Hope for All- chapter 61
The rest of the afternoon was spent alternating caring for the twins and Jonathan, sneaking in a few short naps here and there. Tony had Jonathan pick dinner for the family- he decided on Chinese food, secretly making Tony happy he didn't have to cook. Angela was able to change and feed the twins, having them settled in the stroller as Tony walked in with the food.
"Alright everyone! Time to eat!" said Tony as he headed into the kitchen. He put out all the food on the table as the family slowly trickled into the kitchen.
"Good I'm starving!" said Samantha as she started to open up the containers.
"Don't take all the good food Sam!" said Jonathan as he tried to reach for a box but couldn't without wincing.
"Easy there buddy! Let me get it okay? Don't need you hurting yourself!" said Tony as he helped him plate his food.
"So how was work today Mother? You did go in today right?" asked Angela as she started to eat her food, taking a quick glance over at the sleeping babies.
"Oh I managed a few hours here and there… your team on the other hand has been working nonstop for you! They are making a lot of headway on the new clients and have lined up a few new clients! I said maybe if you weren't a walking zombie by later in the week you could do a conference call" said Mona as she began eating her food.
"That's great news Mother! Yes maybe on Wednesday or Thursday when Tony is home all
day I can find the time to call in" she said. Just then, Anna started to stir. Angela tried rocking the stroller but her crying just got louder.
"I've got her Angela" said Samantha as she picked her up and started walking her around the kitchen. Soon Anna settled but was wide awake as Sam sat back down.
"I think she wants some food!" laughed Jonathan as she watched Anna seem to look at
Samantha's plate of food.
"It does look like she's eyeing up that plate of food! Not quiet yet Anna banana! This time next year maybe!" said Tony. The family was able to finish up their dinner before Matthew started to stir. Tony was able to clean up while the rest of the family took the babies into the living room. Tony soon joined them as they passed around the babies.
"So Angela and I wanted to talk to you all about something important…" said Tony as he looked over at Angela. They agreed to talk to everyone about the guardianship together to test out the waters.
"You've decided to throw caution to the wind and build that pool in the backyard you promised us right before you got canned from Wallace and McQuade?" asked Mona.
"Really? I always wanted a pool! We can teach the babies how to swim!" said Jonathan enthusiastically.
"Pool parties all summer! Alright!" said Samantha.
"No, no and no! No pools for the foreseeable future!" said Tony as Angela just shook her head.
"In a little while, I'm going to be calling Michael to discuss making Tony Jonathan's legal guardian and possibly down the line adoption, although I'm not sure how that conversation is going to go to be honest…" said Angela as she looked over at Tony with a worried glance.
"So we wanted to talk to all of you about possibly looking into guardianship for you too Samantha. Nothing is set in stone because we need to talk more about it but we wanted to put it out there now for you all to think about. In my eyes, guardianship would be a smart move for us to explore, just in case anything should happen" he said.
"Do you think my dad will fight us on it? Even if it's something I want?" asked Jonathan.
"I'm hoping he agrees to the guardianship. It's for your best interest so I'm hopeful" said Angela.
"I hope he does…" said Jonathan. Both Tony and Angela noticed Samantha being uncharacteristically quiet as she held Anna in her arms.
"I want to make crystal clear to everyone. If this doesn't happen, for whatever reason, we are still a family. Tony and I love all of you and this is our family no matter what" said Angela.
"Exactly. We don't need a court to tell us what we already know…" said Tony.
"Then why go through with it if it's not even a guarantee?" asked Samantha.
"It's kinda like extra protection. If something happened to either Angela or myself we would want all of you to still be together. When Jonathan was in the hospital, I couldn't do much with the paperwork or officially discharge him. With guardianship or adoption, that wouldn't be an issue…" said Tony.
"First thing is going to be to talk to Michael and see what his thoughts are…" said Angela.
"I've got a lot of homework still to do… since she's still not due to eat for a while, do you mind if I take Anna upstairs while I work on my homework?" asked Samantha as her gaze never left Anna.
"Maybe we should talk…" started Tony as Angela cut him off.
"Of course sweetheart. If she starts to fuss, just let us know" said Angela.
"Okay thanks…" she said as she took Anna upstairs.
"She needs time to process all of this. She will come around…" said Mona.
"Are you going to call Dad now?" asked Jonathan as he cuddled with Matthew.
"This is as good a time as any I suppose! Alright I think I'll head into the study" she said as she stood up and walked into the study.
"I think I'll join her… for moral support!" he said as he followed her to the study.
"So Jonathan… what's new?" asked Mona with a chuckle.
"What if my dad says no? I'll never speak to him again!" he said forcefully.
"Let's take one thing at a time… let your mom handle your dad. She's got a way with Bower men…" she said as she ruffled his hair.
"I hope so…" he said as he cuddled Matthew closer to him.
"I think I'll go check in on the girls upstairs… call if you need anything…" she said as she headed upstairs.
Meanwhile, Angela sat down at her desk, Tony pulling up a chair next to hers, planning to be there if things got out of hand.
"Here goes nothing…" said Angela as she dialed Michael's number. After a few rings, Michael picked up.
"Hi Michael it's Angela… yes he's fine. He came home today and is recovering nicely. He told me about your trip. Two years is a long time- I hope you and Heather have a good time… yes I'm sure… yes I do have a reason for calling…" said Angela as she felt her blood pressure rise. Tony began rubbing her back as she continued the conversation.
"So Jonathan was talking to me earlier and he wanted me to reach out to you. He… he wants Tony to become his legal guardian… well he's become very close with Tony over the past few years and with you being gone I think he wants to know if something were to happen to me, he'd be taken care of… no this isn't to punish you Michael! No it wasn't my idea it was Jonathan's… look I don't want to fight you on this. The facts are you aren't here and will be out of the country for two years. Tony is here and Jonathan sees that but despite that fact, he still loves you. These are his wishes Michael and I think it's worth at least some consideration… okay, I'll be around tomorrow morning…" she said as she hung up the phone.
"Well that didn't sound… horrible…" he said.
"Horrible, no… great, not so much. He said he's going to think about it tonight and call back in the morning. I'm hoping the fact it was Jonathan's idea plus him being away for two years might persuade him. I think I'm going to call one of my law friends from Wallace and McQuade and see if they have any ideas how this would all work" she said.
"I hope he comes around. Like I said… Jonathan is my son just like Matthew. There's no difference but I know how much it means to him. Maybe when he calls, if Jonathan is up to it, he can speak to Michael" he said.
"That might work. Let's see what mood Michael is in tomorrow" she said. Just then, the soft cries of a hungry Matthew came through from the living room.
"Speaking of our sons…" she chuckled as she stood up. They walked back into the living room to relieve Jonathan.
Meanwhile, Mona headed upstairs to check in on Samantha. She was about to poke her head in when she overheard Samantha talking to Anna.
"And that's about all I know about the American Revolutionary War! Now you know it too! From the soft snoring you're doing, you find it just as boring as I do! So… it's been quite a rollercoaster ride since you guys were born! I can't believe this week you will be here two weeks! It seems like you've already been a part of our lives forever…" she said as Anna started to stir.
"I bet you are starting to get hungry huh? I guess I should bring you back down to your mommy. See over here…" said Samantha as she picked up a copy of a photo of Marie and Samantha when she was younger.
"This is a picture of my mom Marie. She died when I was really young, not as little as you but still too young to lose a mom. I never thought I'd get a chance to have another mother again… Dad never seemed serious about anyone until he met Angela and even then it seemed like they'd never get together! Well, that's for another day!" she chuckled.
"I really miss my mom… but Angela has been there for me since practically day one. She's never tried to take my mom's place but she's managed to fit the role I've needed her to be from almost day one. I don't know why but this whole guardianship thing has me all weirded out…" she said as Mona quit eavesdropping and came into the room.
"How could it not weird you out? It was just sprung on you today!" said Mona as she sat down on the edge of her bed.
"Eavesdropping again Mona?" laughed Samantha.
"Do you expect any less? You'd be shocked if I wasn't eavesdropping!" laughed Mona.
"So it's not wrong for me to feel weird about this?" she asked as she rocked a now wide awake Anna in her arms.
"Of course not! You and Jonathan have very different relationships with your parents- both of them. Jonathan was much younger than you when you guys moved in and even younger when the snake, I mean Michael, moved out. I bet you he doesn't have many, if any, memories of Michael and Angela together. You do and I'm guessing that's a big reason why this has got you feeling weird. Am I right?" she asked.
"Yeah that's a big reason…" said Samantha softly.
"And…" said Mona, trying to, as gently as Mona could muster, encouraging Samantha to open up.
"Things are good the way they are now! Why change them? What… what if something happens to her? I love another mother and…" she started to say as the tears now started to fall.
"And something happens to Angela so now it's not just one mother to lose, but two…" said Mona as she came closer and wrapped her arm around Samantha's shoulder.
"Yes…" she said as she wiped away her fallen tears.
"Well first of all… you better than anyone know life isn't always fair. It gives you something wonderful and then the next moment, rips it away. It's the chance we all take loving someone, but isn't that chance worth it? Secondly, I think the adorable bundle in your arms is proof that we don't know how good things could be the way they weren't. And thirdly… your heart is big enough to love Angela as a mother because you already do. It doesn't mean you stop loving your mom…" she said.
"Sorry to interrupt! Just wanted to grab Anna for a feeding!" said Tony.
"Sure Dad…" she said as she handed her to him.
"Look at my two girls! How lucky am I?" he said as he made silly faces at Anna as he walked out of the room.
"Think about it kid… I'm here if you want to talk…" said Mona as she too headed out of her room, leaving Samantha holding on to the framed photo.
Tony brought Anna down to Angela who was already feeding Matthew. Tony handed her to Angela as he sat across from them. Jonathan had just used the bathroom and came back to sit down.
"So what did my dad say?" asked Jonathan.
"Well it definitely took him by surprise. He's going to think about it tonight and call back in the morning. Depending on how things go, maybe you can talk to him about it…" said Angela.
"Remember buddy, no matter what happens, we are all family…" said Tony.
"I guess… I just want this so badly…" he said as his words broke their hearts. They couldn't see her but Samantha was standing on the stairs, listening in on the conversation. His words made her tear up, something she was glad no one else could see. She turned around and headed back upstairs.
"Alright Jonathan… it's been a long day. How about I help you get settled upstairs so you can get some sleep" said Tony as he helped him up.
"Good night Mom… thanks again for talking to him…" he said as Tony helped him lean in and kissed her goodnight.
"Good night sweetheart. Go get some rest. I love you" she said.
"Love you too Mom…" he said as they headed upstairs. After about ten minutes, Samantha came back down.
"Can I help you Angela?" asked Samantha as she sat down next to her on the sofa.
"Sure! They need to burb… who would you like to burp?" asked Angela.
"Hmm… I'll take Matthew since Anna and I bonded over the American Revolutionary War! She finds it as exciting as I do!" she laughed.
"I can imagine! I have a feeling she's going to be a smart pants just like her big sister though!" she said.
"Well I guess we can say we get it from our mom then…" said Samantha as she looked at Angela.
"I hope you know how much I love you Samantha… no matter what happens you are just as much of my daughter as Anna is and that will never change…" she said.
"I know Angela and I love you too… as my mom. I… I want to explore guardianship. I want us to be a family in every way" she said as she finished burping Matthew. She cuddled him for a few moments as Angela was finishing burping Anna.
"Are you sure sweetheart? We don't have to do anything you don't want to do" she said.
"I know… I want this. Doing this isn't going to make me forget about my mom or stop loving her… I've got room in my heart for both of you and I have for a long time. When Grandpa Nick died two years ago, it brought to the surface my biggest fear- losing my Dad. I don't know what I would do if something happened to him too… it's just felt like everyone I've ever loved dies. A part of me thinks that if we do this…" she said as tears formed in her eyes.
"That something bad is going to happen to me? Oh sweetheart! That's such a big worry to be carrying around with you! I think in someways that's Jonathan's fear too. If something happens to me, his dad wouldn't be around so where does that leave him… look nothing is a guarantee in life but this way if something were to happen to either your dad or me, you both wouldn't have to ever worry about losing this family" she said.
"And that's a big part of why I want to do it. That and I really do think of you as my mom. I'm not ready to call you mom yet but hopefully one day…" she said as Matthew started to fuss.
"You take as long as you need to and if the day never comes, that's okay too… we love each other and that's all that matters…" said Angela as she took back Matthew to continue their feeding.
"Thanks Angela…" she said as she gave her an awkward hug as both babies were feeding again. Samantha headed back upstairs as Tony was coming down.
"Good night sweetheart!" said Tony as he gave her a quick hug and kiss.
"Night Dad!" she said as she headed back upstairs. Tony walked down and sat down next to Angela.
"She's on board with guardianship. We talked about it just now…" said Angela as she teared up.
"Really? That's great! So I guess our only hurdle is Michael…" he said as he gently rubbed Matthew's head.
"I hope he doesn't give us a fight… I never even told him the babies were born… unless Jonathan did…" she said as she looked down at the babies.
"Well if he had more of a relationship with Jonathan then I'm sure he would have told him. How he doesn't want to see him and spend more time with him is beyond me… I couldn't even be away from all four of them for more than a few hours without missing them like crazy…" he said as he started gently rubbing Anna's head.
"You have been and always will be an amazing father Tony. That's one of a million differences between the two of you…" she said. She finished up nursing and handed Anna to Tony to burp as she took Matthew. Once they were settled, they took them upstairs to get changed for the night. They rocked them both to sleep as they turned in for the night.
They were awoken the next morning by an early morning phone call, which both babies managed to sleep right through. Tony managed to grab the phone on the second ring as Angela slowly pulled herself out of a deep sleep.
"Hello?" Tony managed to mumble as he rubbed the sleep out of his eyes. Both babies were again up for a good part of the night so being woken up earlier than he needed to was just uncalled for in his eyes, unless it was an emergency.
"Michael? It's six in the morning. Is everything alright… oh I see… okay I will let them know. I'd ask if you have the address but…" he chuckled. "Alright see you then. Have a safe flight…" he said as he hung up.
"Was that Michael? Is everything okay?" she managed to ask as she rubbed the sleep out of her eyes.
"Yes… he's delaying his flight to South Africa so he can come see Jonathan and talk about the guardianship. Their flight gets in around early afternoon so they should be here before dinner" he said as he yawned.
"Well this should be interesting… giving birth to twins, Jonathan's surgery and now a visit from Michael… anything else we can add onto these past two weeks?" she asked rhetorically as she rolled her eyes.
"Let's not tempt the universe Angela! C'mon let's try and get some more sleep before we have to get up…" he said as they curled into each other. No more than two minutes later, both babies started to cry. Both Tony and Angela just looked at one another and laughed as they dragged themselves out of bed.