At 7PM sharp the doorbell rings.
"I'll get that." Angela says to Tony as he finishes setting the table. "Nicholas, Maria and Sophia, grandpa and grandma are here, could you please come down." Angela says when she passes the staircase. She opens the door. "Fran, Joe, nice to see. Come in please." The kids come bouncing down the stairs as Fran and Joe step through the door.
"Grandma! Grandpa!" The girls enthusiastically say.
"Sweet girls." Fran bends down to hug and kiss them.
"Hi grandma!" Nicky says with a big smile.
"My handsome boy!" she cups his cheeks and then kisses his forehead.
"Hi grandpa." Nicky says without any emotion.
Joe has already swooped up the two little girls who are now laughing.
"Nicky, my man!" Joe extends his hand for a second Nicky looks at his hand but then extends his own and shakes.
"Tony is in the dining room, please go ahead. I need to grab something from the kitchen." Angela says with a smile. Joe still hasn't looked at her as they head to the dining room. "Nicky?" her voice a mere whisper. The young boy turns around in surprise. "You never call me Nicky."
"I know, but I also hardly ever called your mom Sam, still it did happen a couple of times." She smiles. "I just wanted to say that I am very proud of how you just handled yourself with your grandpa. You grow up way too fast my sweet boy." She kisses his head. "Way too fast."
"Do you need some help in the kitchen Nana?" He hopefully asks.
She doesn't really need his help. "As a matter of fact, it would be great if you could bring the salad and the freshly baked rolls into the dining room, while I check in on the potatoes and veggies." Nicky does as she asks, he has always been eager to help anyone, but it has become more since his parents passed away.
Nicky grabs the bread basket and the salad and heads out the dining room. Angela takes a deep beath, she need to ground herself. Her shoulders and neck are tense, she isn't looking forward to this dinner, but she knows its necessary. Tony had already taken the chicken out, letting it rest. She takes the vegetables and potatoes out. She then transfers the potatoes and vegetables to a serving dish. Tony walks in and smiles at her. "You okay?" He can see then tension on her face and shoulders.
She uses her fake smile again. "I'm fine, thank you."
Tony just shakes his head. ~She thinks I don't know her by now.~
"So will you take the chicken to the dining room? I can take the vegetables and potatoes." She asks.
"Sure Amore." He picks up the chicken and holds the door open for her. She passes him by with the two dishes in her hands.
In the dining room Tony starts plating the plates for the kids, then moving on to Fran and Joe as Angela fills their glasses, the kids drink milk as the adults drink wine. Tony plates both Angela and his plate. "Mi Amore." He says handing her the plate. She gives him a warm smile. "Thank you."
Finally everyone sits down and they start eating their dinners. Fran is chatting away, first towards the kids, then asks Angela and Tony about their work. Tony informs how Joe is liking his retirement in Florida. Both Angela and Joe only answer the questions asked, without igniting any conversation.
Angela can't even look at him. She surprised how angry she is with him, her anger had grown since she found Samantha's manuscript. On one hand she wants to hit him around the ears with it, but on the other hand she wants to keep it between Tony and herself. She is in an internal battle as she looks at her food, she isn't even hungry. She can't remember the last time she felt hungry, probably the lunch she had when Samantha and Hank were there.
"Amore?" Tony places his hand over hers, startling her. "Are you okay?"
She looks up at him with her everlasting smile. "I'm fine, I was just thinking."
"You were miles away Angela." Fran noted.
"I get that way sometimes. Usually business, although.. now it's not." She looks at her plate again, picking a small piece of chicken and slowly eating it.
"Ange.. You've gotta eat right." She hears the worry in Tony's voice.
"I am, I promise. See." She puts a piece of courgette in her mouth.
They finish their dinners as Angela, Tony and Nicky start collecting the plates. Tony looks at his grandson and smiles, he is so proud of him. "Ey Nicky, Nana and I've got this. You sit down with your grandpa and grandma and do some catching up." Nicky wants to object, but knows it won't help. "Oh Joe, Fran?" They both look at him. "The kids decided on dessert, hope you guys like ice cream." He chuckles.
The kids chatted away about the different flavours they chose. Angela refuses her portion of ice cream. Leaving Tony and the grandkids stunned, butter brickle was her all-time favourite.
After the kids finished, Tony asks them to take their bowl to the kitchen, also taking the adults bowls. All do it without hesitation.
"Let's go to the living room. I will get the coffee." Tony says to the adults. Angela follows him into the kitchen as she puts the cookies on a plate. She still feels very uncomfortable to be alone with him. They walk in the living room together. The kids are still talking to Joe and Fran. Tony pours the coffees and Angela places the cookies on the table in front of them.
"Kids?" Tony starts. "Go wash up and then you can go play."
"Okay Nonno." As they all dashed up the stairs.
Angela felt a panic rise, she wasn't ready for the conversation. Not yet. Fran and Joe were sitting on the couch and Angela had taken the side chair near the kitchen. The couch and chairs have been updated, the side chairs were now loveseats to accommodate their growing family. Tony looks at her for a second and sits next to her.
She wants to tell him he can take the other seat, but she wants him close. She automatically takes his hand into hers.
Fran smiles at the gesture. She has know them now for 10 years and never had they ever seem to not be in love. She wonders if they even fought at all, which she thought couldn't be true as couples have altercations every now and again, she concludes that even Angela and Tony must have those.
Angela clears her throat. "Have.. Have you read Samantha and Hank's will and the addendum of their funeral wishes?"
Fran's face turns sad. "We have and we of course respect their wishes."
"Will Joe or you speak at the funeral?" Angela softly presses. The wishes were very clear, only family was allowed to speak, not even Bonnie had that honour. "Because we should be making the arrangements." Her stomach turns at the thought.
"We don't know." Fran honestly says. "I don't think I'll be able to speak." Angela nods, fully understanding why Fran won't be able to speak.
"If you'd like, you could write something down and I could read it for you." She kindly offers. Fran looks up in shock, tears brimming. "You'd do that for me?" Angela nods. "Of course I would."
"Tony, Jonathan and I will be giving a speech. Mother also decided it is too much for her. So we figured you might want to speak too."
"I don't." Joe says. "I can't. Does your offer also stand for me?"
Angela wants to scream at him but of course doesn't. "Of course we are family." She says, but her voice is not as warm as it was with Fran.
"No she won't." Tony interrupted.
"Tony.." she softly says squeezing his hand. Joe looked at him in shock.
"No Ange.. Look Joe, you treat MY wife, the chosen mother of OUR daughter.." Angela's heart skips a beat as he calls her Samantha's chosen mother. "Like dirt. Then expect her in return do you a favour? I don't think so!" Anger is dominating Tony's voice. "Never has Angela did you wrong. Not once. She offered to help when you moved down to Florida, she helped Hank and Fran when you had your heart attack. And she is the one that saved both Samantha and me by taking us in." Tony had let go of her hand to move to the edge of the seat and was now pointing at Joe. "You had no right, no right at all to speak to her the way that you did this morning." Tony's nostrils were flaring.
Angela looks at him open-mouthed. She'd seen Tony annoyed and even angry before, but this was a new level of rage. Angela places her hand on his shoulder, he quickly turns to face her. "Tony please calm down."
"Angela! Stop being the DAMN voice of reason, stop staying calm! Tell him how much what he said to you has hurt you!" He was so annoyed that she wasn't fully communicating.
"You didn't hurt me so bad this morning." Angela looks Joe directly in his eyes. "But yesterday you gutted me." Her voice soft but angry. "It wasn't fair of you to say what you did.
"Well you've already turned my grandson against me. You have been.." Tony puts up his hand. "Choose your next words wisely Joe." His eyes nearly black in anger.
"YOU've turned Nicholas against yourself Joe." Angela is squeezing the couch pillow. "He heard every word you said to me yesterday. EVERY. SINGLE. WORD." She sharply inhales through her nose. "Don't blame me for your own actions." Joe turns white.
"He heard what I said?" His voice small.
Angela just nods. "So understandably he is angry with you. I am angry with you. You moved to Florida, we were here. I was here when Nicholas was born, I was here when Maria and Sophia were born. ME, you hear that Joseph Thomopoulos. I was here. Samantha AND Hank made the decisions they made because Tony and I were here. We were the ones helping them if they needed us. I was the one Samantha talked to after giving birth and WE.." Angela moved her hand between Tony and herself. "were the ones that were helping to take care of Nicholas after the girls were born. And YES I know it must hurt you, but don't blame me. Samantha and Hank asked us to take custody of the kids, not just Tony, ME TOO. And I am really sorry if that hurts you, but can you blame them? The kids go to school here, the kids have their friends here. Their entire life is here, except for you two. And if you've read the will like you say you have, you can see that the kids will visit you every year in the Summer and every other year at Christmas, just like it has been for over all these years. So what is your damn problem with me Joe?" Angela's breathing has quickened, her heart is in her throat and tears are streaming.
Tony can't help but smirk proudly.
Fran looks at Joe and then at Angela. "Joe doesn't have a problem with you Angela, he is just hurt."
"I get that you want to protect your husband Fran, but I'd like to hear this from him myself." Her features soften as she speaks to Fran. She has no problem with her.
Fran smiles at Angela, then turns to her husband. "Joe?" Joe has his hands in his face, she places her hand on his lap. "We all need to talk."
Joe gets up and starts pacing. Tony is about to get up, but Angela puts her hand on his shoulder, pushing him down. He bawls his fists and gives her an annoyed look, while her look tells him 'to wait' which is not his strong suit.
Joe walks towards the front door, turns and walks back to the couch, he continues to paces for a couple of minutes, trying to find the words.
"First of all.." He looks directly at Angela. "I should apologise for saying what I said. Especially what I said about your son."
Tony frowns. "What did you say about our son?"
"Not now Tony." Angela softly says as she squeezes his thigh.
"I am sorry I said Sam wasn't your daughter. I shouldn't have said it. Not only did I already see the love in your family. Reading the will made me realise how deep that love is. Like Tony said, Sam chose you to be her mother as Jonathan has chosen Tony to be his father in the absence of his own father. But you see.." Joe's voice breaks. "We.." He moves his hand between Fran and himself. "We don't have that, we never had that. Hank was all we had. And I felt you weren't entitled to feel the same pain as we do." He sits down and starts crying. "And those kids are the last part of our son, our boy.. and I'm so terrified of losing them too."
Angela gets up and sits next to him. "When did Tony and I come across as people to keep kids away from their grandparents? Have we ever excluded you from anything? If anything we've always stimulated contact and we've contacted you on many occasions before. We've extended multiple invitations for both Thanksgiving and Christmas. So I don't know why you'd think we'd keep the kids away. We would never."
"I know, I know.." He looks Angela in the eyes and takes her hand. "Angela, I am truly sorry I've hurt your feelings." She sees he means it, but is still hesitant. "I never should have said what I said. I don't even know why I said it, I just.." He looks away again. "I just felt I didn't think you could feel as horrible as we.. as I do." She opens her mouth but he squeezes her hand. "I know. I do know. Would you please accept my apologies?" He asks while the tears are still running down his cheek.
At that moment Nicky comes down. He leans into the banister of the stairs, watching his Nana and his grandpa. "I do accept your apologies Joe. Just let it be known that this will take me a while to shake off of me. Talk to Tony.." She smiles at her husband. "He knows all about it."
Tony turns red and looks at his hands. "Yeah.. maybe we should talk."
"Come here Nicholas." Angela calls out to him as he walks up to them. "Come here sweet boy." She makes him sit between Joe and her. "I'm guessing you were listening to us talking?" Nicky nods his head. "You know it isn't polite to eavesdrop?" She calmly asks. He nods again. "So why did you listen in?" He shrugs. "Nicholas!" She sternly says. "I don't know Nana, I guess I needed to know that you were going to be okay. I need to pro.." He stops and looks at her. "Nicholas, like I said many times before, you don't need to protect me. I am here to protect you. And you've heard your grandpa, he didn't mean what he said." She looks at Joe and gives him her first warm smile of the evening.
"He still shouldn't have said what he said." Nicky gives his grandpa the stinky eye.
"You're right." Joe says towards his grandson. "I am?" Nicky asks in surprise.
"Yeah little buddy, I shouldn't have hurt your Nana, it was wrong of me. That is why I apologised to her. She didn't deserve any of it."
Nicky cocks his head, then looks at Angela who gives him a loving smile. Then he looks at Joe again. "Okay grandpa, but don't ever be that unkind to anyone ever again." He concludes
Joe tussles his hair. "I promise."
"Can I go play with the PlayStation again?" Nicky asks.
"Yes you may go play with the PlayStation again. Just for 30 minutes. Grandpa and grandma will tuck you in tonight." She looks at Fran and then at Joe. "If they'd like to that is?"
"I'd love to!" Fran smiles.
"Yeah, me too." Joe looks from Angela to his wife as they share an endearing smile.
"Nicholas, tell you sisters 20 minutes of play time left, then grandpa and grandma will come and get them ready okay?"
"Sure Nana." He sprints up the stairs.
"You really do have a special bond with that boy." Fran observantly says. "You have a way with him."
"She just has a way with all the Micelli men." Tony smiles at his wife as she sits down next to him.
"I know I do." She kisses his cheek. Tony puts his arm around her and starts making little circles on the small of her back as she softly leans into his hand. She could never get enough of his little displays of affection.
"So are we all good Angela?" Joe looks at Angela and Tony snuggled up together.
"We are all good Joe." She means it, she's still hurt, but she means it.
Fran smiles at Angela. "Thank you, for everything." She says to Angela and Tony. "We do greatly appreciate all you've done over the years. And are still doing."
"Don't mention it Fran." Tony grins. "I'm just happy we got this all out of the way.. before.. you know.." Tony lowers his eyes as he feels the lump in his throat grow.
"We know darling and yes I am relieved that we've got this out in the open and talked about it. All of it." Angela sighs. "I appreciate this."
"Well, I'll just clean the table." Angela gets up and collects the coffee cups.
"Want any help?" Fran asks.
"No Joe and you can get the girls ready for bed, they'll tell what story they want read." Angela bends in front of Tony. He can't help but smile. "Stop staring and help me Micelli."
"Yes ma'am."
Fran and Joe walk upstairs as Tony and Angela head to the kitchen.
"Are you really okay?" Tony asks Angela the moment they get into the kitchen.
Angela nods. "Yeah I really am." She starts rinsing the cups and then puts them in the dishwasher.
Tony stands behind her. "Are you really okay mi Amore?" he puts his hands on her shoulders.
She finally turns around, tears in her eyes. "I am. I am really okay. It's just.. Tony.. They're gone. Samantha's gone. We were still supposed to go on a trip together, shopping. We even talked about taking the girls and make it.." a sob escapes her throat "Sam called it a three generations trip." Tears stream over her face.
"Oh.. my sweetheart." He cups her face. He kisses the tears away.
"Now we'll never have our trip." She looks at her hands. "Tony.. I miss her so much." He takes her in his arms. "Me too mi Amore. Me too." Somehow he feels relieved that tears are finally flowing and her tough exterior is showing at least some cracks.
She sighs deeply, puts her head on his shoulder and eventually wraps her arms around him. "I'm so happy to have you to lean on."
Tony can't help but giggle. "You're happy to have me to lean on? Oh Amore, I've been leaning on you ever since the news was broken to us." He kisses her temple. "I just don't know how we'll survive the funeral."
"One step at a time." Angela pulls back from his embrace. "We have to." She says with a serious look on her face. "For the kids."
Tony cups her face again. "I know Amore, trust me I know." He puts his forehead against hers. "We will get through this together."
"Come on, let's go back inside, I don't want to be here when Joe and Fran are done upstairs." She stands up and pecks his lips. They make their way to the living room, Tony sits in the corner and Angela snuggles up against him. He takes her in his arms as they cuddle in silence.
Angela and Tony wake up the moment Joe and Fran come down the stairs. They look at each other in surprise that they had both fallen asleep.
"Well the kids are out like a light." Fran smiles. "Thank you for letting us do that."
"Not a problem at all." Tony smiles as he stretches. Angela, still unwilling to move, just smiles at Fran and Joe.
Joe takes the seat near the front door as Fran sits on the opposite side of the couch.
"Do you want anything to drink?" Tony asks feeling Angela's weight pressing down on his side.
"No, no, we're fine." Joe says. "We did want to discuss one last thing though."
Angela's stomach knots. "Oh?" is all she mutters.
"When.. when are we going to arrange the funeral?" Joe asks. The atmosphere immediately turns heavy.
Both Angela and Tony had to admit that all this time they had been pushing that thought away. They didn't want to think about it too much, the funeral meant it'd be final.
Angela feels Tony tense up against her, then he shakes his head.
"No we haven't but I think we should start preparing soon. I mean the kids will be released.." She feels bile rise. "soon and I guess we need to contact the funeral home." Her stomach turns again, as Tony's muscles just clench behind her. "And express their wishes and set everything up." She has no clue how she made it through those sentences. It hurts so much to talk about it.
Fran just nods.
"Okay Angela. Okay." Joe just nods at her. "What can we do?"
~When did I get the lead in this? Think back at daddy's funeral, Angela.~ "I don't know yet. I mean, the last time I had to arrange a funeral was when I was a young teen." She looks at them. ~God, what I wouldn't give to have daddy here right now!~ Joe and Fran stare at her with an open mouth. "When my father died, mother and I.. well mostly me.. arranged the funeral." Angela starts playing with the fabric of her shirt. "Well, we have to find a funeral director, figure out the finances, find a venue, choose a.." Angela swallows hard. "coffin for the kids, respect the kids' wishes, set a date and then pick funeral cards." She finally looks up at Joe and Fran. "There's a lot, but that's where the funeral director comes in."
"Finances?" Fran asks.
"Well, Samantha and Hank have arranged the finances. And even if it is more expensive, Tony and I will pay for that."
"No, no, we'll equally pay." Joe interjects.
Angela gives him a weak smile. "See I am not worried about the money. It's the other decisions that have my stomach in knots." A tear escapes her eye.
Fran starts to cry quietly, Angela bends forward and takes her hand into hers. "We will get through it together, I promise." Fran nods.
There is a moment of silence between the 4 adults.
Tony breaks the silence. "What time will we meet up tomorrow?"
"I will call the funeral home first thing tomorrow and ask if we can come in that day. Is that okay with you?" Angela directs her attention to Fran and Joe.
"Yeah, we have nothing. And just sitting around doing nothing, is driving us insane." Joe says.
They say their goodbyes for that night. Tony locks the door.
"Well that went well." Angela sighs.
"Did it?" Tony turns to face her. "I would have beat him up for you, you know that."
Angela chuckles. "I know.. my big strong husband." She smiles. "But that's not something I want to happen. We need to be one front for those wonderful kids up there." Angela is standing at the foot of the stairs looking up. "They are all that matter now."
Tony hugs her from behind. "We all matter. But I get what you're saying. Even though.." he spins her around. "I have some trouble with you being such a voice of reason, but I guess that's why we fit so well together. My Italian temperament fits perfectly with your Anglo-Saxon reasoning." He has a big smile on his face.
She caresses his cheek. "We do fit so well together, don't we?"