Chapter 77

After the Super Bowl, the family fell into a good routine with school, work and the babies. Everyone, including Matthew got into the swing of things by the second full week. By the week of Valentine's Day, everyone in the home had made plans. It was a Wednesday, which limited everyone's plan except Mona who opted to make it a long weekend with one of her male companions. Since it was a school night, Samantha and Jonathan volunteered to babysit. Tony was figuring out the final plans for the night as both babies played in their bouncers.

"Hi my loves! Happy Valentine's Day!" said Angela as she walked in through the swinging doors, stopping to kiss each baby before giving Tony a kiss.

"Happy Valentine's Day sweetheart! I'm just figuring out the last minute plans for tonight! Our reservations are at 6:00pm" he said as he handed Angela her a glass of juice. He headed over to the stove to start cooking her pancakes.

"Sounds wonderful! You're still keeping where we are going a secret?" she asked as she picked up Matthew as he began to fuss.

"Yes! Last year we really didn't get to do much since we had just found out about these guys and your morning sickness was so bad. I want this year to be extra special! My professor cancelled my night class so I'll be home right after work" he said as he plated her breakfast.

"Awww love heart pancakes! That's adorable!" she said as she bounced Matthew on her leg. They both laughed as they watched Matthew staring at the food.

"Almost time little guy! Next month we can start food! I can't believe on Friday they will be twenty two weeks old!" said Tony as he tickled Anna's tummy.

"I know! I think by next month we can start them in daycare Tuesday to Thursday. Hopefully flu season will be close to being over" she said as she finished up her breakfast.

"I hope so! We've been so lucky this winter!" he said as he picked up Anna who started to fuss.

"I know! I don't want to jinx us! Alright let me take them inside to feed them and hopefully get them down for a nap so I can start work" she said as she stood up, taking Anna from Tony as she headed into the living room.

By mid day, Angela had gotten a lot of work done- a few phone calls, some paperwork and joined in on a staff meeting phone call. By the time Tony left for work, Angela was settled in with both babies, feeding them and putting them down for a nap. By the time Samantha and Jonathan got home from school, the babies were up again.

"Hi Angela! How was your day?" asked Samantha as she came to sit on the floor with Angela and the twins. Jonathan came over and grabbed some more toys for the babies.

"It was good! I had a very productive morning! These guys have been very good today! Hoping they are good for you two tonight!" she said as stood up and took a seat on the sofa.

"So did you get them anything for Valentine's Day? Their outfits are so cute!" said Samantha as she picked up Anna. She had on a red dress with white tights with a white heart on the front.

"No! Although I'm sure your father did!" she chuckled as she watched Jonathan pick up Matthew and make him giggle. Matthew was dressed in a matching red sweater with a white heart and khaki pants. "I think you two should get yourselves a snack and start in on homework! They are due for another nap before their next feeding. I've got one final work call and then I'm calling it quits! I'll need to jump in the shower and get ready before our reservations" she said as she took Matthew from Jonathan.

"Alright… if you need us we will be in the kitchen" said Samantha as she handed Matthew to Angela as they headed into the kitchen.

"Alright you two! Let's go back into the office and do some more playing before we go down for a nap…" she said as she headed into the office.

Two hours later, Angela was able to finish up her calls and work before the babies woke up from their naps and were being fed as Tony walked in the door. He had a large bouquet of pink roses and two small packages in his hands as he walked in the front door.

"Hi my loves! How was your afternoon with Mommy?" he asked as he put down his backpack as he came to sit down next to Angela.

"It's been productive! What's in the boxes?" she asked as she finished feeding them, handing Anna to Tony to burb.

"Just something for their first Valentine's Day! And something for their beautiful Mommy!" he said as he motioned to the flowers.

"They are beautiful Tony! I love them!" she said as she leaned over for a kiss.

"Alright you two! Here's something for your first Valentine's Day!" he said as he handed one of the boxes to Angela. They opened the boxes and pulled out matching teddy bears with little red hearts in their hands. Both babies took the toys and put them in their mouths.

"I think they like them!" he chuckled as he pulled the toy from Anna's mouth and made it dance around, causing both babies to giggle.

"So I still need to shower and get ready if we are going to make it to our reservation on time! Can you take them?" she asked as she handed Matthew to Tony as she headed upstairs.

"Alright you two! How about we we have some playtime while Mommy gets ready and then I can get changed! I can't wait to take your Mommy out tonight! I found this beautiful French restaurant that has a band playing and everything! You two made it challenging for us to do much for Valentine's Day last year between Mommy being so tired and having morning sickness but this year we can really celebrate! C'mon let's go play!" he said as he put them down on the floor with their toys.

Angela was able to get in a shower and do her hair and makeup. She had laid out three dresses to choose from and was debating which one when Tony walked in with both babies. He was able to put them down in their bouncers.

"Alright I'm going to jump in the shower! You think we can make it out of here in twenty minutes?" he asked as he started to undress. He was down to his underwear as he turned around, waiting for her to respond. Instead, he was met with Angela's deep brown eyes scanning his half naked body.

"I can think of something else that would take about twenty minutes…" she said as she walked over to him, her hands finding the elastic of his boxers.

"You… you remember New Year's Eve? What you thought we were gonna do… in the… car…" he managed to say as her hands found what she was looking for, causing the blood to drain from his brain at an alarming rate.

"Oh I do Tony… maybe we can make that happen tonight…" she said in a deep, sultry voice. He couldn't take the temptation any longer and grabbed a hold of the edges of her robe, pulling her to him as he captured her lips. They would have risked missing their reservations altogether if it hadn't been for a whimpering Matthew.

"He's either having a blowout or interrupting our alone time! That kid has my number for sure!" laughed Tony as he gave her one last kiss as he headed to the bathroom for a lukewarm shower.

"Alright little boy! What's the matter? Oh no… well Daddy was right on both counts this time! C'mon let's get you changed!" she chuckled as she laid him on the bed to get changed. She quickly changed Anna as well before putting them back in the bouncers. She opted to wear one of her backless navy blue dresses that cutoff just above the knee and showed off her cleavage. She was trying in vain to zip up the back when Tony came out of the bathroom in only his towel.

"Here let me get that… wow Angela! That dress! It's not a dress, it's a weapon!" he said as he spun her around.

"You like it? I'm still not back to where I'd like to be with my body but I think it looks okay…" she said as she looked herself over in the mirror.

"It looks more than just okay… as good as you look in it, I'm going to enjoy taking you out of it even more…" he said as his hands roamed over her hips.

"Speaking of… let me finish getting ready for… that… Go put on your suit and then we can head downstairs" she said as she headed into the bathroom.

"Oh I can't wait for dessert… there goes my diet!" he said as he quickly got changed. Soon, they were both ready and heading downstairs with a baby in each arm. Samantha and Jonathan were already eating dinner in the kitchen as Tony had ordered them pizza.

"Thank you again! Their bottles are in the fridge along with some teething toys. Their pajamas are out on their dressers. I'm hoping they go down for you but if not we won't be out too late" said Angela as she placed Anna in her bouncer.

"I'll leave you the number of the restaurant in case you need us…" said Tony as he wrote down the number and handed it to Samantha.

"Relax guys! We will be fine! Now go before you are late for your reservations!" said Samantha as she took Matthew from Tony.

"Okay Tony… they are in very capable hands!" she said as she kissed them all goodbye, followed closely by Tony.

Soon, they were in the jeep heading towards the restaurant. They enjoyed the ride in a comfortable silence, stealing glances at one another as they held hands. After about fifteen minutes, they pulled up to the restaurant. The valet opened the door for Angela as Tony came around, handing him the keys as he helped her out of the car.

"Oh Tony! I've heard about this place and have always wanted to go!" she practically squealed as she locked arms with him as they made their way into the restaurant. They were able to check their coats and were seated right away.

"Not too shabby if I do say so myself! The band goes on at 7:00pm, so we should have time for a few dances before… dessert…" he said with a smirk.

"I love dancing in your arms… we should really try and go out dancing more often! Especially with two built in babysitters! Take advantage while we can!" she laughed as the waiter came to take their orders. They decided to split an appetizer; Angela opted for the duck a la orange while Tony ordered a seafood pasta dish for their mains. By the time they had finished off their entrees, the band had started to play.

"Shall we?" he asked as he stood up, reaching out his hand to help pull her up.

"I thought you'd never ask…" she said coyly as he led her onto the dance floor. Soon, they were swaying to the music, his hand resting on the small of her back while his other hand was entangled in hers, pulled closely to their chests.

"You look so beautiful Angela… I could stay here until after the music ends… again!" he chuckled as they thought about the Ferguson's wedding a few years back.

"So could I… it's like time ceases to exist when I'm in your arms dancing…" she said as she leaned in even further to his body. They titled their heads ever so slowly as their lips found each other's. Finally pulling back, their eyes met one another, smiles forming on their faces.

"You have no idea how badly I wanted to do that at their wedding!" he chuckled as he led her back to their table.

"Probably about as much as I wanted it!" she laughed as Tony pulled out her chair for her. Just then, the waiter brought out their desserts. Angela opted for the triple chocolate mousse while Tony ordered the crème brûlée.

"Hmmm… this is divine! You must try it Tony…" she said as she took a spoonful and fed it to him.

"Yes, that's absolutely delicious…" he said, but his gaze went straight into Angela's eyes, the desire growing with each passing second.

"So after dinner… should we go straight home or…" she started to say as she picked up another spoonful, placing it slowly in her mouth, causing Tony to audibly gulp.

"Hey buddy! Check please!" said Tony as he frantically waved down the waiter, embarrassing Angela. She couldn't fault him too much as she was just as anxious to leave as he was. Finally picking up on Tony's impatience, the waiter took pity on him and brought him out the check. They were able to get their coats and handed the ticket to the valet.

Tony managed to focus enough to get them out of the parking lot and headed towards a nearby park. It was deserted this time of year; Tony thanked everything holy that their luck seemed to be holding out.

"It's so beautiful here! It feels like we are the only two people in the world…" she said as she leaned over, placing a gentle kiss on his cheek.

"It does Angela… it really does. I hope this Valentine's Day was everything you wanted Angela because you deserve nothing less…" he said as he leaned over and kissed her back.

"It's been perfect Tony… anytime spent with you is perfect…" she said.

"Well, I've got one last surprise for you… here you go…" he said as he reached into his pocket and pulled out a small box.

"Oh Tony! You didn't have to get me anything!" she said as tears formed in her eyes. She opened up the box to reveal a gold locket, similar to the one he had gotten Samantha for her birthday a few years earlier.

"Oh Tony! It's beautiful! And it's got all the kids in it! I don't remember you taking these! I love how you've got Samantha and Anna on one side and Matthew and Jonathan on the other!" she said as the tears started to fall.

"I was able to take them one day when you were out! It was not an easy feat but we got it done!" he said, remember the bribing he had to do for the older kids and the many photos he needed to take to get both babies smiling.

"Well I love it Tony and I love you even more…" she said as she placed the locket around her neck, allowing Tony to fasten it.

"It looks beautiful on you Angela…" he said as he straightened the locket around her neck, his hands lingering over her exposed skin.

"I think I'm done talking…" she said as she practically threw herself onto Tony, capturing his lips in a passionate kiss. Their hands were all over one another, pulling at their clothing. Knowing the confines of the front seats wouldn't be comfortable for long, they headed into the backseat of the jeep, immediately continuing their make out session as soon as the doors shut.

"Happy Valentine's Day Angela…" he managed to utter before he lost all powers of speech.

"Happy Valentine's Day to you too Tony…" she said as her lips crashed back into his. She quickly undid his belt, yanking down his pants as he managed to lift up her dress. It didn't take long after that until they were joined as one, risking indecent exposure in the empty parking lot. Once they had caught their breaths and sat back down against the seats, Angela curled into his side.

"Wow… that was everything I imagined it to be… and more…" he said as he leaned over, placing a gently kiss on her forehead.

"I think the fear of getting caught made it more exciting…" she said with a chuckle.

"Angela! Can you imagine if a cop pulled up? Or someone else looking to take advantage of this spot?" he said, a look of horror on his face.

"Relax Tony! No one is here and no one saw us… but I do think our time is limited! Hopefully the babies are asleep and haven't given them too much trouble!" she said as she managed to make herself presentable once more.

"Yeah… we are at the three hour mark! I think that's our limit! C'mon let's go home…" he said as he too made himself presentable. They both got back into the front seats as Tony put the car in gear. About ten minutes later, they pulled up to the house. Once they stepped out of the car, they could hear crying.

"I'm surprised… that sounds like Anna…" she said as Tony opened the door. Samantha was pacing back and forth with a screaming Anna in her arms.

"Oh thank god you're back! She hasn't stopped crying for the last half an hour! I think she feels warm too but it might just be from the crying…" she said as she handed her to Angela.

"Oh no little girl! What's wrong? Oh Tony she does feel warm! Where is Matthew?" she asked as she cuddled Anna, trying to comfort her as she sat down on the sofa.

"He should be sleeping. Jonathan is upstairs in case he wakes up. We've taken turns walking her around" she said as she sat down next to Angela.

"I'll go check in on him and I'll bring down a cool washcloth and a thermometer. Do you think we should call the pediatrician?" he asked as he came over to feel Anna's head.

"Let's see how high her temperature is first" she said as she managed to calm Anna down enough for her to take a pacifier. As Tony started up the stairs, Jonathan was coming down with a fussy Matthew.

"And we are two for two… c'mon Matty boy!" he said as he took Matthew from Jonathan. He frowned when he felt his forehead and felt him to be warm too.

"He just woke up crying! He doesn't need to be changed" said Jonathan as he sat down on the side chairs.

"Neither of them ate much when we tried to feed them about an hour ago" said Samantha.

"Alright I'll try and feed them now. Tony go get changed and grab the thermometer and cool washcloths" said Angela as she managed to set up to feed them in her dress. Soon, both babies were feeding as Tony came back down. They sent Samantha and Jonathan upstairs to get ready for bed.

"Oh this isn't going to be fun trying to take their temperatures!" said Tony as Angela handed Anna to him to burp.

"The quicker we do it the better. Thank goodness we have two thermometers so we can just do this all at once…" she said as she started to change Matthew. After their temperatures were taken and the babies stopped screaming, they put their diapers and clothes back on.

"101.3 and 101.5… definitely a fever. I think we need to call the pediatrician…" she said as she took them back to continue feeding.

"Alright I'll call them. Here are the wash cloths" he said as he placed them on their foreheads to try and bring down the fever.

"Almost five months without being sick… could have done with another five months before dealing with their first colds!" he said as he got out the phone book, calling the pediatrician's emergency line.

"Well this is one way to spend your first Valentine's Day little ones…" she said as she looked down at the babies as they started to fall asleep nursing.