angela by that self-centered, egotistical, belly crawling, toad of a guy she married. Pardon my french." Robert said composing himself. "It's going to take both of them time to get over the sting. It's going to take a while for them to get to know each other and comfortable enough with each other to actually fall in love. Besides, Angela's still married, remember?"

"Dat Michael makes a me so mad." Matty said tapping the table. "If it weren't for de fact dat he was Jon-aton's father. . ."

"Calm down Matty." Lena said taking his hand.

"Okay everyone, is there anything we need to do to help him in his next two days?" Robert said looking down at this list. A large list, almost as long as Santa's, had appeared in front of the group. There were several hundred things already crossed out. Glancing over it, Lena felt overwhelmed about all the work that had taken place already. She mumbled to herself as she read through a few of them.

406.Suggest to Carmella that making fliers to advertise the fish market would be a good idea...

421. Make sure that flyer finds its way to Martin, the chef at the Country Club...

714. Suggest to Carmine today would be a good day to call in sick to work

715. Suggest to Carmella that Tony should drive the truck into Connecticut...

735. Suggest to Tony that applying for the apartment manager job would be a great idea...

747. Hide Mona's Abnormal Psychology Book, so she has to go back in apartment book to look for it...

787. Suggest to Samantha that Connecticut would be an awesome place to live...

"Is there anything else to add right now?" Robert said pulling out a feather pen.

"Not that. . Duh. We've got to get him to call Mona." Joseph said still trying to get the piece of chicken out of his teeth.

"Duh?" Robert looked at him with great exasperation. "That's not a word I'd expect from you."

"Okay, I promise I'll leave the Heavenly newbies alone." Turning his head so Robert couldn't hear, "For now."

"Thank you. Now can we get back to the plan."

"I'll take care of that," Marie said.

"Are you sure Marie?" Matty said with a note of concern.

"Angela will make him happy Matty, you know that's all I've ever wanted for him." Marie raised the window and a gentle breeze blew the photo Mona had given him out of his pocket and onto the floor next to his foot.

Mona, being the eternal match maker that she was, didn't need much inspiration from the group when it came to helping people get together. Mona always knew just the right thing to say to spark anybody's romantic side. In hopes of imprinting Angela's face into his head, she'd written Angela's address and phone number on the back of the picture that she'd shown him in her apartment building's lobby.

Tony put Marie's picture back on the table and noticed Angela and Jonathan's picture on the floor.

"So, me working for you." Tony said to the picture. "I could definitely get used to that."

Everything seemed to be falling into place, but Lena still couldn't help but be a little concerned.

"But a housekeeper? It's not dat I don't like the idea of him being able tu spend more time with Sambina. But couldn't we have come up with someting better den dat?"

Chapter 11: Joseph's Only Job (coming up next)

(You're not bored yet are you?)