This new story came to me while sitting in traffic a week ago. I always wished WTB? had done another (at least one other) Valentine's Day story. Jonathan Plays Cupid in Season 2 was so early in their relationship, although he did foresee things Angela and Tony took another six years to see (do). Here's my take on a much later time in their relationship. I hope you enjoy this Valentine's Day story.
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They'd gone back to Chez Rene on Valentine's Day their first year as a couple. Both of them were sentimental people. They'd been engaged for three months by then. Angela loved that Tony picked the place they'd had their first date. Even if it wasn't an official date, they both agreed upon their return that it had really been a "date" date. The days of denying events that had occurred the previous seven years were over. They both got a kick out of how they wound up there together at Jonathan's doing. Now they openly talked about it, and also talked about the conversation they had when they got back home. Seems that Jonathan was six years ahead of them, they decided and chuckled together. Their second year as a couple, they were both in Iowa, so there was no visit to Chez Rene.
But now, a year later, and with so many changes in both their lives, Tony surprised Angela by taking her back to Chez Rene. Tony wore a dark suit and THE tie while Angela wore a loose-fitting red dress that had heart-shaped buttons going down the front. Her hair was fixed back in a barrette with gold hearts going across it. Tony swore to himself that the more in love they grew, the younger he felt and the younger Angela looked.
They decided to repeat the menu they'd had their first time there when Jonathan set them up (although this time they agreed that they weren't going to eat all that food at one time and repeat the indigestion that took hours and several glasses of Alka-Seltzer to beat back). This time, the family was going to benefit from all the leftovers.
They spent the next few hours enjoying their meal, laughing, and talking about everything. After dinner, they drove to Lake Mohegan and just sat in the car. The car heater kept them warm. They were so relaxed with each other that no words were spoken. They simply held hands and rested while some classical music played on the radio. Looking at his watch, Tony and Angela decided it was time to leave so Tony drove them back home.
Tony opened the front door and let Angela walk in first. She put her heavy wrap and purse on the mirrored coat rack by the door. Tony carried in a bag full of leftovers.
"Hello, you two." Mona greeted them suspiciously from the couch, putting down the book she was reading. "I thought you might've run off somewhere. You're kind of late coming home."
"We went to sit by the lake." Angela filled Mona in.
"In this crazy, cold weather?" Mona inquired incredulously.
"We kept the heater on and sat for a little while. We really haven't had the chance to get out recently," Angela smiled pensively.
Mona looked up a little closer staring at their clothes. "I see you're both dry, so I guess you managed to keep the car out of the lake this time," Mona snickered.
"Mother!" "Mona!" Angela and Tony scolded together, embarrassed. They'd never live down driving the Jag into the lake several years prior.
"Everything okay tonight?" Angela asked.
"Fine, Mona winked at them. "Everyone's asleep. I hope you had a nice romantic dinner. I'll be on my way back to my apartment and leave you two kids alone."
"Good night, Mother. I'm sure you'll have a very nice rest of your Valentine's Day night."
"You're right – mine is just beginning," Mona assured her as Angela rolled her eyes.
Tony followed Mona through the swinging door to the kitchen and put the leftovers away.
When he got back to the living room, he found Angela on the couch with her head laying back on a pillow with her feet on the coffee table. Her shoes were on the floor. Tony loosened his tie and went over to sit with her. They put their heads together leaning on each other. Angela sighed her coziness and contentment prompting Tony to smile and kiss the top of her head.
As their eyes began to close, the sound of an infant beginning to stir and cry came wafting down the stairs and through the baby monitor behind them drawing their attention upstairs.
"Come on, Sweetheart," Tony moved his head up. Slowly rising, he took Angela's hands in his and gradually pulled her up from the pillow and helped her to stand up. "We're being paged upstairs, Mrs. Micelli," he said grinning at her. Angela giggled as Tony dragged her up from the couch. She'd never get tired of being called Mrs. Micelli, she concluded.
They went upstairs and walked to Tony's old room, now converted into an adorable pink nursery for their eight-week-old daughter. The room was slightly illuminated by a farm animals night light. But it was still bright enough for them to navigate the room.
They walked over to the crib. Angela looked down at Katie's tousled hair and big brown eyes looking up at her, and coo'd, "Hi, little one." She picked her up and noticed she wasn't ready for a diaper change yet. "Mother or Jonathan must've changed her while we were out," Angela thought out loud. Angela then walked over to the rocker and sat down to feed her. Tony handed Angela a burp cloth covered in little yellow ducks to put over her dress when she was ready.
As Angela fed the baby, Tony stepped back outside the nursery. He went downstairs to make them a pot of Chamomile tea and walked a tray back upstairs. He brought the tea back to their bedroom, opened the light, and placed the tray on the window seat. He picked up Angela's slippers to bring back to the nursery for her. Then he walked back to the nursery.
He was just in time to see her get ready to get up so he brought the slippers over to her. Then Angela walked over to the changing table. After changing the baby's diaper, she went to the rocker and sat down again cuddling Katie in her arms. Tony watched blissfully as Angela rocked Katie back to sleep, humming a lullaby. This was a scene that Tony never got tired of watching. He walked over and stroked Katie's thick dark hair, hair she undoubtedly got from Tony. While Katie's hair was all Tony, Katie's eyes, nose, and lips were all Angela, features made even more prominent when Katie smiled at them. What they had gone through to get to this point, no moment was considered wasted, no important thought or feeling went unsaid any more.
Angela stood up and handed Katie to Tony. They both gave her a little kiss. She then watched as Tony gently put the baby on her back in the crib. They turned back to the crib for a moment and put their hands together and walked out of the room, closing the door behind them.
"Tony, thank you for making the tea – it'll hit the spot before going to sleep." Angela said as they walked into their bedroom and she spotted the tray across the room. She took the barrette out of her hair and let her hair fall back between her shoulders. Tony turned around to close and lock their bedroom door. He walked over to the baby monitor to make sure it was on.
"First, dance with me, Ange. It's our tradition now."
Tony turned on the CD player ensuring the volume was low and wouldn't wake anyone. Dan Fogelberg's Longer came on, a favorite of both of theirs. Tony took Angela in his arms as they began to slow dance in the space in front of the window seat. He caressed her long blonde hair and twirled it around his fingers, a favorite activity of his to do when they were dancing. She held on with her head turned into Tony's neck, breathing in what was left of the scent of Tony's after-shave.
Longer than ther've been fishes in the ocean
Higher than any bird ever flew
Longer than there've been stars up in the heavens
I've been in love with you
Stronger than any mountain cathedral
Truer than any tree ever grew
Deeper than any forest primeval
I am in love with you
I'll bring fire in the winters'
You'll send showers in the springs
We'll fly through the falls and summers with love on our wings
Through the years as the fire starts to mellow
Burning lines in the book of our lives
Though the binding cracks
And the pages start to yellow
I'll be in love with you
I'll be in love with you
Longer than ther've been fishes in the ocean
Higher than any bird ever flew
Longer than there've been stars up in the heavens
I've been in love with you
I am in love with you
"Oh, Tony, I'm so happy …and so in love with you.," Angela dreamily whispered into his ear, as the song faded out. "This has been such a wonderful Valentine's Day. All these years, and now this. It was so worth all of it." Tears started to fall down her cheeks, her hormones still re-adjusting, but also so emotional just because.
"Ange, I feel the same way about you," he said looking directly into her eyes and taking his thumbs to wipe away her tears – "no regrets about anything, well, maybe except for not being together sooner."
"Tony, we both agreed we'd not rehash that again," she admonished him. Recalling something that was said in their favorite film, The Way We Were, Angela softly repeated, "…. oh, but look what I've got." Tony recognized the line instantly and beamed at her. Then looking deeply into his eyes, she changed it to say, "Look what we've got." No more words were required. They even named their baby Katherine and agreed to call her Katie after the character in the film. Well, Katherine was also Angela's middle name, too, so it was an easy decision for them to agree on.
"We better start getting ready for bed. You know the baby will be up in a few hours wanting to eat again." Tony gestured as he prodded Angela towards the bathroom. Angela yawned as they walked to their bathroom.
As the clock's hands slowly moved to midnight, they changed, drank some tea, and moved their activities to the bed eventually falling asleep in each other's arms. Each was totally enveloped in the other, content, exhausted, and full of appreciation as to how lucky they were to be where they were.
The End: A Valentine's Day Interlude