After Alex left, Angela dozed off for a while. Tony loved watching her sleep, but being in the hospital bed she looked so fragile. According to the doctor, she'd likely be going home on Tuesday. Dr. Shaw wanted another ultrasound done, which would likely be Monday afternoon. He spoke with Candy last night, and they have a visiting professor coming in to teach Tony's classes for the rest of the semester while they search for a long term replacement and a new baseball coach. Training for the season doesn't begin for another few months, and Tony gave Dr. Graham a few names to contact from his playing days. Since he is leaving on good terms, they're giving him time to clean out his apartment. He and Hank would be heading out the week after next, which should give Mona and Angela about a week back at home to recover before they headed out. He's getting a letter of recommendation from Wells so he shouldn't have any trouble getting a job near home. And if nothing else, his job as a 'crash test dummy' was available again. Odd how just a few days before they were looking at putting down more roots in Iowa.
Three new babies for their family, he thought. They'll be parents to infants and becoming first-time grandparents so close together. He couldn't be more excited or proud as he was right now. He really was a lucky guy. He loved Marie, but his love for Angela was so much more. They were best friends. They connected on a level so deep and intimate, there were times it even scared him before they had admitted aloud their love for each other. Looking back now, he would've done things different. Blurting it out while she was so upset was not the way he had wanted for it to happen. But when he said it again, he saw that look in her eyes he'd seen hundreds of times before, and he knew she was indeed his true love. The fiascos with the proposals was another thing he had wished he'd had a redo on. But Angela coming to him, proposing to him cemented their relationship even more. It sure has been quite a year! And he can't wait to see what the upcoming year will bring for them.
The nurse coming into the room brought Tony back to the present. "Just coming in to check on the patient," Nurse Judy said.
"She fell asleep about an hour ago. Do you need me to wake her?" Tony asked.
"No need. I'll just take a quick peek at her monitors."
"Okay. How's everything looking?"
"Everything is looking just fine, Mr. Micelli. Will she and you be needing dinner tonight?"
"I can grab something from the cafeteria, but yes, Angela will be needing a tray."
"We can grab a tray for you too if you'd like. After all, as 'Dad', you're entitled to one as well."
"Okay then. Thanks!"
"No problem at all. I'll be back in an hour to check on her again."
"Thank you, Judy."
Samantha called after dinner to check in and see how everything was going. "Hi, honey," Angela said. "How are you feeling? And how is Mother doing?"
"I'm feeling much better than I was earlier, Mom. Mona is enjoying all the attention Hank and Jonathan are giving her. She's being a good patient. How are you? Mona said you had a stitch that had pulled out earlier. Are you okay?"
"Yes, I'm okay. Just unable to get up except to go to the bathroom. And your dad is of course making sure that I stay in bed. I just am so grateful that he's here."
"Me too, Mom. Can I talk to him a moment? We'll be up to visit tomorrow, taking turns so that Mona isn't alone. I love you, Mom."
"I love you too, sweetheart. Here's your father." She handed the phone to Tony. "Sam wants to talk to you."
"Hi, baby. How are you feeling?"
"Much better. Thanks, Dad. I told Mom we'll be up tomorrow to visit, and I was wondering if you needed us to bring you anything."
"I flew out so quickly I only packed an overnight bag with a few things, and I'm getting to the last of my clean clothes."
"I'll do some laundry and bring you some fresh stuff tomorrow then. Anything else?"
"No, that should be good. Thanks, sweetheart. You and Hank are such godsends! Oh, the doctor said Angela will likely head home on Tuesday. I talked to Hank earlier and he and I will look to head out the following Wednesday and be back Saturday or Sunday then."
"Yeah, he mentioned that. Mona isn't thrilled about Mrs. Rossini coming, but knows that I'll need help with her and Mom, between classes and Jonathan being at school."
"Will you be okay? Do we need to hire a nurse?"
"No, Dad. Besides the experience you'd had with the practical nurse when you broke your feet…."
Tony cringed at that memory. "Touché, Samantha."
"I love you, Dad. See you tomorrow then."
"Good night, honey. I love you too."
Angela noticed the snoring in the bed next to her. She opened her eyes to see Tony asleep in the bed. How truly lucky I am, she thought to herself. This wonderful man is giving up his dream job for me and these babies! This was nothing like when she'd announced her pregnancy with Jonathan to Michael over 16 years ago. Yes, he was happy, but not so much to stay home from his 'crazy adventures'. She preferred to think of his work trips that way than the reality of what it was - he was abandoning her and their baby. Even all these years later, it hurt. A few years ago when he and the new Mrs. Michael Bower had a baby of their own, he was there for everything. She had to admit she was a bit jealous of that. But now she had Tony, the true love of her life. He wasn't just going to be there, he was giving everything for her.
She loved that man in the bed next to her with every fiber of her being. They'd certainly taken a long and complicated road to get to where they were now at, but it was so worth it. Stolen glances and sweet moments from over the years popped up in her mind. Their kiss at Inspiration Point when he came to rescue her. He had wanted her to complete her list. God, he is such a great kisser! That's one of the many reasons she had fallen in love with him. He was always so good with Jonathan, even before she'd officially hired him. She still couldn't believe how she'd looked the first time they'd met! That ratty bathrobe and her hair in a towel. And yet he'd still stayed and thought her beautiful. He'd told her during one of their late night talks a few years ago that he saw her beauty right away. She also had admitted to him that she'd found him attractive from the start. Those late night talks in the kitchen were some of her favorite moments over the years. Unfiltered, raw talks between them. If only they'd shared their love for each other earlier. Or rather consciously admitted it. How embarrassed she'd felt about the whole family hearing her bedtime confessions on her birthday a few years back. But it was no surprise to any of them when they'd declared their love.
Ah, that night in the tunnel of love at the carnival! She was so angry with herself for setting her expectations so high. But then he said the words that she longed to hear for so long, "Because I love you!" Her heart had nearly leapt out of her chest! And then that make out session they'd had for nearly an hour before the carney found them, she was swooning. Tony actually had to carry her out to the car. Then they tried to hide things from their family and had to get fished out of the lake. How embarrassing! But the family's support of them blew them both away. When Tony's childhood friend had passed away and he was trying to 'cram a lifetime in every minute', she supported him. Then the proposals came. Oh, how she agonized over every little thing that Tony had said and done and his reasons for doing them. When Mother and Samantha made her realize the issue wasn't Tony, she had seen it really was her. So she had asked for his hand in marriage. It was nothing like when she had proposed to Michael. Michael had never attempted to ask her; Tony had asked her twice, plus attempted at least twice more that she knew of.
Once they were engaged, Samantha started to call her 'Mom', while Jonathan had started calling Tony 'Dad'. That really made them feel like the family they'd been for nearly 8 years. And now with these two babies coming along, they'd all be connected through them. With that thought, Angela happily drifted back into a deep sleep.