According to the air dates of various episodes Tony and Angela's birthdays are either in April or May. For purposes of this story Angela's is in early May, sometime before the 17th, and Tony's after.
The Hurdles of May
Tony was back from Iowa, beaming with the promise of a new job, new dreams, and a brand new life. He'd talked enthusiastically over a full family, dining room dinner, about the college and the baseball fields. Angela listened; trying to be happy for him, but once again inwardly breaking. Life was moving on, and even though she usually kept up quite well with the pace, right now she wanted time to freeze, or even reverse, to a moment before. Before the street fair, before Kathleen, back to a time where she could still delude herself about a future together with Tony.
Not being endowed with the power of time travel, Angela once again excused herself to her home office after dinner. Tony was once again bewildered by her action, but Mona, Jonathan, Sam, and Hank kept the conversation going, and that distracted him from trying to plumb the depths of Angela's current psyche. In his mind she was lost to him, and he had to build his strength to leave her, so he continued regaling the rest of the family with tales from Wells College, The Weekend Visit.
Sequestered in her office, Angela idly flipped through her countdown calendar. Tony hadn't mentioned a start date for his new job. She wondered how much longer he'd be around after graduation. She'd missed his presence when he was in Iowa, how was she going to cope when he was gone? Her eyes fell on a certain date and she gasped. Her birthday was coming up, how could she have forgotten her own birthday? Angela stopped flipping and sat up straight. If her birthday was coming up, that meant Tony's was coming up, too. Her mind went through her mental Rolodex, their birthdays also meant Marie's birthday. She remembered the date and realized that Marie's birthday was during the time Tony was in Iowa. A small sigh of relief escaped her at not having to interact with Tony as he remembered Marie. Was that cruel of her? She didn't know, but the knowledge that Tony had loved Marie was still capable of creating envy in her, so not having to comfort Tony as he struggled with memories was one bit of angst she didn't have to deal with, and she was grateful for that.
However, the other birthdays were now fraught with angst. What was she going to do for her birthday? What was she going to do for Tony's birthday? As far as she was concerned, her own birthday could be glossed over. She worried over how she could convince her family to ignore the day. Birthdays in this family were events, and everyone was expected to partake in the festivities. Her mind wandered back to another time when she'd tried to skip her own birthday. "What a fool you made of yourself," she silently berated. Embarrassment about the memories overcame her. She'd been betrayed by her own thoughts when she didn't even have the benefit of consciousness to edit them. Her cheeks turned red in remembered shame and she felt as if she was going to throw up. How could she possibly go through another birthday with Tony? Wouldn't it be just like her mother to reference that particular birthday and those particular words? How would she cope? Angela pulled herself together and decided to let it be known that she had other plans for her birthday. If those other plans were her usual 'stay at work until everyone home is asleep' then so be it.
A wistful truth rattled those plans. The thought, "this will be your last birthday to celebrate with Tony, do you really want to spend it apart from him?" crossed her mind. Somehow, she glared at her own thoughts for pointing that out. Honesty prevailed. She didn't want to ignore her birthday, after all there would be cake, one last chance for double fudge with walnuts...Angela's thoughts stopped.
Cake.
Birthday cake.
Flour.
Kitchen.
Kiss.
Angela tried to shut down her thoughts. "Don't go there, don't go there!" she inwardly screamed. It didn't work, for she remembered that kiss too well. The tenderness, the warmth, the hug. Without even realizing it she touched her own lips in remembrance. Her eyes refocused as she felt their weight and she pulled away with a start. She rolled her eyes at herself in disgust. Distract, distract, distract. She had to get out of here, but what could she do? There was nowhere to run and hide, she'd already done that. Unless, she ran out of the house. Angela thanked her mind for actually coming up with a good idea. She ran upstairs to change into sweats, then slipped out the front door so quietly that no one even knew she was gone.
When Angela returned from her very long run, she was able to sneak up to her room and drop herself into a nice bath. Her head was cleared, and she'd come to the obvious conclusion that she was going to have to have her birthday acknowledged. This resolution made it easier to fortify herself to the inevitable fuss. Now that her own birthday dilemma was solved, even though no one else in the household even knew of the deliberations, she could turn her thoughts to Tony's birthday. She instantly realized that this was a mistake. There she was in the tub. She instinctively looked at the door. It was locked, she knew that, but she still felt unsettled. She hurriedly removed herself from the water and wrapped a very large towel around herself, turning away from the door. As the water drained from the tub, she felt her resolve draining away as well. She threw on a night gown, turned out the lights, and cocooned herself into bed. The clock radio on her nightstand provided enough music to send her off to sleep without too many tears. Her last conscious thought was that at least Tony's birthday was after graduation, so she could get over that hurdle first.
It wasn't a surprise the next day when talk over the breakfast table turned to birthdays, birthdays everywhere. Angela pasted on smile and eagerly agreed to any suggested festivity. This was a bit of a surprise to the rest of the family, but they weren't going to argue. Angela and Mona went off to work, Jonathan went to school, and Tony made a list of everything he had to do in the next couple of weeks. He had finals to study for, a party to plan, and there was another important item he put at the bottom of the list: start packing.
Tony's priority was finals, but party planning for Angela was a close second. He smothered any thoughts of "last birthdays together" by over-scheduling himself. Workouts weren't just workouts anymore. Every exercise was now accompanied by the soundtrack of tapes he'd recorded with facts from his text books. Trips to the grocery store were planned down to the aisle for peak efficiency. He created Angela's party without having to delegate. He'd thrown himself into so much activity that it wasn't until he was making the double fudge with walnuts cake that his memories were able to get a vision in edgewise. He stopped mixing. Here he was in the same kitchen, mixing the same ingredients, but this time, Angela wasn't here. No one to lick the beaters, no one to throw flour at him, no one to kiss. He shook his head to erase that memory from his mind. Their start had been so promising; where had it gone wrong?
His thoughts started to wander through every turn in their relationship. Visiting Jonathan at camp; make-out rock; a very damp motel room; their anniversary; Valentine's Day. He stopped himself there, figuring that there would be no point in going over any more turns as they always ended the same way. They turned away from each other every time. They'd grown so used to turning away that finally there was nothing left to turn from. Trying to find a moment where they could have made another decision was pointless as he couldn't turn back time. He could look at himself in the past and call himself a stunod, but ultimately, it was useless. To keep the solitude from overwhelming him, Tony turned on the radio and went back to mixing. He couldn't salvage their relationship, but he could salvage Angela's birthday. He vowed to make this one her best ever.
On the big day, the dining room was decorated with pink balloons, streamers, and roses. Angela sat at the far end of the table looking lovingly at those gathered. Her son was on her left, and her mother on her right. Sam sat next to Jonathan and Hank sat next to Mona. At the opposite end of the table was her beloved Tony. Everything felt so right, everything looked so right, everything tasted so right, especially the linguine alle vongole; but it was false, a veneer of forced cheerfulness barely holding back a miasma of darkness. Angela kept her mind laser focused. She was thinking about tonight and tonight alone. No graduation party, no future departure loomed; just family, food, and presents occupied her thoughts. Tony was gratified to see Angela laughing and smiling, although he wondered how much of it was the food and the one glass of champagne.
"Lean in close, with grandma, mom," Jonathan said as he positioned the camera. They smiled and Jonathan snapped the photo. He thanked himself for wisely stocking up on film as he took pictures in every personnel combination possible. Hank took a few too so Jonathan could be in some. Angela insisted on a photo of Sam and Jonathan together. They obliged with a hug that produced a real smile from Angela as she herself took the picture. She didn't even notice when Tony slipped into the kitchen.
Hank had noticed, and dimmed the lights for Tony's return. Angela turned to see the cause of the lower lighting and saw the door swing open with Tony carrying her birthday cake into the room. She gasped in joy, "oh Tony, it's beautiful, thank you!"
"Of course," he preened as he set the cake on the table.
Angela suddenly lost herself in the flickering candlelight. Usually it was a quick wish, candles out and a dive into the cake. Her hesitation was silently noticed by the rest of the family who collectively held their breath as they waited for Angela to release hers.
But what could she wish for? Her usual wish was for a relationship with Tony. Now that she knew that cherished dream would never come true, what else could she possibly want? The candles kept burning down and she could feel everyone's gaze on her as she hesitated. She finally decided upon some platitude about everyone staying healthy and blew out the candles. The family cheered as Angela cut the first piece of cake.
"Tony, this tastes even better than it looks," Angela said as she licked the frosting that had somehow wound up on her fingers, off her fingers.
"Thank you, Angela, it's all in the chocolate."
"Can't ever go wrong with chocolate."
"Nope."
Mona lost patience, "less babble, more cake."
Everyone laughed. Tony cut and distributed the cake without getting any frosting on his fingers. Most of the cake was devoured then, but they were thoughtful enough to leave some for Angela to savor over the next few days. The rest of the night flew by with presents being opened and adored, and of course more pictures. Some leftovers (other than the linguine) were boxed up for Sam and Hank. Angela found herself at the front door hugging them goodbye. There were various combinations of hugs until Tony declared, "how about a group hug?" Everyone must have agreed as they all huddled closely together. Angela closed her eyes and reveled in the love she felt. She seared every moment of tonight that she could into her memory banks. The family clung to each other, no one wanting to break away.
Angela definitely didn't want to break away, as Tony was at her side, with an arm around her. There was that comfort again, the comfort she'd always felt in his embrace. She didn't want to let him go. Everyone else's eyes were open, watching Angela, waiting for her cue as to when to break apart. No one spoke. They closed their eyes and waited some more.
More waiting.
Finally, Angela took a deep breath and opened her eyes. Her birthday was over, and she had to let go, so she did. Tony didn't, he kept his arm around her even as everyone else broke away. Angela might have brushed him away, but she was still enjoying the comfort, so the thought never crossed her mind. The rest of the family departed to their various venues leaving Tony and Angela alone at the bottom of the stair case.
Tony then shocked Angela by saying, "happy birthday, Angela," and kissing her cheek.
"Thanks, Tony," she whispered, "thanks for everything." Was she blushing? She wasn't sure. She hoped not.
"You're welcome."
"Do you need help cleaning up?"
The two of them together in the kitchen on her birthday? That could only bring up old memories that did not need to be dredged up. "No, thanks," was his quick response. Angela was relieved. That little kiss on the cheek was more than enough to break through that facade she'd maintained up to now. She nodded, regretfully broke contact, and went upstairs. She hoped she looked like she was taking measured steps instead of running away from him as she felt she was doing on the inside. Tony watched her go and headed to the kitchen.
Alone in her room, Angela touched her cheek. Why? Why had he done this? She didn't consider it for long, Tony was a demonstrative man, that was all. It was just a token of a long time friendship she concluded. However, on her side, all she felt was love. Nothing but love for him. All these months and she hadn't made one infinitesimal increment of progress towards falling out of love with Tony. She flopped down on the bed, bewildered. Somehow, and she didn't know how, she didn't cry. Maybe she was too cried out and just couldn't cry anymore.
May 16th. The date Angela had been dreading was here. She was once again alone in her den. Bleak reality stared back at her from the desk. The countdown calendar waited for that final x signaling that Tony's graduation was the next day. The white of the little square on the page was blissfully unaware of the trauma it was causing. Angela's mind was racing. "C'mon Angela, you can do it, tomorrow is a day of celebration. He's not gone yet. He's worked so hard." Angela's hand shook as she managed the first line of the x. "Good job, Angela," her mind approved, now all it had to do was get her through the second line. "Tomorrow is coming whether you put the line on the page or not, so you'd best just do it for the sake of completion. Besides, you can always start another countdown when it's time for him to leave." This stopped Angela. The pen was poised above the page. "I don't want him to go," she argued with herself. "He's leaving, whether you want him to go or not. He'll have new friends, probably a new girl…" She had to stop that thought. She slammed a door on it, not letting any thoughts of any potential love interest for Tony cross her mind. She forcefully put the final line through the final x and shoved the calendar back into the cabinet.
Angela took a deep breath. She congratulated herself on getting through that hurdle, then mentally primed herself for getting through tomorrow. For once, she wanted to get out of her den. She pulled herself together and did a final walk-through of the kitchen, dining room, and living room making sure utensils, chairs, and decorations were all in place.
It was quiet in the house. Tony was at a party with fellow graduates. Jonathan was at a friend's house, and her mother was, of course, on a date. "Get used to it," she thought, "after Tony is gone, every day is going to be this empty." Another deep breath. She wanted to argue with that thought, but she knew it to be true, so instead she mentally compiled a list of more groups she could join, activities to do, anything to get her out of the house. She even briefly considered dating but discarded the idea as unfair to the potential man involved as her heart belonged to another. During these ruminations she was fiddling with the knives and forks on the buffet, trying to make them as aesthetically pleasing as possible. Fed up with her thoughts and the useless activity, she pushed her thoughts away and put all the forks and knives back to their original positions. Then she left the solitude of the downstairs for the solitude of her bedroom. She changed, did one final check of Tony's presents, yep, still there, then curled up in bed with a book she hoped would put her to sleep. It didn't, but at least the plot kept her engaged enough to distract her from everything else.
Tony didn't hold out much hope that Angela would still be up when he got home from the party and his lack of faith was correct. The house seemed so empty that if Angela's car hadn't been in the garage, and the light been on in her room, he would have wondered if she was even home. He decided there was no point in bothering to tell her he was home, as it was obvious she didn't want to talk with him. Instead, he wandered around the living room, thinking about all the times he had cleaned it; all the vacuuming, the dusting, the pillow arranging. Those days were coming to an end. He would no longer be defined as Angela's Housekeeper. He would now be Tony Micelli: Teacher, Coach. He rolled those titles around in his head. He knew he was going to a better situation, but that didn't make leaving behind all the people he loved any easier. But that was life, wasn't it? Always leaving something behind for, hopefully, a better opportunity. "Ay oh, you've been through worse," he reminded himself. He nodded in agreement with himself, then reasoned that he had best get to bed as it was a big day tomorrow and he didn't want to sleep through his own graduation.
G-Day was sunny, the perfect day for a graduation, which made Angela genuinely happy for Tony. The day started with the family gathering at the house to watch Tony descend the stairs in his cap and gown. Mona literally cheered with poms poms. This was her consolation cheer as Angela had refused to let her bring them to the ceremony itself. Jonathan had once again stocked up on film and took photos of any and all familial combinations. Tony posed with Sam and Hank; with Mona; with Jonathan; with a sobbing Mrs. Rossini clutching a handkerchief. Angela's favorite was a pose of Tony and Sam hugging. The father and daughter had been through so much together, Angela was happy to see joy radiating from them. She was reminded of the day they had entered her life. This brought a smile to her face, and she offered a suggestion for another pose. The suggestion was enthusiastically approved and Angela took the camera Jonathan offered her as he, Tony, and Samantha posed in the place where there were when Angela made the final decision to hire Tony. Tony didn't have to crouch down to kid size this time, though. Now he just held each kid closely. Angela took the photo and said, "I definitely want a copy of that one."
"Copies for everyone," Mona made her wishes known.
"Yes, of course," Angela agreed, "we should really be going, parking is going to be difficult."
Tony was certainly eager to get to graduation, but in all the picture taking that had happened, there was one photo that hadn't. One of him and Angela alone. He wanted one. If he was off to the baseball fields of Iowa, he at least wanted some tangible memory of Angela. "Ay oh, Angela, your turn for a photo with the graduate."
"I'm not changing back into a bathrobe."
Familial laughter had been difficult to come by the past several months, so its appearance now took Angela a little by surprise. This surprise was long enough for Tony to put an arm around Angela and pose. Angela smiled for the camera, but Tony could feel that even though he was enthusiastic about the picture, she was less so about him, but at least she didn't push him away. The picture of both of them smiling was taken, ending the first phase of G-Day. Everyone headed to the cars, Angela paused long enough to grab a box of tissues off the table for Mrs. Rossini, hoping that she wouldn't need to use them herself.
The auditorium was filled with people and the Micelli contingent was caught up in the celebratory atmosphere. Angela found herself sitting between her mother and Mrs. Rossini in their row. She figured this would come in handy as she could supply Mrs. Rossini's tissue needs. The audience quieted as the graduates filed in. Sam found her dad in the line and pointed him out. The ceremony began and after the requisite speeches and awards, the graduates started across the stage to receive their diplomas. Angela's focus turned to pride. She was so happy for Tony and so proud that he had achieved his dream. By the time the name "Anthony Morton Micelli" was called Angela was so lost in this state of being that she spontaneously stood up and applauded as Tony shook hands with the college president and took hold of his diploma. Angela realized she was standing and sat down a little red-faced, she hadn't expected to be so over the top, but, she felt that this was at least better than crying. Mrs. Rossini had that aspect covered. Mona was satisfied that she'd finally seen some true emotion from Angela and not the sham she'd been trying to convince everyone with for months. Jonathan was embarrassed by his mother's display and as Sam had also stood, she couldn't really say much. Hank just supported his wife.
Party time!
Angela put herself into hostess mode. The party was well attended with a mixture of students, family, and neighbors. Angela was constantly checking on the availability of food and drinks, making sure everyone had enough. Pride was still her overriding emotion. Whenever she looked at Tony he was smiling, and this made her happy. Mrs. Rossini had parked herself on the couch and spent most of the party alternating between smiles and tears. The Brooklyn contingent were keeping a watch over her, so all Angela had to do was keep the supply of fresh boxes of tissues going. Sam and Hank were still mostly focused on each other, but did manage to tear themselves apart long enough to interact with the others when required. Jonathan took more pictures. Mona appointed herself gate keeper. She answered the door, always being sure to show off Tony's diploma to every guest entering the house.
"It's beautiful, Mona," said Dr. Paul Ferguson as he was admitted. Or perhaps the comment was required for admittance.
"Thank you," she preened as if this was her own achievement.
Tony had noticed the entrance of the Doctors Ferguson and Wendy Wittener and her husband. He walked over to pry them away from Mona's clutches, wondering if he should pry his diploma away from her, too. He decided not to as trying to hug people while holding it would be cumbersome, and since Mona was paying to have it framed as her graduation gift to him, she might as well hold on to it now for safe keeping.
"Hey, Docs!" Tony held out his hand in greeting.
Paul shook his hand, "congratulations, Tony."
"Congratulations," his wife, Isabel, agreed.
"Thanks, thanks."
"Yes, congratulations," Wendy and Herb added as they in turn shook Tony's hand.
"Where's Angela?" Wendy asked.
"Running around somewhere," he answered. He might have said more, but they were interrupted by another sob of joy from Mrs. Rossini.
"Food and drinks this way. Picnic table is set up in the back yard if you want to get away from the noise," Tony nodded in Mrs. Rossini's direction as he brought his guests in to the dining room.
Angela was there, and was a little startled by the entrance of the group, but covered well, also greeting everyone. Tony started back out to the living room, but Angela called to him, "Tony, there's a little ceremony I want to do."
Tony looked at her quizzically, but if there was something he could do that would make Angela happy, he would do it.
"Everyone, head into the living room, and I will be right there." Angela then slipped into the kitchen as everyone else went back to the main party.
Soon after that the door to the kitchen swung open and Angela walked through carrying a broom. Now Tony was even more perplexed. Angela made her way to him and said, "Tony, you've made sacrifices your whole life for all your friends and family. Finally, your sacrifices are rewarded. I am so happy to see your dedication, commitment, and hard work pay off. Congratulations, I know your next…," Angela had to hurry because she could feel herself start to tear up, "job will bring you as much joy as you've brought to this one. So, to symbolize the change, I've brought you a broom to break over your knee."
Tony smiled and accepted the talisman from Angela. He broke it to the cheers of the crowd. Angela clapped, took the pieces back from him, and retreated to the solitude of the kitchen where she wondered what she was now going to to with a broken broom. Broken broom, broken heart, it was a connection Angela did not want to make, but inevitably, she did. She put the pieces in a corner, took a deep breath and went back to the dining room to busy herself with food. The returning guests kept her mind occupied and that was all that mattered.
Keeping occupied made the time pass quickly and before Angela knew it, everyone was gone. The caterers packed up; Sam, Hank and his parents went home, Mrs. Rossini had been mopped up and escorted to a car. Jonathan went upstairs, and Mona left for her place, along with Tony's diploma so she could take it to the framers tomorrow.
Angela left the dining room for the living room, and saw something that surprised her, Tony was cleaning up.
"Tony, you shouldn't have to clean up after your own graduation party."
"Nostalgia."
She laughed, "well, can I pull you away long enough to give you your graduation presents?"
"You're the boss."
"Not for much longer," she said, wistfully.
Tony caught the sadness in her tone but didn't know how to react. It didn't matter anyway as Angela had opened the small cabinet near the stairs and pulled out a gift bag.
"Oooh, Tiffany's, I must really rate."
"Of course you do, go on open the presents."
"Thanks, Angela," he said as they sat on the couch.
There were two gifts inside. "Which one should I open first?"
"It doesn't matter, really."
Tony closed his eyes a picked a gift. The glee on his face made Angela smile. He tore off the paper, making Angela smile even more. It was a plain, rectangular box, Tony opened it to see a watch. He didn't know it, but it was the watch Angela had planned to give him on their last anniversary. She'd retrieved it from the deposit box and had the sentiment on the back smoothed off and re-engraved. Tony took the watch out of the box and Angela turned his attention to the back. "May 17, 1992," he read. He paused, truly touched, "Thanks Angela, it's perfect," he said as he put it on his wrist.
"You're welcome, it looks good." She pushed any earlier meaning of that watch out of her head and nudged the bag to draw Tony's attention away from the watch.
"Can't imagine what else you could have gotten me; you've already given me the party and a watch, what more do I need"
"I guess you'll have to open it and find out."
Tony tore the paper off the second gift, and opened that rectangular box. His jaw dropped, "is that a…"
"Montblanc pen, yes."
"Monogrammed and everything. Swanky, Angela." He tugged the pen out of the case.
"I thought you could use it to grade papers."
"It may be too good for that, I might just frame it and keep it on my desk."
Angela laughed.
Tony looked at her, "thank you, Angela, for everything."
"Thank you, Tony. I know Wells College is getting the best."
Tony put the pen back in its case, and back into the bag, this gave him time to bring up a subject he wanted to talk about with Angela, "you said earlier that I brought joy."
"I meant it. Your presence made this household a happier place. I thank you for that. You've been there for me when I needed you."
"I'll always be there for you, Angela."
"You'll just be there by phone."
They laughed.
Tony spoke, "thank you for being a great boss, and a great friend."
"Yes, friend." Angela was breaking again inside. Friend, she was Tony's "great friend" and nothing more. "Well, it's been quite a day, I should get some sleep, good night, Tony."
Tony wanted to hug her, but didn't, instead he said, "thanks, for everything. You've brought a lot of joy to my life, too."
Angela smiled as she got up from the couch, then it was a brisk walk upstairs to the safety of her room, she didn't even look back. Tony watched her go, then looked around the room. There wasn't much cleaning to do, really, just stuff to put away. As he wanted an activity, he got to putting away.
Monday morning brought back routine. It was back to work or school for everyone but Tony. No more school for him until he started teaching. Work, however, was another matter. Tony surveyed the living room as a college graduate. It didn't look any different, and diploma or not, it still needed to be cleaned. So he cleaned it, and then the kitchen, and after that, the dining room. Then he did laundry. He asked himself if he was distracting himself from packing. Any fits and starts he had made in that direction hadn't gone well. If it was distraction, he decided to go with it by grocery shopping and then starting dinner. It was a full day.
The next day he started his distraction by planning a menu for his own birthday party. Then he vacuumed. Then he did more laundry. Then he polished the silverware. Anything to not face packing.
He realized he felt the same way he did when faced with the prospect of packing up his father's apartment.
He fell into a chair at this thought. Life was going around in circles and he was once again at the place where he had to sort through memories. Tony took a deep breath, steeling himself, then forced himself upstairs, thinking that if he did a little at a time it would be easier.
Tony looked around the room. He decided to start with the closet as clothes would be easiest to pack. He was correct in this. Then he went to the dresser to pack more clothes. He didn't even get to open a drawer. His eyes caught his father's baseball on the dresser. He picked it up and all he could think about was the day that Angela showed up unexpectedly to help him through. She'd really been his angel that day. He wished she would show up again, but knew that wasn't going to happen. His imminent departure was hitting him full force. He was devastated. He knew at that moment that he wasn't going to get through packing alone. He put the baseball back on the dresser and went downstairs, deciding to put off packing once again.
Tony's plans for his birthday party were coming along much better than the packing. It was going to be very casual, in the back yard. Before he knew it, the day itself arrived, along with the arrival of his Brooklyn friends and Mrs. Rossini and her chocolate apricot cake. Neighbors and friends also dropped by with their well wishes. Tony ran inside at one point to answer the phone. He almost dropped the receiver as it was Dr. Graham on the phone. Momentary panic had set in as Tony wondered if he'd changed his mind and the job in Iowa was no longer his.
"Dr. Graham, this is unexpected," Tony said.
"Tony, I'll get right to the point, I know we had discussed you starting in the fall semester…"
More inward panic from Tony.
"But," Dr. Graham continued, "there is an opportunity to teach summer session and I thought you might be interested in starting early."
The panic was gone, replaced by shock. "Uh, sure, Doc, when does it start?"
"First class is June first."
"So, essentially, next week."
"Yes, your apartment is ready, and the syllabus is put together."
"Uh huh, can you hold on for a second, Doc?"
"Certainly."
Tony moved the phone to his chest to muffle the, "Angela" he shouted as he walked to the back door and opened it. Angela came in and Tony told her the situation.
She was stunned, but managed to answer, "opportunity calls, you can't ignore it." Then she pasted on a smile and went back to the party. Her world had been turned upside down and she didn't even think there was a point to making a new countdown calendar. Tony returned soon after to make his announcement. The party turned even more festive to everyone but Angela, but she soldiered through.
The next week was crazy with activity. Tony had myriad tasks to handle, in addition to all the packing. The one grace was that Sam, Hank, Mona, and Jonathan helped. Angela kept to the office. She'd made it through the hurdles of birthdays and graduation, but helping him pack would be something she just couldn't cope with.
Tony's last night at 3344 Oak Hills Drive was spent with a family dinner. As Tony sat at the head of the table he was a mixture of gratitude, excitement, and sadness. He looked at Angela, he was going to miss her, but, as they'd said before, they'd always have the phone. He just hoped they'd actually use it. There was much reminiscing, and laughter. Toasts were given celebrating each family member, giving everyone even more cherished memories. Angela did her best to keep herself together, and managed to tear up only a couple of times, which she considered a win. Mona kept an eye on her daughter, and Jonathan took more pictures. Sam and Hank would be spending the night in her old room so that they could get an early start in the morning as they would be accompanying Tony on his journey. The party broke up with another group hug at the bottom of the stairs, then Angela went up to bed, although sleep did not come easily to her. Tony and everyone else went back to the dining room to clean up.