Ch 11: Joseph's Only Job

"Jour one job!" Lena yelled. "Jour only job!"

"I'm sorry," Joseph said as he sat with his head bowed once again in the heavenly courtyard. People were now starring at Lena and the other members of the group as they past. It was very unusual to hear anger in Heaven. But here it was and for a very good reason.

"We've been planning for dis day since, umpah, since before dey were born and jou throw it all away to spend time with a couple of twins."

"They were getting ready to leave to come down, it was the last time I was going to see them for a while." Joseph said, trying to justify his very feeble actions. "Besides, they're going to be famous. They're going to have their own t.v. show on Friday nights."

"But Josef! Dis was not time to play "De Love Connection." Dis is our childrens we're talking about. My goodness, will jou not leave any pretty girl alone? Tank goodness, we are related. Who knows what jou wood have tried with me!"

"I mean de special effects alone! Do jou know how much time and energy it takes to produce a day dream like the two of them experienced tonight? Dat stuff doesn't come cheap!"

"I'm sorry, all I can say is I'm sorry."

"Well, jou better start tinking up a way to fix dis mess."

Lena closed her eyes in an attempt to squash her anger and upon opening them again, found herself in her new favorite spot. She was sitting on the white chair in between the back entrance of Angela's house and her study. From here, she could see what was happening without feeling like she was intruding. She sat watching what she had hoped would be a warm moment between her son and Angela. Earlier that day, she had expected to see them joined in their first real kisses as a couple. Instead, she found them sitting awkwardly staring at each other, thinking about all the doubts that had surfaced that day.

"I could a kill him, if he weren't already dead." Lena said to herself, thinking about Joseph's mistake. "All he was supposed to do that day" she arguing to herself "was make sure that "Fred and Ginger" didn't get to the reception. He could have hidden their keys, he could have changed a road sign. He could have done any number or things, but no. He was once again flirting with girls seventy-five years younger."

As she watched the silent couple, her anger turned to sadness when she thought about all Angela and Tony had gone through in the last "two years." How many "suggestions" had "The Family" made to help them get as close as they were now? When she convinced Matty to leave his watch to Tony before his death, she'd hoped that Angela would be able to get Tony through his period of grief. And indeed, she had. That moment had been a pivotal one for their relationship. That experience helped them change from employer and housekeeper to friends, confidantes.

"The Family" had bent over backwards the night of their first adult kiss. There had been too many variables to consider, but everything, luckily, fell into place. Their kiss had gone off without a hitch. And even though, nothing more happened, Lena was satisfied in the belief that it was enough. Tony and Angela were able to discuss, at least for a moment, how powerful their attraction could be.

Lena sat there even agonizing over the night of their second anniversary dinner. As she sat there thinking about that night, she thought about how mad she was that Joseph had decided to play the appendix card. She thought it was another cruel way to keep them apart. Yet as the night had worn on, she finally saw Joseph's logic when she heard Tony admit his feelings for his friend. She was so sad when the next morning, reality set in for them and caution was no longer being thrown to the wind. She was sad to think that they couldn't admit their feelings, but was reassured by Robert that this was still a step closer.

So many baby steps. So many quiet lingering gazes. Her son had been there so many times for who Lena still believed would be his future wife, without even a word of pride. Together they'd helped each other with so many trials over the last two years, that the strength of their friendship grew exponential day by day. He had been her shoulder to cry on when her divorce was finalized and when she'd lost her job. But his strength and reassurance had helped her to overcome her fears, when she decided to start her own business.

Lena had put so much faith and energy into getting them to "today," that it's failure completely caught her off guard. She started to feel hopeless, wondering if the magic day would ever happen for them.

"Doubt is a powerful thing, Lena." She looked up and saw Robert standing behind her chair. "We need to be patient and encouraging right now. We've got to do our best to make sure the other team doesn't win. 'Doubt' is going to take them a while to get over."

"De other team?"

"There are people playing for the other team that know how good Angela and Tony will be together. And they hate that."

"But why should "de other team" care so much about dem?"

"Because of Kate. If they can keep them from falling in love, Kate will never be. And we can't let that happen, no matter what."

"Angela, I think I'm going to head off to bed." Tony finally said, when the silence became too much. He felt the awkwardness of his words as they escaped his lips.

She nodded in agreement and quietly walked up the stairs alone to bed.

Tony walked around the house, making sure everything was locked up. As he made his way to the back door, he looked out the window at the two vehicles parked in the back yard. Her stylish Sandlewood painted Jaguar, with its streamlines and brightly polished bumper and hubcabs, was parked closest to the house as always. His blue van parked just next to hers. The van still driveable, looked its age. The dents and rusting metal went well with the mismatched tires. It was rugged and familiar, yet in need of a lot of TLC. The similarity between the vehicles and their owners was abundantly apparent. As he looked at the vehicles, he realized how they were also making a statement about them, he and Angela as a couple.

"I'm never gonna be good enough for her." Tony whispered as he leaned on the door frame looking out the window.

"Don't you ever say that Tony." Tony turned around quickly, thinking that maybe Angela had heard his last sentence. When he saw no one behind him, he looked once more out the window and thought he saw something move by the van. He opened the door, but before he could even take a step outside, he heard Marie's voice on the wind. "Tony, you already are." Closing his eyes on the door step, he felt a warmth take over him.

Lena watched as Marie calmed Tony just as she had calmed Matty so many times before. With his eyes still closed, he placed his hand on his heart hoping to feel this comfort as long as he could. As the feeling started to dissipate, Tony went back inside, locked the door and headed up the stairs to his bed room.

As he reached the top of the steps, he finally took his hand from off his heart and quietly placed it on Angela's door. Standing there, absentmindedly, he ran his fingers along the grain. He was startled back into reality when he heard movement behind the door. Quickly, he turned to enter his own room.

"Tony." Angela said, opening her door and wrapping herself in her blue robe.

"Yes, Angela?" He said, pretending to be caught off guard.

"I just wanted to thank you for a lovely evening. I'm sorry that Fred and Ginger had to spoil the mood."

"That's okay, Angela. I had a great time anyway." Thinking about the vision of Angela in the wedding dress that was now etched into his heart.

"Good night, Tony." Angela said, thinking about him in his tuxedo.

"Good night, Angela." Tony waved to her as she closed her door behind her.

As each of them stood just inside their bedrooms, they leaned back against their doors, thinking.

"So, do jou have an ideas of how tu fix this, Robert? Lena said standing with Robert in the upstairs hallway.

"I think Marie just did."

"But they're not tugether. . ."

"Yes, but that doesn't mean they won't be. We're just going to have to make up a new game plan now. Unfortunately, it looks like this isn't going to be as easy as we thought. They've made up a whole different set of rules. We're going to have to take this a day at a time. All I know for sure is that Kate is supposed to be born in 1993, I think we have plenty of time."

Chapter 12: A Whole New Ball Game (will be up soon, I promise)