The days of berating himself over Angela's relationship with Andy were quickly replaced by matters concerning Billy. When he'd agreed to help Mrs. Rossini look after him, he never suspected it would end with Mrs. Napoli asking him to foster him.
Maybe it shouldn't have with so many overnight visits and the news of his grandmother's fall, but the question threw Tony for a loop. Another kid? Someone else's kid?
When Sam was little, he thought often of wanting another child. Jonathan filled that void, though still thought of a baby from time to time. But now he was focused on his life for a change. Sending Sam off to college put him through the wringer. Taking Billy on permanently meant resetting the clock in a way. There was so much to consider. He didn't even have a place of his own. He had no one to turn to but Angela, his choice affecting her as much as himself.
Despite their circumstance, talking about children with her and agreeing to take care of this little boy together, had been the most natural feeling in the world. Now they had a new member to their strange little family, and though it defied tradition more than ever, it felt right. It almost made sense.
In a blink of an eye, life was going to go back to bedtime routines, tripping on toys, waking before the sun, and all of those little things that Samantha and Jonathan had grown out of. Neither Tony nor Angela had realized the absence until now.
"Isn't he sweet?" Angela asked in a whisper, startling Tony when she came up behind him as he stood in the doorway to what was now Billy's room.
"I can't believe he's ours now. Well, I mean-"
She put her hands on his shoulders. "I know. It's kind of exciting."
Stepping back, Tony pulled the door shut and led them a few paces into the middle of the hallway. "So, you're really okay with having him here? Slime and all?"
She nodded, slowly at first, then with more enthusiasm. "I am. Just tucking him in tonight felt different knowing he's here to stay."
"I know what you mean."
"It was the right decision."
"I appreciate all of your help. I know he's been a distraction. I promise that I'll take over as best I can from here. He's my responsibility, not yours."
The finality in his voice made her frown. "Don't I get a say in this?"
"What do you mean?"
"I want to help out with him. I want to be a part of his upbringing."
"You do?"
"Don't be silly. Of course I do. How could you think I wouldn't? I meant it back in the hospital when I said we could do this."
Tony shrugged. "I guess I don't really think that. I know you love the kid as much as I do. I just know you got a lot going on."
"So do you. This is going to be a team effort like it's always been. Mother and the kids will help, too. Jonathan and Samantha adore him."
"That's true."
"It's all going to work out." She reached out and touched his cheek. "I promise."
"Thank you," he said, his voice low, gazing at her with a similar look he had when the decision to keep Billy had been made.
He couldn't pass up the opportunity to pull her into a hug, though he wasn't sure which one of them had been the first one to move. She nestled her face in the crook of his neck, her fingers gripping his back as he held her just as tightly.
They stood there far beyond what was appropriate, but neither of them cared. The weight of the day released from their shoulders as they found solace in their embrace. Taking on a child didn't come without plenty of concerns, a lot of them not yet in their conscious thoughts. It wasn't all going to be reminiscent.
And what about them? Samantha and Jonathan were part of the reason they'd become so involved in each other's lives in the first place. Without them, they might have been able to keep a more professional distance. Fostering was one thing, but both could see the eventuality of adoption should things go as Mrs. Napoli had insinuated. Would both names go on the certificate? Probably not. Not the way things were between them now.
They silently communicated the big step they were taking and kept questions to themselves about what this was going to mean for their relationship in the long run. It was a fact that needed to be ignored right now, but Angela's earlier slip of the tongue about the two of them having a child brought everything to the surface. Tony knew she wanted another child, likely more than he did. In a way, he was glad he could give her Billy, even if it wasn't quite the same.
He rested his head on top of hers the longer they stood there. He could feel her snuggling closer to him as he did so, letting out a soft breath. If not for Andy, Tony was sure he would have kissed her then, no longer so afraid by the thought of casting their friendship aside for something more.
