The Room, Unslept In

by Ilenerobyn

A/N :: Did you ever wonder what it was like for Angela to return to CT – that first night of coming home? What was she thinking? How would she face the fact that she was going to be alone again? I've provided ruminations from Angela that first night being home. I've added some direct quotes from the show. I do not own these characters, the dialogue, or the original WTB? Series.

35. Chapter 35

The Room, Unslept in

A/N: Time for Chapter 35! A Thanksgiving holiday for the family a few weeks before the baby's arrival.

PS – I don't own any of the characters from Who's the Boss? I also don't own the song(s) I use in this story. I also don't own the dialogue I sometimes use in the chapters. I've tried to pick songs that remind me of Tony & Angela and their relationship. If you'd like to hear them, check out YouTube – you can find just about everything there.

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Chapter 35: Thanksgiving at Mrs. Rossini, Take 2

Two Days Before Thanksgiving 1993 – November 23rd

"Angela, are you sure you want to go into Brooklyn for Thanksgiving?" Tony was tentatively wondering out loud to his very pregnant wife.

"I'm absolutely sure I want to go," Angela said adamantly. "I want this chance to be with our family and friends before this little one arrives," Angela continued trying to convince her nervous husband to not change their plans for the holiday. She had her hand over her very large abdomen feeling another kick from the baby.

"Yeah, but the baby is due in a few weeks," Tony tossed back to his expectant wife sitting across from him at their kitchen table. Light flurries were starting to fall outside their kitchen window as the sun started to set, Angela noticed as Tony voiced his concern about going into Brooklyn for the day.

"I know, but I want to spend the day with our family and friends, and I don't want you to bother with Thanksgiving dinner when we've got so much going on right now," Angela continued to cajole Tony to ensure they wouldn't cancel their plans. "Tony, we'll get to see Billy, too. Mrs. Rossini invited Mrs. Napoli and Billy to Thanksgiving dinner. We haven't seen them since the wedding," Angela added hoping to further entice Tony to go.

"If you think you'll be okay for the day, then we'll go, but I'm still not convinced it's the right thing to do," Tony announced. "At least Mona will be there with us this year instead of acting as one of Santa's Elves. So, we'll have extra help if anything happens while we're at Mrs. Rossini. Mrs. Rossini told me that Sam and Hank would go to Joe and Fran's after they get back from Brooklyn so they'll be there, too. They didn't want to miss dinner at Mrs. R's either," Tony went on trying to list out all the reasons as he convinced himself to go.

"I'm glad the entire family will be together, Tony," Angela said relaxing and breathing a sigh of relief now that the plans were finalized. It'll be our last Thanksgiving before the baby arrives," Angela told him dreamily.

Tony moved his chair closer to Angela and placed his hand over her belly so he could feel the baby kicking. Angela's hand joined Tony's as it often did. "The baby is kicking up a storm," Tony said.

"Yes, and that's why I spend most of my day in the bathroom now," Angela mentioned frustrated as she tried to get off the chair. Tony helped her up and watched Angela slowly walk out of the swinging kitchen door to get to the bathroom. He couldn't help but smile knowing their baby was healthy and progressing on track. He was glad that Dr. Nicholas was very pleased at Angela's last appointment continuing to give Angela a clean bill of health. At Angela's most recent appointment, they were told their baby weighed about six pounds, and was 17 inches long, well within a healthy weight and length.

Angela returned to the kitchen a short time later and retook her chair at the table. Tony made dinner for them and moved the food into the dining room. Soon, they were joined by Mona, Samantha, Hank, and Jonathan who was home from NYU for the Thanksgiving break. Sam, Hank, and Jonathan also helped set the table since all the plates and utensils were already there.

Tony decided to keep dinner light knowing they were going to stuff themselves in two days at Thanksgiving.

"Tony, it's so good to be home." Jonathan practically inhaled his dinner much to Tony and Angela's amusement. "That dorm food doesn't rate after eating your cooking all these years. You can't believe it, but the dining rooms can't even get Jell-O right. It turns up watery each and every time, no matter what flavor." Jonathan continued to update everyone on what college life was like in Manhattan.

"Jonathan, that's gross. I'll have to make you some Jell-O while you're home this week then. That's quite the compliment," Tony glanced at Jonathan beaming at the praise from him.

Angela listened to their conversation and smiled internally relishing the relationship Jonathan had with Tony.

"This break is welcome for me, too, after the past few weeks. These college professors all treat their classes like they're the only ones you're taking," Samantha added.

"Well, I hate to eat and run. Gotta get ready for my date tonight," Mona broadcasted to the group as she hurried out through the dining room into the kitchen, and then up the stairs to her room, leaving the family to roll their eyes. They soon heard a car horn honking and shoes running down the stairs. The front door opened and shut.

The remaining family spent the rest of dinner catching up and enjoying Tony's cooking.

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Later that evening, the family had all gone their separate ways leaving Angela and Tony alone in the living room sitting on the couch. They had the fireplace lit and the sounds of crackling flames could be heard as they sat there quietly.

"How about a movie?" Tony asked Angela.

"Oh, I don't know. I'm happy sitting on the couch cuddling up with you," Angela said while yawning. He placed his arm around Angela's shoulder and brought her closer to him. Tony took the remote and aimed it at the CD player.

The smooth voice of Perry Como soon joined them in the room drowning out the sound of the fireplace. Tony started humming the song Perry was singing, "I'm Gonna Love That Gal (Like She's Never Been Loved Before)" close to Angela's ear. She turned her face to give him a kiss on his cheek.

"Come dance with me, Ange?" he requested.

"Tony, look at me, I'm not in dancing shape," she answered back disappointed.

"Oh, yes you are, Angela. You're gorgeous. You're always gorgeous to me. One more dance before the baby gets here in a few weeks. Here, let me help you up," Tony said as he reached for her hands and helped her off the couch. He gently led her past the couch and walked her over to the area by the front door giving them enough room to slowly glide across the room.

"This reminds me of teaching you the dance after we got back from St. Louis," he told her as he remembered them getting closer and closer to each other until the kids walked in on them while he was dipping her.

"Tony, I'll dance with you, but don't you dare dip me," Angela told her husband seriously.

Although slightly tempted, he chuckled at her and kept Angela on her feet holding her as close as he could. The baby announced its apparent pleasure hearing the music by kicking Tony a few times as he got closer to his very pregnant wife. He took the remote and hit replay so the song would repeat as he danced closer to Angela.

"I'm gonna love that gal like she's never been loved before

I'm gonna show that gal she's the baby that I adore

When she's in my arms again

Our dreams will all come true

Then, the years between might never have been

We'll start our lives anew!

I'm gonna kiss that gal like she's never been kissed before

And though I miss that gal she's the baby I'm waitin' for

We'll never part again

She'll hold my heart again

Forever and ever more

I'm gonna love that gal like she's never been loved before!"

"Tony, that's such a beautiful song, and you do love me like I've never been loved before," Angela whispered to Tony.

Tony put his forehead to Angela's and gave her a deep, passionate kiss.

After one more song played, Angela yawned loudly and told Tony that she was ready for bed. She took his hand after he went to the CD player to shut it off and put the remote back.

Once upstairs, Angela changed into a warm nightgown while Tony lit the fireplace in their bedroom.

They got into bed, and Tony watched as Angela tried to get comfortable. After a few maneuvers, she settled her head on her pillow. Tony shut off the light on their nightstand. Then he pulled the comforter up covering them both. Tony shifted closer to Angela so he could be as near to her as he could. "Angela, I'm looking forward to cooking with you tomorrow."

"Tony, I'm looking forward to it, too," Angela said yawning. "Yum, cannoli. I'll need to sample one or two of them before they head to the refrigerator," she told him."

They took each other's hands and quickly fell asleep.

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One Day Before Thanksgiving 1993 – November 24th

Jonathan and Mona were already in the kitchen when Tony and Angela joined them. Sam and Hank came in shortly afterwards. Tony made them a light breakfast again reminding them that they'd be stuffing themselves the next day on Mrs. Rossini's feast of Thanksgiving food. "Another light meal, Tony?" Mona exhaled frustrated. "By the time we get to Mrs. Rossini tomorrow, we'll wolf down the meal before we even get to her table!"

"Mother," Angela exclaimed. "You can take some fruit from the counter if you're still hungry. Tony and I need to make the cannoli so it has time to bake and cool down so we can get it ready for tomorrow."

Mona got up from the table and brought a banana over from the counter.

After finishing his breakfast, Tony started to get ready to make his famous cannoli. He promised to bring them for the large group of people who were going to descend on Mrs. Rossini's apartment in 24 hours. He walked around the kitchen gathering ingredients and all the bowls, pans, and other supplies he and Angela would need.

As the rest of the family sat around the table finishing their breakfast, Angela got up to join Tony at the counter ready to help him with the delicious dessert. In the few months since their honeymoon, Angela had enjoyed the cooking lessons that Tony had given her. Her favorite part of the lessons so far had been sitting on the counter watching Tony give her instructions on how to make his lasagna, her favorite double-fudge walnut brownies, and the fresh cannoli they were about to embark on.

Soon, Jonathan, Samantha, and Hank left Angela and Tony to their cannoli baking and decided to go to the mall. Mona went into the living room to watch TV.

As her belly grew, sitting on the counter became something of a memory that she looked forward to getting back to after the baby was born. Sitting on their counter always brought memories of the first birthday that Tony spent with her. The flour fight lived on in both of their memories, and it was a subject that came up occasionally when they were lying in bed. Angela's memory of the flour fight wasn't as clear as Tony's was, but she certainly remembered the kiss that ended the flour throwing. The conversations they had about that night usually ended in a recreation of that kiss, only better because they didn't have to stop at the kiss.

Realizing what Angela had been thinking about as she smirked, Tony winked at her bringing her thoughts back to the task at hand. Angela was ready to add the cream into the now cooled cannoli shells. This was always her favorite part. She squeezed the cream into each side of the shell ensuring that each one had ample cream. Once that task was done, she took a spoon and added mini chocolate chips to each one.

"Angela, they look great," Tony complimented her as he watched her bring her finger into the bowl holding the cream. She could never resist sampling the cream for the cannoli, Tony thought and grinned at her. He took the trays and packed them up carefully and put them in the refrigerator so they wouldn't break on their drive the next day. The kitchen smelled of fresh-baked cannoli causing Angela's stomach to grumble even though she had just sampled two of the freshly made treats.

"Angela, let me get you some lunch." She sat back down at the table, and soon after Tony brought her a chicken salad sandwich and some water. She watched Tony clean up the kitchen as she ate her lunch.

Then he joined her at the table and ate the other sandwich he made.

"Where is everyone?" Angela asked.

"The kids went to the mall to see some of the trendy gifts for Christmas. But if you ask me, I think they went to the baby store to see what's trendy in baby gifts."

"Awww, that's so sweet of them. They're as excited to meet their new brother or sister as we are to meet the baby," Angela started to shed happy tears as she took Tony's hand in hers. He used his thumb to wipe away the tears that had started to run down her cheeks.

Baby gifts had started arriving a few weeks before ahead of the holiday rush. Nothing had been opened yet since the excited parents had decided to open all the gifts at the same time during Angela's baby shower that Saturday after Thanksgiving. Tony still couldn't believe that Angela could hold out until the baby shower to open the gifts knowing how she'd snoop around the house looking for her birthday gifts. Even Angela's grandmother had sent a huge box to them from London.

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Thanksgiving 1993 – November 25th

Thanksgiving arrived as a clear, cold, sunny day. Everyone shuffled around the house getting ready.

"Angela, I better pack you a snack for the car. I don't know what time we'll be eating."

"I'd like that, Tony. I'm already hungry."

"Okay, everyone. It's time to leave." Sam and Hank went back to their apartment to get their things and left in Hank's car telling Angela and Tony they'd see them in Brooklyn.

Tony grabbed the cannoli and walked out to his Jeep to put the trays in the back. He looked around and was glad that the brief period of snow from two days before never stuck on the ground. He went back to the kitchen to pack Angela a snack to munch on in the car.

Gradually, everyone made their way to the kitchen to leave. The last person making her way into the kitchen was Angela having made another visit to the bathroom before leaving. She wanted to make sure they wouldn't have to stop on the road. She hoped that the ride into Brooklyn wouldn't be busy; otherwise, she'd never make it without needing to stop to use the bathroom at least once.

Angela's wish was granted. Because they were leaving after noon, the roads were lighter than usual, and it only took an hour and fifteen minutes to get to Brooklyn. Angela took advantage of the time and ate her snack. They found Hank's car already in front of Mrs. Rossini's building and parked right behind them. Tony helped Angela out of the Jeep and then went to the back to take out the trays of cannoli. Angela wasn't looking forward to walking up all the stairs to the top floor of Mrs. Rossin's apartment building, so she took her time navigating the steps. Samantha came out of the apartment and came downstairs to walk up with Angela. Jonathan helped Tony bring up the trays of cannoli.

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It was a feast that everyone walked into when they got to Mrs. Rossini's apartment. She took the trays of cannoli from Tony and took them into the kitchen to put into the refrigerator so they wouldn't spoil. Thanksgiving food aromas mixed with traditional Italian dishes filled the apartment.

Jonathan and Hank joined the rest of the men on the couch and surrounding chairs to watch the football game on TV. Knowing how loud they'd be didn't startle Angela like it did the first time she went with Tony for Thanksgiving at Mrs. Rossini. Tony helped Angela to a comfortable chair and moved a foot ottoman over so she could put up her feet. Mrs. Rossini came over to find out how she was feeling. After some small talk, she went back to the kitchen to start bringing the feast to the table. Samantha and Mona went into the kitchen as well to help walk all the food out to the table.

Guests continued to arrive, including Mrs. Napoli and Billy. Billy immediately ran over to hug Tony and then hurried over to Angela. Angela gave Billy a hug and tousled his hair. Billy was especially excited to know the baby was due in a few weeks. He was looking forward to playing with the baby when he got to see Tony and Angela on future visits.

Angela asked if she could help with anything, but Mrs. Rossini had already gone back into the kitchen and didn't hear her. So, she sat back in her chair and waited until it was time to go over to the main table to eat.

Once all the food was on the table and surrounding tables, everyone took their chairs to dig into the feast. Angela even managed to get enough food this time. Tony ensured that she got a hold of every tray, plate, and serving dish that went around the table. Unlike the first time they went to Mrs. Rossini's for Thanksgiving, none of the men made fun of Tony helping Angela out with her dinner. They all kept their comments to themselves much to Angela's satisfaction. They knew better than to make any snide comments to Tony.

Time passed by as the food quickly disappeared. Conversations about school, work, holiday shopping, and the earlier Thanksgiving Day Parade took place. All eyes turned to Angela when suddenly, she took a deep breath and let a "whoa" escape from her mouth. Tony turned ashen as he watched Angela have what appeared to be her first contraction.

"Angela, are you okay?" Tony asked her with concern in his voice.

"Tony, I'm fine. This is all normal. Nothing to worry about. You go ahead and keep eating your dinner," Angela confirmed to him.

Try as she did to go back to eating her dinner, she sensed multiple sets of eyes staring at her at the table. Billy got off his chair and came over to look at Angela further making her more nervous. Tony whispered to Billy to go back to his chair and sit down. He backed away and went back to his chair but didn't pick up his fork, instead continuing to stare at Angela from his seat.

One by one, the guests sitting around the table went back to eating only to be interrupted again by a deep breath coming from Angela.

"Tony, I think we should go to the hospital. This is making me a little nervous. I'd feel better knowing everything was okay with the baby," Angela told Tony with some trepidation and uncertainty in her voice.

"Sure, Sweetheart." Tony helped her out of her chair as she backed away from the table. Samantha had run into the bedroom to get their coats. She and Jonathan helped Angela down the stairs and out of the apartment building to the car. Mona reached the answering service for Dr. Nicholas to let them know that Angela was heading to NYU Lutheran Medical Center for what appeared to be early labor.

"Angela, is there anything you want me to do to help you?" Mrs. Rossini came running over to her from the front door of her apartment building.

"Mrs. Rossini, I'm fine. Please go back to your guests and enjoy the rest of your dinner. Samantha and Jonathan, thank you for helping me down the stairs," she told them giving them a hug in the chilly night air.

Mona also came down the stairs and rushed to the Jeep to let Angela and Tony know that Dr. Nicholas was headed to the hospital to meet them there.

"Thanks, Mother. You all go back upstairs, and we'll let you know what's going on when we're at the hospital." Mona gave Angela's arm a squeeze and drew her in for a brief hug.

Mrs. Rossini gave Angela and Tony a nod, and then she went back to the apartment with Mona, Samantha, and Jonathan in tow, all of them looking back with a sense of worry on their faces. They knew Angela was in good hands with her doctor, but that didn't stop the anxiousness they felt knowing there'd be a long wait before they heard from Tony.

The ride from Brooklyn to the hospital was remarkably short. Angela and Tony were grateful for less traffic on the holiday evening. Angela had two more contractions during the drive. The streets were still crowded, but it seemed people were inside sleeping off their big turkey dinners and inevitably getting ready to go out for their Black Friday shopping the next morning.

Tony drove up to the Emergency Room entrance of the hospital. Several orderlies came out with a wheelchair for Angela to get into. They told Tony where to park. He soon joined Angela in the registration area. A little while later, Angela was moved to the emergency area of the maternity section where her vitals were taken and a description of the symptoms given to the attending nurses.

After a longer wait, Angela was taken for a cervical ultrasound to check for early labor. Then she was brought back to her ER bed where Tony was waiting for her. She was hooked up to a fetal monitor. About 30 minutes later, Dr. Nicholas came into the area they were in and greeted the two nervous parents-to-be with a "Happy Thanksgiving."

"I've had a look at your test results, and you're experiencing Braxton Hicks contractions, which isn't unexpected at this stage of your pregnancy. I'm glad you came in to be sure since you are high-risk, and we want to make sure the baby is doing okay. I am concerned about your elevated blood pressure, though, so I'm going to have to make the recommendation and tell you that it's time to stop working and spend the rest of the pregnancy in bed. I'm also having one of the nurses bring in some water and juice for you to drink in case the contractions were caused by possible dehydration. Even though you're going to be staying in bed, you also need to remember to get out of your bed and walk around because on the other side of bed rest is the possibility of blood clots if you're not moving around enough."

Angela groaned upon hearing the news. But she and Tony also breathed a sigh of relief finding out she wasn't in labor. She was disappointed that she'd have to let her team know that she wouldn't be coming back into the office after the Thanksgiving break after all. She decided she'd call Jack and have him come out to the house when she got home so she could advise him of the updates so he and the executive team could advise the clients. She hoped he had stayed in town for the Thanksgiving break. She hated the idea of bothering him and Carol over the holiday weekend, but it couldn't be helped. She also remembered she was going to see Carol at her baby shower on Saturday – if she could still have the baby shower. She decided to ask Dr. Nicholas about it.

"Thank you, Dr. Nicholas. Can I go home now? Also, my baby shower is scheduled for Saturday. Will it be okay if we keep that scheduled?" Angela asked wanting all of her questions answered.

"Yes, that won't cause any issues. Enjoy the shower. I'm going to keep you here overnight to monitor the baby and your blood pressure to be sure everything stabilizes. It's possible you might've consumed too much salt during your Thanksgiving Dinner – it's the season. I'll see you at your regular appointment next week then. Have a good rest of your Thanksgiving," Dr. Nicholas told them and left Angela's room.

Tony called the family to let them know everything was okay. Angela made herself as comfortable as she could, but she only managed to fall asleep for a few hours. Tony slept in the chair in the room and wasn't as lucky with sleep. He moved the chair as close as he could to Angela and held her hand the entire night grateful she had requested to come to the hospital to make sure their baby was okay.

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The next morning after eating a bland breakfast, Angela was given the okay to be released and leave the hospital. Tony and Angela drove back to Connecticut, relieved that the baby was okay. The ride back to Connecticut was quiet as Angela spent most of the time looking out the window. She wondered to herself if she should've gone into Brooklyn the day before, but finally settled on the fact that this was probably going to happen no matter where they celebrated Thanksgiving. She realized that being in Brooklyn had been a benefit because they were already close to the hospital.

I'm so glad to be home now," Tony told Angela as they walked into the dark, quiet house. He helped Angela up the stairs and walked with her to their bedroom. She breathed a sigh of relief to be in their own bedroom. Tony went to get her nightgown from the bathroom. Once she changed, she went into the bathroom to freshen up. Tony also changed, and they both laid down to get some real sleep. Tony rubbed Angela's back and moved his hand to her abdomen to get the comfort of feeling the baby kick. Angela knew what Tony was doing and joined her hand to his.

Tony had called Mona before getting home to let her and the kids know that they were going to rest once they got back home. They both finally fell into a peaceful sleep.

The End – Chapter 35 of The Room, Unslept In – Thanksgiving at Mrs. Rossini, Take Two

Chapter 36 – the finale - coming soon