Hope for All- chapter 63
The next morning, Jonathan was the first one up in the house. He was able to get himself dressed and headed down to the kitchen with little pain. He was able to make himself some toast and oatmeal as he sat down to eat.
"Good morning Jonathan…" said Tony with a yawn as he held a wide awake Anna in his arms. He started the coffee and took a seat.
"You look exhausted Tony! They keep you up?" asked Jonathan as he got up to make Tony some oatmeal.
"This one not so much… she just decided to party, followed by an hour of nonstop crying from three to four in the morning. Her brother on the other hand… his screaming started around one and only settled about an hour ago. He was either eating or crying… your poor mother…" he said as Jonathan put the oatmeal down in front of Tony.
"Oh boy… are you sure she's going to be okay to go this morning?" asked Jonathan with some concern.
"Yes… we don't have to be there for over an hour. I'm going to let her sleep until just before we leave. I'm hoping Samantha gets up soon so I can hand this little cutie pie to her so I can get ready…" he said as he started eating his oatmeal.
"I can take her Tony! I'll be done soon and I'll cuddle with her on the sofa" he said as he finished up his breakfast.
"Okay Jonathan! No rush so whenever you're ready she's yours!" he said. They were soon interrupted by the sound of a crying Matthew getting louder in the other room until Angela walked through the kitchen door looking half asleep.
"He's up again? What was that an hour? Aren't newborns supposed to sleep like all the time?" asked Tony as he stood up to give his seat to Angela, who practically collapsed on it.
"That's the rumor… although I think Matthew wasn't let in on it… he's so overtired and just needs a good rest but he is fighting it so badly…" she said as she finally got him to settle with a pacifier.
"After everything is done today and we are back home, maybe we can see about getting some more sleep. You couldn't have gotten more than three hours at the most" he said as he got up and poured himself a cup of coffee.
"You're being generous at three hours! Thank goodness we are all going this morning. I'm so tired I might make Jonathan's legal guardian the mailman for all I know…" she said as Matthew finally fell asleep in her arms.
"Oh thank goodness he's asleep! Jonathan maybe you can take him instead so we can finish up breakfast and get ready" said Tony.
"Sure! I'm done so I can take him now" he said as he brought his dishes to the sink. Angela followed him into the living room and carefully placed Matthew into his arms, thankfully not waking him in the process. Tony came through the kitchen door just as Samantha came down the stairs.
"Oh good! Can you take Anna while we finish eating and then get ready?" asked Tony as he handed Anna to Samantha, not waiting for her to answer. Tony and Angela headed back into the kitchen.
"Rough night with the twins I guess…" said Samantha as she rocked Anna in her arms.
"Yeah- Matthew was up for a lot of it and Anna too although not as bad. At least they are calm and quiet now…" he said as he leaned down and kissed Matthew's head.
"Oh boy… well once we get back and they are fed, you and I could watch them for a bit. I'll take them out for a walk too since the weather is nice when I get back. I'm shocked they are letting me stay out of school the whole day today!" said Samantha as Anna drifted off to sleep in her arms.
"Alright dweeb. I need to go grab some breakfast. You mind taking her for a few? I'll be back in a couple of minutes" she said.
"Sure! They are both sleeping so I'm fine!" he laughed as Samantha handed him Anna. Samantha headed into the kitchen and stopped dead in her tracks. Both Tony and Angela were sound asleep on the table, their cups of juice and coffee still in hand.
"Oh dear… they must be exhausted to fall asleep like that!" she chuckled softly to herself as she tiptoed into the kitchen to make her breakfast. She poured herself a bowl of cereal with milk and headed back into the living room to let them rest.
"Jonathan… they are both asleep in there! On the table! I feel so bad for them!" said Samantha as she sat down to eat on one of the side chairs.
"Do you think we should cancel today?" asked Jonathan with a great deal of disappointment in his voice.
"Definitely no! We just need to help them with these little guys. I'll let them sleep for a bit longer and then wake them up to get ready" she said as she finished up her breakfast. She got the twins outfits and packed their diaper bags before heading back into the kitchen.
"Angela… Dad… you need to wake up now…" she said softly. Just then, Mona walked in through the back door and took a look at the scene in front of her.
"Allow me, won't you? Angela… Tony… WAKE UP!" she shouted, causing Angela and Tony to jump up out of their seats.
"What's wrong? What's going on? Where's the fire?" shouted Tony as he looked all around, confusion written all over his face.
"Where are the babies?" asked Angela as she looked all around, slowly realizing she wasn't in her bed but instead in the kitchen.
"Jonathan has them. I got them outfits and packed their diaper bags. We need to leave in about a half an hour so I'm sorry but we had to wake you up…" said Samantha.
"It's alright sweetheart. We must have dozed off while eating breakfast! Thank you for letting us sleep" she said with a yawn.
"Alright everyone! Let's finish getting ready and then get the babies ready to go" he said as he took his dishes to the sink, too tired to clean them up. They headed out to check on the babies who were still sleeping soundly in Jonathan's arms before heading upstairs to get changed. They were both ready within fifteen minutes and headed back downstairs. The family all chipped in to change the twins and soon they were heading out the door.
They arrived just as the probate court opened. Michael and Heather arrived shortly after, all entering the courthouse together. Angela, Michael and Tony headed up to the clerk's office to get the required documentation. They were able to meet with the clerk who provided them with the appropriate paperwork. Tony and Angela had decided to pursue the standby guardianship for Samantha as well until they could figure out what the next steps would be with more permanent guardianship and even adoption.
Despite being severely sleep deprived, Angela was able to complete Jonathan's paperwork and Tony completed Samantha's. They were able to get the standby guardianship extended for two years since Michael would be gone that long. Once the paperwork was completed, the clerk processed the applications and filed it with the state of Connecticut.
"Is it all done? Is Tony my legal guardian now?" asked Jonathan with hope and excitement in his voice.
"It's all set tiger… I mean Jonathan. We still have a few hours before we have to head to the airport. Could we take you out for an early lunch?" asked Michael.
"Sure Dad! Is it okay Mom?" asked Jonathan.
"Of course sweetheart just take it easy. You are still recovering from surgery" she said as she kissed him goodbye.
"Thanks Angela… for everything…" said Michael as they headed out to their car. They also headed out to their car, packing the babies in their car seats and headed home. Once they were all settled in the house, Angela began feeding the babies as Tony headed upstairs to get some sleep. Samantha helped Angela and soon both babies were changed, burped and content sleeping in their stroller.
"Would you mind if I took them for a walk? It's such a nice day out!" she said.
"Sure! I'm going to go lay down for a bit. If you need anything, just let me know" said Angela as she dragged herself up the stairs. They were able to get almost four hours of sleep until the babies needed to be fed again. They spent the rest of the day carrying for the babies and resting whenever they could; Jonathan and Samantha were able to help throughout the day and into the early evening.
Right before dinner, the phone rang and Angela picked it up. It was Isabelle; they had their initial consultation with the fertility clinic and wanted to know if they could stop by tomorrow to talk about the process and their questions. Angela welcomed them over for dinner so they could have more time to talk.
"Good news! Paul and Isabelle are coming for dinner tomorrow night! They had their initial meeting with the clinic. We can talk to them about the process and see about answering any questions they might have" said Angela as she sat down at the table with a wide awake Matthew in her arms.
"Okay sounds good! I'll head to the store tomorrow morning and pick up some stuff for dinner. I can't believe it's been over a year since we started with them! We should really send them a photo of these two cuties for their photo wall! Two of the best looking kids there I'm sure!" chuckled Tony as he juggled Anna in his one hand and serving the family with the other.
"That's a great idea Tony! We need to schedule a photo shoot so we can send out their birth announcements… you know before they turn a year!" she laughed as she started eating dinner.
"Is it just for the babies or are we all going to be the photos?" asked Jonathan.
"Oh good idea Jonathan! A family photo shoot! The first one as a family of seven! We can color coordinate! I can envision it now!" said Tony.
"Thanks a lot dweeb! Dad's gonna have us in sailor suits now!" said Samantha with disgust.
"No sailor suits I promise! Maybe we can compromise on colors though…" said Angela.
"Just let me know the color scheme and I'll make sure I'm dressed appropriately…" said Mona sarcastically as both Tony and Angela rolled their eyes as they knew Mona's definition of appropriate.
The following day both Tony and Angela had gotten a better night's sleep than the night before thankfully. Both babies had longer stretches of sleep so they felt less like zombies and more like human beings. They got them changed and ready for the day. After their first feeding of the day and breakfast was consumed by everyone, Tony headed to the library to do some work followed by the grocery store to get everything he needed for their dinner tonight.
Tony came back and helped Angela with the babies. He put them in the carrier to allow Angela to rest for a couple of hours. He was slowly starting to get into a groove with his chores and cooking with the twins, although everything took about twice as long to complete. He was just putting the finishing touches on the dinner prep when Angela walked into the kitchen.
"Hi sweetheart! Can I help you with anything?" she asked as she came over to Tony and checked in on the twins sleeping peacefully in the carrier.
"No I'm good for now! I will put everything in the oven in about a half an hour. I'll need to shower though so if you want to take these two cuties that would be good!" he said.
"Of course! They are due to eat soon anyway" she said as she took Anna out of the carrier first. Tony took out Matthew and handed him to her as they walked into the living room. Tony helped her changed them as they started to stir. She got set up to feed them as Tony headed upstairs. Halfway through their feeding, Mona walked through the back door.
"Hi Mother! Thanks for taking Samantha and Jonathan out to dinner tonight. I doubt they want to be around us boring adults talking about fertility stuff" said Angela.
"You can say that again… I'm going to take them out for pizza and then rent a movie to watch at my place. It's a two-for-one special at the video rental place. One movie for them and one movie for my date later on tonight…" she said with a smirk and a wink.
"Mother! Just don't let them see that movie!" scolded Angela.
"Of course not dear…" she said as she walked back out of the room, rolling her eyes on the way out.
"Your grandma's sense of what's appropriate for her grandchildren is questionable at best! Don't worry… you'll find out soon enough!" laughed Angela.
"Alright! Nice and clean after that shower! They are still feeding?" asked Tony as he sat down next to her of the sofa.
"Yes but they need to be burped" said Angela as she handed Anna to be burped. After a few minutes, both babies were back to feeding.
"Tomorrow these guys are two weeks old! I'd say time flies but with everything that's gone on these past two weeks on top of being sleep deprived, it's felt like two months not two weeks!" laughed Tony as he gently rubbed Matthew's head.
"I know! I hope the next few weeks will be calmer! I'd really like to start to get into more of a routine with them if possible, even though I know they are really too little for it yet" she said.
"I think we are doing just fine! It will come with more time! And then just as we take a breath of relief at having a routine, one of them will hit a milestone and mess it all up!" he laughed.
"Oh those sleep regressions! Jonathan had them every two months like clockwork and refused to sleep for at least a week! On the upside, it was such a special time watching him hit all those milestones!" she said.
"I can't wait for these guys to start hitting milestones! Just not too fast okay? Alright let me get dinner in the oven and then I'll take them back so you can get ready. They should be here in about a half an hour or so" said Tony as he headed into the kitchen. He was able to get what he needed done and come back to take the twins while Angela was getting ready. Mona took Samantha and Jonathan out just as Angela headed upstairs. Angela was able to get changed and was coming back down the stairs as the doorbell rang.
"I'll get it!" said Angela as she went to the door and opened it for Paul and Isabelle. She welcomed them inside as Tony was coming in from the kitchen, both babies in his arms.
"Hi guys! How are you?" asked Tony as he handed Anna to Angela so he could shake Paul's hand and give Isabelle a hug.
"We are good! How are you guys?" asked Paul as he looked happily at Matthew in his arms.
"We're good! Sleep deprived but good!" laughed Tony as he sat down on the side chair. Paul and Isabelle sat down on the sofa as Angela sat down next to them.
"They have gotten so big in two weeks! Look at how alert she is!" said Isabelle as she grabbed a hold of Anna's hand.
"She's really been so alert since day one. Anna's been the alert one and Matthew has been the clingy one!" chuckled Angela.
"If he could be glued to Angela, he would, especially at night!" laughed Tony.
"I figure I've got the next few years until he jumps ship and follows his daddy everywhere!" said Angela. Just then, a timer went off in the kitchen.
"Oh that's the appetizers! Paul, would you mind taking him?" asked Tony.
"Sure! It's been a while but I think I remember the basics!" chuckled Paul as Tony handed him Matthew so he could head into the kitchen.
"Hi there little guy! I'm your Uncle Paul! Wow look at your grip! You're going to be an athlete like your old man I think!" he said as he held onto his hand.
"Well he's Tony's mini me so that would make sense!" said Isabelle as she looked lovingly at Paul and Matthew. Tony came back in with a tray of appetizers.
"Bon appetit!" said Tony as he placed the food and plates on the coffee table.
"Oh Tony everything looks delicious!" gushed Isabelle as she took a few different appetizers. She handed some to Paul as Tony made a plate for Angela before taking some for himself.
"So how was the consultation at the clinic?" asked Angela as she finished up her food and took a sip of her drink.
"It was a bit overwhelming but they were all very nice. We were able to schedule some of the testing for both of us. They are recommending the insemination for us assuming all the tests come back normal. I believe they said we would need to try it six times before our insurance would cover a small portion of IVF if we didn't want to pay all of it out of pocket" said Isabelle.
"It's amazing the costs of everything! You practically need to take out a second mortgage to pay for it! It will be worth it though if we can get a little bundle of joy as cute as these two!" said Paul as he looked back down at Matthew.
"Did you schedule the HSG test yet?" asked Angela.
"Yes that's in two weeks. Be honest… how painful was that? They said discomfort but I know that medical jargon. They mean pain…" said Isabelle.
"I wish I had known that ahead of time! On a scale of one to ten, with ten being actually giving birth, I'd rate it about a three, maybe four. When I had the internal sonogram after the infection with the second insemination, that was definitely an eight out of ten!" said Angela as she shuttered at the memory.
"Definitely make sure Paul picks you up! Angela was sore for the rest of the day with that test!" said Tony. They both had agreed earlier on not to mention the machine almost falling on Angela.
"Okay that's not horrible then. At least that's the worst of it for the testing. I'm going to have to figure out a way to change my work schedule to make sure I get to the appointments. It helps that I transferred to NYU Hospital last year so I'm already in the city" said Isabelle.
"They were very accommodating with appointment times, with the exception of the actual procedures" said Angela. Another timer went off in the kitchen.
"I'll come help you Tony" said Paul as he carefully handed Matthew to an eagerly waiting Isabelle. They headed into the kitchen as Tony turned off the timer and opened up the oven. The roast was done as he carefully pulled it out and placed it on the stove.
"Hey doc… you wanna do the honors?" asked Tony as he held out the carving knife.
"Sure why not? I mess this up I don't get sued!" laughed Paul as he took the knife from Tony. As Paul began to carve the roast, Tony got the salad ready and the other sides. He brought most of the food into the dining room as Paul finished up.
"So Tony… how was it to… you know…" he said, hoping Tony would understand his meaning without having to voice the actual words.
"Oh! You mean… my… testing. Well, it's umm… weird you know! They give you videos and magazines to help get the job done. Not for nothing, I might be Italian but I'm also not fifteen anymore! Once you get through doing it the first time, it's not so bad" said Tony.
"Well that's good to know! I just don't want to let her down. I hate seeing her in any type of pain…" said Paul.
"Eh oh, oh eh! You won't let her down! Like I told Angela, if there turns out to be something wrong, you're in the best place to do something about it!" said Tony as he put his hand on Paul's shoulder.
"Thanks Tony! I know tonight will help Isabelle… talking to Angela and getting the woman's perspective. She's used to being the doctor not the patient…" he said as they brought the rest of the food into the dining room.
Meanwhile, the twins started to fuss, both Angela and Isabelle walking them around the room to try and settle them down. Angela was able to get the pacifiers and soon they settled back down. They put them in the stroller so they could head into the dining room.
"Boy I sure hope this works… being a mother is something I've always wanted, ever since I was a young girl. The thought of not getting to experience motherhood from the beginning just breaks my heart…" she said as she wiped away some tears.
"This will happen for you! I was sure a year ago, heck back it up to when Michael left the first time, that I'd never be given a second chance at motherhood. I had almost given up on the hope of having any more children, Jonathan and then Samantha seemingly to be our only two, but now look at us! It can and it will happen! You just have to have hope" she said as she gave Isabelle a hug.
"Thanks Angela… I needed to hear that…" she said as they wheeled the stroller into the living room.
Tony was able to start serving dinner as they all enjoyed each other's company. They talked about their jobs, Tony's classes, Michael's trip along with the guardianship, Jonathan's recovery and Wendy's struggles with her divorce.
"We really need to call Wendy and invite her over. Better yet maybe we can have a girls' night out! Both of us can be the designated drivers this time!" laughed Angela.
"That sounds like a plan to me! The two of you drunk was almost more than I could handle!" laughed Isabelle.
"If she's drinking for the both of you, make sure you give me a fair warning if you bring her back here! She's likely to end up trying to climb up the trellis into our bedroom!" laughed Tony.
"Tony! She's not that bad!" scolded Angela until she thought more about it. "On second thought… we will drop her off at her house before heading home…" she said.
"Well Tony you outdid yourself! This meal was delicious! I'm stuffed!" said Paul as he leaned back and stretched.
"Yes it was delicious!" said Isabelle.
Tony and Paul cleaned up the dishes as both babies decided to wake up from their naps screaming. Angela and Isabelle brought them upstairs to be changed. They were ready for a feeding so Angela took them into their bedroom. Isabelle offered to help her get set up and kept her company. When they were done, they came back downstairs as Tony brought out the coffee and dessert to the living room. After the last piece of carrot cake was eaten and the coffee was consumed, Paul and Isabelle headed out, thanking them for all of their support.
"I sure hope it works out for them…" said Tony as he sat down next to Angela. Both babies were wide awake, content to be held in their parents' arms.
"Me too Tony. I remember that feeling of dread, like it's never going to happen. I had basically convinced myself Jonathan and then Samantha would be my only chances at motherhood but boy was I wrong! It just took a leap of faith…" started Angela as Tony jumped in.
"And a whole lot of hope…" he said as he leaned over and gave her a much needed kiss.