Chapter 56: Ready To Be Uncorked

"Oooh," Sam said with glee shaking Tony and Angela out of their shared reverie about the night they finally let their walls come crashing down and said, 'I love you.'

"We've made it to when you all were trying to sneak around and keep us from finding out that you were actually together, which I don't think I'll ever understand completely since it's what we all had been hoping would happen for years. But, more importantly, we're at the point where the Jag ended up in the lake as you two couldn't keep your hands off each other!"

"Sa-man-tha," Tony said as the tips of his ears turned red again.

"What?" Sam said, feigning innocence.

"I've been looking forward to hearing this story for two days. I only heard bits and pieces growing up," Katie said as a broad smile spread across her face.

"Kids, you do realize that we're really at the point now where we're not going to tell you everything," Angela said with a shake of her head. "Some things belong to just your dad and me," she continued as her mind wandered back to everything that happened following their dance in the living room…

Angela had barely slept the rest of the night, and as Tony confirmed the next morning, neither had he. Both of them had been consumed with thoughts of the other and what came next. Angela knew that in any other situation, they'd probably take it slow, but this was Tony, and they already had been taking it slow for seven years. She was ready for everything that being a real couple meant, especially the physical part. The few times that she and Tony had given in and made love in the past had been spectacular, but now with everything out in the open, she could only imagine how much more incredible it would be. It wouldn't just be out of lust and desire but out of love and the knowledge that they were finally truly together, hopefully forever.

But, then, things had completely spiraled out of control. Angela was a little taken aback when Tony said he didn't want to tell the family right away, but she understood and agreed with him that they needed some alone time to figure out how this was all going to work. So, when Tony proposed a romantic dinner at home followed by some dancing, she readily agreed. It was so cute to see him blush since, with Jonathan out for the evening and her mother otherwise occupied at the Adweek banquet (or so Angela thought), they both knew what he was really suggesting.

And it had started off very promising before they ended up at The Fairfield Inn trying to salvage the remainder of the evening. That hadn't gone as planned, either. It still annoyed Angela that Tony wouldn't just let them get another room after the debacle with their a/c unit, but she knew Tony well enough by now to understand that when he got upset like this and became so singularly focused on something, it was better to just follow his lead. And his suggestion to park the Jag at the edge of the lake had been a good one…at first. It was a romantic, if not the most comfortable, spot for them to consummate their relationship, and once they started kissing Angela didn't care. Tony's passion matched her own until they were both ready to be uncorked.

"You do realize if you had just told us what was going on, the Jag wouldn't have ended up in the lake and totaled," Jonathan said with a smirk bringing them back to the present.

"That's true, honey," Angela said. "But, we needed a little bit of privacy. I have to admit, though, it was priceless to see each of your reactions once we finally confessed," she continued with a smile as she thought back to what happened next.

Once she and Tony had showered after their unexpected dip in the lake, they found themselves alone in the kitchen with their customary cups of tea. Only this time, Tony's hand was resting on top of hers, and they were sitting as close together as possible.

"What a night," Angela said, shaking her head. "I have to admit, I really do feel like the universe is trying to tell us something, and I suppose we should listen. After all, it's been pushing us together for years."

"Yeah, but now it seems to be pulling us apart," Tony said, rolling his eyes.

"Or maybe it's just telling us to take a step back and let things continue to evolve naturally. I know we both want this, and it will happen when it's meant to," Angela said softly as a blush crept into her cheeks.

"I guess, but what do we do in the meantime?"

Angela smiled and said, "We continue what we've been doing. Supporting each other and our family, but without denying how we feel. Now that everyone knows, we can at least express our feelings out in the open," she continued before leaning over to capture Tony's lips in a long kiss.

Angela shook her head as she remembered how she and Tony hadn't shied away from expressing how they felt to the point Tony became a little obsessed with wanting to be around her. She couldn't exactly blame him. After all, she felt it too but just wasn't as demonstrative as he was. And she knew a lot of it came from the sexual frustration that they were both feeling since they still hadn't found the right time to make that part of their new relationship happen. They both agreed that it wouldn't be right, at least at first, while Jonathan was in the house, and life had become busier and busier for both of them as the fall went on.

After their late-night conversation at the diner, Angela made a point of being more expressive around Tony, which she could tell he appreciated. Well, he appreciated it, but the rest of the family seemed not to and started to just roll their eyes when they saw her and Tony together showing their affection. Mona even commented, after the situation with Mr. Hamilton, that they were too wrapped up in each other. Angela sighed as she realized much later that the entire family had been going through growing pains adjusting to this new reality, with everyone seemingly having an opinion of how Tony and Angela should feel and act towards each other.

It was only a few weeks later that they faced their first real test as a couple and one that Angela knew would be one of their biggest obstacles. It all started with the painting Tony had insisted on buying her. That had shined the spotlight on their perceived economic inequalities. Angela knew Tony was a proud man who wanted to take care of his family in all the ways that he felt he should, including monetarily, and the fact that she would most likely always make more money than him was really hard for him to come to terms with.

Angela remembered when Tony finally admitted it and how shattered her heart was when he confessed that he didn't know if he could handle being in a long-term relationship with her because of it. She had fled up to her room and cried into her pillow so that Tony wouldn't hear her. This had been such a fear of hers with other relationships that she'd had, and now, it was happening again with the man who was the love of her life. Was this the end when it had just begun? Was their shared fear about things not working out already coming true?

"Dad, you were really willing to sacrifice your entire relationship with Angela because she made more money?" Sam said sadly.

"That's just it, Sam. In the end, I realized I wasn't. I loved her too much, and we'd been through too much together. I knew I had to find a way to live with it, and although it took me a while, it was the best decision I ever made," Tony said as he reached for Angela's hand and kissed it softly.

Angela smiled as she thought back to how Tony had found her in the kitchen deep in thought while she absentmindedly made herself a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. His words, after acknowledging what a jerk he had been, still echoed in her mind all these years later, "I love you enough to give it a shot."

What came next, though, is what really made that night memorable. After their flirty little banter about opening the jar of jelly, Tony pulled her to him passionately and planted a searing kiss on her lips.

"Where's Jonathan?" Tony mumbled against her lips.

"He's in Hartford for that music camp this weekend, remember?" Angela answered.

Cocking his eyebrow, Tony whispered into her ear, "I think that's the universe's way of giving us a sign that it's time. I'm more than ready to be uncorked, Angela…"

"I am, too," Angela breathed as she grabbed his hand and led him into the living room before Tony spun her around so he could lift her into his arms and carry her up the stairs…