Hope for All chapter 74
Tony and Angela got home just before one in the morning. They were not surprised to see Samantha and her friends watching movies and finishing off the snacks Mrs. Rossini had made for them. They were pleasantly surprised to not hear any crying coming from upstairs as they headed up for bed. Their happiness was short lived when they saw Mrs. Rossini come out of the nursery with Anna in her arms, wide awake.
"Oh sweet little girl! Why are you up?" asked Angela as she took Anna from a very tired looking Mrs. Rossini.
"She was upset she missed the ball drop! Her brother got to see it and she was jealous!" she said with a yawn as Tony led her to Jonathan's room to sleep for the night.
"You didn't miss much I promise! Mommy and Daddy are very tired… you think we can do a quick feed and get you back to sleep?" she asked a wide awake Anna as she walked into their bedroom.
"Well Mrs. Rossini is already asleep but guess who woke up to wishes us a Happy New Year?" asked Tony as he walked in with a fussing Matthew.
"Let me get changed and then I'll feed them, hopefully getting them back to sleep!" she said as she handed Anna to Tony. She was able to get herself changed and ready for bed as she came back out to two crying babies. She was able to get set up on the bed and took them from Tony.
"You want anything Angela? A cup of tea?" he asked with a yawn.
"No, I'm fine. Go get ready for bed and then come join us…" she said as she looked down at both babies who were looking back up at her. She smiled at them as she watched them nurse. She knew their couple time was important and well worth it, but at the same time she was very happy to be back home.
The next week went by quickly as the kids went back to school and they got back into a routine. That Saturday was Jonathan's birthday; they wanted to celebrate and go all out since last year the family was still recovering from the stomach flu, followed by the news of Angela's pregnancy. It always seemed like his birthday was close to forgotten being so close to the new year.
"Happy 14th birthday Jonathan!" shouted Tony as Jonathan walked into the kitchen Saturday morning. He was holding Matthew in one hand and flipping pancakes in the other.
"Happy birthday sweetheart! I can't believe you are fourteen already! It seems like just yesterday you were the twins' age!" she gushed as she wiped away tears. She motioned for him to come over to her so she could give him a hug, the best she could do with Anna sleeping in her arms.
"So I've made your favorite buddy… chocolate chip pancakes!" he said as he plated his food.
"Yum! Thanks guys! Are we still going out for dinner tonight? Chinese?" he asked as he started digging into his food like he hadn't eaten in a week.
"Slow down there Jonathan! Yes we are all set! I made reservations for six" said Tony as he made a plate for Angela and himself.
"Okay good! I'm going to meet Steven and some other friends today for lunch at the mall and then head to the arcade. I'll be home before then…" he said as he finished his food, getting up to go refill his plate.
"Just make sure you're back in time to get ready. Tony's going to want to get photos with the babies before we head out I'm sure…" said Angela as she gave Jonathan a knowing look.
"Eh oh, oh eh! It's his birthday! And these guys haven't celebrated their big brother's birthday yet!" said Tony as he shifted Matthew in his arms.
"It's okay, I'll be back! Alright I'll see you guys later!" he said as he shoveled the rest of his pancakes into his mouth and ran out the back door.
"Well so much for spending the morning with us! Is this the start of the him pulling away from the family?" asked Angela as she tried not to cry.
"Well he is a teenager Angela… I'm surprised he's stuck around you two for this long…" said Mona as she came in through the back door.
"Mona! He's not going anywhere! At the very least these two cutie pies will keep him close by! It's good though he's spending time with his friends!" said Tony as he sat down again, handing a plate to Mona. Mona just shrugged her shoulders as they ate breakfast.
Tony had to run out midday to get the twins more diapers and wipes as well as pick up Jonathan's birthday present. They had decided to get him an expensive science kit and microscope. He walked back into the house with everything as Angela was finishing up a feeding.
"Did you get everything?" she asked as she handed Matthew to Tony.
"I got everything! I also picked up the things on your list and got more diapers and wipes. I swear these two go through a pack of diapers every day!" chuckled Tony.
"Ever since they both started rolling over and putting everything in their mouths, they've been eating like crazy! The milk has to go somewhere!" she chuckled.
"At almost twelve and almost thirteen pounds, they are definitely well fed! I can't believe they are already sixteen weeks old!" he said as he made silly faces at Matthew.
"They are sixteen weeks, Jonathan is fourteen and Samantha is already seventeen… they really are growing up so fast…" she said as she cuddled Anna.
"They grow up Angela! But if these two could slow it down a bit, that would be great! I just want time to stand still with these guys!" he said as he cuddled Matthew.
By 5:30pm, the twins were fed, changed and ready to go. The other members of the family were not as they all raced to finish getting ready. By 5:45pm, everyone was in the living room, coats on, ready to go. They arrived on time for their reservation, being seated right away.
"I want the unlimited spare ribs and dumplings!" said Jonathan as he looked over at the specials on menu.
"Whatever you want pal! It's your birthday!" said Tony as he sat Matthew on his lap.
"Pretty soon the babies will be able to eat here too! Matthew already looks like he's trying to read the menu!" laughed Samantha as she watched Matthew focus in on Tony's menu.
"Soon, soon Matty boy!" said Tony as Matthew tried to grab the menu. He took out one of the teething rings for him to play with instead. Anna started to fuss with Mona as she was handed back to Angela.
"What's wrong little girl? You want a toy too?" asked Angela as Tony handed her one, settling her for a few minutes until she started crying again. Angela checked her and sure enough she needed to be changed.
"I'll take her Angela!" said Samantha as she took Anna.
"Are you sure? I can do it" said Angela.
"It's okay! Spend time with the dweeb on his birthday! C'mon little girl let's get you changed!" cooed Samantha as she headed to the restroom.
"She's becoming a pro at taking care of them! Good thing too because I abdicate my babysitting duties until they are both potty trained…" said Mona.
"We are very lucky to have two excellent babysitters!" said Angela as she looked over at Jonathan.
Soon, Samantha was back with a clean and happy Anna. The family ordered once the waiter came back over. They all silently agreed to allow Jonathan to lead the topics over dinner. They all agreed afterwards once Jonathan was out of earshot that they all deserved Oscar's for their acting abilities, feigning interest at all of Jonathan's topics.
After dinner, Tony pulled aside the waiter to let him know it was Jonathan's birthday. A bowl of vanilla ice cream with a candle in it was placed in front of Jonathan. The whole restaurant sang happy birthday to him, much to his embarrassment.
"Make a wish Jonathan!" said Angela as she bounced Matthew on her knee, trying to avoid a screaming fit as it was getting close to their next feeding. Jonathan thought for a moment and then blew out the candle, to a roaring applause in the restaurant.
"I hope it comes true…" he said as he started to eat his ice cream. The wait staff brought out bowls of ice cream for the rest of the family.
"Don't tell anyone or it won't come true!" said Tony as he started in on his ice cream. He could tell both babies were on the verge of crying so he tried to eat as fast as he could, resulting in a brain freeze.
"Oww!" he said as he grabbed his head.
"That's your punishment for eating too fast!" laughed Samantha as she cuddled Anna close to her side as she started to fuss.
"He knows what's coming with these two and wants to be prepared to take them when they start to scream momentarily!" said Angela. As if on cue, both babies started crying.
"Alright you two! Let's go for a walk in the stroller to get you both settled. We will get home and get in a feeding soon" said Angela as she put Matthew in the stroller with a pacifier followed by Anna. She started pushing the stroller back and forth, which quieted them for a few minutes as they finished their dessert. It was short lived though as the waiter came over with the check. The family was able to get everyone into the van while Tony paid. Once they made it home, Angela took them for a feeding as Jonathan picked out the movie for the family to watch. Once both babies were fed and changed, Tony got out Jonathan's presents.
"Here you go sweetheart! We hope you like it!" said Angela as they all placed their gifts next to him.
"Wow! Thanks Sam!" he said as he opened up two cassettes from his favorite band. Next he moved onto Mona's gift, a new Walkman. Finally, he opened up the gifts from Tony and Angela.
"Remember they are from the twins too!" said Tony as he held Anna close to the present, trying to get her to pull back some of the wrapping paper. She was able to grab a fist full and started to put it in her mouth until Tony grabbed it from her, causing her to cry.
"Aww Anna it's okay! Paper doesn't taste so good!" laughed Jonathan as he grabbed one of her toys, silencing her cries. "Oh wow! A new microscope and chemistry set! This is awesome! I can try and perfect my stink bomb recipe!" shouted Jonathan.
"Think again! Unless it's outside, down the street, in a neighboring town!" laughed Tony.
"Thanks guys! This was the best birthday ever!" he said as he hugged everyone. As was expected, Tony had Jonathan and the babies sit on the sofa for photos, followed by the whole family. They were able to enjoy the evening watching a movie before the twins needed to be fed again and put down to sleep. Jonathan took all of his gifts and headed to his room as the rest of the family headed up to bed.
The next two weeks went by rather quickly. Angela had started to prepare herself to go back to work. Tony had made a phone call to Nick about the job his friend Joe had talked to him about a few months before the twins were born. Finances weren't an issue but Tony was itching to financially contribute to the family again. He was able to get an interview with Joe's daughter at one of the local elementary school's afterschool program.
"I hope this job pans out! It will be perfect seeing as you will be going into the office two days a week to start. There's a daycare attached to the program that we can enroll them in for a few hours, maybe more once you go back full time" he said as he got into bed.
"It will be wonderful if it does! I don't think I'm anywhere near ready for full time though. I need to get back to work but it's going to be part time for a while until they are older. Once we see how your interview goes tomorrow, we can figure out a schedule" she said as she finished getting ready for bed.
"Well this week is going to be the test for all of us! You will be working from home starting tomorrow. We will just have to go from there…" he said as he watched her undress and change into her nightgown. She had to laugh at his not so subtle expression and smirk on his face.
"I think I'm tired and will turn in for the night…" she said sarcastically as she watched his facial expression drop. Once he realized she was joking, he started his payback as he rolled on top of her, capturing her lips with his own.
The next morning, everyone was up early, preparing for the day. Tony's new semester started back up and he was going to be out of the house most of the day. He had full day schedules Mondays and Fridays and two night classes Wednesdays and Thursdays. Angela was going to need to work during the day while going solo with the twins on those days.
"Alright! Breakfast and lunches are made for everyone! Sam and Jonathan, make sure you get home right after school to give Angela a break. I should be home right before dinner but I need Samantha to put in the roast before I get home. I left instructions over by the oven" he said as he pointed to the paper.
"Got it Dad…" she said with an eye roll. "C'mon dweeb… we have to get to school early. I need to help Bonnie cram for her history exam" she said as she dragged Jonathan out the back door, Tony throwing the bagged lunches at them as they headed out.
"Have a good day sweethearts!" yelled Angela as she took a seat at the table, a baby in each arm.
"Are you sure you're gonna be okay today by yourself? The kids won't be home until after three…" he said as he took Matthew from her.
"We will be fine Tony! I'm just going to try and get as much done as possible. I've got some phone calls to make and some paperwork to go over. If I can't get it all done before everyone gets home, I'll do some tonight. These guys take top priority" she said as she rocked Anna.
"Okay I better get going so I get there on time! Okay listen you two! Go easy on Mommy today! Let her get some work done and try and nap in your cribs! I'm going to miss them so much! I've never been away from them for this long before!" he said as he kissed both babies, making them laugh as he tickled their bellies.
"We will all be fine Tony! Remember this pep talk when I go back into the office next week! Good luck on your interview this afternoon! I know you will be great!" she said as she stood up to kiss him.
"Alright… breakfast is right here, lunch is in the fridge. Extra diapers are in the closet along with wipes…" he started as she cut him off.
"I'm not the babysitter Tony… I know where everything is! Now go before you are late!" she practically yelled as he relented. He gave them all one last kiss, grabbed his resume and books as he headed out the door.
"I thought he'd never leave! I can't really say much… Daddy's going to have to physically drag me away from you two next week when I go back to work! Alright! Let's get breakfast eaten so I can get set up in my office!" she said as they both began to cry.
"You've had your breakfast already! You just got changed and you're not due to nap for another hour! You already missing Daddy?" she asked as she grabbed some toys for them in their bouncers, quieting them down. She was able to eat her breakfast and bring them both into her office. She was able to set up the portable crib, placing them both inside with some more toys as she started organizing her work. Mona had brought home a bunch of work for her to sort through the week before. She was able to get organized for her first phone call as the babies started to fuss.
"Right on time! Okay you two! You're rubbing your eyes so maybe we need to adjust your nap time!" she said as she picked them both up and walked around the room. They stopped crying as she placed them in the stroller as she continued walked around the room. Soon, they were both asleep.
"Perfect! Now if you can actually stay asleep during my phone call!" she chuckled as she was able to transfer them to back to the crib. She waited a few moments to make sure they were in a deep sleep before she headed back to her desk.
She was able to get in her first phone call plus some additional paperwork for the next two hours while the babies napped. Her creative team had really picked up momentum on some of the new accounts, so aside from some fine tuning and approvals, things were pretty much in place. Just as she wrapped up her morning's work, Matthew started to stir.
"Two whole hours for your first nap of the day in your crib! This is a new record! Mommy is so proud of you!" she gushed as she picked him up, bringing him to get changed. Soon, Anna was awake and changed as she brought them out to be fed.
By lunchtime, the twins were content in their bouncers as Angela brought in some files to read while eating. She was able to finish lunch, wash the dishes and sit down again to sip some iced tea. She had two more phone calls to make and a new campaign to start brainstorming ideas for as she took them back into the living room.
"Okay Mommy has another phone call but you aren't due to nap for a while… should we try the crib again or maybe the floor? Unless we keep you both in the bouncers" she asked them as they continued to suck on their hands.
"Okay let's give this a try on the floor!" she said as she placed a bunch of toys on top of a blanket. She placed the twins on their stomachs but soon both rolled over to their backs.
"Alright here goes nothing…" she said as she positioned herself so she could see them both on the floor as she dialed her office.
"Hello Mother… yes everyone is fine… playing on the floor…" she said as she made silly faces at the babies. "Yes please transfer me into the conference room" she said as Matthew started to fuss. She was able to put some toys next to him, which soothed him momentarily but soon he was crying. She checked him, only to see that he had a blowout.
"Oh no Matthew! Normally this is what you do for Daddy!" she said as she tried to hold the phone and get him changed. It was confined to the sides of his diaper and pants so the blanket was spared. She was able to get him cleaned up and back on the blanket, all the while fielding questions from her staff.
"Yes, I think we should go with Jack's idea for the slogan…" she said as Anna started to whimper. Knowing her luck, she grabbed a new set of clothes, a diaper and wipes as she sat down. This blowout wasn't as confined as Matthew's, soaking through all her clothes and the blanket. Angela let out a not so soft string of expletives, causing her team to gasp.
"Sorry! Anna just had a blowout and it's everywhere, isn't it little girl…" she said as she put the phone on speaker. "Keep talking…" she instructed her team as she cleaned up the mess. She threw all the dirty clothes and blanket into the corner as she continued the conversation. Five minutes from the end of the meeting, both babies started to cry.
"Alright, send the briefs home with Mother and I will review them tonight. I'll send back my notes and we can discuss it tomorrow. I will call them later this afternoon with our initial ideas, once my older two get home to watch the babies" she said as she hung up the phone. She tried in vain to settle them but their crying only intensified.
"What gives you guys? I think now you are missing your Daddy! Okay, okay! Let's get a load of laundry in before we have your next feeding because those clothes are nasty!" she chuckled. She picked them both up, along with the dirty clothes and headed down the basement to start the wash. Soon, she was back upstairs and set up to feed them on the sofa. Both babies fed on and off for an hour before they drifted off to sleep, just as Samantha and Jonathan came home from school.
"Oh good you are home! Can you bring the portable crib out here? They napped earlier in it for two hours! I'm hoping they can do the same if you guys can watch them. I have one last phone call to make" she said as she adjusted them in her arms.
"Sure Angela" said Samantha as she put down her bag and books and walked into the office. Soon, the crib was placed in the living room as Angela put down both babies. Samantha and Jonathan headed into the kitchen for a snack before coming to take over for Angela. Just as she was about to head into her office, both babies woke up crying.
"Well that was short lived!" said Angela as she tried to get them back to sleep.
"We got this Mom! Go work!" said Jonathan as he picked up Anna, walking her around the room. Samantha grabbed Matthew and ushered Angela out of the room. She was able to get organized for her call but kept getting distracted as the crying in the other room continued. She fought the urge to go in and take over.
"Alright they can handle them! Focus on this phone call and then you can be done until Tony comes home" she said out loud as she refocused and planned her phone call. She was about ten minutes into the call when Samantha walked in with a crying Matthew.
"I'm so sorry, please give me a moment" she said as she cover the phone and took Matthew from a frazzled Samantha.
"I'm sorry Angela! He just wouldn't stop crying. Anna has kinda settled but I need to start dinner" she said apologetically.
"It's okay sweetheart! Okay little boy! Mommy is on an important phone call so I'm going to need you to calm down! Let's try a quick feeding" she said to him as she managed to latch him and continue her phone conversation. She had an idea for a great ad for multitasking as she took a quick glance down at herself. After another ten minutes, both Matthew and the conference call were finished.
"Apparently that's what you wanted… being nursed to sleep. I hope you realize when Mommy goes back to work that this won't be an option with Daddy…" she whispered to him as she carried him back into the living room.
"Oh good! She's crying again and I need to start my homework!" said a frazzled Jonathan.
"Okay sweetheart. Let me just put him down and I'll take her" she said as she placed a sleeping Matthew down in the crib and took Anna to feed as Jonathan ran upstairs.
"Your brother is opting to do homework and your sister is choosing to cook. How bad were the two of you for the whole twenty minutes I was gone?" she asked with a laugh. Soon, Anna was asleep as she put her down in the crib. By this time, Angela was exhausted. She decided to close her eyes for a few minutes. Just as Angela finally fell asleep, Tony walked through the front door, waking all three of them up.
"Hi my loves! Oh no! What's wrong?" he asked as he came over to the sofa.
"We were all asleep Tony…" she said as she picked up Matthew, while Tony grabbed Anna.
"Uh oh… I'm sorry Angela! I'll make sure I come through the back door next time! So how was today?" he asked as they both settled down in their arms, falling back to sleep.
"It was a lot but overall not horrible! They both had blowouts during my conference call so it will be bath time tonight! So how was your interview?" she asked.
"Excellent! You're looking at the newest after school counselor! Three days a week, Tuesday through Thursday! I will be there from about two until five then I'll head to my class. There's plenty of space in the daycare so once you are back full time, they can go right in" he said.
"Oh Tony! That's wonderful! Congratulations!" she said as she gave him a hug. "Oh I just remembered! I totally forgot I started a wash but never switched it" she said.
"Okay let me go do that and then I'll take both of them so you can rest" he said as he handed her Anna as he headed to the basement.
"Well, that wasn't too bad today, all things considered! Now we just have to figure out how Daddy is going to make it through two days next week…" she said as she looked down at them peacefully sleeping in her arms.