"How could you walk out on me like that?"

Angela shut her eyes tightly, praying she wouldn't fall apart. Tony's expression broke her heart.

She'd missed the party, surely prompting the family to question why. No one was camped out in the living room as planned. They must have gone to the hotel in town. While she would have liked to have had a chance to talk to Mona, she knew she and Tony needed to be alone for whatever conversation was following her confession back in his office. Besides, Mona said her piece earlier when she faked a crisis at the agency. If not for that, she might not have had the courage to tell Tony she was leaving.

"I'm sorry, Tony," was all she could say at the moment.

Working hard to keep himself composed as well, Tony shook his head. "So... you're really leaving?"

"I don't know what else to do."

"There's got to be something. There needs to be."

Taking a few cautious steps closer to him, she said, "It's like I said earlier… we've tried everything. You aren't going to be happy in Connecticut and I'm not happy here."

"I still wish you'd said something sooner. We could have worked something out before it got out of hand. In hindsight, it should have been obvious, but I also trusted that you'd come to me if something was seriously wrong."

"I know," she sniffed. "I should have. I just figured that it was temporary and it was no use burdening you when there was a light at the end of a tunnel. It never occurred to me they might renew your contract. I don't know why. You've done wonders here. I'm so proud of you."

Tony scoffed. "Feels like a hollow victory."

She touched his arm.

"Now what?" he asked after some time, voice thick and eyes full.

Angela's voice shook. "I… I guess I should start packing. Maybe I can get a seat on Mother and the kids' flight."

"So soon?"

"Dragging things out won't make it any easier."

"What does this mean for us?"

"Tony, long-distance didn't work."

"No," he corrected, "I mean for our friendship. When we got together we agreed that would always come first."

She nodded and bit her lip, formulating her words. "It's been an emotional few months for me… I need some space from all of this. There's a lot I need to do when I get back to New York. I need to pull myself together and you need to tend to things here without worrying about me."

Anger beginning to rear its head, he said, "Fine. That's great. We won't speak to each other again."

"I didn't say never."

He carried on. "I'm always gonna worry about you, Angela. After nine years I'm not just going to forget about you. I love you."

"I love you, too, Tony. So much. That's why we can't go on this way."

Stepping away, he said, "The rational part of me agrees, but I don't want to lose you. This is everything I feared when we got together. If we never got together we could live apart no problem."

Tears unable to be contained any longer, Angela reminded, "We have never done well being apart. It's only more difficult now." She took a breath before going on. "Neither of us imagined you'd get a job so far away. I want to be able to say it will all work out. I do… But, please, understand. I lost myself when I was married to Michael and I feel it happening again. Only it's worse this time because you mean more to me and what you and I have shared goes so much deeper. I'm ashamed of myself for not being able to support you the way you have for me all these years. I know I've let you down." A sob escaped her, putting an end to anything further she had to say.

Walking back over to her, Tony took her in his arms. He cried along with her, not wanting to believe this was actually happening.

"You haven't let me down, Angela," he eventually said.

"Yes, I have."

"You tried to make this work. With everything in perspective now, I know it hasn't been easy."

"I wanted this to work."

"So did I." He pulled back to rub his eyes.

"We'll see each other again… once some time passes."

"Will we?"

"Of course. Samantha and Hank are still living in Mother's place and I'm sure Jonathan is going to want you to come to his graduation. It will be difficult but I refuse to see Jonathan lose another father."

Looking down, he said, "I didn't even think about the kids."

Once more trying to calm herself, Angela said, "When I say I need space it doesn't mean I want nothing to do with you. You know I'm always going to be here for you if something happens. I just need to not think about us for a while… because this is this hardest thing I've ever had to do." When she started to cry again, she choked out, "I'm sorry."

Hugging her again, he said, "You need me, I'm here. We were friends longer than lovers."

"Maybe physically," she mumbled against his shoulder. "Emotionally..."

"Let's not think too deeply into this."

She nodded.

Looking around the bedroom, Tony said, "This place is gonna feel so empty now."

"So will Connecticut."

"If you ever change your mind about the long-distance thing…"

Angela pursed her lip. "Tony, please… we need to accept the fact that our lives are different now. It's not good for either of us to be somewhere we're not happy even if it means we're apart. Resenting each other is only going to lead to a messy breakup where neither of us wants anything to do with the other. That's why it's better for me to leave now. I don't want that."

"Neither do I."

"So… we're in agreement then."

He shook his head in disbelief. "I guess we are."

Taking his hands, she said, "It's not going to be easy, but in the long run it will be better for us both."

"I'm not so sure I can be convinced that far."

Sternly, she said, "You're happy here, Tony. It's okay that I don't fit into the picture. You deserve to do something for yourself for once."

He opened his mouth to argue further, shutting it soon after realizing she wasn't going to back down. Instead, he pulled her to him again, hugging her tightly and burying his nose in her hair. "Can we at least have a proper goodbye?" he mumbled.

Clinging to him, she nodded, tilting her head back when he went to kiss her.