Chapter 3:
Tony woke up a few hours later, Angela's arms wrapped around his body. His mind started racing as he thought of all of the logistics that they would need to figure out, top of the list letting the family know about their newly declared love and of course the baby. Their baby. A little piece of both of them growing inside of her, tying them all together forever. He hoped they would all react well to the news, once they got over the initial shock. He needed to make sure Angela started taking better care of herself- sleeping more, eating balanced meals and working much less hours. He was lost deep in his thoughts when Angela started to stir.
"Morning sweetheart…" he said as he leaned over for a kiss.
"Morning to you too… again!" she chuckled.
"Can I get you anything? Some tea and toast? I know you aren't a morning person, but this little one needs to keep growing big and strong! How have you been feeling? Do you have morning sickness?" he asked, his overprotective nature kicking in.
"I've never gotten sick thankfully but I've had bouts of nausea here and there. Mostly fatigue and bloating. Of course the missed period should have been my first clue but I've been so busy I wasn't even paying attention" she said.
"Well let's hope the morning sickness isn't too bad. I'll make sure I cook blander meals whenever possible. If it's alright with you, I'd like to come to your doctor's appointments. I never got to come to the ones with Marie and I'd like us to have that bond" he said.
"I'd love for you to come Tony! I'll schedule one first thing Monday morning and we can go from there. How… how do you want to tell the family? I don't have any idea how they are going to react. I'm sure they will be excited for us to finally be together but to have a baby so soon? It's going to be a big adjustment" she said, her face mirroring her fear and anxiety.
"I've thought about that too Angela but I think at the end of the day, they are going to be as excited as we are to have another little person that connects us all. Why don't you rest some more and I will go make us some tea and breakfast? I'll be back soon!" he said as he kissed her and headed downstairs. He had just started the kettle when Mona walked in through the backdoor.
"Morning there Tony… back from Brooklyn so soon? I thought you might have had some fun with Angela… ha! What am I saying?" she laughed as she sat down at the table.
"What? Angela is a lot of fun! We had a great time last night! We met up with some of my old friends from the neighborhood and enjoyed some quiet time in the apartment before she went home" he said, hoping this version of the truth would ring true to Mona. He was wrong.
"Wait a minute, wait a minute! I can't believe I didn't see it as soon as I walked in the kitchen! You got lucky last night! Hot damn! Since I know it couldn't have been Angela, who was the lucky girl?" she asked as she got herself comfortable at the table, waiting for the salacious details.
"None of your business Mona! My personal life is… is personal!" He practically shouted as the water started to boil. He poured the water in two cups along with the tea bags as he started on breakfast.
"Wait… who's breakfast are you making exactly? Tell me you didn't get lucky here and are still entertaining…" she said as Tony just tried his best to ignore her. Angela walked through the door, breaking up the tension but not the inquisitive mind.
"Tony I… oh hi Mother. I didn't see you there. You're up early!" she said as she took a seat at the table.
"It's after ten dear… it's not early unless you've been up all night…" she said as she watched both Tony and Angela freeze.
"Well we ended our night late and I didn't get home until very late. It did feel good to sleep in. I think I will start doing that more often" she said, trying to cover her tracks.
"That's a good idea Angela! Maybe I should sleep in one of these mornings too!" he said as he began to scramble their eggs. He hoped the smell of the eggs wouldn't upset her stomach. Mona watched the two of them intently as Tony finished making their breakfast. She knew Tony definitely had sex recently but Angela was more of a challenge for her- always had been and always would be when it came to her love life. Regardless of what happened with Tony, something was definitely happening right in front of her and she was determined to figure it out.
"That breakfast was delicious Tony! It really hit the spot! Alright, I think I am going to take a nice long bubble bath and enjoy this beautiful Sunday. Any ideas where the kids might be?" she asked as she stood up to leave.
"My guess is the mall. Sam's car is gone and I think Jonathan would have been down here by now, the smell of breakfast luring him downstairs. Alright you two, I will see you tonight for dinner. Enjoy the time alone… again…" she said as she sauntered out the back door.
"Do you think she knows Tony?" she whispered, knowing her mother wasn't in earshot but she didn't want to take any chances.
"I don't know Angela. She knew I had sex recently- how she has a radar for these things I have no idea! I think she thinks I hooked up with someone in Brooklyn but I don't know. I think we need to spend sometime today figuring out where to go from here. A lot of changes are going to be happening soon and I think we need some sorta game plan" he said as he put his hands on her arms, gently rubbing them up and down.
"Yes we definitely do need to talk today. Maybe we can go for a drive somewhere? Have some privacy and a chance to figure some of this out. I don't think I want to tell them about the baby until I've seen my doctor, you know just in case" she said as she started to bite her lower lip.
"Eh oh, oh eh! Everything is going to be fine! But I get waiting a bit. Let's get changed and ready to head out. I want to make sure we are back in time for you to rest before dinner. Figuring out a lighter work load is also something to discuss" he said as he wrapped his arms around her body, pulling her into an embrace. They stood there for a few moments, relishing in the close contact. Finally, they pulled apart, heading into the living room and up the stairs to get ready.
Twenty minutes later, they were driving down the parkway in Tony's jeep. After about fifteen minutes, they pulled into a nature preserve. The leaves were beginning to turn, shades of reds, yellows and oranges outlining the tops of the trees. They found a bench a little ways into the preserve and sat down.
"So…" he started to say.
"So… where do we even begin Tony?" she asked as she cuddled into his side, her head falling in between his shoulder and neck. His arm came around her side and pulled her in closer.
"I meant what I said. I love you Angela and I've loved you for as long as I can remember. I want to spend the rest of my life with you… with you both…" he said as he placed his hand on her stomach.
"I love you too Tony. I don't think I've ever loved anyone as much as I love you but I don't want to rush into this relationship just because of the baby. I think we need to take it slow and let things evolve naturally…" she said.
"Not for nothing… the last time we let things evolve naturally, it got us into this situation! But I think you are right. I don't want anyone, but most importantly you, to think I'm with you just because of the baby. I want you to know my feelings are real- I love you even if you weren't pregnant" he said as he leaned down to kiss her on the lips.
"Obviously things have changed since our conversation in Jamaica. Do… do you still think about us getting married?" she asked, hoping his answer was still the same.
"Of course I do! This is forever Angela! The three of us, well the six of us, are family and families stick together!" he said.
"Good… I want to marry you too Tony but I think our focus needs to be on this baby and our family, making sure they are adjusted to this idea. I know they will be surprised but I hope they end up being as excited about this as I am" she said.
"As we are Angela, as we are… have you thought about what you want the baby to be?" he asked.
"No, not really. As long as he or she is healthy that's all that matters… and maybe has your smile…" she said.
"And your eyes… I figure you're gonna make an appointment with your doctor this week right? Can you make it at a time I don't have class?" he asked.
"Sure Tony! I'll call first thing Monday morning and see when they can see me. I am sure there is so much more to know this time around. Probably more visits and testing than with Jonathan…" she said.
"Well whatever it is, I will be there for you, no matter what. When and how do you want to tell the family?" he asked, his voice wavering on the last part.
"I guess we should tell them tonight, at least about us as a couple. Maybe we can wait until I'm further along or at least seen by my doctor to tell them about the baby. Does that sound like a plan?" she asked as she looked back up at him.
"Perfect! We can tell them tonight at dinner…" he said as he leaned back down again for another kiss. They spent the next hour just sitting and watching the scenery before heading home.
The family all gathered for their traditional Sunday dinner. Tony had gone all out with his preparations and cooked a meal for a small army. Everyone could tell something was different but no one could pinpoint what was off. Samantha and Jonathan spent most of the meal looking from one adult to the other, then back to each other.
"Alright someone spill it already! Something is going on!" shouted Jonathan.
"The dweeb is right! What's wrong? Are we moving? Did Angela finally fire you Dad? I can't go back to Brooklyn now that I've lost my accent!" shouted Samantha.
"Relax you two! Nothing is wrong! And Samantha… have a little more faith in your old man!" he said as he pulled his chair closer to Angela.
"So what is exactly going on here?" asked Mona as she sat back in her chair, crossing her arms. She had some thoughts on the situation and was curious if she was right, as usual.
"Well something is happening that we talked about today and wanted to let you all in on. See, these past few months Tony and I have gotten… closer. Things got very close while we were in Jamaica" she said.
"Is that when you and Dad were making out on that bench? Jonathan and I would have seen more if the tour bus didn't block our way!" said Samantha.
"You all saw that?" asked Tony as he could feel his face flush.
"I have a feeling we missed the best part… am I right?" asked Mona as she gave them a wink and a smirk.
"Mother! That's none of your business! Anyway… so Tony and I have gotten closer…" she started, stopping to look at Tony, not knowing how to continue.
"I told Angela I love her…" he said as he put his arm around her shoulders.
"So?" said Samantha, the rest of them waiting for something they didn't already know.
"No you don't understand. Angela and I are in love, together. We are in love with each other and have decided to give us a try" he said as he watched her start to tear up.
"Really? That's great you guys! It's about time!" said Jonathan.
"Congratulations you two! We've all wanted this for so long! Don't mess it up Dad!" laughed Samantha.
"Thank you guys! It really means so much to have your support!" gushed Angela as she wiped the tears from her eyes.
"Needless to say, this is going to take some time to adjust but I want you all to know, we are in this for the long run" he said as he leaned down for a kiss.
"Are you guys going to get married?" asked Jonathan.
"We've talked about it and it's definitely something we see in our future. We just need more time to figure out some more things" said Angela. Tony started to rub slow circles on her back, needing more physical contact between them.
"So will you get married before or after the baby gets here?" asked Mona as she sat back and waited for their response. Samantha and Jonathan's mouths hung open, while Tony and Angela looked like two deer caught in the metaphorical headlights.