Chapter 10

"Morning, Angela," Tony said quietly as Angela came into the kitchen a little past 9 am on Sunday morning wearing her blue and white patterned silk robe and matching nightgown. A wide blue headband kept her unruly hair in place. Tony couldn't help but think she looked the most stunning when she wasn't even trying.

"Good morning," Angela replied, unable to hold Tony's gaze as she sat at the kitchen table; the room suddenly feeling very small and stuffy.

"When are the children due home?" she asked, trying to break the uncomfortable silence.

"I told 'em to be back no later than 11:30; no need for their friends' families to feed an extra kid both breakfast and lunch," Tony answered as he sat down next to Angela, placing a steaming cup of coffee in front of her.

"Thanks," she replied with a small smile as silence again fell over them.

"Tony." "Angela."

Tony nodded at her to continue, so taking a deep breath, Angela began speaking hesitantly.

"I didn't sleep very well, and I think that's because of how things ended between us last night. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to be so short with you about Grant. I honestly just thought it would be nice to see an old friend, especially since you, Mother, and the kids were all out."

Sighing, Tony softly laid his hand on top of Angela's before replying.

"No, Angela. I'm the one who should be apologizing. I know the past few days have been tough for both of us, but that still doesn't give me the right to question you about Grant."

"You were right," he continued, glancing down at their joined hands. "You absolutely can see whoever you want without getting the third degree from me. After all, we're friends. Best friends," he concluded, his voice trailing off.

"Right, best friends," Angela replied, unable to hide the hint of sadness in her voice.

Squeezing her hand, Tony decided that they needed to address the elephant in the room, and there was no time like the present.

"Look, Angela, I know things had started to change between us before, well before I, uh, found out about…" Tony paused, deciding he didn't need to twist the knife further.

Taking another deep breath, he continued, "And I liked where they were going. This situation, the baby and everything, doesn't have to derail everything completely, does it?" he asked, his voice tinged with hope.

Closing her eyes, Angela's heart squeezed because he was offering her an olive branch or more like a lifeline, and as much as she wanted to, she knew she couldn't take it.

"Oh, Tony," she said softly. "I liked where we were headed, too. But this situation changes everything. Even though you and Frankie aren't 'together' right now, you're having a baby with her, which can and probably will change how you feel about her. And I can't be the other woman or the woman standing in the way of what this child needs and deserves."

As a single tear rolled down Angela's cheek, Tony wiped it away before whispering, "You're not the other woman. You're the woman. The woman I should be doing this with."

Before Angela could respond, Tony moved his hand from her cheek to the back of her head, pulling her to him. Their lips met in a soft kiss.

Angela knew she should put a stop to it, but hearing Tony confess that he wished he was having a baby with her was too much for her weak and raw defenses. She leaned into the kiss as it grew more intense. As she parted her lips to allow Tony's tongue entrance, she couldn't help but let out a small moan.

Tony immediately pulled her onto his lap, and their kisses grew more frantic. His hand found the tie on her robe, and almost before she knew what was happening, he was pushing her nightgown up her leg as her hand found its way under his white sweatshirt to caress the hard planes of his chest and stomach.

"Angela," Tony moaned as his lips moved to her jaw and then down her neck, peppering her gloriously smooth skin with kisses along the way.

"Tony, we have to stop," Angela gasped, knowing that if they didn't, she would never forgive herself. She had meant it when she said she wouldn't be the other woman. Frankie and the baby deserved all of Tony's affection and attention for the foreseeable future.

"I know," Tony sighed as Angela returned to the other chair. "I'm sorry. I just don't want to lose you or what we have."

"We won't, Tony," Angela said with resolve, trying to convince herself of that as well. "Everything is so up in the air right now. I think we need to let things calm down and just take it day by day."

"On that note, how did your conversation with Frankie go yesterday?" she asked, changing the subject.

Tony closed his eyes before answering. "It went ok. She's not feeling real great right now, and I guess I kinda feel like I should be around more to help if I can. So, we sort of decided that it would be best if me and Sam move in with her temporarily while I look for a new place that's closer."

"Oh, I see," Angela said, trying to keep her voice neutral.

"Ay oh, oh ay, it really will be just temporary," Tony said, trying to reassure himself as much as her. "It just makes sense to be closer since finding a place in the City or Brooklyn that I can afford is not going to be easy."

"I know," Angela said, resigned. "So, does that mean you're putting in your notice?"

"No way," Tony replied quickly. "I was thinkin' that I would still work here during the week and have the weekends to go apartment hunting and help get ready for the baby."

"I guess we can try that out and see how it goes," Angela said, her heart sinking. That most likely meant that she and Tony would be like ships passing in the night or, actually, make that the day. She going into the City just as he was headed to Fairfield in the mornings and vice versa in the evenings.

"On that note, Angela, I'm planning on telling Sam what's going on once she gets home today," Tony said reluctantly. "But maybe we should tell the kids together since it will affect both of 'em?"

"I agree," Angela said, nodding. "We need them to understand that no matter what, we'll always be here for both of them."

"Yes, we will," Tony said, meeting and holding her gaze before getting up from the table.

A few hours later, over lunch, Tony and Angela were again sitting in the same seats at the kitchen table as Jonathan and Sam talked and squabbled, acting more and more like siblings as the years went by.

"Uh, kids, Angela and I need to talk to you," Tony said slowly. "Actually, it's me that needs to tell you something, but since we're a family, I wanted to do it with all of us together."

"What is it, Dad?" Sam asked with a sense of dread. This whole past week, things had felt off, especially between her dad and Angela.

"I, uh, well, you know how I cleaned Frankie's apartment a few weeks ago? Well, that gave us a chance to get reacquainted, and as a result, we're having a baby together. Sam, you're going to have a little brother or sister," Tony finished, holding his breath.

"You're what?" Sam asked, her eyes growing wide as her mind whirled. "You're dating Frankie and having a baby with her?"

"You're leaving, Tony?" Jonathan asked in a small voice.

"No, Sam. Frankie and I aren't dating. And no, Jonathan, I'm not leaving, at least not entirely. Remember what we talked about a couple of years ago? That even if I don't live here forever, we'll always be best buds."

"That's right, Sweetheart," Angela said, deciding she needed to join the conversation. "We don't have everything figured out right now, but there will be some changes. No matter what, though, Tony and I will always be here for you. For both of you," she said, giving Sam a reassuring look.

"So, what does this mean, Dad?" Sam asked, almost afraid to hear the answer.

"Well, it means that you and me are going to move in with Frankie for a bit so that I can be there to support her during her pregnancy and also look for a new place for the two of us, plus the baby once it's here," Tony said uncomfortably.

"We're what?" Sam replied incredulously. This would be the second time her dad would be ripping her away from a life she had grown to love. But more than that, it meant leaving Jonathan, Mona, and Angela. Jonathan, her annoying little brother that she loved dearly. And Mona, her surrogate grandmother and partner in crime. And, of course, Angela, who had stepped into the role of mother soon after she and her dad had arrived on the Bower's doorstep and never stepped out of it. And now her dad wanted to take her away from them and her friends?

"NO WAY," Sam shouted, her anger building until it spilled over. "Just because you can't keep it in your pants doesn't mean that my life has to be ruined!"

"Samantha," Tony thundered, but it was too late. Sam was already halfway up the stairs to her room.

"Tony, let her go," Angela said, placing her hand on his arm as she tried not to cry.

"Umm, I think I'm going to go too," Jonathan said quickly, pushing back his chair before disappearing into the living room.

"What have I done?" Tony asked hoarsely, looking over at Angela's crestfallen face as tears sprang to his eyes.