Happy New Year!
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Going to bed that night, Angela stops by Tony's room to ask him about actually having a proper date. Entering, Angela waits for Tony's response after shutting the door.
"Name the day and time," Tony answers as he throws a long sleeve shirt on over his head. The kids are both asleep, so they are less than worried about being caught. Thinking for only a moment, Angela answers, "How about Wednesday night? Seven sound alright?"
Smiling, Tony answers before kissing Angela good night, "I'll make the reservations."
Wednesday night, the couple make an excuse about going to a movie to keep the kids from being suspicious.
"Like a date?" Jonathan asks innocently. With a laugh, Tony remarks before his wife can speak, "Don't start with that again."
Feeling as if they escaped well, the couple gets in Angela's Jag to head to the restaurant.
"Tony, I can't believe you picked here to eat," Angela remarks in awe surprised he sets a reservation at her favorite restaurant. She even notices a pink rose at their table. Gushing for the first ten minutes of their dinner regarding Tony's thoughtfulness, Angela finally asks, "You did all this for me?"
A shy grin on his face, Tony replies, "I needed to do something big for our first official date."
"Well, you definitely did! Thank you."
The rest of their night goes smoothly coming home a few hours later to find Mona waiting up for them.
"You two lovebirds have fun?" Mona teases when Tony and Angela stumble in, each a little tipsy.
"It was great, Mother! Tony took me to my favorite restaurant and we talked and laughed."
"The food wasn't bad either," Tony adds putting his coat away next to Angela's, Tony asks about the kids' behavior that night.
"Good! They're now all tucked in bed ready for school in the morning."
"Good, good," Tony answers before exchanging a look with Angela.
Christmas comes sooner than anyone in the family expects, all eager to give and receive presents. Tony makes his present for Angela this year, but eventually comes to think differently about it. Deciding what to get Angela, Tony sells his baseball card to finance the present. He is excited to see Angela's face Christmas morning when she opens the box to find a vase inside. When her mother points out the vase is French Lead Crystal, Angela stares at Tony in amazement knowing his funds are not that extravagant.
"'You shouldn't have spent so much money on me'," Angela remarks, still surprised at the gift. Shrugging slightly, Tony almost tells her she is worth the expense but stops himself in front of the kids simply telling her Merry Christmas. Still staring at each other, Angela thanks Tony again before Jonathan interrupts handing Tony a gift. Excited to see a Tony Micelli baseball card, the former Cards player examines before realizing that is in fact his own card. Saying so, Angela remarks, "'But you don't have a baseball card.'"
Explaining that he sells the card to pay for Angela's present, Tony shares a meaningful look with Angela. After a moment, the blonde begins to see her vase in a new light. The fact that Tony will sell something so valuable to him just for her, Angela announces her present to be more beautiful than she realizes. Deciding to put her vase in the best spot for it.
"'What about my place?'" Mona jokes before watching the couple domestically pick out a spot for it on the table next to the kitchen door. She lets the pair admire their vase for a moment until announcing to Angela with a wink, "'You're standing under the mistletoe!'''
Looking up, the couple looks at each other a second before Tony gives Angela a quick peck on the lips. Each is still wary of showing affection in front of their children.
Later in the day with the food eaten and Jonathan asleep, Angela walks into the kitchen finding Tony cleaning the stove. Telling Tony that Jonathan is asleep, Angela hints at a late night snack. Smirking, Tony gets out the goose, dressing, and mashed potatoes and the couple grabs a plate each of food.
The next morning, both adults regret their meal decision as they each take a couple tums with their breakfast the next morning. While Angela enjoys her husband's cooking, she is upset that she is now the recipient of heartburn with it.
"I'm getting old," Angela remarks to Tony as she continues to sit in the kitchen with her half finished eggs and sausage.
"You're gonna get hungry," Tony remarks as he puts the kids' plates in the sink. Shaking her head, Angela answers, "I can't."
"You?" Tony questions before feeling her forehead. "Are you feeling okay?"
With a laugh, Angela answers, "I'm fine. I think that dressing you made gave me heartburn last night. I just don't want to know what the grease in the sausage will do. Like I said, I'm getting old."
"Angela, you're thirty-three years old. You're not old."
"Old enough to get heartburn from delicious food," Angela remarks with a pout. Kissing his wife on the cheek, Tony remarks, "Well no matter how old you are, I'll always love you."
Hearing yelling coming from the other room, Tony and Angela share a look as Tony states, "Our kids however is coming into question."
Entering the living room to see what the screaming is about, the couple finds Samantha standing on a chair to keep the remote for the robot out of Jonathan's reach while the boy whines that it is his turn to play with the toy.
Breaking up the fight, Tony begins to wonder how long this next week of break will be for him if the kids start fighting like they are the day after Christmas.
When school does resume, the kids unhappily head back but not for long. Only two weeks in and they get a snow day as do their parents. With everything closed due to the blizzard, Tony suggests roasting marshmallows around the fireplace and telling stories. The family ends up remeniscing about how Tony and Samantha started living with the family until the snow stops and the kids head outside.
Playing outside in the snow with the kids, Tony and Angela enjoy spending time with them. More than a few times, Samantha watches her father and Angela throwing snowballs at each other or laughing and could swear there is more to their relationship than they are letting on.
Right after the blizzard, Angela makes her first big sale to allow her to be in the black regarding her business. Thinking back to her and Tony's conversation about starting something on her own, Angela realizes she cannot do half the things she wants if Tony were not there. That's when she gets the idea to have a Tony appreciation party. Talking to Sam, Angela arranges to have the girl's portrait painted and swears her family to secrecy trying to keep Tony from finding out about the party. What Angela does not plan is Tony meeting the painter who taught a class for Marie years ago. Coming home from Brooklyn, upset over his actions with Marie, Tony is more than surprised when there is a party for him showcasing his support of Angela. Despite his gratitude and the fact that Angela gives him a portrait of Sam, Tony still feels a little less than worthy.
Admiring the painting after dinner, Tony remarks to Angela as they sit on the couch how much Samantha really does look like Marie. Looking at her husband, Angela tells him, "'Marie would be very proud of how well you're bringing up Sam.'"
"'I'm not doin' a bad job, huh?'" Tony admits adding that he wants to be better for her as a father stating, "'She's gonna have art lessons, too.'"
He wants to give his daughter everything and more, especially if he was not as supportive of Sam's mother. The couple talk about art lessons for a few minutes until Angela shows Tony a picture she drew. Self consious, Angela is a little perturbed to find that Tony thinks her self portrait is a tree. When Tony humors her, Angela puts her chin in her hand in frustration.
"I feel like such a bad husband, ya know?" Tony remarks after a moment. With a huff, Angela remarks, "Oh, Tony, it's only a drawing."
"No, about these art lessons. I can't get over how bad a husband I was to her."
"You weren't and you aren't, Tony. Trust me," Angela states adding, "I think we all have things we wish we could have done better in our lives. From the way Sam puts it, Marie loved you."
"I still could have been more supportive," He admits seeing how he is now with Angela and how he was with Marie and saying as much. Placing a hand on his arm, the blonde states, "I think you were the husband Marie needed."
Shaking his head, Tony tells her he appreciates the sentiment, but still thinks differently.
"You know what they say, Hindsight is twenty twenty," Angela replies wishing her husband would see how great a man he is. See him through her eyes. After a moment, Angela adds, "For what it's worth, I think you are a terrific husband."
A slight smirk playing on his face, Tony thanks her for the compliment. Smiling, Angela squeezes Tony's hand before suggesting they go into the kitchen for a drink. Nodding, Tony follows his wife but stops her just as they make it to the kitchen door. Calling her name, Tony kisses her before telling her thank you once again for her support.
What the couple fails to notice is a shocked teenager heading back up the stairs.
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