Savor the Rewrite: chapter 10 Field of Screams
Tony and Angela arrived home the following week, trying their best to fight off jet lag. They told the family all about their honeymoon and their time with Nanna. Mona waited until the end of their story and hit them both with an "I told you so" before sauntering out the door.
The following week, Angela followed up with her doctor at her ten week appointment. She was given a clean bill of health and they were both thrilled to hear the baby's heartbeat. She had developed a slight bump, something Tony couldn't stop caressing. He continued to cater to her every need and made sure she wasn't working too hard. She decided to work from home one day a week to start to lessen her stress.
By the next week, Tony decided he wanted to pamper Angela one day after work. He planned a romantic evening with just the two of them. He spent the evening watching out the window until he saw her car pull into the driveway and her walk towards the house.
"She's home!" he said as he quickly dimmed the lights and turned on the romantic music. She walked through the door as he turned around, swaying to the music.
"Hi…" he said in a sexy low octave voice.
"Hi…" she said as she shut the door. He came over to her and gave her a quick kiss.
"Trying to save on electricity?" she asked as she turned back up the lights.
"No, actually I was trying to make some…" he said as him dimmed the lights again.
"You know it's been two whole weeks since the honeymoon and we shared any time alone there Angela, so what I was thinking what we would do is we'd have some hor d'oerves and then maybe we listen to some music and then a romantic dinner for two, well three… that sounds pretty romantic doesn't it?" asked Tony as he tried to cuddle up to her on the sofa. Angela seemed very distracted and wasn't having any part of Tony's advances.
"Tony… am I a good mother?" she asked, still lost in her own thoughts.
"Oh, oh yes and I've been a very bad boy!" he said. When she didn't answer him, he sat back up.
"What's on your mind Angela? Is it the baby? Are you feeling okay?" he asked as he started to panic.
"Jonathan…we had a fight… he called me at the office and he asked me if I would give him a job at the office and I said no and he said I was heartless and mean!" she said.
"That's terrible!" he said.
"I know!" she said.
"A mother who won't hire her son! Shame on you!" said Tony.
"I'm sorry it's just I don't believe in nepotism!" said Angela.
"Well you hired Mona…" he said as he saw Mona walk through the kitchen door. Angela, however, did not see Mona.
"Yeah, yeah… look at her. She's lazy and spoiled and thinks she's got a job for life. Just between you and me sometimes I wish I had never hired Mother!" she said.
"Sometimes I wish I hadn't relied on the rhythm method…" said Mona as she walked out the front door.
"Tony… am I a good daughter?" she whined.
"Oh please Angela! Cut it out! Look… where I come from, family helps family! Tu ti a la familia!" he said.
"Oh yeah? Well we Anglo Saxons have a little saying of our own. Self sufficiency!" she shouted.
"You are such a colorful people…" he said as he sat down on the sofa.
"It's his first job. It shouldn't be handed to him on a silver platter…" she said as she sat down next to him.
"Why not? Hey… if you got the silver, why not use it there?" he asked.
"Because, I don't want him to be some rich kid who never had to work for anything. If Jonathan finds his own job, it will build confidence and strength and it will give him a better outlook on life. I want that for him Tony… and Samantha and this little one here" she said as she placed her hand on her bump. Just then, Jonathan walked into the house.
"I can't get a job. I want to die…" said Jonathan.
"Honey what happened?" asked Angela.
"I can't get a job. I want to die!" he repeated.
"Now Jonathan, you've only been looking for a couple of days. I'm sure you'll find something!" she said.
"No… I'll never get a job. Which means I'll never get a car… which means I'll never get a date… I'll die alone and penniless up in my room. Well, I might as well get started…" he said as he turned and headed up the stairs.
"Tony… I've never seen him like this. I don't know what to do!" she said as she came back and sat back down on the sofa.
"You could give him a job at the Bower Agency…" he said. Just then, Jonathan came running back down the stairs, full of irritation and anger. Both Tony and Angela stood up.
"I just thought of something! I'm literally the only one in this house who you haven't employed! Your own son! Tony was your housekeeper, Grandma works at the agency, Sam even worked there when she was younger! This isn't fair! I deserve a position just as much as everyone else!" shouted Jonathan.
"You know Angela… he's got a point…" he started to say until she shut him up with a look.
"How exactly are you going to go to school in Connecticut and work in New York? Now that I'm pregnant, I'm not working weekends anymore. The best I could do would be the few days I'm working over the Christmas break" she said.
"Hey it's something!" said Jonathan with some hope in his voice.
"I've got a better idea… I saw at school a posting for an equipment manager for the boys' baseball team. It wouldn't be much- picking up after a bunch of jocks, but I bet I could pull some strings and get you in. You could do it after school and then make a few bucks…" said Tony.
"Really? That's awesome! I'd love to do that! When can we go?" asked Jonathan.
"I'll pick you up tomorrow after school and we will head over… what do you say?" asked Tony, more so to Angela than to Jonathan.
"I'm in!" he shouted as he looked back at Angela. Realizing she was outnumbered, she knew she had to give in.
"Alright, alright! Go for it sweetheart! Just please be careful!" she said.
"Yes Mom! Thank you Tony! You're the best! I love you!" he shouted as he wrapped his arms around Tony and then headed upstairs.
"What?" asked Tony as he caught her staring at him. She came right up to him, getting within a few inches of his face.
"I don't know whether to kiss you or be angry with you…" she said.
"I vote for the first!" he chuckled as he pulled her close to him and kissed her passionately, only stopping to come up for air.
"Hmmm… much better… so what was on the menu tonight for our romantic dinner?" she asked in a sultry voice.
"Come into the kitchen and find out… and if you're really good, you'll find out what's for dessert…" he said as he led her into the kitchen.
The next morning, Jonathan was awake before the entire household. He got himself ready and was eating breakfast when Tony walked into the kitchen.
"Hey there buddy! You're up early! You ready to start working?" he asked as he poured himself a cup of coffee.
"You bet! I can't wait! It's going to be my ticket to popularity I just know it!" he said.
"Let's just make sure you get the job first alright? So I'll pick you up after school and we will head over there" said Tony.
"Okay Tony! I'm going to get a head start! See you later!" he said as he practically ran out the back door. About twenty minutes later, Angela came into the kitchen and sat down. Tony poured her a cup of tea as he started making her some toast.
"Did I miss Jonathan already?" she asked as she stared to sip her tea and nibble on her toast.
"You just missed him! He practically flew out of here, he's so excited! I hope it all works out for him" he said as he sat down next to Angela to eat his own breakfast.
"Oh I hope so! I think it will really help his confidence. But Tony… once he's got the job, no helping him out! He needs to stand on his own two feet" she said.
"Of course Angela! He gets it… he's on his own! I mean… he might need some guidance from me at first… ya know being a former jock and all…" he said with pride.
"Tony… I mean it! No interfering!" she said as she finished her breakfast, leaving half the toast untouched. She took a few sips of her tea and juice before standing up to leave.
"Angela! You need to have something else to eat! You barely ate!" said Tony.
"I'll eat once I get to work. The morning sickness is threatening to rear it's ugly head if I try anything more…" she said as she placed her hand over her bump.
"I can't wait until you are past the morning sickness stage… you know it's my favorite time of day to… be with you…" he said with a smirk.
"Mine too… hopefully the next few weeks will bring an end to the morning sickness and we can resume my favorite way of waking up…" she said as she leaned in for a kiss. The kiss intensified until Angela broke away, putting her hand to her mouth and running out of the kitchen.
"I have that effect on all the ladies…" he said as he quickly cleaned up the kitchen and headed in to make sure she was okay.
Jonathan was waiting not so patiently outside of the high school as Tony pulled up. He jumped in the car and they headed over to Ridgemont. Tony and Jonathan headed towards the locker room and found the coach's office. Just as he was about to head into the office, a young kid from the team stopped them.
"I'm sorry sir, but you can't come in here" he said.
"Oh that's okay son… I'm Tony Micelli, I'm a friend of Coach Kaminski! C'mon Jonathan…" said Tony.
"Hey! Not so fast muscle head… you've gotta have an appointment to come in here" he said.
"See you don't seem to understand son… I played pro ball…" said Tony.
"Yeah, yeah… if we let in every old codger who used to warm the bench, we'd have quite a traffic jam, so move on…" he said.
"Now hold on a second…" said Tony but the kid wouldn't budge.
"Oh yeah well let me tell you something! You are approaching your twenty's, which is a very painful time in life!" said Tony.
"C'mon Tony let's just go home!" said Jonathan. Just then the coach came out of his office to see what was going on.
"What's going on? Oh wait… Tony! How are you?" said the coach.
"I'm good! Hey, this is Jonathan, my stepson. Jonathan, this is Coach Kaminski. He is the best coach this college has ever seen!" said Tony as they shook hands.
"Hey Jonathan good to meet you! Tony what are you doing here?" asked the coach.
"Well I'm trying to get in to see you but I didn't have an appointment…" he said sarcastically as he looked back at the kid.
"No friend of mine needs an appointment! C'mon…" said the coach as he led them into his office. Tony gave the kid a satisfied look and some additional comments as they headed inside. They talked about Tony's history with the Cardinals and how he started off as an equipment manager, segueing into Tony asking for the job for Jonathan.
"Jonathan's a good kid, he's a hard worker. He loves baseball and loves this school… c'mon what do ya say?" asked Tony.
"Alright Tony! I'll see what I can do…" said the coach.
"Oh thank you sir! Thank you very, very much!" said Jonathan as he shook the coach's hand. They thanked him again and headed out of his office.
"Thanks Tony!" said Jonathan.
"Welcome to the big leagues my boy!" said Tony.
"I can't believe you did this! Pulling those strings for me… especially convincing Mom for me! You're the best!" he shouted as he hugged Tony.
"What are former housekeepers/ stepfathers for?" laughed Tony as they headed home.
Jonathan was over the top excited to start his new job. He showed up early each afternoon and stayed late, making sure everything was in place. The coach gave him positive praise, helping to boost his self confidence. He even found himself socializing with some of the younger guys on the team.
Friday morning came and Tony was making breakfast for the family. Jonathan came down to grab his breakfast before heading out to school.
"Thanks for the breakfast Tony. Tonight's the team's first game so I won't be home until late. Can you hold dinner for me?" asked Jonathan.
"I'll do one better! I'm coming to the game! How about we go out for dinner, just you and I? Your Mom is going to be exhausted by the time she gets home from work so it can just be us guys!" said Tony as he put his arm around his shoulder.
"Alright! Sounds good! Thanks Tony!" he said as he headed out the kitchen door. Just then, Ernie came in the back door with a new water cooler stand.
"Hey Ernie… how's it going?" asked Tony as he put the dishes in the sink.
"Not too bad… don't have too bad of a schedule today so I'm thinking of cutting out early and going bowling. You wanna come?" asked Ernie.
"No I can't. I'm taking Jonathan out to dinner after the baseball game. It will just be us since Angela will be too tired after working a full week" said Tony.
"I can't believe you two are having a kid together! It seems like just yesterday you two were pining for each other, the sexual tension so thick you could cut it with a knife… now look at ya! My boy finally grew up!" laughed Ernie.
"Knock it off would ya…" said Tony. Just then, Jonathan came back into the house as he realized he forgot his textbook and his lunch. He grabbed his book, heading into the kitchen, stopping by the swinging door as he started to overhear the conversation.
"So Tony… what do you want, a boy or a girl?" asked Ernie.
"Oh I don't care… as long as they are healthy…" said Tony.
"But c'mon Tony! Don't you want a son? You've got Samantha already! Someone to carry on the Micelli name! Tony Jr!" said Ernie. Jonathan was listening intently at the door.
"A son would be nice… someone to carry on the Micelli name… someone to maybe wear my number again…" said Tony. Jonathan backed away from the door, his heart broken. He couldn't believe he was so stupid to think Tony considered him his son. He ran out the front door so fast he forgot his lunch and didn't hear the rest of the conversation.
"What am I saying! I have a son in Jonathan! So it doesn't matter what the baby will be as long as they are happy and healthy. Alright I need to get to class and then head to the game. Have a good weekend Ernie" he said as Ernie headed out the door. He grabbed his books and headed out the back door.
Jonathan couldn't stop thinking about Tony's words. It felt like his dad abandoning him all over again but worse because this time he understood what was happening. He thought about just quitting his job, but it was really something he enjoyed. He decided that he needed to impress Tony to make him think of him as his son. He decided that he would work extra hard at the game tonight and earn his love.
Tony arrived just as the game was about to start. He grabbed a seat next to the dugout and waved to Jonathan. Jonathan just nodded back at Tony and focused on the game. He made sure the equipment was where it needed to be, things were kept clean and the bats and balls were replenished each inning. He was on top of his game up until the last inning, impressing Tony and the coach.
When the last batter struck out, winning the game for the team, Jonathan tried to grab all the equipment at once, bringing it back into he dugout. He almost had it until he missed the last step into the dugout, slipping and falling, bats, helmets and other equipment flying up in the air. Everyone in the stands let out a scream followed by silence as he landed at the bottom of the dugout, covered in equipment. The coach as well as the players, followed closely by Tony, came running to see if he was okay.
"Jonathan! Are you alright?" yelled Tony as he got to him. He could see he was already bruised on his arms and face, a small gash on his forehead.
"I'm fine…" he said as he tried to get up, but stumbled back. Tony grabbed onto him to steady him as best he could.
"I'm taking you to the ER. That gash looks deep and you might need stitches" said Tony as he helped him out of the dugout. Tony drove him to the ER and called Angela once they arrived. He was being triaged once she arrived.
"Oh my god Tony! Is he okay?" she said as she got to him.
"He's okay, just some bruises and a nasty cut above his eye. He might have a scar but otherwise I think he will be just fine. They need you to fill out some paperwork as his legal guardian" he said with a disappointed voice.
"Okay I'll do that and you go check in on him" she said as she began filling out the paperwork. Tony walked into the triage room as the nurse was finishing up stitching his forehead.
"That's some nasty gash you got there! But think of the cool scar you'll have!" said Tony.
"Yeah guess… whatever…" said Jonathan.
"I just don't understand. Why did you carry all that stuff at once? You could have really gotten hurt!" he said.
"Like you would have cared…" he said as he tried to hold back tears.
"Eh oh, oh eh! What do you mean I wouldn't care? You're my number one guy! My buddy! My boy! My heart jumped out of my chest when I saw you fall!" said Tony.
"I guess I'm just too clumsy. Maybe the new baby will be a boy and have your athletic skills. Then you'll have a son you can be proud of… someone to carry on the Micelli name…" he said as the tears started to come.
"Wait a minute! I already have a son I'm proud of and he's sitting right here! What makes you think I'm not proud of you? That I want the new baby to be a boy?" he asked.
"I… overheard your conversation with Ernie this morning. He asked you if you wanted a boy. I heard your answer…" he said as he wiped away his tears.
"You heard some of my answer I'm guessing… if you had hung around for the last part, you would have heard me say it doesn't matter if the baby is a girl or a boy because I already have a beautiful daughter… and a wonderful son. As long as the baby is healthy and happy… that's all I want" said Tony.
"You… you really think of me like a son?" he asked as he wiped away tears.
"Of course I do! From practically the moment we moved in, I felt such a strong, fatherly type connection to you. It's only gotten stronger as you've gotten older. I have to remind myself that you aren't my biological son more often than not. I couldn't be more proud of you if you were my biological son. I think part of me does want the baby to be a boy but that's just because I can picture all the fun stuff the two of us will get to do with him! Can you imagine teaching him to shoot hoops, going to Mets games, camping outside? You and I doing all that with him? It… it just melts my heart…" said Tony.
"Yes that does sound great Tony" he said.
"I mean we can do all that if it's a girl too!" he chuckled.
"That's true! She'd probably be better than me by the time she was three!" laughed Jonathan.
"Don't sell yourself short! You've come a long way Jonathan!" he said.
"All thanks to you Tony…" he said as hugged Tony.
"And thanks Tony… you really have always had my back, especially with this job, even when Mom was so against it… it really meant a lot to me that you had my back…" he said.
"I'll always have your back Jonathan… I'm just lucky your Mom didn't kill me!" he laughed as they waited for him to be discharged and go home.