Hope for All- chapter 46
The next week was spent in relative bliss for Tony and Angela. They enjoyed lazy mornings in bed, often Tony bringing up breakfast for them in bed. While Angela worked for a few hours in the morning, Tony was keeping himself busy with little projects around the house. He installed the car seats in the new van and made sure both cars had tune ups. He decided to tackle each room in the house one by one and give it a deep clean. He new his chances of being able to do any deep cleaning once the twins arrived were slim, so he wanted to get the major chores out of the way. By Angela's appointment on Friday, he had cleaned each room including the basement, attic and garage.
"Alright Angela! We have to go!" he yelled up the stairs. After a few moments, she appeared at the top of the stairs, slowly waddling down the stairs.
"Okay Angela let's hit the road and see some babies!" he said as he handed Angela her purse.
"Now I don't want you to get upset or overreact Tony but I've had one or two what I think are Braxton Hicks contractions. They are focused low on my stomach and not back so I don't think it's actual contractions but I'm hoping the doctor can tell us" said Angela.
"Oh my god Angela! One or two? Why didn't you tell me after one? Okay I think we should skip the doctor and go straight to the hospital!" he shouted.
"Tony let's just go to the appointment. If it's real contractions, he will send us to the hospital. C'mon let's go…" she said as she pulled him out the door. Thankfully she didn't have any more contractions in the car. Angela kept having to tell him to focus on driving and not her so they wouldn't crash.
Tony helped her out of the car and into the doctor's office. He nearly pounded down the front desk window, letting them know they were there.
"Angela Micelli is here and she's had some contractions! Can we be seen now?" he pleaded with the receptionist.
"I'm fine Tony. We can wait" she said as she sat down in the waiting room chair.
"Are you sure? I think you should be seen now!" said Tony.
"There was a last minute cancellation so we can see her now. Follow me please" said the nurse as Angela struggled to get back up. They walked into the room, Angela sitting down as they took her vitals. All thankfully looked good as the nurse walked out of the room, leaving Tony and Angela to wait for the doctor.
"Thankfully they are only checking my vitals… yours I'm sure are through the roof!" laughed Angela.
"Forget about me! Any more contractions? Have they moved to your back? Where is that doctor? He should be in here already!" said Tony.
"Tony literally nothing has happened since before we left. Take a deep breath and just try and relax. I really don't think this is anything other than Braxton hicks contractions" said Angela. Just then the doctor came in.
"Hi Angela! So what seems to be going on?" asked the doctor as he helped her up onto the exam table.
"Well other than Tony thinking I'm in labor… I've had some contractions but I think they are Braxton hicks" she said.
"Alright let's do an internal exam and see what's going on" he said. After a few very uncomfortable minutes for Angela, he finished his exam.
"Well no signs of labor, no dilation. From what you are describing I think you are right with the contractions. At almost thirty four weeks I'd say expect more and more of the false contractions. Remember if the contractions get closer together, start in the back and move forward and get more intense, then that is the start of labor" he said.
"Thank god! Should she go back on bed rest for the next few weeks?" asked Tony.
"No I don't think that will be necessary. Just continue to rest as much as you can and if you get those false contractions, just try resting. Okay let's get the sonogram up and running" said the doctor. Soon Baby A came onto the screen.
"Look at him Angela! He looks so big!" said Tony now that he was calm again after her examination.
"He's looking nice and big and healthy! I'd say he's about five pounds and about seventeen inches long! Heartbeat is looking strong! Okay let's look at his sister" he said as he moved the wand over her stomach. Soon Baby B came into focus.
"There she is Angela! Look at those cheeks!" said Tony.
"She's doing nicely too! Heartbeat is nice and strong! I'd say she's about four and a half pounds and about sixteen inches long. Remember these are only estimates. They could be smaller or bigger once they are born. If you make it to your due date, I'd expect them to be close to seven pounds each"'said the doctor.
"Oh my gosh… that's fourteen pounds of just babies!" said Angela as she did the quickest math of her life.
"The chances of you going before your due date are higher with twins so you realistically are looking at babies in the six pound range" he said as he finished up the sonogram.
"Still…" said Angela as she grabbed Tony's hand as he helped her up and off the table.
"Alright you two… remember to book the stress test for next week" he said before he left the room. Tony helped her get dressed and head for the receptionist. She was able to book the stress test and headed out to the car.
"See Tony everything was fine! Well except that in about a little over a month I'll be pushing out fourteen pounds of baby! Maybe I can request an induction at thirty eight or nine weeks… maybe make it twelve pounds instead!" she chuckled.
"Absolutely not! Those kids are staying put until they are ready to come out! Hopefully at the due date! Besides… Jonathan was more than they will be individually… it will be a piece of cake compared to the first time!" he joked.
"A piece of cake huh? I know what we are doing this evening Tony… watching the natural childbirth video. Let's see if you call it a piece of cake after that!" she laughed. Knowing that he stuck his foot in his mouth, he opted to keep quiet and instead drove them home.
That evening, Tony made Angela a special dinner. He set up the chairs and table in the living room. He made sure fresh flowers and candles were set on the table. When she came down from her nap, she was taken aback by the beautiful set up.
"Oh Tony it's beautiful! What's the occasion?" asked Angela.
"Do I need a reason to pamper my beautiful wife? Well… I did feel bad about my comments earlier so I thought I'd make up for it" he said as he looked down at his feet and then back up at her with sad eyes, causing her to laugh.
"You're fine Tony. I'm the one over exaggerating. It's just thinking about how close we are to these babies being here and then thinking more about the logistics of how they are getting here just made it even more real" she said.
"I know sweetheart and I'm going to be there for you every step of the way, I promise. Okay you take a seat and I'll bring out dinner" he said as he helped her into the chair. Tony and Angela enjoyed the meal he cooked for both of them. They finished eating and decided to have dessert by the sofa so they could start the video.
"Alright Angela… here goes nothing!" laughed Tony as he put the VHS tape into the VCR. They snuggled into one another, Tony's hand rubbing her stomach as the video began to play. Much of the video was a repeat of the information they had gathered from their books and the other classes. Finally the video began showing a mother in labor. Tony and Angela both took deep breaths as they began watching what they referred to as the miracle of life. Within five minutes they began showing the transition stage and the woman being fully dilated, beginning to push out the baby.
"Maybe we should have eaten dinner after watching this… not before" said Angela.
"No I'm glad we did before… I might never eat again Angela! Oh my god I'm so sorry I even joked about this before! That looks beyond painful!" he shouted as he put his hands over his eyes. Just then, the doorbell rang, causing them both to jump. Tony quickly hit the pause button and turned off the television before going to the door.
"Wendy! What are you doing here?" asked Tony as he stepped aside and allowed her to walk in. She was carrying two suitcases in her hands, which she practically threw at Tony as she collapsed into the spot next to Angela.
"Wendy! What's wrong? asked Angela.
"My marriage is over that's what's wrong! I confronted him when he got home from his 'conference' last night! He couldn't even look me in the eyes! He finally admitted he's been having an affair! Some dental hygienist from Buffalo he met at the only real dental conference he attended at the beginning of the year! And to think I've given him the best years of my life! Given him children! Supervised someone else to provide him with a clean home and meals! How could he?" she yelled.
"Oh Wendy! I'm so sorry! I understand what you are going through… what can we do to help?"
asked Angela as Tony gave her a sideways questioning glance.
"Oh Angela that's why I came to you… I know you both have your hands full but I was hoping I could crash here for a few days… just until Monday when I can figure out a plan. Is… is that okay?" she asked as she broke down into inconsolable tears.
"Yes of course it is Wendy! You can stay as long as you need to" said Angela as she wrapped her arms around Wendy and let her cry.
"I'll go get you something to drink… maybe a glass of water" said Tony as he started to walk into the kitchen.
"Can you add some vodka in the water please? Maybe an olive or two if that's not too much trouble…" she said in between sobs. Tony just looked over at Angela and shook his head before going and making her a martini. He came back in and placed the drink on the coffee table.
"Thank you Tony. I swear Angela… you have the last good man in Fairfield… no make that the whole east coast! I'm going to spend the rest of my life all alone!" she shouted as she began a new round of sobs.
"You'll find someone Wendy! An attractive, smart, funny woman like you will have guys knocking down your door! Just you wait! Watch out dating scene, here comes Wendy!" said Tony with a smile.
"Sure… I'm sure hundreds, no thousands of guys, will just be waiting to date a middle aged divorcee. And how would you suggest I find these men? My two best friends are… let's just say otherwise occupied. One is wrapped up in her work and her husband while the other one is about to give birth any day from the looks of it! Not exactly the company that I'd need to catch a guy…" said Wendy.
"Well it's not like in the next few months I won't be able to sneak away for a girls' night! Isabelle too! It won't be so bad I promise!" said Angela.
"Well on that note I think I'll leave you two ladies to chat. I'll go make up Jonathan's room for you Wendy and bring up your bags…" he said as he picked up the suitcases and headed up the stairs.
"You don't have any brothers do you Tony?" she asked as she yelled up the stairs, causing Angela to laugh.
"C'mon Wendy. Let's get you some food to go along with that vodka…" said Angela as she managed to get up off the sofa and headed into the kitchen.
Three martini's later and Wendy was ready to pass out on Jonathan's bed. Tony and Angela made sure she was safely in bed before turning in themselves. They both got ready for bed and cuddled into one another in bed.
"Well that's not how I imagined our night ending!" laughed Angela.
"You can say that again Angela! So Angela… what exactly did you mean when you told Wendy you understood how she was feeling and she said that's why she came to you? Did… did Michael cheat on you?" he asked as the anger started to creep into his voice.
"Well… yes he did. At least once but I'm assuming there were other times, other women. It started from practically right after the honeymoon. I was so busy with getting ahead in my career because we agreed I'd try and get a promotion before we started trying to get pregnant. I guess I was working too hard because that was the first time I suspected it. I got the promotion a few weeks later and then we started really trying to have a baby. Jonathan was born about a year later. After he was born, I tried to lose the weight as quickly as possible because I saw the looks he'd give other women and the ones he'd give me. One night he came home after having too much to drink, smelling of a perfume that wasn't mine… I kicked him out that night but he came back with a bouquet of red roses the following day and I caved…" said Angela.
"It was like that for the next few years until he finally left for what I thought was for good. It should have been for good… I still don't know what I was thinking taking him back when my heart was already starting to be taken by a certain someone else…" she said as she reached over for his hand.
"Oh Angela… how could he do that to you? I wish I had known that before hand… I'd never have left you if I had known he cheated on you! I should have beaten him up! At the very least for making you doubt that at any point in your life you were anything less than amazingly beautiful" he said as he kissed her hand.
"I won't lie and say that he isn't a big reason I have so many self doubts in how I look, especially while pregnant. You and Michael are about as far opposites as two people can get, but the insecurities run deep" she said.
"How couldn't it? The man that's supposed to love you more than life itself, be treating you like royalty as you carry his child, treats you like that? And he gives you red roses, not pink? Unacceptable Angela! Thank goodness he's out of your lives except once or twice a year with Jonathan. You deserve so much better" he said.
"And so much better is exactly what I got when you walked into my life… I just hope Wendy can find someone like you… she deserves it…" she said as she cuddled even further into Tony's arms. They spent the rest of the night cuddling in bed, Tony trying to think of more ways to make Angela feel loved and beautiful.
The next day, Tony and Angela were up and downstairs, ready to start their day. They finished their breakfast and waited for Wendy to join them. By eleven, Angela went up to check up on her, making sure she was alright. A very groggy and hungover Wendy begrudgingly got herself up and moving, joining them downstairs. She had a bunch of errands and things to do for the kids so she left for the day, coming back home late in the evening.
The next day, Tony and Angela were again up early, preparing for Samantha's arrival home. By noon, the front door swung open and Samantha practically ran inside, dropping her bags by the door.
"Dad? Angela? I'm home!" shouted Samantha. Tony and Angela came in from the kitchen and came over to give her a big hug.
"Thank goodness I didn't miss these two being born! How are you feeling Angela?" asked Samantha.
"I'm good! Getting harder and harder to get around but otherwise I'm good! See? I told you we'd be fine while you were gone!" said Angela as she gave her another hug. They walked over to the sofa and sat down.
"So tell us all about it!" said Angela. Just then, Mona walked into the room from the kitchen.
"Welcome back kid! So how was life away from these two stiffs? Meet any hot guys?" asked Mona as she winked at Samantha.
"Mona!" shouted Tony.
"We had a blast! We got to eat lobster! I never knew how good it was! We walked all around the town and down by the water. We hit the beach almost everyday but the water was freezing! There was a guy I did meet… his name is James. We really hit it off… he was on vacation with his family and he lives in the next town over! He's really nice and smart too! He's top of his class and is a baseball player too! Second base Dad!" she said very enthusiastically.
"Ahh second base… one of my favorite bases…" said Mona as both Angela and Tony yelled her name.
"Well… I've got my own game to play tonight if you catch my drift… glad you're home kid…" she said as she walked back out of the room.
"So I was hoping I could invite him over tonight? He came back home a few days ago and there's a movie on television we both wanted to see. I figure we could be here with proper adult supervision, lights on… is that alright?" asked Samantha.
"So much for our quiet house Angela! Yes that's fine as long as you help me with your laundry and we get all your stuff packed away. What time is he coming over? Will he be here for dinner?" asked Tony.
"Thank you, thank you, thank you! No he's eating at home but will come over around eight" said Samantha.
"Well that gives us time to catch up during dinner. Wendy is staying with us for a few days… it's a long story but I'll explain it all at dinner. I think I'm going to lay down for a bit" said Angela as she headed upstairs. Tony and Samantha finished unpacking and put her stuff away just in time for dinner. Angela caught Samantha up to all the Wendy drama as well as the last two weeks and Samantha gave them a more detailed description of her trip. By the end of dessert, they were ready to head up to bed, but not before meeting James. At eight on the dot, the doorbell rang and Samantha ran to answer it.
"Hi James! Come in! I'd like you to meet my parents Tony and Angela" she said as he walked in the room and greeted them. Angela held back tears as her heart warmed when Samantha referred to her as her mother.
"It's a pleasure to meet you James. Samantha has told us all about you" said Angela. Tony had yet to speak, sizing up the young man before speaking. Angela elbowed Tony in the side to get him to say something.
"Yes it's a pleasure to meet you…" said Tony as he reluctantly shook his hand.
"Well we will leave you to your movie! Enjoy you two!" said Angela as she practically pulled Tony up the stairs.
"Sorry about my Dad… he's really a good guy, just overprotective. Angela's the cool one though! She knows how to keep him in line" she said.
"Looks like she's due any day now! That must be exciting!" said James as they sat down on the sofa.
"Actually she's due at the end of next month but it could really be almost anytime because it's twins. I'm just happy I made it home before they got here. Okay let me see if I can find the movie!" she said as she grabbed the remote, turning on the television.
Since no one had watched television downstairs in a few days, the screen automatically went to the last thing being played, the child birth video. A screaming woman's voice started to sound as the visual of the baby's head crowning came into view. Neither Samantha or James could move as they were frozen in place, watching the birth scene on the screen. Finally, Samantha came to her senses and quickly grabbed the remote to turn it off. Both sat there in stunned silence for what seemed like an eternity.
"I…I don't… I don't think I'm ever going to sleep again! That was horrible!" shouted Samantha.
"I… I… I need to go home… right now…" he said as he jumped off the sofa and ran out the front door, leaving Samantha a mixture of emotions. It took her a full ten minutes to recover before she too jumped off the sofa and ran upstairs, silently making a promise to herself to talk to Angela first thing in the morning about birth control.