Hope for All chapter 73
Tony and Angela enjoyed their Christmas evening wrapped up in blankets on the sofa. Mona had long left for her date and Samantha and Jonathan had headed upstairs. Both of the babies were wide awake way past their bedtime as their schedules were thrown off. Tony had made them a cup of tea as they tried to get them back to sleep.
"I give up! They just want to extend their Christmas time!" chuckled Tony as he shifted Matthew in his arms.
"Imagine next year when they are old enough to start playing with their toys! They really won't want to go to sleep! Or they will be so exhausted they will just crash!" laughed Angela as she made silly faces at Anna, getting her to giggle.
"So what's on the agenda for the rest of the week? Aside from getting the house back in order!" said Tony.
"I don't have anything that I can think of… I need to start going through their clothes and putting away the ones they have outgrown. They are both basically in three to six month clothing. It's going to be so sad once they no longer fit into their infant clothes" she said sadly.
"I'll get some boxes and put their stuff they've outgrown up in the attic" he said.
"Okay Tony… it's after ten and they still look wide awake! They are due to eat in about a half an hour but maybe we should start now, get them changed and upstairs" she said as she stood up with Anna.
"Sounds like a plan but first…" he said as they stood up, leading her to the back door. "Tradition is tradition…" he said as pulled her close to him with his free arm and leaned down to kiss her under the mistletoe. Their kiss was more passionate than either had imagined but unfortunately short lived as Matthew started to cry.
"C'mon kid… ya gotta share her every once in a while! I saw her first!" he chuckled as he gave Angela one last quick kiss as he lifted him up to his shoulder.
"Merry Christmas Tony…" she said as she turned and headed for the stairs.
"Merry Christmas Angela…" he said as he followed close behind.
The days leading up to New Year's Eve were rather lowkey. Tony took Samantha and Jonathan sledding at the local park. They had a lot of fun until their sled broke, sending Tony rolling down the hill. He was frozen and shivering by the time they made it back to the house. They were able to bundle the twins up in matching snowsuits Angela had found while out shopping a few weeks back. Neither baby liked the cold or the feeling of snow but lasted long enough for Tony to take a half a roll of film.
Mona had made plans with one of many of her acquaintances to spend the holiday in a resort in New Hampshire. She said her goodbyes the day before New Year's Eve and to send up a search party if she wasn't back by mid January. Samantha asked if she could have a few friends over to celebrate. Both Tony and Angela agreed since Mrs. Rossini's offer to babysit was still on. They both knew there was no way any Chad McCann's would be able to sneak past Mrs. Rossini without getting whacked with a wooden spoon… or worse. Jonathan was invited to a friend's house for a sleepover, so all family members were accounted for.
Tony wanted to make their first official date outside of the home special for Angela. The party didn't start until 8:00pm, which worked out well if the twins could be fed one last time before being put down for the night. He knew he was pushing it but he was trying to be optimistic that they could get out of the house at least on time. He was able to sneak out of the house and run his errands while Angela rested. By 6:30pm, Jonathan had packed his bag and headed to his friend's house, while Tony and Angela were getting themselves ready. Mrs. Rossini arrived a short while later.
"Tony! Happy New Year!" she said as she threw streamers on him and used the noisemaker.
"Happy New Year Mrs. Rossini! Thank you so much for babysitting tonight! You're the best! We've made up Jonathan's room for you to stay over" he said as he gave her a hug.
"Of course! Any chance to spend time with those little loves! I was beginning to think you'd be wasting those great Italian genes!" she said as she pinched his cheeks.
"Thanks Mrs. R… Angela is getting all their stuff together for you. We are hoping to get a last feed in around 7:15pm so Angela can finish getting ready. The party starts at 8:00pm; we should be home hopefully not too late…" he said.
"Don't worry about it Tony! You two enjoy your night out! We will be fine! I've brought a bunch of food to make for Samantha and her little friends! We are gonna have a great time!" she said as she made her way into the kitchen. Tony just shook his head and said a silent prayer Samantha's friends were hard of hearing as he walked upstairs.
"Tony? Is Mrs. Rossini here?" asked Angela from the nursery.
"Yeah she just got here and is already taking over the kitchen!" he chuckled as he made his way next to Angela.
"Okay good! I've laid out everything I could think of to make her job easier. Extra sets of clothes, burp cloths, blankets, diapers, wipes…" she'd said as she reviewed her handwritten list as she bounced Matthew in her arms. Anna was starting to fuss in her crib so Tony came over to pick her up.
"You think she's going to be okay with them? She's only ever had one baby at a time. You know how clingy Matthew is and Anna's been off her schedule too and…" she started to say as Tony cut her off.
"Angela… she's going to be fine! We will make sure she's got our number at the party. She raised half the neighborhood for the past thirty years plus kids of her own! And besides, Samantha will be around in case she needs help. These guys are going to be fine!" he said as he made Anna giggle.
"I know she will be fine and so will they but this is the longest I've ever been away from them! I'm going to have to step away and pump during the party" she said as tears came to her eyes.
"I know sweetheart but they will be fine and so will you! C'mon, let me take them so you can go get ready. Hopefully they can have their last feeding before we head out" he said as he took Matthew.
"You're right Tony. Alright let me go jump in the shower and hopefully get my hair and makeup done" she said as she gave the babies a quick kiss, followed by one for Tony before heading into their room.
"Alright you two! We need to have a chat! This is a special night for your mommy and daddy! We are going to get to go out and have an adult night out with other grownups! I want to make this night very special for your mommy because she deserves it and a whole lot more! I'll let you two in on a little secret… last year on New Year's Eve, you two were conceived! It was still a few more weeks until we figured out we belonged together though! Realizing how much I loved your mommy and then getting to say it out loud… definitely one of the best moments of my life!" he said as he sat down in the rocker.
"As they say, the rest is history! A year later and I'm the happiest I've ever been thanks to the two of you! Let's bring on 1990!" he said as he rocked them, enjoying the alone time.
By 7:45pm, the babies were changed and fed, enjoying being held by Samantha's friends. Tony and Angela were finishing up getting ready. Tony was able to come downstairs first, getting whistles and cheers from Samantha's friends, while getting an eye roll from Samantha.
"Looking good Mr. Micelli!" said Bonnie as she held Anna.
"Thanks Bonnie! I do clean up pretty good if I do say so myself!" he chuckled as he looked over at his reflection in the mirror. Just then, Angela came down the stairs and was met with a louder round of whistles and cheers as Mrs. Rossini walked in from the kitchen carrying a large tray filled with food.
"Oh Angela! You look absolutely stunning in that dress! Tony… don't you leave her side tonight for even one moment!" said Mrs. Rossini as she put down the tray on the coffee table.
"Yeah Angela… you look amazing!" said Samantha as she stood up with Matthew and walked over to her parents.
"I'm the luckiest guy on earth to have the prettiest woman on my arm tonight…" he said as he came and wrapped his arms around her waist, giving her a quick kiss. "Oh I almost forgot!" he said as he ran behind the desk and pulled out a dozen pink roses.
"Oh Tony! They are beautiful!" she gushed as she took the flowers. Mrs. Rossini came over and took them to put them in a vase.
"Alright Angela! We need to head out! Thanks again Mrs. Rossini!" he said as he went to grab their coats.
"Okay you have the number for where we will be if you need us. There are bottles in the fridge if they get hungry. Put them in their bouncers to eat, especially Matthew if you have any hope to get him to eat…" she started, her anxiety coming through as she continued to rattle off instructions.
"Angela, they will be fine! This ain't my first rodeo. Now go and have some fun!" said Mrs. Rossini.
"Okay, okay! Be good you two!" she said as she gave them each a kiss as Tony helped her into her coat.
"Yes you two! Behave for Mrs. R!" he said as he too gave the babies kisses. The reality they were really leaving the babies for the longest stretch yet hit Tony at that moment, bringing tears to his eyes. He kept kissing the babies and giving them cuddles until Angela came over.
"Tony we really do need to go…" she said as she tried to hide her smile, grabbing his arm to pull him upright.
"But they're still so tiny!" he said as he made silly faces at them, getting them to giggle.
"We will be home soon Tony, I promise!" she said as he finally relented and headed out the door.
"Finally! I thought it would be 1995 before they finally left!" laughed Samantha as they started eating the food Mrs. Rossini had prepared.
Tony and Angela arrived at the party, allowing the valet to park the car. Tony walked around and opened her car door, helping her out. They walked arm in arm into the party, stopping to greet some of the guests. It didn't take long until they found Wendy and Isabelle.
"Angela! Tony! Over here!" yelled a half in the bag Wendy. They could tell from the expressions on Isabelle and Paul's faces that Wendy had been a handful and were very happy to see them.
"Hi everyone! This place is gorgeous! All the New Year's Eve decor is beautiful!" said Angela as she hugged them all.
"Yeah, yeah, yeah… the decor is nice but have you seen any eligible bachelors walking around this shack? Not a one!" complained Wendy.
"How about Paul and I get you lovely ladies a drink?" asked Tony as he motioned to a grateful looking Paul as they walked towards the bar.
"A martini please! Make it a double Tony!" yelled Wendy as she down the rest of her drink, munching on the olives.
"So operation find me an eligible, hot guy needs to commence! Unless either one of you can clone those husbands of yours!" said Wendy as she glanced over at Tony's butt.
"How about we find a table and then hit up the buffet table for some appetizers? I know I'm starving!" said Angela as she took a hold of Wendy's arm, while Isabelle took her other one. They found a table and practically dropped Wendy into the seat.
"So what's new with you Angela? Those babies must be getting big!" said Isabelle.
"They are getting so big! I can't believe they are already fifteen weeks old! This is the longest both of us have left them and to be honest I think we are both a bit nervous even if it is Mrs. Rossini and Samantha! I miss working a lot but the thought of being away from them for ten hours or more a day is just overwhelming! I'm going to start going back for a day or two in mid January and see how it goes" she said.
"I can only imagine how hard that will be! Thankfully it's only part time to start with" said Isabelle.
"Do you see that guy over there? He's good looking and I don't see him with anyone! Later ladies!" said Wendy as she stood up and stumbled over to the guy by the bar.
"Should we tell her he's here with his very pregnant wife sitting over there or should we just let her find that one out herself?" asked Isabelle as they both started laughing.
"So how are things going with the clinic?" asked Angela.
"Frustratingly slow. They found some issues with my thyroid so they put me on a new medication. They want to try a medication first to stimulate ovulation before trying IUI. It doesn't have the greatest success rates from what I've researched but they are hopeful. I never realized just how emotional this whole process can be" said Isabelle.
"Well maybe the medication will work! If not, at least they have a plan for you to take moving forward. I'm here for you whenever you need me!" she said as she put her hand on top of Isabelle's. Just then, Tony and Paul came back over with their drinks.
"Where did Wendy end up? She finally find herself a guy?" asked Tony with a chuckle as he put down the drinks.
"Well… kinda…" said Angela as she and Isabelle started to chuckle. The couples started up conversations, letting them know how their kids were doing, how work was going and Tony's potential for part time work in the new year. Wendy came back over a short while later, disappointment written all over her inebriated face until a handsome looking guy came over to their table and asked her to dance.
"Well if Wendy can get up to dance, I think we all should! Angela, care to take a spin around the old dance floor?" he asked as he stood up, offering his hand. She willingly took it and followed Tony onto the floor. They danced a few dances cheek to cheek, just enjoying the feel of one another as they swayed to the music.
"You having a good time Angela?" he asked as he turned his head so he was looking at her straight on.
"The best Tony! I forgot how nice it is to be out with other adults! Not having to worry about being spit up on!" she laughed.
"Tell me about it! Why do I always have them when they have the blowouts? You almost never get that honor!" he chuckled.
"The spit up and now drool I get more than evens out! I do miss them though… maybe when there's a break we can call home and see how they are doing" she said.
"Sounds good! For now though, you in my arms is all I'm focused on…" he said as his hand moved from her upper back down until it rested on the lowest part of her back. He pulled her even closer to him, letting her know exactly just how focused he was.
"It's a shame we don't have more privacy… I'm really enjoying being in your arms too…" she said as she pulled him even closer to her body, planting a very passionate kiss on his lips.
"Hey you two! Get a room!" laughed Wendy as she danced over to them. They both looked over at her momentarily before engaging in another passionate kiss.
Before dinner was to be served, Tony and Angela managed to tear themselves away from making out to go find a payphone. Samantha picked up the phone and gave them a check in- Anna was asleep but Matthew had woken up and was being rocked back to sleep in the nursery by Mrs. Rossini.
They were able to head back to the main room just as the main courses were being served. Angela had chosen the chicken dish while Tony had chosen the steak. They were able to enjoy the food, the atmosphere and the company throughout the meal. By 11:00pm, Angela needed to find a room to pump. She was given directions to a private room with a lock that she could use. Tony followed her to the room and offered to keep her company. Once she was finished, she packed away all her stuff and started to head towards the door, expecting Tony to be following behind.
"Are you coming Tony?" she asked as she turned around. She was surprised to see him sitting in one of the chairs, his bow tie undone and a bottle of sparking champagne with two glasses next to him. "What are you doing Tony?" she asked as she eyed everything.
"Just admiring the view… and so very thankful that door has a lock on it…" he said as he poured them each a glass.
"We could drink anywhere here… we don't need a locked door for… that…" she said as she put down her things and took the glass from Tony.
"True… but having just this space to ourselves is nicer, don't you think?" he said as he walked over, placing his free hand on her lower back as his lips found a sensitive part on her neck.
"Hmmm… much nicer…" she said as she took the glasses out of their hands, placing them on a table near the door. Before Tony could process anything else, her lips and hands were all over his body. Knowing their time was limited, they made the most of their time together.
"Angela… do you have… protection?" he managed to say as she was working on the belt of his pants.
"I took care of it before we left… I had a feeling we would be celebrating the new year before getting home. I just figured it would be in the back of the jeep…" she said as Tony's eyes got wide.
"Remind me to take you out more often!" he said as he helped her lower his pants. Their lovemaking was intense and passionate as they tried to be as discreet as possible. Once they were done, they held each other for a few minutes before getting themselves presentable again.
"Oh my gosh! It's ten minutes to midnight!" shouted Angela as she looked at her watch.
"C'mon let's head back out there before they send out a search party!" he laughed as they grabbed everything and headed back into the room. They were able to head back onto the dance floor as the partygoers huddled together waiting for midnight. They found Paul and Isabelle as the staff handed out top hats, glasses, necklaces and other accessories to celebrate. Soon the countdown began as Tony pulled Angela into his arms.
"Five, four, three, two, one… Happy New Year!" shouted the hosts as balloons fell from the ceiling. Auld Lang Syne started to play over the speakers as the couples began to kiss to celebrate the new year.
"Happy New Year Tony!" she said as she wrapped her arms around his neck.
"Happy New Year Angela!" he said as he gave her a kiss, that turned into many as the music continued to play.