Savor the Rewrite: Chapter 21 Mr. Micelli Builds His Dream House
When they got home from Jonathan's tennis match, they celebrated with a big family dinner. They enjoyed continuing talking about the very noticeable similarities between Coach Tom and Tony, much to Tony's dismay. Once dinner was finished, they all moved into the living room, where Tony brought out a homemade cake in the shape of a tennis ball. Everyone but Jonathan continued to make fun of Tony for going overboard even on dessert. Jonathan cut them off and gave him a big hug, thanking him for just being him.
The next day, Sam and Hank moved into an off campus apartment. It was delayed a few weeks due to the space being renovated but finally by the first week in May it was good to go. Tony, Jonathan and Angela helped Sam move her stuff from the dorm to the apartment. Angela was designated to the sofa; no one let her do anything other than supervise. At thirty one weeks pregnant, it was all she could do anyway.
Hank and his parents, Joe and Fran, came by about an hour later to help Hank move his stuff into the apartment. The families got along pretty well and were able to get them moved in by late afternoon. Tony and Angela invited everyone over to the house for dinner and dessert to celebrate the kids' new place.
Tony made a delicious dinner, an Italian feast for everyone. They enjoyed each other's company, talking about their jobs, school, the new baby's arrival and of course sharing embarrassing stories about both Hank and Samantha, making both of them cringe. After dinner, they headed into the living room to have their coffee and dessert. Hank stayed in the kitchen to clean up.
"I could never get him to do chores at home! What's your secret?" asked Fran.
"He makes better cake! How'd you get it so moist?" asked Joe. Before Tony had a chance to answer, drips of water started falling from the ceiling onto his plate.
"Well… ahh… I just add water…" said Tony as he started to go get a pail.
"Oh! This happens every time it rains!" said Angela frustratedly.
"Oh Joe's a contractor! Why don't ya have him take a look at it. Joe… take a look at it!" she said to Joe, who was enjoying his cake, watered down and all.
"Joe put down the dirty cake and find the leak!" said Fran. Joe reluctantly put down the plate, making sure to finish the cake before following Tony upstairs. They all followed behind as Joe made his way into their bedroom. He was able to determine where the leak was coming from after a few minutes.
"You've got a leak…" said Joe.
"So tell me Mr. Wizard… if the water is coming in here, why is it leaking down there?" asked Tony. Joe proceeded to explain the problem, which turned on Fran.
"Anyway… about the leak. What do we do? We still have to work on the nursery so maybe it can be done together? We only have nine weeks left so I hope it can all be done before then" said Angela as she rubbed her stomach.
"Don't worry about it Angela! I'll do some caulking along the ledge and add some weather stripping and that will fix it…" said Tony.
"That'll make it worse…" said Joe.
"You didn't let me finish!" yelled Tony.
"You've got too much dry rot. You need to replace the window" he said.
"Okay we will replace the window" said Angela. Just then, Tony got an idea.
"I was thinking… if we are going to replace the window why not put in a bigger one? You know! The bedroom always has been kinda dark and dank…" he said.
"I don't know about that! Besides wouldn't it be pretty expensive, right Joe?" asked Angela. Joe didn't get a chance to answer as Tony interrupted.
"Picture this Angela… we could put in a larger window and then move the bed over here! We will need some more space in here for the bassinet and other baby stuff. We could sit with the baby right here and watch the sunrise for early morning feedings and cuddle time!" he said as he pointed to the different areas around the room. Angela looked skeptical.
"Or not…" he said.
"No, no… I'm thinking about it… but a job that big could take a long time right?" she asked Joe as she rubbed her stomach again. Joe tried again to answer Angela but Tony interrupted.
"Not necessarily, correct me if I'm wrong Joe but with a crew you could do it in a week right?" asked Tony.
"That doesn't sound too bad but I don't know Tony…" she said as she thought of how much work it would turn out to be.
"What if he also did some work in the nursery? Check the windows and then maybe paint and set up the baby furniture we ordered? Save us the hassle of that decorator! And when the baby is asleep… we can be in bed cuddling up right? And we are looking out of our new window, just you and me…" he said seductively.
"When you put it like that, how can I say no? Alright let's do it! When can you start?" asked Angela.
"As soon as our children split up. I don't like to work for friends, family or anyone related to someone my son is dating. It's just a rule I have, but there's a terrific guy I'd be happy to recommend" said Joe.
"Okay, alright but let me tell you something. I've worked a little construction myself so I know a little about remodeling. I expect the very best! I'm going to be very demanding!" said Tony.
"Dave is good, he's responsible, he's tough! We were in the Marines together! He was shelled during the war! So I'm sure he can deal with you…" laughed Joe.
"How about we go into the nursery and figure out the remodeling in there" said Angela as she led them out of the room. She hoped Tony wasn't going to cause an issue with the contractor but she also knew her husband well enough by now. She made a mental note to take Joe's phone number just in case.
They showed him the nursery and the plans the decorator created for them a few months back. Joe agreed to show Dave the plans. He estimated that the renovations should take Dave about a week but he would need to speak to him directly.
The following week Dave and his crew came to the house. He gave them the same timeframe for the renovations as Joe had the previous week. He was able to start the work the next day, with Tony supervising in between his classes and work. He was around enough to start causing issues with Dave and his crew. By the second day, Tony had nitpicked so much, changing his mind and making suggestions, that Dave finally snapped and started screaming. Tony and Dave started arguing back and forth.
"Fine! You fix it! I quit!" he yelled as he stormed out of the room, leaving Tony stuttering. Angela came into the room as Dave stormed out.
"Shell shock!" said Tony as Angela just looked at him like he had lost his mind.
"Tony what did you do? There's a huge hole in the wall and no window! This needs to get done now Tony! We only have eight more weeks until the baby comes!" she yelled at him.
"But Angela…" he started to say before she cut him off.
"No buts Tony! You go and you call Joe right now and have him come over and fix this! Now!" she yelled as she waddled out of the room. Tony just shook his head and headed for the phone.
Later that day, Joe came over to inspect the unfinished work. He apologized for Dave's behaviors although he suspected he knew the cause.
"I feel like it's my responsibility to finish this job" said Joe.
"Oh Joe you don't have to do that…" said Angela.
"Yes he does! If it was a guy I recommended I'd be doing the same thing!" said Tony.
"What he means is we really appreciate your help…" she said as she grabbed on to Tony's arm.
"When can you start Joe?" he asked.
"Tomorrow morning" said Joe.
"Look now you can relax! The house is in good hands!" she said.
"I should be able to finish this up in three days" he said.
"That's wonderful!" she said.
"I just had a thought…" said Tony.
"Four days…" said Joe sarcastically.
"No please, bear with me for a second here! Wouldn't it be great if this right here" he said as he motioned to the front of the window, "was a window seat? A window seat! It would add a lot of character to the room!" he said.
"Oh I always loved that look!" she gushed.
"Look with that addition you just added another week! Not to mention the nursery stuff. Are you sure?" asked Joe.
"Yes! C'mon let's go pick out paint!" squealed Tony as they walked out of the room, leaving Joe to wonder what he had just gotten himself into.
Joe's crew started the next day. His crew was making headway until Tony interrupted them with muffins. He thought it was against his better judgment, but he decided to ask Tony for his input on the recessed light switch. He knew it was a stupid move to ask Tony anything when Tony continued to change his mind on the location of the switch. Joe finally got fed up with him and agreed to put in multiple switches if he would just leave the room.
Tony came back later on and continued his intruding when Joe and his crew moved onto the nursery. They were starting to pull off the wallpaper and molding as well as starting on the floor. Tony had purchased an electronic measuring device, measuring the distance from himself to everything in the room. He continued to nitpick everything, irritating Joe. To try and shut up Tony, Joe gave him the bill.
"Wait a minute, wait a minute! Two hundred dollars for light switches?" he shouted.
"You wanted three of them, it adds up" said Joe.
"I could have bought myself a clapper and saved a hundred eighty bucks! Hold it! This isn't right! Wait a minute! The price we agree on for the new window was half this much!" he shouted again.
"Which it was until you had me add three switches, adjust it up and down and just a smidge to the right!" he yelled.
"You mean you charged me for every smidge?" asked Tony.
"I'm charging you what it cost me! This is why I didn't wanna do this job!" said Joe.
"Sure of course! It would be a lot easier to gouge a stranger!" yelled Tony
"Hey, hey! We would have been done by now for half the price if you had left me alone!" shouted Joe. They continued to yell back and forth until finally Tony fired Joe and his crew. They happily took all their equipment and headed out the nursery door. As they were walking out, Angela walked in.
"I've never seen Joe so happy! Things must be going great! The bedroom looks beautiful! Looks like the nursery is coming along too!" she said as she looked around at the unfinished room.
"Well… great, great, yeah…" he said softly, the realization of what he had just done hitting him like a ton of bricks.
"So when do you think he will be done? Down to eight weeks now!" she said as she rubbed her belly. He put his hand on top of hers, feeling the baby move.
"Soon, soon… as soon as I build it…" he said, hoping the explosion that he knew would be coming from Angela wouldn't cause her to go into labor.
"What? Wait where is Joe? Tony… what did you do?" she asked, although she had a pretty good idea of what had happened.
"I fired him Angela! I was looking out for us! If I didn't watch every move he made the job would have been done wrong and you'd have to look at it day in and day out and say oh why didn't I listen to Tony!" he said.
"I can't believe you fired Joe! Couldn't you just leave him alone? He would have been done this week. Tony you can't do all this work by yourself!" she said.
"Way ahead of you Angela! Just so happens I have a crew in mind to hire! The best of the best! I just need to make sure they are free! It will be great Angela! Just wait and see!" he said as he kissed her and ran out of the nursery to call the guys.
"Okay little one! Your daddy is going to be in charge of your room! I hope you won't mind living in the garage for the next year…" she said as she rolled her eyes and headed out of the nursery.
The next day, Tony and his crew, made up of Jonathan, Hank and Al, started bright and early in the nursery. Once Mona saw the crew, she couldn't help notice and point out how ineffective the crew would end up being, Mo, Larry and Greasy, as she put it. Tony just brushed off the comment as she headed out of the room. Just as Mona was walking out, Angela walked in to the nursery.
"Wow! This looks great! It's very nice work!" said Angela as she looked around the room.
"Surprised?" asked Tony.
"Frankly yes I'm shocked but I'm happy! You really got a lot done!" she said.
"Well I gotta a good crew and they have a great foreman!" he said as he instructed Al and Hank to finish putting up the dry wall over the exposed part of the wall.
"Tony… I… I guess I was wrong. I'm sorry I ever doubted you! You really do know what you are doing!" she said.
"Well, I'm not going to gloat Angela because I take my satisfaction from putting in a hard day's work, building something that's going to last for our baby… and having something to hold over you for the rest of your life!" he said.
"You all deserve a lot of credit! You guys really have done a great job! Where's Jonathan?" she asked as she looked around. They all looked around until they heard banging coming from behind the dry wall.
"God! You dry walled my son!" she shouted as she looked at Al and Hank, followed by Tony.
"Relax, relax! You can't make an omelet without breaking a few eggs! Release him men!" he said as they got to work taking off the dry wall. Once Jonathan was freed and she saw he was okay, she stormed out of the nursery. She spent the rest of the night contemplating how to get Joe back to finish the nursery before Tony created an even bigger mess.
As if her thoughts became a self-fulfilling prophecy, by the end of the week, Tony and his crew of misfits blew out a fuse. When they went into the attic to fix it, Tony fell through the ceiling in the nursery. That was the final nail in the renovation coffin. The next morning, she called for Tony to join her in the living room.
"Tony?" she called. He peaked his head in from the kitchen.
"I'm ah… I'm sorry about last night…" he said sadly.
"That's okay… I always wanted a skylight in the nursery…" she said sarcastically. "Sit down, we need to talk" she said as he helped her down, wincing in pain as his rear end was still sore.
"It's not easy making a skylight!" he complained.
"Well that's what I wanted to talk to you about. Now don't take this the wrong way but… you're fired…" she said.
"How many ways can I take that Angela?" he asked.
"You're not fired as my husband or soon to be father of this baby but if you touch another tool in this house again I'll have you arrested!" she said.
"But Angela I think I could do the job! I really do!" he whined and pouted.
"Tony… don't pout! The truth is we can't afford the money you are saving us on a contractor!" she said as she put her hand on his arm.
"Fired… by my own wife!" he whined again.
"Come here… let me give you a severance hug…" she said as she tried to hug him.
"No! No way! You can't fire me then grope me! And anyway… who are you going to get to finish this job? This baby will be here sooner rather than later!" he said as Joe came back downstairs.
"I think I can patch the ceiling and finish off the nursery in a weekend" said Joe.
"Oh Joe's back? You're bringing Joe back!" he said with irritation.
"Hi Tony… nice work. Listen I gotta knock down a building over on third street. Can I borrow your butt?" he asked sarcastically.
"Hardy-har-har! I will not have this man working on our house!" shouted Tony.
"He's a professional! It's what he does!" yelled Angela as she stood up next to Tony and Joe.
"Don't I have a say in this Angela?" asked Tony.
"You nailed my son in a wall!" she shouted.
"So now he's your son? Well fine! If you're going to nitpick! Let him finish the job!" he said, making a promise to be all over Joe as he finished the job. Joe agreed but then handed them a piece of paper with two different estimates; one if Tony left the country and the other if he stayed in the house.
"He will be gone this weekend! I've already arranged for a long weekend getaway starting tomorrow in the city for just us. Joe can have the entire weekend to finish up the nursery and you will get to relax and get some sun… it will be perfect!" she said.
"Angela I don't know if I can when I don't know what this guy is doing to our house!" he said.
"Well you can't relax even when you know what this guy is doing to our house! Tony you drive yourself and everybody around you crazy! You've got to learn to trust the people you hired!" she said.
"I'm not sure I can…" he said.
"Hey… you trust my son to take good care of your daughter. Trust me with your house…" said Joe.
"Okay fine… we can go. I'll trust you… so when do we leave?" he asked.
"First thing tomorrow morning! We just need to pack our bags and everything is set! I've booked spa packages for us and we can spend the whole weekend just relaxing" she said as she wrapped her arms around him, leaning in for a kiss.
"Sounds perfect! Graduation is in two weeks so this will be a perfect time to get away before finals too! Thanks Angela! You're the best!" he said.
"Well I'll leave you two alone. When you get back on Sunday, it will all be ready for you" he said as he headed out the door.
As promised, the next morning they were on their way bright and early to the city. They arrived at the hotel and were able to valet park the car. They checked into the hotel and decided to walk around until lunchtime. In the afternoon, they headed back to the hotel to give Angela some time to rest.
The next day, they chose to do room service for breakfast. They had a couples' spa day planned for late morning, followed by early dinner reservations and tickets for a Broadway musical. By the time the evening was over, they were exhausted but content to spend the rest of their mini vacation in bed together. By Sunday afternoon, they were back in the car heading home.
"I hope he's finished and it meets my standards! Otherwise he's coming back!" he said as he opened the front door.
"It will be beautiful I'm sure! The bedroom is beautiful so the nursery will be too! C'mon let's go see it!" she said as she led him up the stairs. They smiled when they got to the outside of the nursery as Joe had put a large yellow and green ribbon on the door. Tony slowly opened the door to a fully finished nursery. The walls were painted a light green with zoo themed animals stenciled on the walls. All the baby's furniture was assembled and aligned the walls of the room. The rocker was set up in the corner by a small bookcase filled with children's books. The crib had a a baby blanket and stuffed teddy bear inside.
"Oh Tony… it's even better than I imagined! It's beautiful!" she gushed as she started to cry.
"I have to admit… he didn't disappoint! I couldn't have done a better job!" he said.
"Just think Tony…. in less than two months our baby will be here, sleeping in that crib, being rocked to sleep in that chair. I just can't wait!" she said as she put her hands on her stomach, feeling the baby move.
"I know I haven't always made things easy around here- not just with the renovations, but with us all these years. First my insecurities about being good enough for you, then everything from getting engaged to married and starting this brand new life with you" he said as he placed his hands on her stomach.
"Has it been worth it Angela?" he asked as he leaned down, capturing his lips with hers, not waiting for an answer. Finally when they both came back up for air, they made eye contact and smiled.
"It's worth it…" she said as she pulled him back in for another kiss.