Angela's heart sank when she realized that Tony's Captain Lobotomy act was just that-an act. She couldn't believe how he had tricked and manipulated her! She had been agonizing over how much she had hurt him only to find out that all this time he had been playing her. Did this mean he really didn't want to marry her? No, that couldn't be the case. He had told her in Jamaica that he had thought about them getting married. But the fact that her Mother and the kids had to talk him into proposing to her had thrown her for a loop. She had gone from happiness and exhilaration to defeat and disappointment. His proposal at the football game hadn't been much better. There had been a time she would have loved it. She remembered when Max had told them about how he was planning on proposing to Mona. Tony had come up with the sweetest proposal and her heart had been filled with love and hope. Of course he had back tracked and said it would be her and some other guy but she always held that proposal deep in her heart.
This time though had felt differently. It was like he was trying to prove something. That all he cared about was getting her to say yes. And not because he loved her and truly wanted to marry her but because she had shattered his precious ego. Unfortunately that had all been shot to hell when he turned himself down. And so for the past week he had been pretending to be upset and withdrawn because she had turned down his proposal for the second time. Unfortunately, he hadn't been upset. Instead he had been sneaky and manipulative. He had made a fool out of her and their relationship. And now he was babbling on about men dreaming about this their whole lives.
Tony had been relieved when Angela told him that she was listening to her heart and wanted to spend the rest of her life with him. He couldn't believe how well his plan had worked. He knew it was risky but he wanted to show her that there wasn't anything to be afraid of. Yes, he had been hurt when she had turned down both of his proposals but he didn't know what else he could do. He understood how hurt and shocked she had been when he told her that Mona and the kids had talked him into proposing in the first place but that hadn't meant his proposal wasn't sincere. But instead Angela had handed the ring back to him and walked out crying. His heart had felt like it had broken into a thousand pieces and it was at that moment he vowed to himself he would get her to marry him.
So after a week of not "seeing each other" he had come up with the perfect proposal. He remembered how awed she had been about his proposal at a football game. It had taken a lot of planning but finally they were at the game. Unfortunately she had been less than impressed. She told him that she felt like she was being pressured-and okay all those people shouting: MARRY HIM! MARRY HIM! MARRY HIM! certainly didn't help matters but all that he cared about was her saying yes. But instead she turned everything around and he ended up turning himself down. He had agonized the whole night over what he was going to do next. Then it came to him. If he pretended to be withdrawn and out of it maybe she would see how silly they had both been acting. And now the fact that they were here meant that things were going to be okay.
He turned and looked at her. Her arms were folded and she was glaring at him. Her eyes were like ice and her posture was stiff as a board.
"Angela? What?" He gulped.
"So, this has all been an act?!" She said in a low voice.
"UMMM an act? What do you mean?"
"Save it Tony! How could you do this to me? How could you do this to us?" All week I have been torturing and hating myself over hurting you. I honestly thought you were devastated about me turning your proposals down. But you weren't were you? All this was a big stupid game to you! So tell me Tony do you really want to marry me?! Because after witnessing how easily you went from Captain Lobotomy to-she waved her hand in the air- this it's pretty clear to me that you don't!"
Oh man this wasn't how it was supposed to go! What the hell had he done?! Angela turned away from him and walked behind the couch. She went over to the fireplace and stared at the fire. She felt an overwhelming feeling of anger and sadness.
"Angela, please come here. We need to talk. She sighed but did what he asked. She walked back over and plopped down on the couch.
"Okay. Fine. Let's talk. Let's talk about how you manipulated me! "
"Angela, sweetheart, it wasn't like that!"
She shot him an icy glare. "Do not call me sweetheart! And okay I'll bite what was it like? Or what was it supposed to be like? Was I supposed to feel all guilty and beg you to marry me? Well congratulations Tony your plan worked! Are you happy now? Is your precious ego intact?!"
Tony rubbed his hand over his face. "This wasn't how things were supposed to go."
"Then explain it to me."
"Okay. You want the truth? Yes, I was hurt that you turned me down-twice- and I thought that if you saw how devastated I was you would realize that it was silly of you to reject my proposals."
"SILLY?! It was silly of me?!"
"Okay, maybe not silly. But Angela. I… damn it Angela! It shouldn't be this hard!"
Angela wiped away the tears that had fallen down her cheeks. He grabbed the box of tissues on the coffee table and handed them to her. She took a few out and blew her nose.
"You're right Tony. It shouldn't be this hard. But for some reason it always is with us. You don't know how long I have waited for you to propose. But then I find out that Mother and the kids had to talk you into it. Do you know how that made me feel? Did you really have to have other people convince you to propose?" She shook her head. "I keep thinking back to that night in Jamaica. You told me that you thought about us getting married. I know at the time you weren't ready to propose and I was fine with that because I wasn't ready to accept. But after finally getting together I kept wondering when you would propose. I kept waiting and waiting. And when I realized at the lodge that you actually were proposing I was so happy. I didn't even care that my crown had come loose and I sounded ridiculous. All I had felt was an overwhelming feeling of joy. But then you shattered that joy when you told me that you had to be talked into it."
She was right. He hated to admit it but she was right. Mona and the kids had talked him into proposing. And it wasn't because he didn't want to marry her. He did. He had wanted to marry her for years. He had thought and fantasized what it would be like. But thinking and fantasizing about it compared to actually proposing were two very different things. As long as he was only thinking about it everything stayed the same. But if and when he proposed everything would be different.
"Angela, I'm so sorry. You're right. I had to be talked into proposing to you."
"I don't understand. Why?"
"Angela, for years I have thought about what it would be like to be married to you. I fantasized and dreamt about it. But as long as it was only a fantasy I felt safe. But when the reality hit I felt this vulnerability I had never felt before. I mean with Marie it was easy. We were high school sweethearts and one day I just decided to ask her to marry me. But with you-with us- there's more. There's more at stake. I don't know if I'm making any sense. I just. I do love you Angela. "
"I love you too." She sniffled.
"And I want to marry you more than anything. "
Before she could blink he was down on one knee.
"Tony? What?"
"You really didn't think I was actually going to let you propose to me did you?" He smiled at her. "After all I do have my macho Italian pride."
Angela honestly didn't know whether she wanted to laugh or smack him.
He held his hand out. After a brief hesitation she slipped her hand in his.
"Angela, I love you so much. I know it has taken us a long time to get here. But we're here. And being married to you would make me the happiest man in the world." He reached into his pocket and pulled out a ring box. He opened it revealing a single round diamond engagement ring.
"Oh Tony, it's beautiful!"
"I know it's not very big but.."
Angela shook her head. "It's perfect."
"Angela Katherine Robinson Bower-My Ingrid- " She giggled when he called her Ingrid- "will you make me the happiest man in the world and marry me?"
She looked into his eyes. They were filled with love.
He looked into her eyes. They were filled with love.
"Yes." She whispered.
"Yes? Did you say yes?"
"Yes Tony! A thousand no a million times yes!"
He slipped the ring on her finger and stood up. He once again offered her his hand. She slipped her hand into his and he pulled her up. He wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her closer to him. He captured her lips with his and kissed her with everything he had in him. He wanted her to know there was no doubt he wanted to marry her.
And after a kiss like that all the doubt she had felt melted away like ice cream on a hot sunny day.