EARLIER IN THE EVENING: AFTER DINNER AND BEFORE THE MOVIE

Dinner was over and everyone was scattered in different directions. Mona, Claire, and Sam were cleaning up the kitchen while Jonathan and Hank were getting the living room set up for the movie. Angela had retired upstairs to get some blankets from the hall closet and Tony and Nicky had gone to the video store to pick up a copy of 101 Dalmatians that they were holding for him. While she was wiping off the table Sam couldn't help but think how distracted Angela had seemed at dinner. Mona had said they had a long day at work but there seemed to be more to it than that.

For one thing she had barely looked or talked to her Dad. Everytime her Dad had looked at her or talked to her she would look away or answer him in a short clipped answer. She had also noticed Mona looking at her with a sad expression and a few times Angela and Mona exchanged glances that spoke volumes that something was wrong. Was there something wrong? Were her Dad and Angela having problems? She really hoped not because after all these years being apart they were finally together and it would pain her if they broke up especially since he was planning on proposing to her in a week.

So wait a minute if her Dad was still planning to propose then things must be okay from his end. So something must be going on with Angela. And Mona obviously knew what it was. Without another thought she pushed the swinging door between the kitchen and dining room.

"Hey Sam, we're just about done here." Claire said.

"Yeah, the table is all clean." Sam told her. She turned to Mona. "Mona, I need to ask you something."

"Okay Shoot."

"What's wrong with Angela?"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean she has been distracted all evening, she has barely looked or talked to my Dad. I know you said you had a long day at work but I can tell there is more going on. "

Mona sighed. "You're right. There is something wrong." She sat down at the table.

"So what is it?" Sam asked and sat down as well.

Mona looked at both of them and said sternly: "Okay I'm going to tell you but you have to promise not to say anything."

"Mona, you're scaring me." Sam said.

"Yeah, me too. They're not breaking up are they?" Claire asked and sat down.

"I hope not."

"You hope not?! Mona, what the hell is going on? I mean Dad is still planning on..' She got up and peeked into the living room making sure that Angela wasn't there so she wouldn't over hear. Seeing that she wasn't in there she sat back down and continued.

"Dad is still planning on proposing so things must be okay on his end So it must be Angela. She isn't… she isn't planning on breaking up with him is she?"

"No, well like I said I hope not."

"Mona, you're talking in circles."

"Okay, you're right." She took a deep breath. "Earlier when I returned Angela's jade bracelet and necklace she was sitting on their bed lost in thought. I asked her what was going on and she held up a ring.

"Oh no! You mean Tony's engagement ring for her? Oh shoot, now she knows that he is planning on proposing to her." Claire sighed. "And here we were all excited about Tony surprising her."

"That's not her ring. I'm keeping her ring safe at my house." Sam told them.

"You are?"

"Yeah, Dad didn't want to take any chances of her finding it. So if it isn't Angela's ring then whose is it?"

"Take a wild guess." Mona said sadly but bluntly.

Sam and Claire looked at each other as the truth became clear.

"You don't mean…"

"Please don't tell us that…"

Mona nodded. "Yep, Angela found Teresa's ring hidden in Tony's dresser drawer."

Sam sat back. "Wait a minute! Why does he still have it? Why didn't he tell her to keep it? Or why hasn't he sold it or something?"

"I don't know but of course Angela thinks he still has feelings for her and is holding on to the ring in hopes that one day they'll get back together. "

"That's crazy. Tony adores Angela. I mean every time he talks about her or the surprise video and proposal he gets this goofy grin on his face. There is no way he still has feelings for Teresa." Claire pointed out.

"I agree. But you know Angela. She is letting her insecurities get the better of her."

Sam groaned and put her head between her hands. "I can not believe my Dad still has that ring! I mean what the hell is he thinking?!"

"Sam, I honestly think he forgot he had it."

"You really think so?"

"I do. Look, I'm going to tell you what I told Angela. Tony and Teresa break up because she doesn't want to move here. He moves back and wants to get back together with Angela and she rejects him. Jonathan graduated from college and then…" her voice trailed off, shaking with the remembrance of that awful time where they almost lost Angela.

"And then Angela had her car accident." Claire finished for her and squeezed her hand.

Mona nodded. "Yeah, and then he started his new job."

"So in other words a lot has happened since Dad has moved back and you think he honestly forgot he has it?"

"Yes, he probably put it in his pocket when Teresa gave it back to him and well somehow it ended up in his dresser drawer."

"So what is Angela going to do?"

"I told her to talk to him about it later. And I told her that there is probably a very good explanation."

Sam sighed. " I hope so."

"Sam, Tony loves Angela."

Sam nodded. "You're right."

The back door opened up and Tony and Nicky walked in.

"Okay, we got the movie!" Tony said, holding up the bag.

"Come on!" Nicky yelled and ran into the living room.

"Nicky! Stop running!" Sam scolded him and followed after him.

They all laughed and went into the living room. Angela, Sam, and Nicky were sitting on the couch-with Nicky sitting between them. Hank and Jonathan were sitting on the chairs that were in front of the fireplace that they had brought over. Mona and Claire each sat in the two side chairs. Tony turned the tv on and put the tape in. He sat next to Angela and picked the remote up and pressed play.

"Okay, here we go!" He put his arm on the back of the couch hoping that Angela would snuggle closer to him. Instead she moved away. Mona, Sam, and Claire noticed and gave each other anxious looks. Tony looked disappointed and confused but didn't say anything. Instead he leaned back and watched the movie.

Angela's thoughts were jumping all over the place. Usually she loved this movie and would be cuddled up with Tony to the chagrin of everyone else. They would be telling them to 'get a room!' and Tony and her would just laugh and snuggle closer. But, instead she was all preoccupied over the fact that Tony had Teresa's engagement ring hidden in his dresser drawer. She wanted to believe that her Mother was right and that he had simply forgotten he had it. After all a lot had happened since he had moved back and it was entirely possible. But there was still that doubt….UGH! She hated being so insecure but sometimes she just couldn't help it. As she continued to watch the movie she thought about how she wanted to approach the subject with him later.

LATER THAT NIGHT:

Tony and Angela were getting ready for bed. She was trying to figure out a way to ask him about the ring when he started talking to her.

"So I think Nicky really liked the movie don't you?"

"Yeah, I do. I'm glad he did."

"And dinner was really good too."

"Yes, it was,"

Tony groaned. "Okay Angela. Enough is enough! What is going on?"

Angela shrugged. "I had a hard day at work."

"No, it's more than that. You barely looked at me at dinner and when I sat next to you on the couch instead of moving closer to me like you usually do you moved away and I felt this chill coming from you. So what is it? Have I done something?"

He watched as she walked over to his bureau and opened one of his drawers. She took something out and walked back over to him.

"What do you have there?"

She held it up in front of him. His face grew pale when he realized what it was.

Teresa's engagement ring.

"Why do you still have Teresa's ring Tony?!" she asked, her voice shaking with pain and anger.

Tony gulped. Oh man, she found the ring. But why and how had she found it?

"Angela, how did you find the ring? I mean why were you going through my drawers?"

Angela looked at him with a pained and shocked expression. "That's what you're concerned about?!"

"Well, no I'm just curious."

Angela closed her eyes and counted to ten. She opened them back up. "Okay fine. If you really need to know. When Mother and I came home from work Claire was coming up from the basement with a basket of laundry. She was about to head upstairs when the oven timer went off. So I told her that I would take the laundry upstairs. And when I was putting your clothes away that was when I found it. So I'm going to ask you again Tony. Why do you still have her engagement ring?!"

"I uh.."

"You uh what?!"

Tony shook his head. "Angela, I never meant for you to find out like this."

"Find out what?"

"I kept the ring because I still have feelings for Teresa. "

Angela gasped and dropped the ring on the carpet.

"You… you.. " she was so overwhelmed she couldn't get the words out.

"I'm sorry Angela. But I still love Teresa."

Angela felt the tears streaming down her cheeks as she cried out….