"Hello Angela."

Tony. Tony was here at her front door. Why? What was going on?

"Tony what are you doing here? Why aren't you in Iowa?"

"Well that's what I came to talk to you about. May I come in?"

"Oh, yeah. Sure. Sure." she stumbled over her words, a clear sign she was nervous. She stepped aside to let him enter.

"Thanks." She nodded and moved behind him to shut the door. He looked at her in her pink robe with her hair in a towel and was transported to the first day they met. How awkward it had been but a little exciting. Not knowing what she would say or do. And now he was faced with the same predicament.

Angela looked down at herself suddenly aware that she was naked underneath her robe. In the past she wouldn't have minded so much but now knowing that he was engaged to another woman she felt uncomfortable.

"Ummm I'm going to change."

"Angela, that isn't necessary."

"Yes, it is. You're engaged to another woman and quite frankly I don't feel comfortable standing here in just my robe." She turned and started up the steps.

"But Angela I'm not.." he trailed off as she ran up the stairs. He sighed and took a deep breath. 'This has to go just right.' he told himself. 'Don't mess this up!'

In her room Angela took off her robe and threw it on her bed. She unwrapped her hair and tossed the towel in her clothes hamper. She went to her drawer and grabbed a fresh pair of panties and a bra and slipped those on. She selected a pair of jeans and a t-shirt and put those on as well. All the while her thoughts kept racing.

*Why was Tony here at her house?*

Then it dawned on her. He had accepted the job at Ridgemont and was here to tell her that he and Teresa were moving here. That had to be it. Just like when he had come to tell her that he and Teresa were engaged-what was it he had said?- oh that's right he wanted to give her the respect and courtesy of telling her himself.

Suddenly a wave of nausea overwhelmed her and she collapsed on the bed. She put her head between her knees and took a couple of deep breaths. 'Oh God, that was it. He and Teresa were moving here to Fairfield and she was going to have to be reminded day after day that the man she loved had moved on and was in love with another woman. It would have been hard enough if they had stayed in Iowa but living here in Fairfield?!

It would devastate her. It was devastating her.

'Wait a minute!" she chastised herself. 'You are being selfish! This isn't just about you! Think of Sam and Nicky! And Jonathan and Mother and Mrs. Rossini! They're going to be thrilled to have Tony home!' But, while she was happy for their sakes for her own sake, she was anything but.

She lifted her head. Even though she wanted to, she knew she couldn't stay up here forever. As much as it pained her she had to go downstairs and face the music. She got up and went to her bathroom and splashed some cold water on her face. She grabbed a hand towel and rubbed the moisture off her face. She looked at her reflection.

"Stay strong Angela. No matter what, stay strong." she whispered to herself. She folded the towel and set it on the counter and walked out of the bathroom then her bedroom and made her way downstairs….

TAKES PLACE AT THE SAME TIME.

Tony kept pacing back and forth running what he wanted to say over and over in his head. But no matter what he couldn't come up with the right words. Everything he thought of to say sounded horrible. But, he knew he had to. If there was any chance of her forgiving him of them getting back together he had to-no he needed to find the right words.

He knew she was up in her bedroom fretting over why he was here. Oh God! He stopped pacing. Did she think he was here to tell her that he had accepted the job at Ridgemont and that he and Teresa were moving here? Of course that had to be it! As far she knew they were still engaged. No wonder she had run upstairs. She needed a few minutes to prepare herself.

'Oh Angela, no that isn't it! Not at all. Please come down here and everything will be okay.' he pleaded silently. And then like some Angel from heaven she made her way downstairs.

They stood at the bottom of the steps and gazed at each other. There had been very few times that they had felt awkward with each other. The time he had walked in on her getting out of the bathtub, the time her date had been stranded in Boston because of Fog and he had stayed to be her 'date' , and especially when he had slept with Kathleen and made the painful decision that he wanted to keep dating her. And of course when he had told her that he was engaged to Teresa.

And now here they were again.

"So would you like something to drink?"

"No. No thanks. I'm fine."

"Okay. Would you like to sit down?" Without waiting for an answer she walked over to the couch and sat down. He followed her and sat beside her.

"So what's up?" she asked, trying to make her voice sound cheery. Neither one of them was fooled though. Especially him. He knew her inside and out. He knew when she was just pretending to be happy. Like when she lived with him in Iowa. Iowa. When this whole mess began. If he had never taken the job they wouldn't be here now. Or at the very least if he had gone home with her instead of staying they wouldn't be in this place now. But, unfortunately they couldn't change the past. All they could do now was control their future.

"Well I came to tell you that I accepted the job at Ridgemont."

"Oh, really? That's great. I'm sure Sam and Nicky will be so happy to have you home."

"Actually Sam already knows. Hank too."

"They do? But.. for how long?"

"About a month."

"A month?! Wait a minute! We had dinner here last week and when I asked them if you had made up your mind yet Hank said you were still thinking about it."

Tony nodded. "I know. I asked them not to say anything. So please don't be mad at them. They hated keeping this from you-Sam especially. But I wanted to tell you myself face to face just like when I." he trailed off.

"When you told me that you were engaged to Teresa." she finished for him.

"Yeah."

"So that's what this is all about then? You're here to tell me that you've accepted the job and that you and Teresa are moving here."

"Well yes and no."

"Yes and no? What does that mean?"

"It means that yes I have accepted the job but no we are not moving here."

"What do you mean you're not moving here? Tony, I don't understand. You can't possibly commute from Iowa to Fairfield."

"Angela, I said we're not moving here. But, I am." he said emphasizing the I.

"Oh. Okay. So Teresa is staying in Iowa and is going to commute when she can?"

"No, she isn't. We broke up."

"You broke up? Why? What happened?"

"Well we had a huge argument about me taking the job at Ridgemont. She was against it and told me that I already had a great job at Wells. Then she told me that she wouldn't move to Connecticut. That her family, friends, and job were there. That was when it hit me."

"What hit you?"

"You did."

"I did?"

"Yes, Angela you did. I remember you telling me that you would rearrange your work schedule, that you were willing to commute, and you left your home and your life here and moved out there to support me. And I.." he stopped his voice shaking. After a few moments he got himself under control. "And like a fool no scratch that an ASS I let you go. I shouldn't have done that. I should have left with you instead of signing the three year contract. We had both agreed that I was only going to teach for a year and I didn't. I broke my promise to you and I am sorry. I am so so sorry!"

"You damn well better be!"