Hope for All- Chapter 28
A huge shout out to Ilene!!! She helped with the research for this chapter!!
Tony and Angela spent the rest of the night sitting outside in their private balcony, watching the sunset. They were finally able to see the pods of dolphins jumping in and out of the water. Tony brought his camera along and was able to capture a few action shots. He mostly spent his time capturing the way the sunlight was reflecting off of Angela, giving her a beautiful glow. She took the camera from him and took some equally gorgeous shots of Tony with the sunset as the backdrop.
They opted for room service for dinner out on the balcony. They ordered appetizers, a main entree to share and a spread of different samples of desserts. The cruise gave them a complimentary bottle of champagne, flower arrangement and a happy anniversary sign hung up inside the room. Tony requested a few cans of ginger ale for Angela so they could toast one another during dinner. Once they finished their meal, they decided to curl up in bed and watch a movie. To their delight, 'When Harry Met Sally' was playing. They gave each other a knowing look and then each placed their hands over her stomach. As the movie started, Angela leaned into Tony even more to try and get comfortable. Before Harry even met Sally, Angela was asleep.
Tony quietly laughed as he looked down and saw that Angela was sound asleep. He wondered how much longer she'd be able to sleep mostly through the night. As it was now, she'd have to get up about 2-3 times to use the bathroom. He suspected that would only get worse and soon as the babies grew. He had gotten in the habit the past few months of caressing her belly after she fell asleep and talking softly to the twins.
"Hey little ones! It's Daddy again! It's been a few days since we've had our one-on-one… on-one talks! I hope you two are enjoying this trip so far. I know I'm having the best time but that's only because I'm with your beautiful, amazing Mommy. I can't wait to feel some kicks and movements from you both! Soon I hope! Okay, I should probably try and get some sleep. Sweet dreams babies" he said as he kissed her stomach and soon drifted off to sleep.
The next day was their day at sea. They decided to try out the breakfast buffet followed by a relaxing morning and afternoon by the pool. Angela and Tony couldn't remember the last time they were this relaxed and probably the first time since Mexico they were enjoying such beautiful weather together. After a nap by the pool after lunch, they opted to walk around the ship again and explore the amenities of the ship. They were both fascinated by the state of the art, brand new glass elevators. There was a huge grand piano in the main foyer adjacent to a beautiful grand staircase case. They made a point to come back for formal photos later that evening before their dinner reservations.
They headed back to their room and took a shower to get ready for tonight. It wasn't easy, but they managed to figure out a way to shower together, throughly enjoying the shared experience. Once they were finished, they headed out to the main room to get changed. Tonight was their formal attire night and they were each spending more time getting ready than usual. Tony was dressed in a black suit, white collared shirt and black tie, looking very handsome. Angela had found the week before the trip a long maternity gown. It was a deep navy blue gown with short sleeves just coming off her shoulders with a silver sparkly belt that sat above her baby bump. The gown managed to hug her curves in all the right places. She opted for dress shoes with a slight wedge as opposed to her normal high heels. She didn't trust herself on the ship wearing heals. She chose to wear her hair half up, half down with additional curls cascading down her back. Once they were fully dressed, hair done and makeup applied, they stepped out into the main room. Tony was taken aback by her overwhelming beauty and Angela was in a similar state of awe over Tony. They spent a few moments truly taking each other in, looking each other up and down.
"Angela… you are absolutely stunning. The dress… you thought I was turned on by the bikini… I hope you don't plan on having dessert tonight…" he said seductively as he put his hands on her hips and pulled her closer.
"If you're good, maybe I'll show you what's for dessert…" she said as they started kissing. Angela was the first one to reluctantly pull away, not wanting to be late for their reservation. They headed for the main staircase again where the photographer was taking formal photos. They took the normal posed cruise-type photos as well as some candids. Tony recreated the last photo they took at their wedding, bending down and kissing her belly.
"Has anyone ever told you both just how photogenic you are? I see hundreds of couples each week, but there really is something unique, something special between you two that just shines through the camera. I see you are expecting. First of all, congratulations! Secondly, I am going to be on the CocoCay Island doing some photography on the beach for the couples and families that want photo packages. I've started recently doing something I call maternity photography. If you want, I'd love to take photos of the two of you and do some more poses like the one you just did" said the photographer.
"I'd love to, if you're up to it Angela" said Tony as he rubbed her belly.
"Sure why not? What time?" asked Angela.
"We get off the boat at 9:30am but don't get back on until 5:00pm. How about 4:15pm? That way the sun will be at the right spot for the best lighting" said the photographer. He gave them his card as they thanked him and headed to dinner.
They were seated right away by the window, their table lit with tea light candles and pink rose petals. They ordered an appetizer to share as well as specialty nonalcoholic drinks. Their main dishes came out soon after they finished their appetizers, Angela opting for the salmon dish with saffron rice and mixed vegetables, while Tony chose the skirt steak, baked potato and vegetables. They ended up tasting each other's meals, throughly enjoying all the food. They decided to split dessert as they were both very full. They chose a small platter of miniature pastries and fresh fruit to cap off their night. By the time they paid the bill and were ready to leave, they could barely walk they were so full.
"I think I need to walk off some of this meal! Care for a stroll around the deck?" asked Tony.
"As long as we go slow… I can barely walk I'm so full!" laughed Angela.
They headed up to the main deck and walked around, past the pool, the hot tub and shuffleboard court.
"You ever play shuffleboard Angela?" he asked.
"Not since I went to camp…" she said with a wink. "I was quite good as I recall… maybe not as good as miniature golf…" she said with a smile.
"You up for a short, non competitive game?" asked Angela.
"Non competitive? What are the chances of that?" laughed Tony.
"Well at almost six months pregnant, I'm not sure I've got the drive but we shall see…" she laughed.
Tony set up the game, handing Angela a pole and placing the red and black discs in front of the board. Angela went first and overshot the board. Tony went next and landed about two feet to the left of the board. Angela's next two shots landed on the seven spots and Tony's one landed on the ten.
"Alright Angela… last shot… no pressure now…" he said as she lined up her last shot, mastering the art of tuning him out. Her last shot knocked Tony's disc off the board and hers stayed in the ten spot. Tony outwardly groaned as he knew his chances of winning were done. He still gave it his all and ended up knocking one of her discs off the seven spot, still losing to her a lot to a little.
"Okay, there's two games I'm never playing you ever again!" laughed Tony as he wrapped his arms around her and placed a gentle kiss on her lips.
"You know how badly I wanted to kiss you after I won at mini golf? Or I should say you let me win… either way, I wanted to just wrap you in my arms and kiss you, something like this…" he said as he pulled her closer and kissed her so deeply, so passionately, they both needed to come up for air.
"How about we relocate this back to our room? I think we can find other, more entertaining ways of working off our meal… if you catch my drift…" she said as she pulled him by the hand towards their room.
"Who am I to argue with that logic?" he chuckled as he pictured all the ways they could burn a few calories.
The next day the cruise ship docked in Nassau, Bahamas. Angela had a hard time figuring out an excursion for the day. Everything looked like it would be so much fun- snorkeling, scuba diving among the reefs, private boat tours around the islands… they even had options to swim with wild pigs on a beach! Everything that looked like a lot of fun was not pregnancy-friendly and had to be crossed off the list. She was able to book a bus tour of downtown Nassau to see some of the historical sights followed by lunch at one of the restaurants overlooking the water.
They opted to go to the breakfast buffet before heading off the boat. She packed them a backpack with their camera, extra film, sunscreen, a towel, extra snacks and water bottles. They each grabbed a pair of sunglasses and an oversized hat for Angela and headed out to disembark.
Tony helped Angela off the boat and onto the main land. The tour bus was waiting for them as well as the other guests. Angela checked them in and they were able to get seats on the bus. The tour drove them through the outskirts of Nassau, passing by smaller neighborhoods and communities. Many of the houses were rundown and severely damaged by recent storms. The contrast between the inside and outside of the city was remarkable. The architecture of many of the historical buildings was absolutely beautiful.
The first stop on the tour was Pompey Square. Tony and Angela walked through the square, admiring the architecture and many of the beautiful sculptures around the area. They were able to stop in a few shops and buy some souvenirs for the family. The final shop was a small chocolate shop, where both Tony and Angela were able to taste some of the local chocolate. They bought some and indulged in the chocolate on their walk back to the bus.
"I think the babies are enjoying the chocolate! They are moving around a lot!" said Angela as she rubbed her belly.
"I wonder who they get that from?" laughed Tony as his hand joined hers.
They finished their chocolate and got back on the bus. The next stop was Parliament Square. The buildings were painted bright, vibrant colors with long colorful pieces of fabric draped over the tops and sides of the buildings. Statues of historical figures of Bahamian culture were erected near the buildings. They were given information from their tour guide about the country's history and given time to walk around. Tony opted to take some photos of the buildings and had Angela pose in front of them.
They walked a bit and found some of the luxury shops. Tony was drawn to a small jewelry store. He led Angela into the store and walked around. They were immediately greeted by the owner and his wife.
"How may I help you? Can I interest you in our selection of fine Bahamian jewelry?" asked the owner.
"We are just looking thanks" said Angela. "Now Tony, we are just looking. I don't need anything so push any thoughts of getting me something out of your mind" she whispered to Tony as he rolled his eyes. They made their way around the store and stopped by the necklaces and earrings. He saw a beautiful pair of earrings and asked the owner's wife to take them out. They were gold earrings with small blue, cloud-like jewels placed in a circular pattern. The couple gave them a not so quick history of the significance of the gem called Larimar, including the blue color and the connection to the Caribbean Islands.
"So you like them Angela?" asked Tony, already knowing her answer.
"Do I even bother fighting you on this one? Yes Tony they are beautiful. At least these prices are better than New York ones! So if you are getting me this, let's look for something for you okay?" asked Angela as she was already walking around the rest of the store. She stopped in front of the watch section. She didn't want to get him another watch, but there wasn't a lot of other options for men. Finally she found a small section with real leather wallets. She saw a beautiful one, a light brown bifold with a worn look. She pulled Tony over to the selection and pointed to the wallet.
"I don't think you need another watch Tony but how about a wallet? I've seen yours and you could do for another one. You like it?" she asked, hoping he'd glance over the price. She wasn't that lucky.
"Are you kidding me Angela! That's real leather! And anyways I came in here for you! I don't need anything!" he said as he tried to walk away. She just rolled her eyes and asked to see the wallet. She could tell from the look on his face he liked it and knew his current wallet wouldn't last him much longer.
"I'll take that wallet please!" said Angela.
"And I'll take those earrings!" said Tony as he gave her a happy but slightly annoyed look. They each paid for their gifts and headed back to the bus. The last stop on the tour before lunch was a place called the Queen's Staircase. The bus drove them there, dropping them off at the top and let them out to walk around.
"Oh Tony! It's so beautiful!! All those trees and the limestone steps!" she said enthusiastically.
Tony took some photos of the lush landscape. They traded places as they took photos of each other. Another tourist in their bus offered to take their photo, which they happily agreed. There were exactly sixty-six steps of the Queen's Staircase. Tony was hesitant to take Angela down there, even though the bus was picking them up down at the end. He reluctantly agreed, as they took it very slow down the stairs. He made her stop halfway to rest, not that there was a place to rest. They continued their way down and finally made it to the bottom. He insisted she rest on a bench nearby for a few minutes. She felt fine, but knew better than to argue with him when he got into his overprotective mode.
"Ok Tony let's keep going. I don't want to miss the bus… " she said as she stood up and took Tony's arm. They walked past beautiful green trees and flowers. They took photos in front of the waterfalls by the staircase as well as further along down the path. They stopped to hear some of the history along the way before finding their bus. They found their seats and snuggled into one another as the bus took off for lunch.
They arrived at a restaurant on the water's edge. The tour had reservations for the group but they were able to sit anywhere they wanted to- they opted for a table outside in the shade. The breeze coming from the waterfront was welcomed as the midday sun was starting to beat down on them, along with the humidity. Tony made sure Angela kept hydrated the whole time and had two glasses of ice water when they sat down. Angela made sure she knew where the closest bathroom was located.
"So Tony, did you enjoy the morning? I was limited in the excursions with being pregnant and all, but I think it worked out" she said, with some insecurity in her voice.
"I loved it Angela! I couldn't have planned it better myself. I'm really not an adrenaline junkie so this was much more my speed! Maybe for our tenth anniversary we can come back here and do some of the other stuff. Either way, I'll be happy just to be with you…" he said as he took her hand in his and gently rubbed her knuckles.
The waiter came over and took their orders. They opted for seafood dishes and splitting a salad. They enjoyed the views and spent the time just enjoying each other's company. Soon their food came, which they thoroughly enjoyed. Once it was time to pay the bill, they opted to head out to the beach outside. There was still a half an hour before the bus would take them back to the ship.
"Hey Tony, can we stop in that little souvenir shop? I'd like to pick up some more water bottles and see about more souvenirs. We still need to get something for Mrs. Rossini" she said.
"You think they sell moo-moo dresses in there?" chuckled Tony. Angela gave him a playful slap on his arm and rolled her eyes. They entered the store and grabbed some more bottles of water. Angela was drawn to a small baby section in the store. She saw matching infant onesies and booties, in pink and blue. She held them up to her belly for Tony to see.
"Hey! Do those come in matching adult sizes? We could get them for the whole family to wear!" he said excitedly.
"You think we are getting our thirteen and sixteen year olds to wear matching anything with their baby siblings or worse their parents?" asked Angela.
"If they want that week's allowance they will!" laughed Tony as he looked in the adult t-shirt section. He found sizes for the kids as well as the three adults.
"Now if you think Mother is wearing that, you've been out in the sun too long…" she said as she grabbed infant sizes and headed to the counter to pay. Tony ignored her and threw all the shirts on the counter. They paid and headed down to the beach. They were able to stick their feet in the water, instantly cooling them off from the heat and humidity. Tony took some of the water in his hands and poured it on Angela's shoulders, causing her to let out a soft moan. He continued pouring water on her shoulders, neck and down her arms. She shivered involuntarily even though she was anything but cold.
"Tony… that feels so good…" she trailed off as she got momentarily lost in the sensations of the cold water and Tony's hands. He moved his hands from her shoulders down her back, gently rubbing circles where he knew her back hurt her the most from the pregnancy. After a few moments, she turned to face him and pulled him as close to her as possible, their lips meeting in a passionate kiss.
Pulling back slightly from their embrace, but still kissing every few moments, they finally walked back to where the bus was parked and waiting. They found their seats again and snuggled into one another, continuing their make out session. Neither of them noticed when the bus started moving, heading back to the cruise ship. The bus stopped and the other passengers left the bus. Finally, the bus driver had to cough loudly to get their attention, both startling and embarrassing them at the same time.
"Enjoy the rest of your honeymoon" said the driver as he helped Angela down off the bus and winked at Tony.
They managed to keep themselves in check until they got back to their room. Once the door shut, any bit of restraint on their parts faded away. Their kissing intensified, their hands kept themselves busy and clothing began to fly across the room. Soon they were tangled in one another on the bed, their passion erupting like it was their first time.
When they finally came back down to earth, they were both completely and totally exhausted. Neither had enough energy to formulate any words. Instead, they curled into one another and fell into a deep, restful sleep.
Later that afternoon, they awoke from their nap. Angela was still exhausted from their outing, so they decided to get in room service. First, Tony drew them a bath, this time for relaxing purposes. Again he helped her into the tub. He sat down first and had her sit in between his legs. He knew later on it would be a challenge to get up, but this was one of their favorite positions- he'd worry about that later. He made sure she was as comfortable as possible and began gently rubbing her shoulders down to her arms. His hands finally landed on her belly, rubbing over the bump in slow, gentle motions. She leaned back into him, her head up against the crook between his shoulder and neck. They stayed like that for what seemed like an eternity until the water got too cold.
Room service came and they enjoyed their dinner on the balcony. They were able to finish their desserts as they watched the boat leave the port, headed for their next destination. The sun began to set as Angela and Tony sipped their drinks, hands held tightly together.