Angela finally caught up to Tony at the exit. Both of them were out of breath by the time Angela ran up to him. Mona and the woman were walking up the path together, looking like they were deep in conversation as they headed towards Tony and Angela. The woman stood back as Mona walked ahead to join them.

"Tony, Tony… I know this is crazy but I talked to her and I really think it's Marie. I think you should talk to her too. If you need us, we will be right over there…" she motioned to a spot across the path.

Tony stood there speechless, not knowing what to do or say. All he could do was look over at the woman and then back at Angela.

"Yes Tony… go talk to her. Mother and I will be right there if you need us" she said calmly, doing her best to hide her increasing unease and deepening sense of dread as they walked away.

Tony took a few steps towards the woman, who closed the distance between them with a few short steps.

"Marie… is that really you?" he asked softly.

"It's me Tony" said Marie.

"But you're dead… or at least you're supposed to be! I buried you twelve years ago! What… what in the hell is going on?" asked Tony with a sense of urgency and a touch of anger in his voice.

"Well I guess the best thing to do is just give it to you plain and simple. Tony, my death was staged…" said Marie.

"But Marie… I arranged your funeral… the eulogy, the flowers… I even watched as they put you in the ground at the cemetery!" shouted Tony.

"Well what can I say Tony… thanks!" laughed Marie, attempting to lighten the mood.

"What a day! I don't think I can take much more!" said Tony, thoughts of whether or not his legs were going to give out on him circling his head.

"Tony, I know you're shocked and this has caused you incredible pain…" she started but was interrupted by Tony.

"Yeah you might say that!" exclaimed Tony.

"Now I didn't do it to be cruel, I promise you that. I couldn't be married to you anymore…" she said as Tony's eyes got bigger and bigger, a look of devastation and anger forming on his face. He knew he couldn't stand there any longer and stormed off towards Angela and Mona.

"Tony are you okay?" asked Angela with great concern in her voice.

"No I'm not okay! I feel like I'm going insane! My life's been turned upside down!" he shouted. Marie came up behind them, coming up right behind Tony.

"My wife, who abandoned me and Samantha twelve years ago, shows up now just to tell me she couldn't stand being married to me!" shouted Tony. Angela put her hand on his arm to try and calm him down, but he just shook it off.

"Tony…Tony you didn't hear me out. For once in your life can you stop being the pig headed Italian jock from Brooklyn and listen to me?" she said as her tone started to match Tony's.

"Now I know this is rough for you but it's been rough for me too. Now you're going to listen Anthony Morton Micelli! Twelve years ago, your career was still taking off. Money was tight and I tried to find a part time job to help pay the bills, but I couldn't find anything. Finally, I asked my dad if he had any leads for work" she said.

"You needed money and you went to Nick? Of all the people to go to! Why didn't you come to me?" asked Tony.

"I tried Tony, but you wouldn't listen. Just like the painting lessons, you didn't take me seriously…" she said as a pained look formed on his face.

"Anyway, Dad set me up with one of his associates who needed someone to help keep the books for their soccer club. I was able to work nights a few times during the week. Mrs. Rossini was able to watch Samantha at night and I'd pick her up the next morning" she said.

"Soccer club? Don't you know that's a front for gangsters and the mob?" he practically screamed.

"Well I do know now Tony!" she laughed. "As I was saying, I took the job and it was great money. It helped keep us above water. It was great until… until I realized what they were doing. Money laundering, skimming the books, sex trafficking and… murder. One night as I was finishing up, I stumbled upon the head boss 'taking care of' some of his associates who were trying to double time him. I saw it all… it was horrible. I ran out of there so fast but on my way out, I knocked over a display and they caught me. They… they threatened to kill my Dad, Mrs. Rossini, you and… Samantha if I talked. I promised I wouldn't but they didn't believe me. They started to put me into their car, but I managed to escape. I ran as fast as I could to try and get away. All of a sudden I was pulled into a black van and driven for what seemed like hours. It turns out the FBI was doing surveillance on the club and building a case on the boss. They offered me immunity if I testified against them. I had no choice… they placed me into the witness protection program and faked my death. I… I couldn't let you know, I couldn't say goodbye or tell you I loved you without you all being put in danger" she said as she wiped tears from her eyes.

"But… but what are you doing here now? Why come back now?" he asked, tears in his own eyes.

"The case was finally brought to trial and I testified a few months ago. They were all convicted last week and I was released from the program to come home. I didn't know how to contact you but I spent the last week tracking you both down to Connecticut. All those things I sent you were the only parts of our lives I had with me the day I had to leave. I only kept one additional photo of the three of us on the day Samantha was born. I… I couldn't part with that…" she said, wiping tears from her eyes.

Angela and Mona couldn't stay silent any longer after eavesdropping on their conversation. They took a step towards them, Angela putting her hand back on Tony's arm.

"Tony… Marie… why don't we take this somewhere more private… maybe back to our… the house. As confusing as this is for all of us, there's one person we all have to figure out how to break this news to… your daughter…" said Angela. She felt her own heart breaking when she said the words 'your daughter' to Tony and Marie. She knew Samantha was never her own daughter, but the last seven years allowed her the chance to create that mother-daughter bond with Samantha, not to mention the future she had been building with Tony. She saw all of that not so slowly fading away with the return of Marie.

"Oh my god… Samantha! How… how are we going to tell her? I've… I've got to get home!" he said as he took off to the jeep. Angela again ran after him, Mona trailing behind, leaving Marie standing alone in the gardens.