Chapter Three- A Dream Come True

July 2003

"Twenty minutes until we land Angela! I can't wait!" said Tony as he leaned over her to look out the window.

"I know! Out of all the vacation spots we have gone to over the years, this is by far my favorite! What a way to spend our ten year anniversary!" she said as she grabbed onto his hand.

"So much has happened in the past ten years! The Bower Agency has almost tripled in size! You've opened up another site in California and hopefully in London next year! I'm so proud of you sweetheart!" said Tony as he looked lovingly at Angela.

"And what about you? You made tenure at the high school, started that afterschool program for underprivileged kids in Brooklyn on the weekends and have four championship wins for the baseball team under your belt! Talk about being proud of my handsome, amazing husband!" she gushed. They were just about to kiss when they were interrupted by a two year old little girl.

"Grandma! Grandpa! We landing soon! I go to beach!" squealed the little girl as Tony pulled her into his lap.

"Yes Marie! We are going to land soon and then we will go to the hotel! Once we get changed we will go to the pool and the beach!" said Angela as Marie scooted over to her lap to look out the window.

"There she is! I swear she just escapes everywhere these days! C'mon Marie let's let Grandma and Grandpa enjoy the rest of the flight in peace! You've already come over six times!" said Samantha as she tried to get the little girl off of Angela's lap.

"No Mommy! I stay! I stay!" yelled Marie as she clung to Angela.

"It's fine Samantha! She can stay with us until we land but then you have to go back with Mommy, Daddy, Nicky and AJ" said Angela.

"Okay Grandma!" squealed Marie as she settled back against Angela, grabbing the snacks she had left in the seat pocket.

"If she gets to be too much, just call me…" said Samantha as she walked back to her seat.

"Any chance you can grab this little guy while I run to the bathroom quick? Jenny is still sleeping…" said Jonathan just as Samantha sat down in her seat.

"Come here Bobby! Grandpa needs his playtime! Grandma hogged you at the airport!" said Tony as Jonathan handed him the one and a half year old little boy.

"Thanks Tony!" he said as he headed back to the airplane lavatory.

"So it's just you, me, two kids, two in-laws, a mother-in-law and four and a half grandchildren!" chuckled Tony as he lifted up Bobby, making him giggle.

"You wouldn't have it any other way and you know it! But we will need to make sure we do have enough alone time…" she said with a smirk.

"Oh we will have plenty of alone time Angela!" he said as he made Bobby laugh.

Soon, they were touching down on the runway, pulling up to the gate. They handed Marie back to Samantha as they started to grab their carry on luggage. Tony came and helped Jonathan with their luggage as they disembarked. Jonathan's wife Jenny was about five months pregnant so Angela came over and took Bobby from her.

A half an hour after touching down, the family was through customs and waiting with their luggage to head to the resort. The van was able accommodate all eleven of them as they soon arrived at the hotel.

"Grandpa! Can we go to the waterpark first? I want to ride all the slides!" shouted Nicky as they got out of the van.

"Sure thing pal! As soon as everyone is settled into their rooms, we can meet down by the pool! There's a kids area where Marie and Bobby can play while you, me and AJ can ride some water slides!" said Tony.

"I'll be finding the nearest cabana boy to help me find the best spot to sunbathe…" said Mona as she already started to scout out the young men helping with the luggage.

Angela was able to check them all in, handing out their room keys and maps to the resort. Each family headed to their rooms, agreeing to meet by the pool in a half an hour. Jonathan and Samantha hung back for a few moments.

"So I spoke to someone before we left about having the special dinner tomorrow night down by the beach! We need to speak to someone tomorrow to confirm the menu and anything else we can think of" said Samantha.

"That's great! Mom booked the family's photoshoot at 6:30pm, so we can have the dinner for 7:00pm. Maybe we can speak to someone first thing tomorrow morning" said Jonathan.

"Okay perfect! I can't believe they have been married for ten years already and together, well basically together, for almost twenty!" said Samantha as they headed off to their rooms.


"Oh Tony! Look at that view! It just doesn't get old! That water is just simply magnificent" said Angela as she opened the balcony door and looked out at the ocean below.

"It's beautiful Angela, just not quite as beautiful as you" he said as he came up behind her, wrapping his arms around her waist. She responded with a slight sigh as she leaned back against his chest.

"So we still have twenty minutes until we have to meet the kids…" she said as she turned in his arms, pulling herself flush up against his body.

"Twenty minutes will do…" he said as he captured her lips in a passionate kiss. They moved over to the bed as he laid her down gently on the mattress. Their clothes were soon a messy pile on the floor as they were lost in pure ecstasy as their bodies joined together. After ten years of marriage, they both agreed their sex life was better than most newlyweds half their ages.

Twenty-five minutes later, they were heading out of their room and down to the pool area. They spotted the family putting their stuff on chairs and applying sunscreen to all four kids. Tony and Angela found two chairs and put their own stuff down.

"You're late Grandpa!" yelled AJ as Hank was trying to put him into his life jacket.

"I think Grandma and Grandpa were doing the horizontal mambo…" said Mona with a smirk as both Samantha and Jonathan made gagging noises.

"Mother! Don't you have a cabana boy to befriend?" snapped Angela.

"What's the horizontal mambo? Is that a dance from the olden days Grandma?" asked Nicky.

"Yes sweetheart…" said Angela as she continued to give Mona a dirty look.

"You'll learn it when you're older Nicholas… your grandparents took long enough to learn it…" said Mona as all of the adults yelled her name.

"Alright! Who is ready for some water slides?" shouted Tony as he quickly changed the subject, taking Nicky and AJ towards the slides.

"And who wants to come with Grandma to the pool?" asked Angela as both Bobby and Marie ran over to her. Jenny and Samantha put on their life jackets as Angela led them over to the kid's pool, wading in with both of them on her hips.

"Now this is the life! Can we pawn our kids off to Mom and Tony for the whole trip?" asked Jonathan with a laugh as he helped Jenny into a lounge chair, grabbing the one right next to her.

"As tempting as that sounds, this trip is for their anniversary…" said Jenny.

"They love it! How often are they calling us to bring the kids over? Tony is always taking the boys to play baseball or soccer and Angela takes Marie shopping practically every weekend! said Hank as he took a sip of his beer.

"It's true they do love spending time with them but we can't take advantage of it too much! They need their alone time too… even if they did… find it already…" she said as she shook her head in disbelief.

"Well, I for one am going to enjoy the childless time right now!" said Jonathan as he put his arms behind his head and closed his eyes.

"So how have you been feeling Jenny? Only a few more months left!" said Samantha.

"I'm exhausted! Taking care of a toddler and being pregnant is no joke! Now I know why my mom always complained about being tired!" laughed Jenny as she thought about her mom.

"Wendy sure did have her hands full! I still can't believe it's been almost three years since… I know Angela misses her a lot" said Samantha as she grabbed a hold of Jenny's hand.

"Mom was something else that's for sure! Bobby definitely has her personality with a strange mix of Tony thrown in there too! I think that's why Angela can manage him so well!" she said.

"Angela is definitely the baby whisperer! With all three kids she was always there to help me, especially when I was on the verge of a mommy meltdown! She just knows what they need. I often wonder if she and Dad had gotten together sooner if they would have had kids of their own…" said Samantha.

"If Nicky hadn't been conceived on their wedding trip, I could have seen them trying for a baby at that point" said Hank.

"Well, either way they are enjoying being grandparents that's for sure!" said Jenny as they watched Tony come back with the boys and head into the pool. Angela handed off Marie to Tony as they spun them all around in the pool, all four kids giggling and splashing as they enjoyed themselves.

By late afternoon, everyone headed back to their rooms to get showered and changed for an early dinner. Tony and Angela headed back to their rooms, collapsing on the bed as the day's activities finally caught up to them. They were able to take a joint shower and then laid on the bed, falling asleep rather quickly. Tony had set an alarm so they were able to get up and ready for dinner.

"Is… is that the dress you wore in Jamaica?" asked Tony as he watched her step into the familiar orange sundress.

"Yes it is! I dug it out of my closet the other day. I was surprised it still fit! It's not too much is it?" she asked as she looked herself over in the mirror.

"Angela… it's going to be too much for me to keep my hands off of you tonight! Do you have any idea the fantasies I've had about you in that dress over the years? The amount of cold showers I needed to take after we made out on that bench?" he asked as he walked over to her, running his hands up and down her sides.

"Well no cold showers required any longer Mr. Micelli…" she said as her hands found his chest. Ten years later and she still marveled at his well defined abs.

"Let's not stay out too long tonight… unless we find that hammock again…" he said as the smile on his face grew as she let out a laugh.

"That was the best stargazing I ever had!" she chuckled as she gave him a quick kiss before finishing getting ready. They were able to get to the restaurant just as Jonathan and Jenny walked over with Bobby.

"Pa!" yelled Bobby as he ran into Tony's arms.

"Bobby my boy! Did you take a nap after the pool? There's a kids show after dinner we were thinking of taking you to! You wanna see Big Bird?" asked Tony as he lifted him up.

"Be bird! Be bird!" he yelled as Tony placed him on his shoulders.

"After Big Bird, it's bed time because no you did not nap today!" laughed Jenny.

"Well we will wear him out so he will sleep well for you guys!" said Tony as he ran him up and down the walkway, their laughter contagious as the rest of them watched. Soon, the rest of the family came to join them and they were seated. They chose the buffet restaurant tonight so the kids could see the shows before bed. By dessert time, Tony had taken all the kids up to the ice cream bar twice, despite their parents' protests.

"I'm not putting them to bed, you all are!" he laughed as he helped Marie add more whipped cream to her sundae.

"Watch it Tony or all four will end up on your doorstep at midnight tonight! Knock and run!" laughed Mona.

"We'd love it! Sleepover with Grandma and Grandpa!" he said as all kids yelled in delight.

"Let's start with the show tonight and go from there!" laughed Angela as Bobby crawled onto her lap, his hands sticky from the ice cream. Once everyone was finished and cleaned up, they headed over to the main stage for the kids' activities. The stage was decorated with Sesame Street posters and signs. They were able to get seats right in front. An announcer came over the speaker as the show began.

"This is boring! I'm too old for Sesame Street!" complained Nicky as he pouted next to Angela and Samantha.

"You're fine Nicholas! The next show is geared for older kids" said Samantha as she watched Tony take Bobby and Marie closer to the stage as the characters came out.

"Be Bird! Elmo!" shouted Bobby as he pointed to the characters.

"I see Grover! He's my favorite!" squealed Marie.

"Mine too! Look they are about to do a dance!" said Tony as he put them both down. Angela's heart melted as she watched Tony dancing along with the kids to the show. They never had the chance to talk about expanding their own family once they got home from their wedding trip because not a month later, Samantha and Hank announced their pregnancy. Still, a part of her always wondered if they hadn't waited so long to get together if they could have had a baby. Tony was so good with babies and toddlers, not to mention older kids. Part of her did long for that bond with Tony.

"You okay Angela?" asked Samantha as she saw tears in her eyes.

"Oh yes I'm fine! I was just looking over at your dad- he's so good with the little ones. We never did get a chance to raise the two of you together when you were that young…" she said wistfully.

"I know… you two would have made very cute babies together. It's not the same, but if it helps at all, you two are the very best grandparents to our kids and the very best parents to the dweeb over there and I" she said as she put her arm around Angela.

"Thank you sweetheart! We love you all so very much!" she said as she put her own arm around Samantha's shoulder. They stayed like that as they watched the rest of the show. Once it was over, they all came back together by the seats.

"Well this little guy's night is officially over! Say goodnight to everyone Bobby!" said Jenny as she passed the toddler around. The three of them headed off to their room.

"Well as fun as this night has been, I think I need to go find out where Bert and Ernie ended up… roommates make for good company…" said Mona as she headed off towards the back of the stage.

"Alright the next show starts in fifteen minutes! After that, we are heading back to the room for the night…" said Samantha as she tucked Marie into her side.

"I think Angela and I are going to go for a stroll down by the water. We will catch you all tomorrow morning! Or at midnight if the ice cream is still in effect!" laughed Tony as he led her down the path towards the beach. They stopped off for a cocktail as they found a large lounge chair overlooking the ocean.

"C'mon Mrs. Micelli…" he said as he sat down, gently pulling her down onto his lap. His hand found her bare back, slowly rubbing circles on the exposed skin. She sighed contently as she leaned back into his chest.

"Ten years Tony… I still can't believe it… it seems just like yesterday we were saying 'I do'…" she said as she thought back to their wedding day.

"Best day of my life! Actually, the start to the best next ten years of my life! I wouldn't change a thing…" he said as he put his glass down and grabbed a hold of her hands.

"Tony…" she started, the rest of the words getting caught in her throat.

"What is it Angela? You okay?" he asked, the concern in his voice evident.

"I'm fine Tony! It's just… did you ever think if we hadn't waited so long that we could have had a baby together? I look at the way you are with the grandkids and it just makes me think maybe we missed out on something…" she said as she played with his wedding band.

"I won't lie and say it never crossed my mind. I imagined us having a baby- a little boy with my hair, olive skin and athletic talent! Or a little girl… a perfect combination of smarts and beauty… just like her mother! I know we never really got to talk about it once I got back from Iowa and then Sam got pregnant so quickly… it just seemed like it wasn't in the cards for us" he said as pulled her closer to him.

"It would have been wonderful to have that bond with you but honestly, I think we are where we were meant to be. We have four beautiful grandchildren, with one on the way…" she said.

"And the best part is… we can spoil 'em rotten and ship them back to their parents! Payback for all of Samantha and Jonathan's antics when they were children!" he laughed, causing her to laugh along with him.

"I wonder if the sugar rush as worn off from all that ice cream!" she chuckled as they settled back in the chair, content to spend the rest of the evening by themselves.


The next morning, Tony and Angela were up early, opting to go for a run along the beach. They were back in time to shower and meet the family for breakfast at one of the restaurants near the pool.

"Grandpa! Let's go on the waterslides again! We can race!" said AJ as he shoved scrambled eggs in his mouth.

"We are going to let Grandma and Grandpa have a day to themselves for their anniversary! We will see them for the photo shoot and dinner tonight!" said Samantha as she helped cut up Marie's food.

"We won't get to spend time with them today?" asked Nicky as the disappointment was written all over his face.

"We can go for races buddy! I'll take you!" said Hank, in hopes of cheering him up.

"Okay…" said Nicky as he twirled his fork around his plate.

"Well Grandma and I are going to be down by the beach the whole day… in case you happen to pass by…" Tony said with a wink to both his grandsons, making them both smile.

"You know you can drop them off to us at any time…" said Angela as she took a squirming Bobby from Jonathan.

"You two need to enjoy your anniversary! We will see you guys later on! Alright since it seems like our crew is done, let's see about getting chairs by the water park…" said Samantha as she wiped dirty faces and tried to clean up the mess the kids had made. The five of them headed off towards the pool, followed shortly by Jonathan's family. Mona had yet to make an appearance.

"So what are the chances we actually get the day to ourselves?" he asked as he finished his coffee.

"Slim to none… but I don't think either of us are complaining! We do have the couple's massage booked at 2:00pm so that will be some alone time… maybe we can sneak back to our room for a bit too…" she said as she finished off her toast and juice.

"Well then let's head down to the beach to get some sun so we can have some more… alone time…" he said as he stood up, helping her up as they headed down to the beach.

By lunch time, they were visited at least twice by each grandkid as Angela took the older boys swimming in the ocean. She had been giving the boys swimming lessons at their local YMCA at home and continued with their lessons in the ocean. Tony enjoyed playing with the younger ones in the sand, building sandcastles and collecting shells on the beach. After lunch, Tony and Angela headed back to the spa for their massages. Once checked in, they were led to the changing rooms and then into their room.

"This is so relaxing Tony… I love a good massage…" she said as the workers left them in the room to lay on the tables. Tony watched with desire as Angela dropped her robe and laid down on the table. He walked over to her, running his hands down her back and underneath the sheet.

"You know… we could save money and I could just give you a full body massage…" he said as he enjoyed his exploration of her body.

"That can happen later Tony… I'd suggest you head over to your table before lying on your stomach becomes painful…" she said as she looked over at the bulge forming under his sheet.

"Hmmm… you're no fun… but I guess you're right…" he said as he reluctantly walked over to his table, laying down under his sheet. Soon, the masseurs entered the room and began the couple's massage. Both Tony and Angela were soon relaxed. Their tables were right next to one another so for most of the massage, they were able to hold hands. Once the massages were done, they were led to the sauna and hot tubs.

"Oh Tony… I couldn't be more relaxed if I tried…" she said as she sat down next to Tony in the hot tub.

"You and me both…" he said as he dipped his bad shoulder under the hot water, getting hit by one of the jets.

"We should probably get out soon and showered. Maybe we can head back and rest up before the photo shoot with the family" she said as she moved behind him, wrapping her arms and legs around his body.

"Hmm… or we can finish what I started before…" he said as he grabbed a hold of her thighs, slowly moving his hands upward.

"Hmm… I like the way you think…" she whispered into his ear as she turned to move into his lap as their lips crashed together. Their moment of romance would have gone on longer had they not been interrupted by the doors opening and another couple entering the room.

"Oh sorry! We didn't realize there was another couple in here!" said a familiar British voice.

"It's quite alright…" said Tony as Angela moved off of his lap.

"Alan? Is… is that you?" asked Angela as she looked over at the man in the white robe.

"Angela? What a small world running into you again!" said Alan as he came over to the hot tub. Tony felt all the relaxation go right out of his body as he sized up the man in front of him.

"It is! Oh where are my manners! Alan this is my husband Tony! We are here with our families celebrating our ten year anniversary. Tony, this is Alan" she said as she looked between the men and then over at the woman standing behind Alan.

"Pleasure to meet you Tony. This is my wife Ellie. Our kids, Timmy and Lexie, are at the kids' camp while we have a massage and some pampering!" he said as his arm reached around his wife's waist.

"That's wonderful! I'm so happy you're… so happy!" laughed Angela.

"Well, we better be going! It was wonderful seeing you again! Enjoy the rest of your trip!" he said as the couples said their goodbyes.

"Alan… who is that guy Angela?" asked Tony as the jealousy rose in him as he pictured Alan's face with his fist smashed into it.

"Oh Tony relax! I met him on the first trip I took here with Isabelle and Wendy. We met at the pool on the first day and hit it off. We had some meals together and went snorkeling. He was very nice and understanding…" she said as she thought back to her first trip.

"Nice and understanding Angela? Did… did you two… sleep together?" he stammered.

"Tony! Not that it's any of your business but no we didn't sleep together! He had just gotten out of a long term relationship and I… I was still trying to heal from the whole Kathleen situation… I told him I was still in love with you and that nothing would happen. Aside from a kiss at the end of the trip, we just enjoyed each other's company" she said as she watched Tony's face go from jealousy to shame to relief.

"You… you didn't do anything with him because you loved me? Even back then?" he asked as he pulled her back into his lap.

"I couldn't Tony. You had my heart for years… it was still shattered in about a hundred pieces at that point, but my heart belonged to you…" she said as she wrapped her arms around his neck.

"Oh sweetheart… my heart was yours too… I know we talked about this once we got together, but I am so sorry for… everything. I never meant to hurt you. In fact, I was trying to do just the opposite because I never thought I was what you needed, what you deserved. Heck I still don't fully but I decided that I would spend the rest of my life trying to be the guy you deserved…" he said as he rested his forehead against hers.

"Oh Tony… you are everything I ever wanted and just what I needed. I feel like I don't deserve you half the time- like you could have done so much better finding someone more… more like Meryl Streep…" she said with a smirk.

"Meryl has nothing on you Angela! You're funny, beautiful, smart and… beautiful… maybe we can just agree that we are meant for one another, insecurities and all!" he chuckled.

"Deal! Now where were we…" she said as she captured his lips with her own. Not wanting to get interrupted again, they reluctantly got out of the hot tub and back into their clothes as they headed to their room to show one another just how deep their love ran after all these years.


By the time the sun was in the perfect position for sunset photos, the family had gathered down by the beach. Angela, Samantha and Jenny had coordinated white and navy outfits for the family. The guys all had on white dress shirts rolled up at the sleeves with navy shorts, while the women had white dresses. Even Mona dressed in matching white, although her choice of a dress with no back, a higher than high slit down the leg and ample view of her cleavage left Angela just shaking her head.

"Alright everyone! We will do the whole family first, then break it down into individual families and groups! Mom and Dad will come in the center and each family on either side. Grandma can come on the other side of Mom" said the photographer. Angela had to pull Mona back from ripping the camera out of his hands and throwing it into the ocean.

"Perfect! Beautiful family Mom and Dad! Okay everyone! Say cheesy macaroni!" said the photographer as he managed to get some photos of all of them together. He moved onto Samantha's family, followed by Jonathan's. He was able to gather all the men and then all the women before getting one with Tony and Angela with all their grandchildren. Finally, they took one with just Tony, Angela, Mona, Samantha and Jonathan.

"So it's their tenth wedding anniversary! I think they deserve some photos just the two of them!" said Samantha as she instructed the photographer to get some ones of just Tony and Angela. They happily obliged to more photos of just them. A small crowd formed on the beach as they all watched them pose for photos, their love for one another coming through with each photo.

"Alright already! My cheeks hurt from smiling! Let's go find a place to eat dinner!" said Tony.

"We've already taken care of that!" said Samantha as she led her parents to the boardwalk. A few minutes later, they walked upon a large wooden table set with a pink rose filled centerpiece and stands of lights around the deck overlooking the ocean. The hostess greeted them, leading Tony and Angela to the middle of the table. Their chairs were decorated with light pink chiffon bows.

"This is amazing! Did you two coordinate all of this?" asked Tony as he pointed at Samantha and Jonathan.

"Guilty! It was mostly Samantha though!" chuckled Jonathan as he put Bobby in his high chair.

"It was a family affair!" laughed Samantha as she settled Marie in her chair as well.

"Well thank you all! This has truly been the very best anniversary!" said Angela as she turned to Tony, giving him a quick kiss.

"Good evening! My name is James and I am your server this evening! We have a specialty drink prepared for your special occasion! Please enjoy and I will be back to take your orders" he said as he handed out the drinks.

"Attention everyone! Jonathan and I would like to make a toast!" said Samantha as she raised her glass.

"To our parents… you have shown us all that true love not only exists, but perseveres. You sacrificed your own happiness for us- making sure we were taken care of, loved and supported. You showed us what to look for in a partner… someone who is kind, caring, compassionate and understanding" she said.

"You both never gave up on us, our family or each other. Your love for one another has only grown these past ten years and we all hope it only strengthens in the years to come. We love you guys with all our hearts! Happy anniversary!" said Jonathan as he too raised his glass as he finished up the toast. Everyone clinked their glasses as Tony and Angela came over to hug them both.

Soon, the waiter came back over, taking their orders as the family happily chatted. Dinner was served, followed by a small cake that Tony and Angela were able to cut into as the staff served everyone. As the night was coming to a close, Tony stood up one last time for his own toast.

"On behalf of Angela and I, we both want to thank you all for this wonderful dinner and for joining us on this vacation. This place has truly become such a special place to us and to share it with all of you has been a dream come true. Never in my wildest dreams did I ever imagine when Sam and I pulled up to 3344 Oak Hills Drive that almost twenty years later this would be our home, our life, and our family but it is and I will be forever grateful that this beautiful woman next to me took the chance on us. I love you Angela- there's no one I'd rather spend the rest of my life with than you…" he said as he leaned down to capture his lips with hers as the family erupted in applause.

"I love you too Tony… more than you can ever imagine…" she said as she gave his lips one final kiss.

The End