If only he had gotten this job offer when he graduated. Things would be so different now and so much better. He and Angela could have and would have been happily married these past few years. Instead they had lost and wasted so much time. Of course he knew that he was mainly responsible for all the time they had lost. But, he couldn't think about that now. They were finally back together and in a few weeks they would be engaged-again. A few days after he met Renata in the park he had gone to the Country Club to drop off the home movies. She promised she would start working on it right away. He couldn't wait. It was like he had told Mona he felt like a little boy waiting for Christmas.

He looked at his watch. He had about an hour till his next class. He was hungry and decided to go to the cafeteria to get something to eat. He got up from his desk and walked over to the door and pulled it open, nearly running into Angela who was carrying a picnic basket.

"Angela! What are you doing here? I mean I'm happy to see you of course." he stammered.

Angela laughed. "Yeah, I can see you're surprised. She leaned in and kissed him. "

"So what's all this?" Tony gestured to the picnic basket.

"Well do you remember your first day as a student here? I came and brought you lunch in this picnic basket.

Tony nodded and smiled as the memory came rushing back. Wow. So much had changed since that day. He remembered how nervous and excited he had been to start College. That was until he arrived at Elliot's speech class and was humiliated in front of everyone. And now here he was a Professor and a coach at the same College with his former Professor as his boss. Everything had come full circle.

Life sure was amazing sometimes.

"I do remember." He took the basket from Angela and she walked in and closed the door. He placed the basket on the small table and removed the table cloth that was inside and placed it on the table. Angela got out the food and drinks and set them on the table cloth. Tony then removed the plates and silverware and set them out. They sat down in the two chairs.

"You know this is such a wonderful surprise and one of the million reasons why I love you so much. "

"I love you too and well I just wanted to make your first day here a little extra special."

"Oh, you make my life extra special every day sweetheart."

Angela smiled and blushed.

"You're cute when you blush." he winked at her.

"And you are a very charming man."

He picked up her hand and kissed her palm.

"Only with you Babe. Only with you."

Angela giggled like a school girl. "Okay, now let's eat!"

Tony laughed and picked up his sandwich.

"So how has your day been so far?"

"It's been good. I mean I was a little nervous at first but after a few minutes I had them eating out of my hands.

Angela laughed. "I just bet you did. See I told you they would love you."

"That you did."

"Maybe you should listen to me more often."

"Maybe I will. I mean you do give great advice."

"Well, so do you."

"I know. But, I was thinking about my first day as a student here when I was humiliated in Elliot's speech class.

Angela nodded sadly remembering how upset he had been.

"And I remember the advice you gave me. You said you wouldn't hire me because of the way I talked. And yes I was hurt and stunned at first but then I realized you were only saying it to help me."

"And it obviously helped because look at where you are now." She gestured around his office.

"It's because you have always believed in me. You have always been my rock and my biggest supporter."

"You've always been mine too."

"You know I remember the day I realized that I wanted to be a teacher."

"So do I."

"But, what I remember most was how proud you looked and what you said."

Angela smiled. "I said I always knew you would do big and important things. And I was right."

"Yes, you were." He got up and walked over to her and held out his hand. She smiled and placed her hand in his and stood up.

He kissed her long and deeply.

"Thank you Angela."

"What for?"

"For always believing in me. And most of all for loving me."

"I should thank you for the same thing. I remember when I was fired from Wallace and McQuade-"

"You mean when I didn't give you the message about them losing the toilet paper account?" Tony grinned.

Angela laughed. "Yes, and at the time I was so scared and well out of sorts. But, you believed in me. You knew just what I needed to do."

" I knew you should open your own Ad agency. And not to toot my own horn but I was right."

"Yes, you were."

He sat down and pulled her into his lap.

"And baby look at us now."

She smiled and leaned in and kissed him.

After a few minutes they reluctantly pulled away but stayed wrapped in each other's arms.

"So any plans for the rest of the day?"

"Yeah, I need to go over some papers Jack sent me."

"Okay, just don't work to hard."

"Tony, the doctor said that I am completely recovered." Angela reminded him.

"Oh, I know. I just want to make sure you're rested for tonight."

Once again a smile and a blush overcame Angela's face.

"See, I told you you are cute when you blush!"

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

"Hello Mona!" Joanne exclaimed and brushed past Claire and walked into the house like she owned the place and sat down in the chair nearest the front door.

"Joanne, to what do we owe this unexpected displeasure?"

"Oh Mona! It's so good to see you too." She turned toward Claire. "And um… I'm sorry, what is your name again?"

""It's Claire." she said through gritted teeth.

"Yeah, you've only met her a dozen of times." Mona rolled her eyes.

"Oh, that's right. Claire. I am very thirsty. May I have something to drink?"

"Certainly. What would you like? Water? Soda? Iced Tea?"

"Arsenic?" Mona smiled.

"Iced tea would be lovely. Thank you."

"Coming right up. Mona, would you like some too?"

"Yes, I would. Thanks."

Claire left and went into the kitchen.

"So Angela wouldn't happen to be home would she?"

"No, as a matter of fact she isn't. Why do you ask?"

"Oh, I just have something to tell her."

"What?"

Joanne shrugged. "Oh just something I think she needs to know."

"You're not moving into the neighborhood are you?!" Mona asked in mock horror.

"Oh, no. I just. Well I just feel as a fellow woman it is my duty to tell Angela what I know."

""Okay, Joanne, this is getting tiresome. What is it you think Angela should know?"

"You know Mona I was going to wait and tell Angela in person but I do think you need to know too. After all you are her Mother and she will need your support."

"Why will Angela need Mona's support?" Claire asked, coming back into the living room carrying a tray with a pitcher of iced tea and three glasses.

"Apparently Joanne has some distressing news for Angela."

"Oh really. What is it?" Claire asked as she poured them all some tea and then sat down next to Mona.

"UMMM excuse me? But aren't you supposed to be working?" Joanne asked. Her maid would never have the gall to sit down while she had guests over. She knew her place.

"I'm on my break." Claire retorted and took a long sip of her tea.

"Yes, now that we have that all settled. Would you now like to tell us what is going on?"

"You want me to tell you in front of her?!"

Her name is Claire and whatever you say to me you can say to her too."

Joanne sighed. "Very well."

"So spill it." Mona made a hurry up motion with her hand.

Joanne picked up her glass and took a long leisurely sip.. Mona and Claire looked at each other and rolled their eyes. Obviously Joanne was going to drag this out and enjoy doing so. As much as they hated it they had to be patient.

Joanne set her glass down. She sat back and looked at the ceiling and sighed deeply. After a few moments she looked at the other two ladies and shook her head sadly.

"Okay. I'll tell you. A few weeks ago I was driving home and was going past the park when I saw…"

"Saw? Saw what?!" Mona asked, throwing her hands up in the air.

"Not what. Who."

"Okay. Fine. Who?"

"Tony."

"Okay, so you saw Tony at the park. So what?!"

"Mona, he wasn't alone."

"He wasn't alone?" Mona then realized what was going on. That must have been the night Tony met Renata in the park to ask her if she would make the video for Angela. UGH! For all the people to see them it had to be a big mouth back stabber like Joanne Parker. If Isabelle or Wendy had been the one to see them she would have just gone ahead and told them what was going on. But, Joanne was a different story. She was one of the last people she would tell.

"So, who was he with?" Claire asked her own thoughts mirroring Mona's. She couldn't believe it. Joanne was one of the last people they wanted to find out about Tony's surprise and his upcoming proposal.

"He was with that waitress from the Country Club. What is it? Juanita?"

"You mean Renata?"

"Oh, yes. Renata."

"Okay? So they were both at the park. It is a free park, you know."

"Well they looked pretty cozy."

"What do you mean by cozy?"

"Oh, just a very warm embrace and after Renata got into her car and left Tony walked back to his car all happy and smiling."

Mona felt a cold unease rush through her. Obviously she knew that Tony and Renata's meeting in the park was perfectly innocent but Joanne of course had to turn it into something cheap and tawdry. Just like she had when Tony and her ran against each other for P.T.A. president and she out right accused Angela and Tony of having an illicit affair. She had to put a stop to this once and for all.

"I mean, I just can't believe that Tony would do this to Angela. And with a girl young enough to be his daughter?!" Joanne shook her head in disgust.

"Okay Joanne, you've done your good deed, you can go now." Mona made a shooing motion with her hand towards the front door.

"But, I can't. Not yet."

"And why not?"

"Well it's like I told you. It is my duty as a fellow woman to let her know what her man has been up to and with whom he has been up to it with."

"Joanne, I am going to say this once and only once. You will not say one word of this to Angela. Am I making myself clear?!"

"Mona! I'm only trying to be a friend. And you as her Mother should care about what is happening."

"First of all. You are not Angela's friend. Second of all there is nothing to worry about."

"I don't believe this! I come over here out of the goodness of my heart and you're basically just blowing me off."

"That's right. Now we've had enough. So you can go now."

"This is the thanks I get?!"

"Thanks? You want thanks? For what?! For trying to cause trouble between Tony and Angela after they finally get back together in five years?!"

"Mona, this is just insulting!"

"Well, since I have already insulted you I may as well go for it. If you say or even hint any of this to anyone here in Fairfield I will make you regret it."

Joanne put her hand to her heart in shock. "Are you threatening me?!"

"You're damn right I am." Mona said bluntly.

"And the same goes for me. Keep your nose out of Tony and Angela's business." Claire warned her.

"Now wait just a damn minute! I will not be talked to like that from the help!" Joanne sneered.

Before anyone could blink Mona stood up and picked up the picture of iced tea and poured it over Joanne's head.

"AHHHHHH!"

"Mona! How dare you?!" Joanne screamed angrily wiping the moisture off her face with her shirt sleeves.

"How dare I? How dare you come in here with these ridiculous allegations and then insult Claire like that?"

"Well I…" Joanne stammered. "Could I at least get some paper towels?" she asked Claire.

"Sorry I'm still on my break."

"Well fine then. This is the thanks I get. I guess I'll go." Joanne stood up and walked to the door. "And don't worry I can see myself out."

She slammed the door behind her.

"Good riddance." Mona muttered.

"Mona that was.."

"Annoying? Yeah, that's Joanne to a T."

"Actually, I was going to say one of the nicest things anyone has ever done for me. I mean she is right. I am just the help."

"Claire, you are more than that. You're family and my friend. And I always stick up for my family and friends."

"Thank you Mona."

"You're welcome. Now we have a big problem."

"You're right. We can't trust Joanne to keep her mouth shut."

"No, we can't, so we have to warn Tony. He needs to know what is going on."

" Yes, we do. But before we get into that I'm going to go get a damp cloth and some paper towels." Claire place her glass down and then went into the kitchen. A few minutes later she returned and began wiping the chair and floor. After everything was cleaned she went back into the kitchen and threw the paper towels away and rinsed out the dish cloth. She went back into the living room and resumed her seat.

"What is her problem with Tony and Angela anyway?"

"Well that's simple. She is still sore that Tony beat her out for P.T.A. President."

"They ran against each other? When was this?"

"Oh years ago. Samantha was thirteen and Jonathan was nine. Angela was his campaign manager. Anyway Joanne accused Angela and Tony of living in sin."

"Wow! But no one believed it did they?"

"Of course they did. You know the gossip mill in this town. "

"True."

"And at first it was pretty funny."

"Funny? What do you mean?"

'Because it was obvious even back then that they belonged together but they were in deep denial about their feelings. But then Sam and Jonathan got dragged into it."

"How so?"

Mona sighed. "They came home from the park one day and Sam had a black eye."

"Let me guess some of the kids gave them a hard time about it."

"You got it."

"So then what happened? How did Angela and Tony handle it?"

"Angela advised Tony to drop out of the race."

"Did he?"

"Yep! But, my brilliant daughter had an ace up her sleeve."

"And?! Come on don't keep me in suspense!"

"And then Angela stood up and gave this heartwarming speech about how Tony was the best thing to ever happen to Jonathan and to her-after she told them the rumor about them having an affair was totally bogus."

Claire laughed. "Good for her!"

"Then she smiled and sat back down. Tony was looking at her like he couldn't believe what he had just heard. I then stood up and re-nominated him. Some guy seconded it and before he knew it Tony was the new P.T.A. president."

"And Joanne is still upset she lost? I mean that was years ago!"

"I know. That is why we need to warn Tony. If Joanne was that petty in the past to accuse Tony and Angela of living in sin can you imagine how she will spin this?"

"Well, it won't be good that's for sure."

"That's exactly it. You and I need to do some damage control."

Claire picked up her glass.

"To damage control."

Mona picked up her glass.

"To damage control."

They clinked their glasses together.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

The day was finally over and Tony breathed a sigh of relief. Even though it had been a good day it had also been very long and he couldn't wait to get home. Even though he had just seen Angela only a few hours ago he missed her like crazy. Especially since the doctor had given her a clean bill of health. They both knew what that meant. After so much time and distance apart-tonight they could finally be together. He was both nervous and excited. He missed her so much. Oh sure they had been kissing and a lot of other stuff but they always stopped themselves before it would get to intimate. But, now that the doctor told them she was 100% recovered they were ready for more.

Tonight they finally would be truly and completely together.

He stuffed his teaching materials into his briefcase and put on his jacket.. He left his office locking it behind him. He walked through the building nodding at a few of the students who were in the student union. He walked outside and headed to the faculty parking lot. He arrived at his jeep and was just about to unlock it when someone called his name.

"Hey Tony!"

He turned around.

"Hi." he smiled.

"I saw you about to leave and was just wondering how your first day went?"

"It went very well. Thank you for asking Kathleen."