A/N: This scene goes down a little bit differently than in the show.
"Mrs. Micelli, do you need help mounting your horse?" Bradley, the young brunette with the thick braid asked as she led the horse over to Angela. "This is Daisy," she said.
"Yes, Mrs. Micelli, aren't you a bit out of practice? I'd say it's been years since you mounted anything," Mona quipped.
"Hush, Mother," she replied, refusing to look at Tony. "Um, you can call me Angela. Or Ms. Bower. I'm not Mrs. Micelli, we're not – well, we're not anything – we're just friends," she said lamely.
"Oh! I apologize, Samantha told me her parents had flown in and surprised her, so I just assumed...gosh, I'm real sorry, Ms. Bower," the girl stammered, her cheeks reddening.
Angela patted the girl's arm and was on the horse in one swift, graceful motion. "Think nothing of it Bradley, it happens all the time," Angela said, fussing with Daisy's chocolate mane.
"Mr. Micelli? A woman named Kathleen just left a message for you," a blonde, pretty college aged-girl said. "You can find it at the front desk."
Tony cleared his throat. "Ah, thank you, thanks. I'll call her back later," he replied.
"I haven't ridden in years! I'm looking forward to this," Mona said, hoisting her leg over the horse. "These horses have to be a little more exciting than the ones at Jonathan's camp."
"Oh, but those camp horses were so gentle. That was where I learned to ride. When I got back I begged Mother to put me in riding lessons," she said to Tony.
"Yes, we practically took out a second mortgage for those lessons. And what a sound investment that was," she said drily.
"It taught me lots of things, Mother. Intangible things, like caring for another living creature, being responsible and persevering. It's not just about the equestrian skills," she retorted.
Tony pet the muzzle of his horse. "I learned to ride at summer camp too. Before that, the only horses I'd ever seen were the ones pulling the carriages in Central Park. I fell completely in love with this horse named Celeste that summer. She was toffee-colored with a blonde mane – a real beauty. Then one day while we were crossing the stream, she got spooked by a water snake, kicked me off into the river and I haven't ridden a horse since."
Mona turned to him with alarm. "My god! Were you all right?"
"I was a little shaken up, but I was okay. That was uh, the day after I kissed Ingrid. So I mighta been a little distracted," he said, briefly meeting Angela's eyes.
Angela's eyes danced with his. "Hmm, that must have been some kiss," she smirked slyly.
"Fifty-seven seconds of pure, eleven-year old bliss," he said with a wink.
"Are you ready to get on the horse, Mr. Micelli?" Bradley asked.
Tony's face crumpled. "Do I have to?"
"You can walk, but you'll get to Matt's cabin much faster on the horse," Brad said.
He flung himself up onto the horse, gripping its neck for dear life. "What's her name?"
"Buttercup," said Bradley. "He's real gentle, sir. Mrs. Robinson, if you'll take the lead, maybe Ms. Bower can help Mr. Micelli. Buttercup and Daisy are good friends. They won't mind walking together. It's just down the path a good ways; when you get to the T-stop, take a right. Matt's cabin is another quarter mile, the one with the porch swing on the right."
Mona saluted Bradley and took the lead. Tony maintained a death grip on the horse.
"You have to kick her, Tony," Angela reminded him gently.
"What if I don't want to?" he replied.
"Tony, we need to talk to Sam. Stalling isn't going to help. We need to intervene as soon as possible," Angela said firmly/
"You're right, I know you're right," he grumbled, sitting up a bit and kicking the horse.
"Good, Tony. You're doing great," Angela said. "There are no snakes. No streams," she cooed reassuringly.
"No Ingrid," Mona joked.
"No Ingrid," Angela teased.
"You know, I wonder if Ingrid's out there somewhere, wondering about the boy she kissed at summer camp," Mona said to Tony over her shoulder.
Tony side-eyed Angela who was snickering again under her breath. "Ah, I think Ingrid had much more exciting prospects ahead of her," he said, relaxing a little bit into the saddle.
"You never know Tony, maybe she thinks you were the one who got away," Mona mused from the front.
The teasing smile slid from Angela's face. "I bet she does," she said, her voice suddenly solemn.
"Oh I don't know, Mona. Even with the braces, she was a real pretty girl. Smart and beautiful. She was goin' places and deserved someone better than me. But I hope wherever she is, she's happy," Tony said.
"Angela, do you ever wonder what your summer camp fling is up to?" she called over her shoulder.
"Oh, I have a feeling he's still charming the ladies," she replied.
"I don't care what Matt says. This is real life, not Little House on the Prairie! Now pack your bags, we are taking your teenaged butt back home!" Angela shouted.
Tony watched in amazement as Angela devolved into a place that was highly unusual for her, but had become all-too-familiar to him: parental nuclear meltdown mode. She had talked him down from the ledge, but now her motherly concern for Samantha was on full display, and she'd unleashed on her like a mama bear scolding her cub. An intense rush – of adoring affection and gratitude, of comfort tinged with shame – hit him all at once, right in the middle of this crisis and he took her gently by the shoulders, needing to touch her, hoping to ground her.
Angela had parented Samantha side-by-side with him through her teen years, always letting him take the lead, but there for him with an ear to listen and sage counsel on the mysteries of teenage girlhood. And without fail, she instinctively knew when he required a cool head to intervene and help him navigate. While she had been particularly mindful of their boundaries over the past few months in other regards, Angela had been in lockstep with him as he'd hung up the phone in Connecticut, ready to jump on the plane and take Samantha home herself. She was as invested in her future as he was. All complicated intricacies and unusual dynamics aside, this was unquestionably the mother to his little girl. And oh, he had made such a mess of them.
He ushered her outside, letting her continue to spin like a top until he took her by the shoulders again and sat her on the swing.
"I was 18! I annulled the marriage immediately. At least, I thought I did," Angela said. "She's actually proving my point!" she realized with indignation.
"I know Ange, I know. She's using anything she can to make her case with us. She's not thinking clearly," he said. She rested a hand on his thigh and took a deep breath in.
He gently took hold of her hand. "There you go. Breathe," he said.
She was quiet a moment, looking down at their hands. She met Tony's eyes. "I don't know what came over me, I don't want to watch her throw her life away like this. You moved to Connecticut to give her this opportunity, Tony, and she's squandering it. It feels almost, I don't know how to describe it - ungrateful. Selfish."
He nodded, but then thought again and shook his head. "I moved to Connecticut so that she would have stability, and a school where kids weren't beating each other up every day. A yard where kids weren't playing fling the rat. And yes, a better education, sure. But I got a lot more for her outta that move than I ever dreamed, Angela. By becoming your housekeeper, I gave her a house. A family. A kid brother. The package deal even came with a Mona," he teased.
She chuckled, her mood lightening a bit. "The rarest of creatures."
"She is that. But Angela, more than a gorgeous home, and an excellent school, where I really hit the jackpot was giving her a role model to look up to, a woman who is beautiful and confident and brilliant all in one package. Someone she admires more than anyone else in this world." Tony's words tumbled out in a clumsy bluster, needing to get it all out before he lost the courage. "I mean eh oh, why do you think she's throwing your past in your face? She's thinkin', if you could turn out okay, so can she," he mused, then bumped his shoulder against hers. "And eh oh, not for nothin' but you turned out more than okay."
She smiled. "I'm sorry, Tony. I came here to help you, to be your voice of reason and here I am flipping my lid like, like –"
"Like a mother who is watching her child make a very foolish, impulsive decision," he said, his voice quiet and solemn, his eyes on their threaded fingers.
"Yes, I suppose that's right," Angela replied softly.
"Her life is her own. She's eighteen. We have to respect it. You told me that, and I hate it but I know you're right. I know that's what we need to do. It doesn't make it any easier, but having you here with me does," he said. And he truly meant that. No matter what sort of mess he might have made of their relationship, Angela's being here with him proved they were a family - first and foremost, and at their core. And in a foolish, impulsive effort to run from anything that could jeopardize their relationship, he had managed to do exactly the opposite. And the irony was, on the other side of it, he was able to see how much she meant to him with more clarity than ever before.
She met his eyes and something unspoken passed between them, a gentle, almost forgiving reassurance in the strength of their bond. He was filled with the sense that while he may have irrevocably burned their blurry mess of a platonic relationship to the ground, a solid foundation of love and trust still remained underneath. And he did not feel deserving of her grace, her forgiveness, her reassurance - of any of it. It was beyond time to set this right with her.
Mona and Samantha emerged from the house, Mona's hands on Sam's shoulders. "Sam tells me there's live music playing down at the lodge. What do you say we table this, round up Jonathan and go enjoy ourselves as a family for the night, hmm?"
"Oh no, does this mean I have to ride the horse in the dark?" Tony whined.
"Tony, Sam and Mother can ride back ahead of us. I'll walk the horses back with you if you want," Angela said.
He nodded, relieved. Angela looked at Sam and placed a hand on her arm. "I'm sorry if I overstepped, Sam. Your father and I just want what's best for you."
Sam stepped forward and let her wrap her arms around her in a hug. "I know that, Angela. It's okay."
"Awww, you two, I gotta get in on this." Tony gathered them both up in his arms. He kissed the top of Sam's head. "I love you sweetheart," he said.
"Love you too, Dad."
"Let's mosey on back Sam, and see what we can see," Mona and Sam pulled themselves up onto the saddle and deftly rode off toward the lodge. Angela and Tony unhitched their horses and led them down the path in the same direction. "After you, m'lady."
Angela smiled. "Why thank you, kind sir."