Chapter 24: What Makes a Family? (III)

"Yes," Tony said carefully. "What do you remember about what happened?"

"Well, I remember that Angela was quite the nursemaid for you as you recovered," Sam said teasingly. "I mean, I know that Jonathan and I were both gone when it happened, but once we got home, Angela was constantly hovering over you."

"The main thing I remember is that Mom and Grandma tried to make our meals while you were recovering, and umm, let's just say none of them turned out very well," Jonathan said grinning. "Thank god we ended up getting take out until you were back on your feet."

"Hey, at least they tried!" Tony said smiling with relief. That night was a defining point in his and Angela's relationship, and while he knew the kids couldn't rationally know what went on between the two of them, he had no idea if Mona had maybe let something slip over the years. Angela had told him, pretty soon after they got together, about her conversation with her mother in the kitchen that morning while he was in the hospital recovering.

"Dad," Sam said interrupting his thoughts. "I've been wanting to ask this for years, but what happened between you and Angela that weekend? Mona never would say outright other than that's when she knew that you two were in love with each other and that it frustrated her to no end that it took another five years for you all to get together."

Tony took a deep breath and looked up at Angela who was looking back at him with tears in her eyes. He knew this struck a chord deep within her because she had admitted that she wished she'd had the courage to bring up what he had said that next day when she came to visit him. Tony knew, that for himself, it still was too early to picture an actual relationship with Angela, so he was actually grateful that she hadn't ended up asking him about what he had said. But, he knew that for her it was one of her "what if" moments.

Clearing her throat, Angela jumped in before Tony could start talking. "Leave it to Mother to try and further complicate an already complicated situation. The evening started off really nice. I actually managed to make a meal that Tony actually managed to eat," she said with a smile as she remembered the snafu with her tie.

"Polyester blend, or excuse me, I mean silk, never tasted so good," Tony said teasingly as he reached up to squeeze Angela's thigh.

"Yeah, yeah, we all know about Angela's unique pâté recipe," Sam said rolling her eyes. "But something changed between you two that weekend. I could feel it when I came home. It's like you got closer but also like there was an elephant in the room at least for a little while; I think until our trip to Mexico that summer. Anyway, what gives?"

Angela squeezed Tony's shoulder before continuing, "Well, we did have a very nice dinner and some good conversation," she said as she thought back to how bold she had been in asking Tony what exactly they were to each other. But, after the recent events with Geneviève, and their little make out sessions on Valentine's Day and at the jazz club, she almost couldn't help but ask. And when he had suggested that they take the bottle of champagne over to the fireplace and discuss it, her stomach had done a flip flop (thankfully not from the food), and she knew that she was willing to let anything happen that night and wouldn't pull back this time. Somehow, she also knew that, at that moment, Tony felt the same way. But then, the pain in his appendix had started and their romantic interlude was forgotten at least temporarily.

She felt herself blush as she remembered that her mother had confided in her, much later, that she had come back from her clam bake with the intention of grabbing some food from the kitchen and had overheard Tony crying out Angela's name in a way that made her sure they were finally doing something about all that sexual tension between them. If only his appendix had held out long enough for that Angela thought to herself now.

"Angela, earth to Angela," Sam said bringing Angela back to the present. "What happened after dinner?"

"Well, once your dad was in the hospital, I was incredibly relieved to find out that it wasn't my cooking that had caused his appendix to burst," Angela said smiling. "But, after they gave Tony the initial anesthesia, things took a bit of a turn," she said biting her lip. "Umm, he was worried about what would happen to you if something should happen to him, and he asked me to take care of you, which of course I would have done anyway. There was no doubt in my mind, by that point, that you were my surrogate daughter. But then, umm, your dad said something else…" Angela said her voice trailing off.

"I told Angela I loved her as they wheeled me off to surgery," Tony said deciding to just rip the band aid off and then waited for the kids' reactions.

"You said what?" Katie asked her eyes as big as saucers. "What did you say back, Mom?"

"Nothing," Angela said. "He was fully unconscious by the time I had processed what he said." Angela thought back to how shocked she had been and then how she had made her way home only to finally fall asleep at the kitchen table. And then, the conversation with her mother that had ensued about what Tony had said. Although she refused to admit it to her mother and answered each of her questions with a question, she knew deep down that she was in love with Tony and probably had been since their first kiss a year ago and definitely since that eventful night at Kissing Rock.

"Wow," Sam said shaking her head. "Dad, why didn't you ever tell us any of this?"

With a heavy sigh, Tony replied, "Let's just say that it was a tough time for me and Angela because we were still very conscious of not wanting to do anything that would upset our little family, and then as the years went by, it just wasn't something that we necessarily wanted to talk about. But, I'm glad that you kids know now."

"So, you just never said anything to Dad about what he had said?" Sam asked turning to Angela.

"Not till after we actually got together. I almost did when I went and visited him at the hospital that next day, but something stopped me. I wasn't sure he even remembered or knew what he had said until we started talking, and he basically admitted to it without saying so," she said thinking back to their obtuse conversation that day in his hospital room.

"Yeah," Tony chimed in. "The nurse had a big mouth and told me what I had said, and I panicked. I mean, Angela was still very much my boss, and things had been going very well between us, so I think we both realized that it wasn't the right time to upset the apple cart," he finished with a rueful smile.

"So, Mom, you knew that you loved Dad, and he had admitted out loud that he loved you, and yet, you all just carried on for the next five years like none of that had happened?" Katie asked incredulously.

"Well, I wouldn't say we carried on as if nothing had happened. We definitely had our moments during those five years," Angela said as her thoughts turned to the trip to Mexico that took place about a month later and that had changed the course of her life in a lot of different ways…