A/N: The opening quote from Mona is lifted directly from Savor the Veal Part III, so all credit goes to the Who's the Boss? writers.

Chapter 4: Surprise! It's a Girl! (Part II)

"Another hot night, dear?" Angela remembered her mother chiding her. "I am not going to let you spend another two months up in your room moping."

She had replied that she wasn't moping but trying to heal from everything that happened which was true. It just wasn't the whole truth for why she was spending so much time alone in her room and in her study when not at work.

She had started to suspect something was going on about six weeks after she had returned from Iowa brokenhearted. At first, she chalked up the extreme tiredness, recurring upset stomach, nagging back pain, and even the lateness of her period to the stress and depression she was feeling over the loss of Tony from her life.

But as the days went by and she didn't feel any better, and when her breasts felt tender one morning in the shower, she knew she had to snap out of the denial she was in. So, she had bought two tests, which of course came up positive, followed by the discreet visit to her doctor who confirmed that she was indeed pregnant at almost 8 weeks along. Having just turned 43-years-old, Angela was not only shocked but worried, since her doctor had referred to it as a "geriatric" pregnancy. However, the doctor had reassured her that since she was healthy and in relatively good shape, she should be able to carry the baby to term with a few more frequent doctor visits and tests than she had to have during her pregnancy with Jonathan.

Ever since the pregnancy had been confirmed, she had spent as much time hiding from her mother and Jonathan as she could so that they (well really just Mona) wouldn't begin to suspect what was going on. She certainly wasn't ready to say anything to them especially when she had no idea what she was going to say to Tony.

She had dreamed of a baby with Tony pretty much ever since she had admitted that she was in love with him in her therapist's office five years ago. And when Billy came into their lives, it only reinforced that desire. She knew that Tony too had wanted more children. But, by the time they had actually gotten together, it seemed that maybe that wasn't in the cards for a variety of reasons least of which was her age. She had a feeling Tony had never really brought it up because of how difficult it might be to make it happen.

However, here she was pregnant yet alone at 43. She knew that the minute she told Tony, he would quit his job and high tail it back to Connecticut. The last thing she wanted was for him to give up his dreams because of how decent and responsible a guy he was. And she was also afraid that the resentment that she had started to feel in Iowa would happen to him if he came back out of a sense of duty and obligation. However, the idea of trying to find a way to co-parent with him in Iowa and her in Connecticut just seemed too painful.

So, she sat in her room or in her study at night desperately trying to think of a way they could make this all work. So far, the explanation to her mother and Jonathan about trying to heal had worked, but Angela knew that it wouldn't last for much longer. Her mother was too much of a busybody to not start prying soon.

The train lurching to a stop at the next station brought Angela back to the present for a moment. She looked at the station sign outside the window and realized they still had a few more stops to go before Fairfield.

She closed her eyes again, and her thoughts returned to that very turbulent time that she now thought of as "The After Iowa Effect" and back to what she thought was going to be another quiet Friday night. That is until she heard the doorbell ring as she was getting out of the bathtub.

"Is anybody home?" she remembered thinking after the doorbell rang a second and then a third time in quick succession. And then she had opened the door and there was Tony more handsome than ever in a black tux with a hopeful look on his face.

The conversation that had followed had soothed her soul and when they finally kissed, all she wanted to do was grab his hand and lead him up to her bedroom. But, she realized she had to tell him before anything else happened. She was beyond thrilled that he had come home to her of his own accord, but before they discussed the myriad of things that needed to be discussed or did any of the many more appealing things that were running through her mind, they had to discuss this.

"Tony, Tony," Angela said grabbing his hand where he had started to push her bathrobe off her shoulder.

"What is it, Angela?" Tony said taking a step back and looking at her with eyes full of desire.

"I want this. Trust me," Angela said licking her lips. "I want nothing more than for us to run up to my bedroom and make up for lost time, but I need to tell you something."

Biting her lower lip, she led Tony over to the couch, and they both sat down. Taking his hand in hers, she looked into his dark eyes that were looking back at her with concern, and she drew their intertwined hands to her stomach.

"I'm so glad you're home. We both are," she said softly.