Chapter 7: The Way We Were (Part II)
Gathering all the empty Chinese food containers and other trash, Tony walked back into the kitchen and deposited all of it in the trash bag that Jonathan had brought over from the apartment. Jonathan had also wisely snagged a couple bottles of wine and wine glasses thinking that the discussion tonight could definitely use some fortification.
Tony grabbed the open bottle and walked back into the living room smiling as he listened to Angela and the kids laughing and talking while he refilled everyone's glass. He hadn't even realized how much he had missed this until now.
Sitting back down on the floor, he leaned back against one of the wingback chairs and Angela settled in between his outstretched legs, leaning her back against his chest and shoulder. Jonathan was leaning against the other wingback and Sam and Katie were sprawled on the floor among the cushions from the couch and some blankets and pillows that Jonathan had also brought over. It was a relatively cool night for the middle of the summer, so the fire made the room feel cozy and just warm enough.
"So, how about some ghost stories?" Tony said when there was a lull in the conversation.
"Dad, nice try!" Sam answered. "Those are not the type of stories we're going to tell tonight," she said with a grin.
"Since we hardly ever have the chance to get together like this with just the five of us," she continued, "I want to make the most of it. I've been thinking a lot about love and family and the past and just how lucky we all are to have this family."
Tony reached over and gave his daughter's shoulder a squeeze as she went on, "And, the reason we do have our little family here is because you and Angela finally gave in to what the rest of us, well what Jonathan and I had known since we were kids, that you were hopelessly in love with each other."
"But, since there's so much more to the story, more than Jonathan and I know, and definitely more than Katie's ever been clued in on, I think it's time to start at the beginning, don't you?" Sam said with a glint in her eye.
Tony locked eyes with Angela, who again smiled and gave him a nod. True, the two of them had rehashed all the things that were said, weren't said, wished had been said and all the events and incidents that had happened over the first eight years of their relationship many times. But, if Sam, Jonathan and Katie were that interested in hearing more about what had been going on beneath the surface, he supposed that there was no time like the present to talk about it. Losing Mona and Hank in such a short timeframe had really reminded him how fragile life can be and that there should be nothing left unsaid.
"Well, Mom, Dad, do we get to play a little truth or dare but without the dare?" Katie asked with a giggle.
"Yes, you all win," Angela answered. "We're happy to talk about whatever it is you three want to know. Just remember that we are your parents, so a few things may be off-limits," she finished blushing.
"Ha, ha, but agreed," Sam said smiling. "I think we need to start with what happened about a week after Dad and I moved in. Jonathan and I were upstairs in our rooms in bed, but I distinctly remember having my window open and hearing Angela yell out the front door that night 'Tony saw Angela naked.' What on earth was that about?"
"Well, umm…," Tony started glancing at Angela who was looking back at him with a bit of a smirk on her face. "I had a date that night, so Mona had said it was ok to use Angela's bathtub to take a bath, since we both thought Angela wouldn't be home for a while. Only…"
"Only I came home early," Angela said looking pointedly, but good-naturedly, at Jonathan. "Jonathan had told me there was a school mtg. that night, but he got the date wrong. I went upstairs to take a bath and Jonathan was supposed to let Tony know. He didn't, so…"
"So," Tony said jumping back in. "By the time I was ready to take a bath, Angela had already been in the tub and was starting to get out just as I opened her bathroom door," he stammered his face turning beet red.
"What?" Sam shrieked cutting him off. "You saw Angela completed naked a week after we moved in?"
Looking at Angela, she continued, "And you didn't fire him on the spot?"
By now Angela was blushing too, but said quickly, "No, I didn't fire him. It definitely took us a bit to work through it, but as Mother said to me much later, she knew then that there already was something happening between us precisely because I didn't fire him."
"I never did get that image out of my head, so I'm glad it didn't have to stay just a memory," Tony said with a wink.
"Dad, ew!" Katie said. "But kinda cute. Still, it took 7 more years even after that?"
"Oh, that's only the beginning, Katiebug," Sam said grinning. "So many other things happened especially in those first few years. We're just scratching the surface."