A/N: Last chapter was a bit spicy. This one's a little sweeter.
Chapter Eight: Book of Love
Jonathan hugged Sam, Mona, and Tony in turn before Angela enveloped him in an unrelenting embrace. "Mom, I'll be home soon. Back to school, remember?"
"OK, sweetheart. I guess I can handle being away from you just a little longer." She stood and wiped a tear from her face.
"Bye, Mom," Jonathan said, pushing her from the cabin.
"Goodbye my darling, I'll miss you!" Angela called dramatically before turning toward the path to the station wagon. Mona linked arms with her and began walking. Tony and Sam were already packing up the car.
"So what happened last night in that motel room, anyway?"
"We had two beds and borrowed pajamas, Mother. Tony and I took turns showering and then went to sleep," she lied by omission. "There's no big mystery."
"What I'm trying to figure out is why you're walking funny when I'm the one who took the kids horseback riding." Mona winked at her daughter.
"My ligaments are loosening," Angela stated matter-of-factly.
"Uh huh. That's not all that's gotten loose, Ingrid." Mona had gotten Tony to give up the name of the first girl he kissed almost as soon as they returned to camp.
"Mother! I expect you to keep a lid on it until we get home. Can you do that, out of respect for Sam?"
"So something did happen. Well, it's about time."
"Mother, I'm not you. I don't engage in tawdry trysts."
"I never said it was tawdry. And just because it was a tryst doesn't mean there isn't more to your relationship."
"Leave it alone," Angela hissed. They were within earshot of Tony and Sam by now.
"Shotgun!" Sam yelled.
"I'll drive the first half if someone else takes the home stretch," Angela offered, looking between Mona and Tony.
"Sure!" he agreed, making a plan in his own mind to trade spots long before the halfway point. She hadn't gotten enough sleep and needed to work the next day.
Angela and Sam slid into the front of the station wagon. There was a brief cacophony of slamming doors and clicking seatbelts before the engine turned over and the radio started playing. The pair was cheerful and dancing around in their seats. An hour into the drive, Angela felt a flutter in her belly. She let out a startled cry and turned down the radio, then put one hand to her bump.
"What's going on, Angela? Is everything ok?" Sam asked in a panic. "Do you need to pull over?"
"Samantha, darling, I just felt the baby move." Tony sat up straight in the back seat and listened.
"Can I feel it?" Sam ventured.
"I'm not sure if you'll be able to. Give me your hand…and hold it…there." Angela pressed Sam's palm into the spot where she felt the flutter.
"I don't feel anything."
"Just be patient. Let me turn the music back up."
Sam was confused, but happy to be included in such an exciting moment. She kept her hand in place as Angela started singing along to the radio.
"Chapter one says to love her, you love her with all your heart"
"Chapter two you tell her you're never, never, never, never, ever gonna part"
"Oh, there it is again. Do you feel it?" Angela asked. Sam bit her lower lip and nodded. It was a tiny movement, but emotionally overwhelming for the young girl. She'd been around pregnant women a lot back in Brooklyn and never felt important to any of the expectant mothers.
Tony listened to Angela's remarkably tuneful singing and watched her exchange with his daughter, as the lyrics stuck in his brain. He had planned to ask about guardianship only a couple of days earlier. Now he realized the point was moot. She would never give up custody of Sam without a fight. They just needed to put it all in writing.
"Is it scary, having a baby?" Sam asked, putting her hands back in her lap.
"Yes, but it's also wonderful, Sam. Giving birth is really hard, but it's worth the pain. I can't imagine my life without Jonathan."
"He's lucky to have you," she replied sadly.
"I can't imagine my life without you, either," Angela told the girl, knowing she could never replace Marie.
"I wish I was getting a baby brother or sister, too." Tony's heart clenched in grief. He and Marie had wanted more children. It just didn't happen.
"I'm sorry. It must be hard for you to be around me right now."
"No! I'm excited for you. And I can't wait to meet the baby. It's just that I know we're not a real family."
"But we are a real family, Samantha!" Angela protested. "No matter what the law or genetics say, we all love each other, right?"
"Yeah."
"I want you to talk to me if you ever feel left out, alright?"
"OK, Angela."
"Baby's kicking again." Sam allowed her hand to be held against Angela's belly as they resumed the sing-along.
Mona nudged Tony. "Beautiful thing, the mother-daughter bond," she whispered. "Of course, I've never experienced it," she continued in jest.
"Yeah, it is," he replied quietly. "I never thought Sam would have this kind of relationship after Marie died."
"And yourself?"
"What?"
"Did you expect to fall in love again?"
"What do you mean?"
"Come on, Tony. You've been crushing on my daughter since before you met her. You can't tell me your heart is so well armed that you've been able to resist falling in love after a year like this one," Mona insisted. "And after a night like last night," she said quietly, leaning across the bench seat.
"I can neither confirm nor deny that," Tony stated neutrally. He could feel the tips of his ears warming with blood.
"Don't you know that she feels the same way? You love Jonathan in a way his father never could. She's given you dominion over the most important things in her life."
"I know. And I want things to stay the way they are. Well, not exactly the way they are, but I want to make this family permanent."
"Good." Mona was pretty sure their conversation had gone unnoticed. Sam and Angela were still singing together and grinning from ear to ear.
Jonathan was still at summer camp when it came time for Angela's end-of-August appointment, Tony drove the jag into the city and walked into the Wallace and McQuade offices at 3pm. Angela's secretary Rosie greeted him. "I hear congratulations are in order. You're going to have a new little one at home."
"Yes, Angela is very excited," he replied.
"I'm ready!" Angela announced as she exited her office. Tony offered her his arm, which she gladly accepted, putting her other hand on his bicep. They rode the elevator to ground level and walked down the street toward the parking garage.
He opened the passenger door for her before going around to the driver's side. When he started the car, she changed the radio station. "Baby likes oldies," she explained. He exited the parking garage while My Girl by The Temptations played. After a moment, she put her hand to her belly. "Works every time," she said, reaching for his hand as he braked for a red light.
He felt the lightest flutter when he pressed against her belly. It was magical. The truth was that he was jealous of Sam for being the first to feel the baby move. All of that was forgotten now. He leaned over and kissed her, then held her hand to his thigh for the rest of the short drive.
Rosie noticed that Angela had left her briefcase. She almost always took work home, especially if she was leaving the office early. So the secretary followed, carrying the briefcase down the elevator and along the street toward the parking garage. She was too late. Angela's diablo red jag was sitting at a stoplight. Tony was in the driver's seat, and they were kissing. Rosie retreated to her desk and made a vow to keep her mouth shut.
The OB/GYN office was busy, but they were called in after only a few minutes of waiting. The sonographer was able to determine the baby's sex with confidence. In addition to the sonogram printout, a brochure for childbirth classes was added to the pile of information they received at every visit.
On the drive home, they discussed logistics. Angela had chosen a hospital close to work because she was hoping to keep up at the office until she went into labor. Her work would then be distributed to various executives. She was none too pleased that Jim Peterson would be interim President, but Grant assured her that he would vacate her seat before the first day in April.
She floated the idea of putting Jonathan's cradle in her room for the baby's first few months. They agreed to figure out the rest later. Her idea was to turn Tony's room into the nursery. Of course, this depended on him moving into her bedroom, and she wasn't ready to suggest that.
Tony hoped to vacate his bedroom well before Angela gave birth. After making love and sharing their true feelings at the motel, he was ready to start a life with her. Finding out the sex of the baby only intensified his devotion. He couldn't wait to meet the little person, and often forgot that they would technically be unrelated. Unless….
On a whim, Tony asked Angela if she wanted a milkshake from the 50s-themed diner, and of course she did. As they sat in the booth, he took both of her hands in his. "I know our relationship is still in flux, but I want to make it solid. Angela, I love you, and I want to marry you. I want to be a father to Jonathan and the new baby. You're already a mother to Sam. You and me, we're good together. Let's keep it going for the rest of our lives."
Angela was teary-eyed. "Will you be ok being a stay-at-home dad for the next few years?" she asked.
"I don't want to be a mooch forever. I can start taking classes once the baby's old enough for daycare."
"What do you think about me adopting Samantha?" she asked hopefully. "I'd never try to replace Marie. I just love Sam so much."
"If it's ok with her, I'd like nothing more." He was filled with gratitude.
She was speechless, only able to confirm her agreement by squeezing his hands and nodding.
"So that's a yes? You'll marry me?" he confirmed.
She found her voice. "Yes, Tony. I would be thrilled to marry you."
He pulled her up from the vinyl seat and kissed her. "We're getting married!" he announced to the waitstaff and patrons. There was a light smattering of applause.
"Butter pecan shake with caramel." It was the closest to butter brickle. The waitress set down a fluted milkshake glass with a straw and whipped cream piled high and a metal mixing cup with a bar spoon. Tony ate the extra few ounces of shake in the same amount of time it took Angela to finish her pint.
"Can we keep this quiet for the moment? I want to propose officially, but I need some time to figure out the details."
"I like having secrets with you," she flirted.
"Do you want to tell Mona and the kids the baby's sex?"
"Oh, let's keep it to ourselves for a while."
"Sam will be at Marci's until morning, so we should have privacy if you want to celebrate."
"Mmmmm, the whole house at our disposal? Sounds like an adventure."
Tony wasted no time throwing down cash for the milkshake. He struggled to drive the speed limit and focus on the road as Angela slowly hiked up her skirt in the passenger's seat.
When they got home, she dragged him into the den. They hadn't accounted for her mother's whereabouts and needed to be somewhat discreet. She sat on the loveseat and unbuckled his pants as he stood before her. "You don't have to do that," he protested.
"I want to," she insisted, taking most of his length in her mouth, before he grew too large for her to accommodate. Soon, he was half naked and widening his stance to allow her greater access. Then she was spitting into a wad of tissues.
He pulled up his pants and underwear and buckled his belt. "Thank you, Angela," he said.
"My pleasure."
"Oh, it will be," he promised.
The house line rang in the living room, and Tony ran out to answer it. "Bower residence."
Not for long, Angela thought. Maybe she would hyphenate to make it easier on Jonathan.
"Hi Dad. I just wanted to see how Angela's appointment went."
"She's right here." He held the phone out to her.
"Hi honey. Are you and Marci having fun?"
"Uh huh. How did things go at the doctor?"
"Fine. Baby is healthy. I'm healthy. It's the best we could hope for."
"Awesome. I'm really glad to hear that."
"Do you want to come along to pick up Jonathan tomorrow? Mother and I are leaving at nine o'clock."
"Sure! I'll be home at eight in the morning. I know Dad wants to go with you, anyway."
"Great. We'll see you then." She looked up at Tony.
"OK, bye Angela. I love you," Sam said without thinking.
"I love you, too, Samantha. Bye." Angela held her hand to her heart and hung up the phone.
"Did you hear that?" she asked.
Tony could only nod in response. He scooped her up and carried her to the bedroom. The two finally spent the night together under their own roof, and they even made love at dawn, just like in her dream.