Hope for All- chapter 30
FYI- this is season 3 Tony not season 7 so he's not afraid of water!
Tony and Angela woke up early the next morning after turning in early. They got ready and packed their bags for the beach excursion. They also packed outfits for the maternity photo shoot. They grabbed all their stuff and headed to the buffet for breakfast. They enjoyed a casual breakfast overlooking the private island owned by the cruise company, CocoCay. They boarded the ferry to the private island. They stepped off the ferry and headed towards the private beach area.
"Oh this is heaven Tony! I throughly enjoyed the past two excursions but this is amazing! Just imagine spending the whole day on the beach just relaxing!" squealed Angela as she wrapped her arms around Tony's arm.
"Yes I am looking forward to just spending the day here, working on my tan, spending it with you…" he said as he leaned over and kissed her lips.
"I rented us one of those cabanas and it comes with unlimited drinks and service. It's not too far between the pool and beach so we can go back and forth" she said.
"Any chance I'll get to see that bikini again?" he asked seductively.
"Not a chance Mr. Micelli" she laughed.
"Hey a guy can dream can't he?" he chuckled as he tried to see the bikini under her coverup. She laughed as she swatted away his hands.
"So just how private are these cabanas?" he said with a smirk and a wink.
"If you're good, you just might find out how private they are…" she said seductively.
"Oh this will be my favorite excursion for sure!" he said with a chuckle as he leaned over for a kiss.
They found the reserved cabana and walked inside. It was surprising sturdier than they imagined, with three of the four walls covered in a thick canvas reaching from the top of the cabana all the way to the floor. There were two lounge chairs with pillows and towels set up as well as a small side table in between. There was a larger table with two chairs set up in the corner, a bottle of champagne on ice as well as a small bouquet of flowers with a happy anniversary card placed inside the bouquet. The cabana was facing the beach and had two additional chairs and an umbrella set up right outside. There was enough space in between the other cabanas for the ideas circulating in Tony's mind. Angela just laughed as she could read his mind.
"So what would you like to do first Angela?" he said as innocently as possible.
"You know they will be coming around soon to take drink orders and see what we want right?" she said with a chuckle.
"Oh I already know what I want Angela…" he said as he pulled her into an embrace and started passionately kissing her. They were so engrossed in each other, they missed the waitress coming up to the cabana. She coughed slightly to get their attention. Blushing and embarrassed, they pulled away from one another.
"Sorry to interrupt but I wanted to introduce myself. My name is Aaliyah and I will be your waitress and staff member for all of your needs today. Can I start you both off with something to drink?" she asked.
"Can we get some water and maybe some lemonade? Is it possible to have some fresh fruit and cheese and crackers as well?" asked Angela.
"Yes of course! I'll be right back!" she said as she left the cabana.
"Now… where were we?" asked Tony as he came back over to her, placing his arms on her waist.
"She's going to be back in a few minutes. Even you're not that quick!" she laughed.
"Hey you never know… but I guess you're right. Don't want to traumatize the poor girl! How about we take a walk down to the water? It's so crystal clear! Do you feel up to going in?" he asked.
"Sure but first let's put some sunscreen on- it's already quite hot out and that sun is strong!" she said as she pulled out the sunscreen. She took some and put it on her hands, rubbing it on her arms and face. Tony grabbed some and started on her back and made his way down to her legs. Tony grabbed more sunscreen and started on his arms, legs and face. Angela stopped him before he put some on his chest- she smiled seductively and started in on his chest, making her way around to his back. They both thoroughly enjoyed the moment, forcing themselves to leave the cabana and head to the water.
"Oh the water feels so nice and cool!" she said as they waded into the water. The water was calmer than the regular ocean as the beach was located in an inlet with a sandbar. They were able to wade into shoulder-deep water. Angela leaned back into Tony's arms and relaxed as the waves gently washed over them. They spent the next half an hour enjoying the cool of the water, the warmth of sun shining down and the feel of each other's bodies up against one another.
Tony helped her out of the water and back to the cabana to dry off. The drinks and food were waiting for them as they sat down at the table and began to eat.
"So what else is there to do on the island?" asked Tony.
"I think there's options for scuba diving, snorkeling and parasailing but I skipped over those!" she said with a laugh.
"Well… maybe next time! I'm fine just relaxing here. What time do we have to be ready for the shoot?" he asked.
"I think he said 4:15pm but I think we should be ready by 4:00pm just in case. I think there's a place to at least shower off and get ready. I'd like to do something with my hair if this humidity allows it" she said.
"You'll look absolutely gorgeous no matter what!" he said as he leaned over and grabbed her hand, placing a kiss on her knuckles.
They spent the next few hours sunbathing, reading books on pregnancy and infant care and alternating between the pool and the beach. After lunch, when they knew they had sometime before being disturbed by anyone, they closed off the side of the cabana and brought some of Tony's fantasies to life. Finally, it was time to get ready for the photo shoot. They headed up to the main area with their belongings as they wouldn't have a chance to go back and get them before heading back onto the ship. They kissed before each went to the designated bathrooms to get ready.
Tony came out first dressed in khaki pants and a form fitting navy blue short sleeve shirt that hugged his chest in all the right places. He was able to dampen his hair and run his fingers through his hair. He had thoughts of getting a haircut before they left, but time was not on his side. He made a mental note to get it cut when they got home.
A few minutes later, Angela came out of the room dressed in a strapless navy blue and white summer maternity dress. It came to just about mid calf and accentuated her cleavage and neckline. She was able to pull her hair into a half up, half down style, using some mousse to firm up the natural curls in her hair. She put on some makeup, not too much, just enough to bring out the natural contours of her face.
"Angela! You look beautiful!" he said as he took her hand and helped her spin around.
"You clean up pretty nice yourself! I completely forgot but today is 22 weeks!" she said as she placed her hand on her stomach. Tony stepped forward and placed both his hands on her bump and bent down.
"Hey little ones! Happy 22 weeks! I hope you have enjoyed this trip as much as we have- we have one last activity before we head back to the ship. Your first photo shoot! Your mommy looks so beautiful! The photos are going to be beautiful!" said Tony.
They walked hand in hand to where the photographer was finishing up with another couple. They had to wait a few minutes but soon were greeted by the photographer.
"Thank you for coming! I have some ideas for shots by the rocks over there as well as on the shore. If you have anything you'd like to have captured, please let me know" said the photographer.
The photographer posed them in some of the same poses they were in for the formal photos. He moved them to an area by the rocks where the sun was starting to get lower in the sky as it began to set. He posed Angela carefully on some of the flatter rocks and had her lean back with her arms behind her, her hair falling behind her as the sun gave her a golden glow. Tony joined her and sat behind her, leaning forward for a kiss as he put his hand on her bump. They continued to take photos along the shoreline, as the waves crashed against their feet, walking towards the setting sun.
"Okay I've got one additional pose I'd like to do. Tony, would you be able to help Angela down on the sand?" he asked.
"Getting down may not be the problem… getting back up on the other hand…" laughed Tony as Angela gave him a glaring stare.
Tony helped her down on to the sand, helping support her as she steadied herself, her arms behind her keeping her upright. The water was coming up just past her ankles, splashing every so often as the tide came in and out. The photographer positioned Tony next to her, having him put his one arm behind him to keep himself up while the other hand was placed gently over her bump. He had them looking at each other, then back at her bump and then finally back at each as they leaned in for a kiss.
Just as they were about to finish, Tony felt something move beneath his hand on her belly. At first, he thought he may have imagined it but then it happened again and then again. His eyes lit up as he realized he was feeling the twins for the first time.
"Angela! It's them! The babies! I can feel them moving! Oh my gosh it's amazing!" he gushed, the smile on his face growing by the second. Angela put her hand on her stomach too, feeling on the outside what she had been feeling for weeks on the inside. Tears filled her eyes as she watched the babies move and the excitement on Tony's face.
"Hi little ones! I can't tell you how excited I am to finally feel you move and kick around! Oh this is so exciting! Angela it's them!" he practically shouted as he placed his own head near where the movements seemed the strongest. The photographer couldn't help but smile himself as he was capturing this moment for Tony and Angela. He hated to interrupt such a beautiful moment but he knew they needed to get back to the ferry soon to get on the ship.
"Thank you both for sharing this moment with me. I hope I captured everything to your liking. I will have some proofs done for tomorrow before you disembark for the mainland. I will get your information to send you the rest of the proofs and final works once I get them back in the studio" he said as he packed up his gear.
"Thank you so much for this opportunity and for capturing this special moment" said Angela as she wiped away tears that had fallen down her face. Tony was still in awe of the babies and was only focused on feeling them move. He finally came out of his tunnel vision and thanked the photographer as they headed back to the ferry. They made their way onto the ship and headed to their room, Tony's hand barely leaving her bump.
For their last night, they went to one of the restaurants they hadn't tried yet; they opted to go early as they were both exhausted from the day's activities. They chose to sit down in a booth so they could snuggle throughout the meal. They shared an appetizer followed by their mains and a shared dessert. By the end of the meal, they had a second wind and decided to catch a show. The chose the Not So Newlywed Game.
Angela and Tony took a seat in the crowd. The host of the show opened the show by asking for volunteers. A young couple volunteered for the dating couple. Tony and Angela volunteered for the newlywed couple. Before they realized it, Brad and Jane came up to volunteer for the newly engaged couple. An older couple came up to volunteer for the longest married couple. The couples all took the stage. Angela gave Tony a look to try and make sure he could keep his cool with Brad being in the next chair, but he was too distracted staring over at Brad and Jane. She just hoped they could get through the show with everyone in one piece.
"Welcome to the Not So Newlywed Game! I'm your host Rick Jones! Let's meet our four couples! Couple number one! Please introduce yourselves!" said Rick.
"My name is Samantha and this is my boyfriend Patrick! We've been together six months and are on the cruise as a college graduation present from our parents!" said Samantha. Patrick just rolled his eyes, wishing he was anywhere but on stage.
"Couple number two please introduce yourselves!" said Rick.
"My name is Jane and this is my finance Brad! We got engaged on the ship last night! We've been together for the past five years and currently work together!" said Jane. Brad had an awkward smile on his face as he tried to ignore the piercing stare of an irate Italian man behind him.
"Couple number three, it's your turn!" said Rick.
"My name is Angela and this is my husband Tony. We were married a few months ago but have been in each others lives for over five years. We are expecting twins in a few months that will join our two other children" said Angela. Tony finally focused back to Angela as they moved on to the last couple.
"Couple number four, please let us know who you are!" said Rick.
"My name is Jenny and this is my husband Nick of 45 years. We got married only six hours after we met" she said as she reached over and grabbed Nick's hand.
"Alright! So the way this game will work is I will give each of you blank paper and pens to write down your answers. After each question, you will be given 30 seconds to write your answers. We will reveal the answers and whoever matches with their partners gets a point. We will have six rounds- the couple with the most points wins!" said Rick.
"Ok couples! First question… what is your girlfriend/wife's favorite flowers?" he asked. All four couples wrote down their answers. All four couples got the answer correct.
"Ok next question… what is your boyfriend/husband's favorite sports team?" he asked. The first couple got the answer wrong as did Brad and Jane. Tony couldn't help but laugh as Brad and Jane started to argue.
"Okay! So far we have a tie for the lead! Tony and Angela and Nick and Jenny! Alright question number three! What date did the two of you meet?" he asked. Again, Brad and Jane got the question wrong while the three other couples got it right.
"September 20, 1984… best day of my life…" whispered Tony to Angela as she grabbed his hand and squeezed.
"Okay question number four! What are your partner's middle names?" Rick asked the couples. Tony and Angela and Nick and Jenny got it right but the rest got it wrong.
"Nice answer Morton!" laughed Angela. "Right back at you Katherine!" chuckled Tony.
"How could you forget my middle name Brad? It's the same as your mothers!" shouted Jane. Angela couldn't hold back a laugh, both from her response as well as the smug look on Tony's face.
"Okay question five! Who takes longer to get ready, you or your partner?" he asked. All couples except Brad and Jane again answered correctly.
"Sorry Angela but you've always taken forever to get ready!" he laughed as Angela shrugged her shoulders and laughed.
"Me? I take longer to get ready? Who took two hours to get ready to come to this stupid show? You did!" shouted Brad. Tony could barely keep it together as they headed for the sixth and final question.
"Okay we still have our two couples in the lead! Let's see if the final question gives us our winners or we need to go into sudden death round!" said Rick.
"Question number six… who is the most competitive partner?" he asked.
The couples revealed their answers. Rick looked over all four couples' answers before revealing the winners.
"Well this was a very close game! It came down to this final question! The winners of the game are… Nick and Jenny! Congratulations!" he said as he gave them their trophy for winning.
"You think you're more competitive than I am Angela? Dream on!" he chuckled.
"Mini golf? Shuffleboard? Just to name a few!" she laughed as she linked arms with him. They headed off the stage just in time to see a furious Jane storm off past Brad, who was left on stage not knowing what to do next.
"You guys were really good! Especially for newlyweds! Can we interest you in some drinks at the bar?" asked Nick.
"Sure! We'd love to!" said Angela as the four of them made their way over to a table near the bar area. Tony and Nick went to order their drinks as Angela and Jenny sat down at a table. The men soon joined the women and began talking about how they each met.
"You know the story, a Connecticut girl meets a Brooklyn guy…" Nick started in as he told the story of the couple meeting at the Starlight Lounge. Tony and Angela gave each other a knowing look and cuddled into one another as they listened to them tell their love story.
"Rumor has it they want to shut it down, but it's still up and running! We should meet up there when we get back, that is if you are up to it Angela. I remember those months leading up to the little one's arrival! Our first son was born nine months after our wedding…" she said with a laugh as she reached over and grabbed Nick's hand.
"So how did you all meet?" asked Nick. Both Angela and Tony shared their story of Tony's relocating to Connecticut to give Samantha a better life after Marie's passing and his baseball career ending. They talked about how their little family began to take shape not long after they moved in and although there had been some bumps in the road, they knew they were meant to be together. Jenny had to wipe away tears from her eyes by the time they were done.
"That was just beautiful! And now you are expecting twins! Congratulations to you both! We wish you a lifetime of happiness just like we have had all these years!" said Jenny.
The couples exchanged contact information and wished each other well as they headed back up to their rooms. Exhaustion once again took over and they opted to turn in for the night, waking up early the next morning to finish packing up to leave the ship.
Angela was again the first one to fall asleep in Tony's arms. Tony took a moment to have his nightly chat with the twins.
"Hey little ones! Today was such a big day! Your first photo shoot was a huge success! I can't wait to see the photos or your beautiful mommy! And best of all, we got to feel your little kicks and movements! I've been waiting for this since we found out about you! Your big sister and brother are going to be excited too- even your grandma will be, if she cares to admit it out loud! We are so excited as you both continue to grow big and strong in there!" he said as his hands rubbed over her stomach, following the tiny movements across her belly. He snuggled into Angela, his hand still placed over the babies, as he drifted into a peaceful sleep.