Chapter Text
"That's horrible!" is the first thing that comes out of Topanga's mouth when Angela tells her about her mother.
Angela doesn't really remember what brought up the conversation but she feels good that she talked about it to someone.
"Yeah, it is", she agrees. "She just left one day and never came back. The divorce papers came a month later."
"Did she ever try to reach you?", Topanga asks with a careful tone.
"Once. I refused to talk to her, though."
Angela paused a little.
"I just felt betrayed."
Topanga gives her a half-side hug. "Do you want to go back to class?"
Angela shakes her head. "No, not really."
"Okay", Topanga says. "There's this movie I've been meaning to check out. Wanna go?"
"Topanga, you're skipping class?"
"It's not that important anyway. We're seniors, right?"
As soon as Rachel leaves the room to check some obscure arrangements with Eric at Topanga's request, Angela finds herself confronted with a particularly jittery bride.
"I don't want to do it. I don't want to get married."
"Oh boy", Angela sighs. "Yes, you do, Topanga. There are slightly more than a hundred people out there because you wanted them here when you got married."
"Then they're going to get seriously disappointed!"
Topanga's pacing now. "I-- we're already particularly married. Why do we need a paper to prove it?"
"T, you're going to ruin something if you don't sit still."
"Am I making the right decision, Angela?", she asks, stopping finally. "This is the rest of my life we're talking about."
"Topanga", Angela begins. "You're going to get married to Cory. And if I remember it correctly you've known him since you were a baby; it just can't go wrong."
Topanga doesn't seem quite convinced. "Isn't it a little too soon?"
"Honestly?"
"Honestly."
"It does feel a bit too fast", Angela says, and Topanga's eyes widen in horror. "But I've told you that before and you told me and I quote 'we're going to do it either way eventually, might as well do it now'. Correct?"
"Correct."
"So?"
Topanga bites the inside of her cheek. "Might as well?"
"Exactly."
Angela feels overwhelmingly relived at having stopped a live showing of The Runaway Bride and seats herself on the nearest chair.
"Angela?"
"Yeah?"
"I love you."
Despite the fact that Topanga had mentioned she wanted children once or twice, Angela never really thought it would happen this fast.
Sometimes, she thinks she needs to learn she can be wrong at predicting because there they were: at the hospital, and Topanga Lawrence was twenty-two and a mother as of ten hours ago.
Angela knocks twice before entering and finds Topanga on the hospital bed looking slightly more well-rested than before and the baby sleeping in a crib next to her.
"Hey", she says in a hushed voice.
Topanga raises her head a little to catch a better glimpse of her. "Hey, Ang."
Angela makes her way to the crib and takes her first clear look at the baby.
"She's beautiful", Angela says, softly. "Can I hold her? Shawn hogged her earlier and I didn't get to."
Topanga nods, smile growing as Angela picks up the baby.
Angela is smiling at the baby but directs her words to Topanga. "What are we going to name little baby Matthews?"
Topanga scrunches her nose. "Baby Matthews?"
"Yeah", Angela says. "Cory said--"
"Oh, Cory's dreaming. It's baby Lawrence-Matthews."
"I knew it."
Topanga bites her lips. "I was thinking maybe August?"
"August? August Lawrence-Matthews", Angela says, trying the name out. "Got a nice ring to it."
"I know! Cory won't have it, though, he says we need a semi-regular name and we can save August for the next one."
"Next one? You're already planning on a next one?!"
"God, no!", Topanga says, shaking her head. "Not anytime soon."
Angela looks visibly relieved and coos to the baby.
Out of the corner of her eye, Angela sees Topanga preparing to say something.
"Do you want one, Angela?"
"No", Angela says, still cooing. "Hell no."
"You will make a great mother", Topanga prompts.
Angela turns her eyes to Topanga. "We're not having kids anytime soon, T. We're not even married."
Topanga shrugged. "You don't have to be married."
Angela opens her mouth a little but is left speechless.
"Topanga Lawrence are you telling me to have children out of wedlock? That is just unlike you!"
"It won't be that different", Topanga says. "Trust me."
"We're not ready to be parents."
"But you can be."
"Look", Angela says. "I don't know what you're planning here b--"
"I want you to be godmother to...Riley."
Angela finds it weird how it's not even noon and Topanga had already left her speechless twice.
By some miracle, she finds her voice.
"Godmother?", Angela says. "Topanga, that's huge and I'm flattered but what about your sister?"
"Angie, I haven't seen Nebula in years. I have no idea where she actually is", Topanga says. "Besides, you are my best friend. I want you to be Riley's godmother."
"I thought I was going to be fun Aunt Angie to your kids", Angela says. "The one they come to when they want fun stuff like guitar lessons and a sex talk that doesn't end in 'sex is fun but I saved myself until marriage and I was more than happy my first time was with your father' "
"You can be that and be their godmother too", Topanga says. "We've always been there for each other."
Angela realizes Topanga's crying a little and she puts the baby back in the crib before sitting on the bed next to her friend.
"And you know", Topanga continues. "I want us to be there for each other's kids too."
Angela hugs Topanga and she wishes she wasn't tearing up because her voice shakes. "I'd love to be your daughter's godmother, Topanga."
It's a little quiet for about one minute before Cory bursts in dragging Shawn behind him.
"Shawn said yes", Cory shouts. "Our daughter has godparents!"
Angela gives Topanga a look, but she's still smiling. "You two are really good at double-teaming."
Shawn is smiling but he rolls his eyes. "They are."
"I meant every word I said", Topanga says, wiping her eyes.
Angea nods, mouthing an 'I know' at her friend.
"So did I", Cory says to Shawn, whose eyes were unbelievably red and puffy from crying. "You know I did."
"Topanga, Cory", Angela asks, trying to avoid anymore tears. "Why Riley?"
Cory shrugs. "It was a compromise between August and Katherine. And it was the name of Eric's first imaginary friend."
Angela and Shawn exchange a look before they look at him again.
"What?", Cory says. "Eric threatened to go all Sleeping Beauty and curse our child if we didn't name her that."
Topanga shrugs. "We also thought it was nice."