I am one in the camp of Tony and Angela not having kids of their own. No disrespect to any that do, as I enjoy reading those stories. I've often wondered how that conversation would go between them. Shoutout to my lovely ladies, you know who you are, and there are easter eggs for you.

It was 4pm, early for Angela to be home. She'd left the office a little after lunch, keeping her destination a secret had been hard with the prying eyes of her mother watching every move. There was something she needed to do, and it was private. However, now she'd wished she'd discussed it, either with her mother or Tony. She'd felt crushed, her heart ached, and she'd felt so alone on the train ride home. Now she sat on the couch, her closed fist holding up her head, as it rested on her knee, staring straight out, not focusing on anything while her mind swirled.

This is how Mona found her.

"Angela!" exclaimed Mona as she walked through the front door. "My daughter, playing hooky? What will the staff think."

"Not now Mother," came her daughter's downcast reply.

Mona loved to rib her daughter, it was her favorite past time; however, she also knew her daughter and knew when to stop the kidding and start parenting.

"Dear, what's wrong?" asked Mona calmly as she walked over to the sofa.

This action brought Angela out of musings as she looked up at her mother. Mona caught the hint of moisture in her daughters' brown eyes.

"Oh sweetie," Mona began sitting down beside Angela on the sofa and wrapping an arm around her. "Tell mummy what's happened, did you and Tony have a fight?"

"No mother, it was nothing like that," said Angela. "I just got some disappointing news today and I'm trying to cope."

"Did this have anything to do with why you left the office today?" Mona replied. "To see Dr. Bowman?"

"How did you know that's where I went?" asked Angela.

"Dear, I'm your mother," said Mona. "When you left in such a hurry, I checked your schedule, when I saw nothing, I went to your office to check your day calendar and saw, DB circled. Now given my baby girl just married her true love, it didn't take long for me to piece it together."

Angela just shook her head. She couldn't be mad. Afterall her mother always seemed to have a sixth sense when it came it to Angela being in need.

"I didn't know you wanted to have more children," said Mona.

"Well, it was just a thought," replied Angela. "I'd always liked to have a little girl, you know to dress in pretty dresses, and do her hair, take on long walks with me."

"You had Sam," Mona said.

"I know, and I do love Sam," Angela began. "I couldn't love her more if she were my own, but Sam was 10 when she came into our lives. I missed her toddle and little girl phases, dressing her up like a little princess."

"You know Sam wouldn't have let you," Mona said with a smile. "That girl was a tomboy and who's to say another little girl of Tony's wouldn't be the same way."

"True," Angela said with a laugh.

"And you did help turn that little tom boy into a real beauty," Mona replied. "Look at Sam now, married, off in California as the Director of Network Marketing, I'd say that apple fell from one tree and rolled over to another. You raised a woman Angela,"

Angela beamed with pride as she always did when talking of either child. She was so proud of them both. She was so proud of Sam, graduating top of her class, following in Angela's footsteps, by entering a man's business world. Sam was good at it too, took nothing from anyone and stood her ground, just as Tony and Angela had always taught her.

"She's just amazing," said Angela wistfully.

"And look at Jonathan, valedictorian, off at Stanford, studying to be a Vet, proud fully embracing who he is and standing up for others." Mona continued.

It had been a year since Jonathan came out. She and Tony couldn't have been prouder of him for it. She and Tony had always raised both to proud of who they were. She had worried that Tony wouldn't have been so accepting given his background, but Tony had just wrapped Jonathan up and told their boy, he'd always love him and be there for him. Angela had never been so in love with him.

"I know, we raised two terrific kids," said Angela.

"Yes, you did, which is why I am surprised you want to start over," said Mona. "Usually this is the time where you can turn the focus a little more inward."

"It was just a thought mother, I'd of course want to talk to Tony," Angela began. "I just wanted to check on certain things regarding me."

"It's tough, isn't it?" asked Mona.

"What?" countered Angela.

"Realizing your choice in the matter has been taken away," said Mona. "Not of anyone's doing, just that phase of life has passed and there is nothing you can do to get it back."

"Yeah, I always thought we were on control of our bodies," Angela said.

"Nope, Mother Nature is," said Mona.

"It's just I really wanted this for Tony and me," replied Angela.

"Dear, you still can, there are other ways to have children, and if it's it something you and Tony want then adopt," replied Mona.

"I know, I just don't know if I'm mourning the fact, I can't have more children or the fact that phase in my left is over," said Angela.

"It's ok to mourn for both," said Mona.

"Oh Mother," said Angela as she hugged her mother. "Thank you,"

The two women shared an embrace.

Later that evening after Tony and Angela had dinner, they were preparing for movie night. Angela took her place on the sofa as Tony prepared the popcorn and joined her. Angela had been dreading this conversation, she had no idea how Tony would react. Would Tony regret marrying an older woman, would be feel cheated? These questions ran through Angela's mind. On the few occasions they had talked about having more children, Tony and waffled back and forth. Still, that is when he thought the choice was still theirs to make. True, it wasn't impossible, but as the doctor explained the risks it had scared Angela to her core.

"You've been quite tonight," said Tony sitting down on the couch with their popcorn and wine. "Something the matter?"

Angela sighed. She had to just tell him and get it over with.

"I had a doctor's appointment today," Angela began.

"What!? What doctor, why didn't you tell me? Is something wrong?" peppered Tony.

"No, it's nothing like that Tony," replied Angela.

"I don't like you keeping things from me Angela," he said. "We promised too always be honest;"

"I'm trying to tell you, if you'd just listen," exclaimed Angela.

"I'm sorry," apologized Tony, he did get out of hand, only because he was worried sick. "Please go ahead."

"I know we've only talked about this a few times, and we never made a firm decision either way," began Angela. "I wanted to check on something, personal in regard to myself, so that I could better come to the discussion with all of our information."

"What did you learn from your appointment?" asked Tony.

Angela took Tony's hands in here.

"Tony, I, oh gosh this is so hard," said Angela.

Tony started to rub the top of her hand with his thumb.

"Whatever it is, we'll deal with it together," Tony said at her distress.

"I uh, I went to see Dr. Bowman my gynecologist, I wanted to see if I could have a child," she replied. "Tony, he said that it would be incredibly hard to conceive and even harder to carry a baby to full term, so natural children may not be an option for us."

"Oh sweetheart," Tony said bringing Angela into his arms. "Baby, I'm so sorry, why did you face this alone, you could have told me, I would have been there with you."

"I know," said Angela pulling back and wiping her eyes. "I just felt I needed to do this alone."

"Angela," he said reverently as he wiped the lone tear that feel from her eyes.

"I'm so sorry," she said.

"Why are you sorry?" Tony asked.

"I can't give us a child," began Angela. "I'm too old."

"Love don't take this the wrong way," said Tony. "But I didn't marry you because I wanted a child. That was the furthest thing from my mind."

"It's still a desire," said Angela.

"Angela, I should be the one asking for your forgiveness," Tony began. "You were ready, and I made you wait, if I hadn't been so insecure, we'd been married years ago and working on our third baby by now."

Tony looked at Angela. Both thinking of the past but only briefly.

"Did you want more children?" asked Angela.

"Did you?" countered Tony.

"I asked you first," said Angela.

"Alright, honestly," Angela nodded and he continued, "No, Angela we raised our kids and I'd kind of like to just focus on us."

"I'm a little surprised your Italian upbringing and all, I thought you'd want a whole house of kids," said Angela.

"I'm not that old fashioned," he said. "Plus, there is something more intimate about it being just the two of us."

"Yes, but then there's the intimacy of sharing a new life," she stated. "Life that is just ours."

"Sweetie, we've had that in Sam and Jonathan," he said with a smile. "We raised them together, that was a shared responsibility."

"I can't give you more," she said sadly.

"You gave me a son, and you were a mother to our daughter," taking her face in his hands making her look at him. "I couldn't ask for more."

"Oh Tony," she said tears welling.

"I mean it Angela," he said. "Plus, I'm a very selfish man."

"No," she said.

"But I am, Ang," he began cutting her off. "I don't want to share you with anyone or anything. While I miss my babies, I am glad Sam has her own life in California, I'm glad Jonathan is away at school and I'm glad Mona is looking at buying that penthouse in Manhattan."

At her look he continued.

"I get you all to myself now," Tony stated. "If we want to make love in the middle of the day on the kitchen counter, no one is here to stop us. If we want to take off one weekend and take a drive up to Vermont, we can no kids to worry about. If I want to spend my summer holidays chasing you around a hotel after a business deal, nothing holding me back."

"Is that we had hot kitchen sex the other night?" asked Angela.

"Well one, and the other, you know what your skirts do to me," Tony said.

They laughed for a moment.

"Ang, did you want more kids?" Tony asked.

"I don't know, I mean the thought is nice," she began. "I guess I liked the idea and never thought I'd lose that choice."

"If we want, we can always adopt," he said.

"You'd do that?" she asked.

"If it's what you wanted," he paused. "Yeah, I mean we have a lot of love, I'd have to be more careful in the kitchen."

"Tony, I'd want it to be something we both desired," she replied. "I don't want my happiness to come to the expense of yours. You seem to be ok with things as they are."

"I am, I married you because you are my better half, my soul Angela," said Tony. "I married you because you were the person, I wanted to share my life with."

"That is so beautiful," she replied.

"I teach all day, and it's nice to come home to a quite house and spend it watching movies with you, or teaching you to cook, or relaxing in a bubble bath, or just making love," he said.

"I like that too," she responded smiling.

"Also, I know how old I am," he began. "So, I know how old you are, and I don't think it'd be safe for you or a baby."

"No, that is what Dr. Bowman told me today," she began. "I mean there are therapies, and they'd watch me closely but there is a high risk of complications, and yes some can be fatal."

"Exactly, Ang I won't risk it," he stated firmly. "No way will I ever consent to anything that would risk your health."

A shudder went through Tony as he thought of Marie.

"Angela, I lost my first love," he said. "And after Marie died, I never thought I'd find that again. I didn't mope about it though, I had Sam. Then I came here, you opened the door, and every day I fell deeper and then one day, you realize you have a second chance. You are my second chance, and I don't want to lose you. Angela, I can't lose you, I don't want to live in a world without you."

"Tony," she said tears glistening and running down her cheeks as she leaned into kiss him deeply. So touched by his words.

"What do you want Angela?" he asked again.

"Honestly, after tonight, I want what you want," she said smiling. "I want a marriage. You are right, we raised our kids, now it's time for us."

"Are you sure?" Tony wanted to press to make sure. "You're not just doing it because of me, you want this for yourself too."

"Yeah, I am," was her response kissing him again. "There are advantages to an empty house."

"No kidding Ang," he stated. "I teach all day, and it's taxing, and I'm sure after spending in the city hassling you want to come home to nice warm quiet house."

"Well, yes, but actually I was thinking," she trailed off as she crawled onto his lap and pushed him back into the cushions, looking at him seductively as she licked her lips.

"I mean this is a good reason too, maybe the best reason," was his response, his hands cupping her behind. "I thought you wanted to watch a movie?"

"Be honest, do you really want to watch a movie, or would you rather cuddle," she kissed him, "in this nice," she kissed him again, "quiet house?"

"Cuddle for sure," he stated. "Is clothing optional?"

"Clothing prohibited," was her response.

"Oh, then we are in violation of that rule," he said.

"Then we need to remedy quickly," she smiled. "I wouldn't want to break house rules and risk being thrown out."

He grabbed and pulled her down onto him, losing himself in her mouth, as he hands cupped the hem of shirt and tore it off. The door was locked, they were home alone, time to christen the couch.