When Tony and Angela made their way back to the car, their arms laden with legal documents, they were too overwhelmed to speak. It just seemed too surreal. In the course of twenty-four hours, they had gone from a comfortable acceptance of being grandparents to taking on the responsibility of an 11-year-old and an infant. And both were a bit surprised at how easy everything seemed to be. There was no interest on the part of the state in placing Charlotte with any one of the millions of couples waiting eagerly to adopt a baby, and the general attitude regarding Billy was that he'd be a lost cause, becoming a ward of the state for the next seven years. A willing and approved couple, Tony and Angela were all but guaranteed custody, needing little more than the seven-year-old consent of a now dead woman.
Tony watched as the social worker pulled in front of them to lead the way to Mrs. Rossini's, where Billy and Charlie were staying. A judge had rubber stamped a temporary custody order almost immediately upon hearing that the Micellis had agreed to take the children, and a court date was scheduled in several weeks, after a sufficient period of adjustment as well as DCF observation.
Still at a loss for words, Angela decided anything was better than the silence that stretched between them. "Well, it really is all a bit overwhelming, isn't it?"
"You can say that again. I'm gonna need a law degree to understand all this stuff," Tony said, indicating the pile of papers on the seat between them. A few moments passed before he continued. "Hey Angela, you think we made the right decision?"
"I don't see how making a home for two children could be a bad decision," she said simply.
"I know. It's just that ... do we really know what we're taking on. I mean, were taking on responsibilities we haven't had in fifteen or twenty years. We're gonna be parents again." Angela watched as the worry lines across her husband's face slowly faded and a smile took its place. Memories of Sam and Jonathan as kids flashed in front of him, and he remembered so clearly the excitement and wonder of being a parent. Suddenly, he felt very lucky to have to ability to experience it all again. "We had a lot of good times raising Sam and Jonathan. You think we're too old to build snowmen and go on camping trips?"
"Yes. But we'll do it anyway. And we'll deal with the cuts and bruises and preschool and high school. We've been through it all before, and managed to produce two remarkable kids. We can definitely do it again," she concluded with a confidant smile, equal parts excitement and fear coloring her voice.
"Do you have any idea how much I love you?" Tony asked solemnly.
"I get an inkling now and then," she replied coyly as he deftly maneuvered the Jeep through the streets of Brooklyn.
"I'm serious. There were a million times over the years I watched you doing something or other with Sam and Jonathan, or sitting on the couch working or whatever, and my heart would just fill with love, and I would tamp it down telling myself to get a grip, that it would never work."
"Oh Tony."
"Angela, you bought Sam clothes for her birthday, a prom dress, gave her ballet lessons and were always there for her to talk to, lean on, and all the while I was too afraid to make you her official mother."
"Do you think it was any different for me?" she said, wiping away a tear than escaped from the corner of her eye. "How many times did you work with Jonathan on his gymnastics or search for bugs and worms for his lizards or make birdhouses and campfires for his Scout troop. You were president of his school's parents association for goodness sakes, and yet ..." her voice trailed off, neither needing the words to understand the meaning.
Pulling in behind the social worker outside of Mrs. Rossini's apartment, Tony signaled to her that they'd be with her in a minute. Then he turned to Angela and said, "Angela, we both know we wasted a lot of time trying not to love each other, but don't forget that we also spent all that time as best friends, sharing things, talking, in ways that were enough for us then. We made a family for our kids, and we're gonna do the same for these two. Now what do you say we go get ourselves a couple of kids?"
She smiled, wiped the tears away and nodded. "Sounds perfect."
"Good." He leaned over, kissed her softly and whispered, "I love you."
"I love you too."
The got out of the Jeep and walked hand-in-hand into the building, ready to bring home their new family.