Chapter 6: The Way We Were (Part I)

"Mom, Mom," Katie said shaking her mother gently on the shoulder. "We're here."

"Mmm…Tony?" Angela said groggily as she opened her eyes and tried to focus.

"No, Mom, it's me," Katie said with a laugh. "But that must have been some dream you were having!"

Immediately, a slight blush rose to Angela's cheeks as she remembered that she'd been daydreaming about the night she told Tony she was pregnant and everything that had followed…

"Katie! Nothing like that!" Angela said a little embarrassed but with a smile. "I was just thinking about old times. It's been a long time since the whole family has been together in the house." Realizing that the word whole was probably the wrong word choice, with everything that had transpired over the past year and a half, she stammered, "I mean that it's been a while since you, me, your father, your sister and your brother have been there together."

Nodding softly, Katie responded, "I know Mom. This is hard. But I think it's just what Sam needs. I think maybe it's what we all need."

Squeezing her daughter's hand, Angela looked out into the parking lot and immediately spotted Tony leaning against, what else, his black Jeep Cherokee. After all that awkwardness all those years ago, when she had first surprised him with a Jeep as his birthday present, he had never wavered. In the few new cars they had bought together over the years, his had always been a Jeep. It was as much a part of him as his scent of woodsy cologne mixed with laundry detergent. While she missed the Jaguars she'd had over the years, once Katie had been born, she had joined the minivan generation and graduated to an SUV before they decided, after their move to the city last year, that they could get by with one car.

"There are my girls," Tony said warmly as Angela and Katie walked up. Even after all these years, every time he first caught sight of Angela, she still looked as beautiful as she had the first time he laid eyes on her in her fuzzy pink bathrobe with an adorable but irritated look on her face. All these years later, she was still striking with her tall slim figure and long blond tresses. Even her face still looked soft and feminine and as beautiful as ever to him.

"My Katieface," Tony said gathering Katie in a bear hug. "You look wonderful. Work must be agreeing with you." Tony couldn't help but smile and like Angela, was still in a little bit of awe that this was his and Angela's daughter; all grown up and a confident independent young woman.

"Hi Sweetheart," Tony said next giving Angela a quick peck on the lips before they all climbed into the car.

"How's Sam doing?" Angela asked with concern in her voice as they left the station and headed towards Fairfield. "I'm so glad she and the kids are finally here, but I know this has to be so difficult for her."

Tony sighed before responding, "She's ok. Being back at the house has been a little rough for her, but she's handling it. She's really looking forward to seeing you all and Jonathan as soon as he's done with work."

"Speaking of which, on my way here, I called Shanghai Noshery to order dinner, so we're going to swing by to pick it up on our way back to the house."

"Dad that sounds great. I haven't had their food in ages," Katie said.

Smiling, Tony turned with a quick look at his daughter in the back seat and said with a wink, "Remind me, once we're all together, to tell you about the time we were there, when Sam & Jonathan were young, and your mom got her chopsticks stuck on the ceiling."

"Tony!" Angela said laughing. "I can't believe you remember that!"

"I missed so much by not being born earlier!" Katie pouted while grinning. "If only you two had gotten your act together sooner! I might not have missed out on all the good stuff!"

"Very funny, honey," Angela said glancing back at her daughter with a smile. "You came along right when you were supposed to."

After stopping to pick up dinner, they quickly made their way to the house and walked in the back door where they found Sam and Jonathan sitting at the kitchen table talking.

"Angela, Katiebug," Sam said getting up to give her sister and stepmom a hug. "I'm so happy to see you."

"Us too, sweetheart," Angela said warmly. "We're so glad you're here."

"Hi Mom, Tony, Katie," Jonathan said giving Tony a hug and his mom and Katie each a kiss on the cheek. "I was able to close the gallery a little early tonight and the traffic from Greenwich was pretty light for a Friday."

Angela smiled back at her son. She was as proud of him as she was of Katie and Samantha. He had found his love of art soon after being the only one to be able to describe the Cassoulet lithograph that Tony had bought for her during that awkward period when they were still trying to figure out their relationship. Tony had such a difficult time letting go of needing to be the provider, from a monetary perspective, but in the end, she had assured him that he provided so many other more important things that she needed, and he loved her enough to let that be enough.

Jonathan and his partner Tobin now owned a very exclusive and successful art gallery in Greenwich and had been living in Mona's apartment for the last couple of years as they grew their business.

"When does Tobin get back?" Tony asked as he started to unpack the Chinese food. "Sorry he couldn't be here tonight."

"He'll be back tomorrow," Jonathan said. "I know he's sorry to miss seeing everyone tonight, but it's also kinda nice that it's just us; that doesn't happen very often anymore."

"Very true," Tony said nodding his head. "And I think I know just what this family needs. I think there's some firewood left outside. I say we build a fire. Even though it's summer, we need a good old-fashioned night of sitting in front of the fireplace; maybe telling some juicy stories," he finished with a wink.

"Juicy stories?" Sam and Jonathan said in unison just like they had done as kids.

"Oooh, sounds fun to me," Katie said. "Maybe I'll finally get to hear more about what I missed over those first 8 years!"

"Definitely," Sam said with a provocative smile. "I think we all might learn a few things tonight. C'mon Dad, Angela. Now that we're all adults, I think Jonathan and I have a few questions about what went on between you two over those 8 years. We know it wasn't as innocent as what you led us to believe when we were kids."

Tony glanced over at Angela and to his surprise, she smiled back at him and with her own wink said "Why not? We're a family, but there's probably a few things we've neglected to tell you all over the years."

With a bit of a gulp, Tony followed the rest of the family into the living room…