Mona entered through the back kitchen door in the hopes of finding some leftover vegetable soup that Claire had made. And also-she wasn't ashamed to admit- do a little more eavesdropping. She was hoping though that there wasn't anything to eavesdrop to and instead Tony and Angela would be upstairs making up for lost time. Curiosity getting the best of her, she put her ear against the swinging door to find out if she could hear anything.
To her surprise she heard the sound of crying. And it wasn't a happy sound. Instead it was a painful gut-wrenching one. She pushed the door open and walked into the living room astonished to see Angela sitting on the floor in front of the front door, her arms wrapped around her knees, her whole body shaking with sobs.
"Angela? What is going on? Why are on the floor crying and where is Tony?"
"He's gone." came the teary muffled reply.
"He's gone? What do you mean he's gone? What happened?!"
Angela lifted her face up. "I told him to go."
"But why?"
Angela shook her head.
"Angela Katherine Robinson Bower you get your skinny butt off the floor and come over here and talk to me." She pointed to the couch.
Grumbling Angela got up and walked over to the couch and sat down. Mona grabbed a few tissues from the box on the table behind the couch and handed them to her. Angela nodded her thanks and blew her nose.
"So spill it, what the hell happened?"
"He-Tony wants us to get back together."
"He does?"
Angela nodded.
"HOT DAMN!" Mona yelled. She looked over at her daughter. "So then why are you in such a state and why did you tell him to leave?"
"Because he thought I would just jump into his arms."
"And why didn't you?"
"You don't understand."
"No, I guess I don't and I am trying to. I mean here you finally have Tony back and he wants the two of you to try again and here you are telling me that you told him to go?!"
"Mother, he's only back in Fairfield because he got a job offer. If he hadn't he would still be in Iowa and engaged to Teresa. "
"Okay so? I mean that isn't what has happened so why are dwelling on what could have been?"
"Because he didn't come back for me or for us he came back for a job."
"Oh Angela get off it! I mean what the hell did you expect to happen? For Tony to show up in a tuxedo at your front door?"
"Of course not."
"I mean this isn't a t.v. show where the two main characters finally reunite in the last five minutes of the series."
"Okay Mother, you made your point!"
"Good! Look I'm not saying the two of you need to run off and get married right away but at least go out on a date. Or if even that is too much the two of you can take Nicky to the park. He can help bridge the gap between you like Billy did after the whole Kathleen debacle."
"I am not going to use my grandson like that."
"You won't be using him. You'll just be spending time with him and Tony will just happen to be there."
Angela shook her head. "I don't know."
"Look Angela, you both made mistakes. But what is done is done. You can't go back. Yes, Tony should have told Dr Graham that he wasn't going to sign the three year contract and come home after the year was up like the two of you had agreed on-but he didn't. And you should have been more truthful with him about how miserable you were instead of acting like some cheery step ford wife. And believe it or not I shouldn't have lied to you about losing the Prescott account. But the only reason I did that was because I wanted you to be truthful to yourself. But as I said, what is done is done. Tony is back home. Who cares why or how just be happy that he is back and that he wants the two of you to try again."
"I'll think about it."
"Well, I guess that's something. I mean the rate the two of you are going Nicky is going to be married before you."
Angela rolled her eyes but Mona caught a faint smile on her face. Deciding that she had said what she wanted to-for now- she got up off the couch.
"Okay, well I'm going to go have some vegetable soup." She turned around and started walking to the kitchen
"Mother?"
"Yes Dear?"
"Thank you"
"You're welcome."
###############################################################
"Grandpa Tony!" Nicky yelled running to Tony with his arms stuck out.
"Nicky my boy!" Tony cried, picking him up and swinging him around.
"Mommy said you were here!"
"That I am and I have some good news for you!"
"What is it?"
"Well let's go over to the couch and I'll tell you" Tony walked Nicky over to the couch and sat down. Hank sat in the chair next to it and Sam sat on the chair's armrest.
"Well you see Grandpa is moving back to Fairfield."
"You are?!" Nicky's face lit up. "YAY! You can stay with us and we can go to the park and you can make me Belgian waffles and.."
"Whoa Nicky! Slow down!" Hank laughed.
"Yeah, honey Grandpa isn't going to be living with us. I mean he is for a while until he finds his own place."
"Oh."
"But, I'll be able to see you every day!" Tony assured him.
Nicky nodded. "Okay." He looked around. "Where is Teresa?"
'She's not here buddy. Grandpa and Teresa are no longer together."
"You mean you're not getting married like mommy and daddy are and grandpa Joe and grandma Fran?"
"No, we're not."
"Then you can marry grandma Angela!" Nicky squealed.
"No. we're not getting married either." Tony informed him sadly.
"Why not? You said you almost did."
"Because Grandpa hurt Grandma's feelings."
"Then just tell her you're sorry. That's what mommy and daddy always tell me."
"I did Nicky but I hurt her too much."
"Then make her some chocolate chip cookies with walnuts."
"Oh, Nicky my boy if only it were that easy."
Sam whispered to Hank that she wanted to talk to her Dad alone. Hank nodded.
"Hey buddy, how about we go play in your room while mommy and grandpa talk?"
"Okay!" Nicky took off running down the hall to his room. Hank followed, laughing and shaking his head.
Sam got off the chair arm and sat down next to her dad.
"Okay Dad what happened?"
"She- Angela- she is so angry with me."
"Why?"
"Because I told her that I wanted us to try again."
"You mean get back together?"
"Yeah."
"But, dad, that's what she has been wanting for years. So why is she angry with you?"
"Because she told me that she couldn't believe that I thought she would just jump in my arms especially since I had just broken up with Teresa."
"Well she does have a point." Sam shrugged.
"And she also said that the only reason I am back is because of a job- not for her or for us."
"Okay that's a good point too."
"Gee thanks a lot honey!" Tony said sarcastically.
"Look Dad all I'm saying is that okay yeah you are back-finally back- because of a job. But, at least you're back. I mean yeah it would have been romantic if you had come back home for her and I don't know maybe showed up at her front door in a tux like when you received the award for outstanding new teacher of the year."
Tony chuckled. "Come on that's a little silly."
"Yeah, but it would have been so romantic."
"You're right it would have been."
"But there's nothing the two of you can do to change the past. All you can do now is look forward to the future-hopefully together!"
"I hope so too. Say, how did you get to be so wise?"
"Easy. I was raised by the best!"
