A/N: Sorry if this is too sappy. I promise angst is on its way!
Chapter Forty-Nine: Daffodil
Saturday, March 16, 1991
Angela woke up at eight with the sun streaming into their bedroom. She checked her left hand, finding no ring on her finger, and confirming that the previous night's proposal had been a dream. Actually, it was more of a nightmare.
She and Tony had gone to the club and had a nice dinner with a couple of glasses of champagne. They then hit the floor, sharing memories of the many other times they had danced together. Tony graciously allowed Ted Braddock to cut in, using the interruption as an excuse to use the restroom. The man used his three minutes to insult Tony's intelligence, deride his social standing, and suggest that she date Elaine's brother instead. "I'd show you a good time myself, if I weren't already married," he told her. "Malcolm agrees that you're a ten. You should give him a chance. He's loaded." Finally, Tony cut back in, giving Ted a mean glare.
The rest of the evening was lovely, and Angela kept her wishful thinking in check, mindful of the mistakes she had made with Geoffrey. Of course, her long-standing love affair with Tony was much deeper than her relationship with Geoffrey had ever been. Half the reason she liked him was that he restored her confidence, and the other half was because he offered her a comfortable lifestyle. When they broke up over the destruction of his new car, she began to feel like Tony liked Geoffrey more than she did. She had a fleeting thought that Andy would have proposed if she hadn't left him the way she did.
After returning home, they danced a few more songs in the living room, then got ready for bed. They lay together, facing each other on adjacent pillows and talking about a random assortment of topics until they fell asleep, like girls at a slumber party. In Angela's dream, Elaine Braddock's brother Malcolm proposed to her on the deck of a yacht just leaving shore while Tony ran down to the end of the pier, yelling for her to say no.
"Good morning, lover," Tony greeted her from the other side of the bed.
"I adore you, but don't ever call me that in front of other people."
"Got it, my grumpy little daffodil."
"Better." She stretched. "I'm so glad everyone is coming home today."
"We're picking Mona up at 11am. Jonathan and Sam should be back around 3pm."
"Tony, I don't want you to wonder what I'm going to say when you propose."
"You don't?" he asked, a little confused by the sudden change of subject.
"I'm ready to marry you, and I'm going to say yes."
"Just yes? Nothing about it being the happiest moment of your life?" he teased.
"That part is TBD," she said, finding the small ticklish spot on his side and attacking it. They kissed and did some playfighting in bed, then got up and started their day with coffee and a jointly-made breakfast.
By 10:55am, they were pulling up to the curb to get Mona. Her suitcase was being carried by a handsome gentleman of about sixty years. "Thank you, Angus!" she said.
"It's Hamish," he replied. "Can I see you again?"
"No, but we'll always have those three hours in coach from Miami."
When Mona got into the back seat, Angela was ready to turn around and unleash her fury. "How dare you out Jonathan like that!"
"Did he tell you he's dating Luke?"
"Yes, we talked on the phone the other day, and he told Tony before he left."
"Well, he never told me anything. It was just a joke," Mona defended. "Of course, my jokes are usually seeded with truth. That's what makes them funny."
"Well, I didn't think it was very funny, Mother." Angela turned around so she wouldn't get nauseated. "How was your Spring Break?"
"Wonderful. I hit every bar on Duval Street. How did you two like playing house?"
"It was a good week," Angela said.
"I hope you cleaned the couch, dear."
"I did," Tony said, earning a smack on the thigh. He grinned across the center console.
"You're lucky you're cute," Angela told him.
"I'm gonna be sick," Mona muttered, looking out the window.
When they arrived at home, Tony made lunch, and the three adults caught up on the week's events. Before they knew it, Jonathan was dropped off. He expected the third degree, but simply got swarmed by elders wanting hugs and kisses. Sam showed up an hour later, and the two kids immediately disappeared into Jonathan's bedroom to debrief.
"How was it? I'm guessing Dad told you no hickeys." He grinned and pulled the collar of his shirt a couple of inches to the side. There were overlapping marks just below his collarbone. "Way to go, kid!"
"Luke's parents never let us out of their sight, so we snuck away when we were supposed to be at the pool."
"He didn't pressure you, did he?"
"No, this is all new to him, too. He had never kissed anyone before me."
"Wow, well if you ever need to talk about stuff like that, you can come to me."
"Thanks. I actually feel pretty comfortable talking to your dad, too. I haven't told my dad yet. Do you think I should?"
"Maybe not yet. If you ask me, he hasn't earned your trust."
"That's true."
"Did you get a letter back from Nana?" Sam asked, looking at the mail on Jonathan's desk.
"Oh, it looks like I did." He opened the envelope and skimmed it. "Yes! She's sending her mother's ring. It should arrive at the Bower Agency on Monday, and Grandma will need to sign for it. I'll have to let her know."
"I hope my dad likes this idea. It was pretty cool of you to persuade your great-grandmother to part with it, especially since we still have money on the table."
"I don't think they're going to actually get married in the next three-and-a-half months. And if they do, it'll be worth losing twenty bucks to you. My mom is the happiest I've ever seen her."
"I still don't understand why Mona doesn't want her mother to visit."
"I don't really, either, but apparently Nana was never nice to her."
Tony knocked on the door and Sam popped up from the bed to open it. "I was hoping to talk to you," he said to her. "And I think your mom would like it if you went down to spend some time with her," he said to Jonathan.
Sam sat down at her old desk while Tony paced next to her bed. "What is it, Dad?" she asked, sensing that he was nervous about whatever he was about to bring up.
"What do you think about Angela and me getting married?" He looked to his daughter for advice. The sassy tomboy had somehow become an astute young woman.
"I'm all for it, Dad. I have been for years and years. Did you already propose?"
"No, but we went ring shopping. I don't know how I'm going to afford it, but if I ever get the jewelry figured out, she's going to accept my proposal."
Sam got to her feet and stilled her father, squeezing his hands in her own. "That's fantastic, Dad. You should talk to Jonathan and Mona. We've got something in the works that might solve your problem."
Tony hugged Sam and kissed the top of her head. "You're a great kid, you know that?"
"Yeah, I'm aware," she teased.
Downstairs, Jonathan had submitted to a little affection from his mother, sitting next to her on the couch and talking about their respective time apart.
"I hate that you're growing up so fast, but I am proud of the young man you're becoming," Angela told him.
"I'm sorry I didn't tell you about Luke before I left. I was going to…."
"It's alright, Jonathan. I know you weren't hiding it. I'm the one who wasn't able to hear you when you were ready."
"Don't tell my dad, ok?"
"I wouldn't. Your father isn't the most understanding when it comes to other people choosing how to live their lives. I think you need to be prepared for him to have a negative reaction at first, but he'll come around. He loves you, you know?"
"I know, but it's not the same as having someone who's there for me." He reached up and gave his mother a long hug, telling her "I hope you marry Tony, but even if you don't, I'm glad you brought him into my life." She held him at arm's length, looking him in the eye.
"It's nice to hear that we have your blessing, because Tony and I do want to get married at some point."
"Good."
