Hope for All- chapter 21
The rumors started practically the moment Angela and Tony started their days the following Monday morning. Tony was stopped a half a dozen times on his daily morning run. Angela and Mona were met with stares while waiting for the morning train. Mona finally had some choice words with some PTA parents who could not stop staring at Angela. Tony opted to do his grocery shopping two towns over, just for the peace and quiet. Despite feeling like they were living under a microscope, both Tony and Angela were in their own little world getting ready for their weekend away. Angela's bloodwork came back all normal, which gave them a renewed sense of hope. By Friday morning, the jeep was packed and they were saying their goodbyes to Mona and the kids.
"Okay kids- you listen to Mona… well maybe use your own judgement! Samantha- you need to watch out for Jonathan. Make sure he eats and if he loses even an ounce, has even a paper cut, I will hold the two of you responsible! I wrote down the resort address and phone number just in case. Am I missing anything?" asked Tony.
"Aside from your marbles if you think we are calling you for anything this weekend. Ma and Pa are out of the house… it's party time! Well, at least for me that is… C'mon kids, say your goodbyes to these two stiffs and I'll swing by school to drop you both off" she said as she gave Angela and Tony a quick hug goodbye.
"Oh I'm going to miss you both! Like Tony said, call us if you need anything. We will be back late Sunday afternoon. I love you both!" she said through tears as she hugged both Samantha and Jonathan. Tony ushered her out the door, turning back to Mona, Samantha and Jonathan, giving them a thumbs up as he walked out to meet Angela.
"All right troops! I thought they'd never leave! I'm going to go call both of you out of school. You each have your lists from Tony. The most important things we need to remember are to stop at the florist, our clothes for the ceremony, the rings and the playlist for them to dance to at the reception. Okay everyone- meet back down here in an hour and we will head out" she said as they all ran off to get ready.
Tony and Angela were making good time to the resort. Angela dozed off on the way, giving Tony some time to think about everything he planned for the morning and afternoon. He kept patting his jacket pocket, making sure the engagement ring was secured in it's place. He did a mental check of the guest list- the five of them, Mrs. Rossini and her uncle Al- a young kid the family met a few weeks ago that Tony tried to take under his wing, Wendy and Isabelle as well as their partners, Bonnie- at the request of Samantha, Pee Wee, Philly Fingers, Joey and his wife and Eddie. He was over the moon when he found out that Angela's friend Emily would be coming too, something he thought Eddie would appreciate as well. It brought the total to eighteen people.
Around 11am, Tony pulled into a gas station about 15 minutes from the resort to fill up, while Angela went to use the restroom and buy some snacks and things for the trip. Once Tony finished, he quickly found a pay phone and called the resort, confirming their arrival and the wedding festivities. They still had time until their check in time of 12pm, so Tony opted to have a picnic by a local park before heading to the resort. He needed Angela to be in the room by 12:30 the latest so ensure they wouldn't run into Mona and the kids. It didn't take much convincing to make the stop as Angela's appetite had officially returned now that the morning sickness had all but disappeared.
"Oh Tony this is so beautiful! This whole area is so pretty- I can't wait to see the resort!" she said as Tony put a blanket down on the grass. He brought out two pillows to make Angela more comfortable- as it was, it was a challenge to help her down and find a comfortable spot. He arranged the food on the blanket and poured them each a glass of sparkling cider.
"Here's to us- may this only be the beginning Angela" he said as he clinked her glass with his own.
"Here's to finally being able to put ourselves first and enjoy our relationship, at least for the next few months that is!" she said with a laugh.
"I'll drink to that!" he laughed and finished off his drink. They talked about work, school,
the twins and the kids as they ate their lunch. They agreed to talk about all the home life stuff now, but once they got to the resort, all of that was off limits. They wanted their time to just be about them, no one else. Once they finished and had time to enjoy the beautiful views, Tony packed them up and helped Angela up off the ground. They headed back to the car and headed towards the resort. As they were pulling up, they could see the workers setting up for an outdoor wedding. Tony smiled and said a quick thank you prayer for the beautiful spring day weather.
"Oh look Tony! Someone is getting married today! It's so beautiful! Maybe we can walk by later and see up close" she said.
"Angela! I didn't think you were the snooping type!" he laughed as he put the car in park. "Hang out here while I go check us in. We may have to move the car if our room is on the other side" he said as he kissed her and got out of the car.
Once inside, he checked in and made sure to double check all the arrangements. He had booked the room they were heading to now but also the bridal suite, which when Mona and the kids got here, would be their room until they met up. He quickly grabbed the key and last minute paperwork and headed back out of the car. He drove the car around to the other side and brought the bags, trying to avoid Angela carrying in anything heavy.
Once at the door, he took the key out and opened the door for Angela. Angela walked in and saw the largest arrangement of pink flowers she had ever seen, with a bottle of sparkling cider chilling in a stand. There were rose petals strewn across the bed and a box of chocolates leaning against the flower vase.
"Tony! You did all of this? It's beautiful! What else do you have up your sleeve for this weekend?" she asked coyly as she wrapped her arms around his neck and leaned in for a kiss. He smiled and pulled her in as close as the baby bump would allow and reciprocated the kiss, deepening it as he led them to the loveseat. Sitting down first, he gently pulled Angela down into his lap. Their kissing intensified and would have lead to an afternoon of unbridled passion for both of them had Tony not been able to come to his senses and slowed things down, much to Angela's dismay. She gave him a pout when he pulled back.
"You have no idea how much I want to ravish you right here and now Angela… but I've got plans for us today and I don't want to ruin them. This will have to wait…" he said as he kissed her again. "How about we both get freshened up and head out to explore the grounds of the resort?" he asked.
"Staying in here all day and then all night long sounds much more appealing… but it's such a nice day out, we really should get some fresh air. Okay! Let me freshen up" she said as she grabbed her things and headed into the bathroom.
Tony quickly made a phone call to the front desk to confirm the family's arrival. He hung up and went to get her engagement ring out of his coat pocket. He took a quick glance at the ring and put it back into his coat pocket. He grabbed his bag and took out what he needed to get ready and waited for Angela. After a few minutes, she came out of the bathroom and Tony went in. He washed his face and reapplied some cologne. His nerves were starting to get the best of him and he had to take some deep breaths before heading back out into the main room.
"Okay Angela are you ready to go?" he asked as he went to grab his coat. He helped her into her coat and headed out of the room. They walked their way around to the front of the resort where the wedding was still being set up. The gazebo was being adorned with pink bunting and flowers. They were able to sit at a bench on the other side of the pond that overlooked the scene.
"This place really is beautiful! That gazebo is so beautiful overlooking the pond. I bet that couple's wedding photos will be gorgeous, especially if it's right at sunset" she said as she cuddled into Tony. She noticed Tony seemed a little distracted and looked up at him with a questioning look. "Are you okay Tony? You are awful quiet" she said.
"Oh sorry Angela. I was just thinking about us. Can you believe we've been in each other's lives for over five years? It seems like yesterday I knocked on your door, you in your bathrobe, me in that old jacket, Jonathan with his snake, Sam with her shiner and Mona… well Mona just being Mona!" he chuckled. "Seriously though, these past five years have been some of the happiest times of my life. The family we have built and are continuing to build" he said as he placed his hand on her stomach, "mean the absolute world to me. You mean the absolute world to me Angela. I had this whole speech in my head of what I would say, but I think my nerves are getting the best of me!" he laughed nervously.
Angela was starting to realize what was happening and she began to tear up, placing her hand to her mouth.
"Before we go any further, there's something I need to ask you two" he said as he knelt down next to Angela, placing his hands back on her stomach. Tears were now falling down Angela's face.
"So I would have done this earlier when I asked your older sister Samantha and older brother Jonathan, but it's kinda hard for you both to be away from your beautiful Mommy right now, so I had to wait until the last minute. In just a minute, I'm going to ask your Mommy to make me the happiest, luckiest guy in the world by asking her to marry me. I've even got a beautiful ring, although it pales in comparison to how beautiful your Mommy is, that I am sure. I know you guys can't answer me, but I'm going to take a leap of faith and assume you both will be okay with it, just like your big brother and sister. And of course your Grandma was okay with it too- one day when you are both old enough, I'll give you her exact reaction!" he laughed, as did Angela.
Tony moved his hands and took Angela's hand in his, pulling out the ring box with his other hand. He managed to open the box and placed it in front of Angela.
"Angela- you are the most important person in my life. You are my soulmate, the mother of my four children, the daughter of my soon to be crazy mother-in-law, my better half, the person I want to spend the rest of my life with- I love you Angela Katherine Bower. Will you make me the happiest, luckiest guy in the world and marry me?" he asked.
Angela could no longer contain the tears and was in full on crying mode. She was able to get a hold of her emotions long enough to formulate words.
"Oh Tony! That was so beautiful! I've waited for this moment for longer than I can remember. Nothing would make me happier than to be your wife. So yes! A thousand times yes!" she shouted as she practically leapt into his arms, wrapping her own arms around him and kissing him passionately. He nearly fell over but was able to recover his balance in time. They pulled away from each other and Tony was able to take the ring out of the box and place it on her left ring finger. She couldn't help looking at the ring and then back at Tony, taking it all in, having to remind herself this was real, not just a wonderful dream.
"So Angela… there's one more surprise and I'm really hoping you will love it… or at least not kill me for it!" he laughed nervously. She couldn't imagine wanting anything other than to make love to him for the rest of the day- being mad at him or wanting to kill him seemed like a foreign concept.
"Walk with me okay?" he asked as he took her hand in his and pulled her close to him. She wondered what the surprise was as they continued to walk towards the gazebo. Once they got to the gazebo, where they had just finished putting the finishing touches on the wedding decor, Tony stopped them and turned to Angela.
"See, the thing is Angela. I didn't just bring you up here to ask you to marry me. I brought you here so you would marry me… today" he said as he grabbed both of her hands in his and gestured to the beautiful set up around them.
"What did you say? Marry you today?" she asked, barely able to comprehend what he was asking.
"Yes Angela, marry me today. Make me the happiest guy on the planet by marrying me today, right here in this beautiful place. Everything is already arranged. The ceremony will start at 4pm and the reception dinner would follow afterwards. The only thing still needed is… you" he said with hopeful puppy dog eyes he knew she'd have a hard time denying.
"What about all the arrangements- my dress, your tuxedo, the flowers, music, not to mention our friends and family!" she shouted.
Just then, Tony glanced over her shoulder as Mona, Samantha and Jonathan walked up to the gazebo. Angela turned around and was overcome with emotion.
"You think we'd miss this wedding? Dream on!" quipped Mona. "Yeah Mom! You have to say yes now!" laughed Jonathan.
"C'mon Angela! You know you want to! And besides, I heard this place has the best baby quiches, one of your favorites!" laughed Samantha.
"So what do you say? The food is ordered, the guests, beyond these guys, are on their way, the dresses and tuxedos are ready, the music is in order. C'mon let's do this!" said Tony. A smile was starting to form on Angela's face as she looked at each of them and then finally back at Tony.
"Alright already! Yes let's do this! Let's get married today!" she said enthusiastically as she leaned back into Tony's arms and held his gaze before he kissed her lips.
"Okay enough you two love birds! We only have three hours to get this show on the road! Let's head back to the rooms and start getting ready!" said Mona as the family walked together towards the resort.