New Beginnings
Ed flipped through the pages of Camp Apple Seeds' newsletter. Peanut allergy warnings. The upcoming week's themed lessons. Employee-of-the-month profile. Mission statement. An advertisement for the upcoming family day which would feature snacks, drinks, and a musical performance. Four full pages of glossy color photos featuring happy toddlers. Noah was on page two wearing some sort of Egyptian-looking handcrafted mask; even though the costume obscured his face, Ed knew it was him.
Not far away, Noah ran in circles with three other kids. They ran and ran until they became dizzy, collapsed, laughed hilariously, and then started running again.
Eventually he hustled over to Ed and requested a drink. Tucker rummaged around in Noah's backpack and found nothing, so he offered Noah a sip of his ginger ale.
"Don't tell mom."
Noah looked up at Ed conspiratorially and sipped soda through the straw.
Ed's phone vibrated in his pocket. Taking advantage of the distraction, Noah kept drinking.
"Hey Brooke," Ed said. "What's going on?"
There were multiple things going on with Ed's oldest daughter. When she returned from Kill Devil Hills, Ed offered her his apartment and after some deliberation, Brooke accepted. The commute might be inconvenient, but Ed was charging her a pittance in rent. She couldn't refuse the offer.
"Just tell the movers to put whatever furniture you don't want in the guest room. Pile it in there."
Ed and Olivia decided to wait on moving any large pieces until they decided on a timeline for finding a new, bigger place, so Brooke was saddled with extra items until then.
"Can't you just deal with the couch for now?"
Both Brooke and Sarah hated the old brown leather sofa that Ed had owned for at least two decades.
"The light switch in the bedroom needs to be on for the ceiling fan remote to work."
Ed rolled his eyes. Couldn't she figure this out on her own? He felt like he was talking to Sarah instead of his usually resourceful older daughter. While Ed continued talking, Noah meandered his way over to the swings and tried unsuccessfully to hoist himself onto the seat. Ed wedged the phone between his ear and his shoulder and went over to help out.
After a few pushes, rumbles of thunder sounded in the distance, but they were threatening enough to send the park visitors scattering for cover. Storms were predicted for the evening and they apparently were ahead of schedule.
"C'mon, Noah," Ed said as he lifted the boy from the swing and slung him over his shoulder. "Let's go home before we get soaked."
"Funder, Tuck!" Noah alertly looked up and pointed at the sky. "Black clouds! Hurry!"
Ed grabbed the Thomas backpack and headed for home.
…
Ed and Noah found Olivia in the bedroom when they returned. Scattered among her were piles of clothes, mostly blazers and blouses. Living together forced her to finally tackle the continually postponed task of purging her closet of rarely-worn garments and she was having trouble picking and choosing what stayed and what was destined for charity. Music played from her iPad and she sang and danced a bit as she moved around the room.
Ed put Noah down and he ran to Olivia, hugging her legs. "Mama!"
"Hey big guy! I didn't hear you come in!" She picked him up for a hug and a kiss.
Ed surveyed the room, amusement in his eyes. "I thought, uh, you were organizing?" After they returned from the beach, Olivia and Ed used their remaining vacation days to move Ed's things and sent Noah to camp for a few hours each day. Today, Ed helped Brooke in the morning then retrieved Noah while Olivia got to work merging his things with hers. Evidently, she ran into a bit of a hiccup.
"I was," she replied sheepishly, "And I was doing such a good job at first with the books and the bathroom and the kitchen."
"Liv, I brought three books, some pictures and coffee mugs, and my shaving kit."
She scowled good-naturedly. "How about you go through these things, and anything you haven't noticed me wearing in the past, say, six months, put in that pile over there." She pointed to a corner of the room where she'd tossed a few definite discards.
"I haven't seen you every day for the past six months."
She bit her lip, hesitant to part with anything. "Ugh. Well, it will just have to be a tight squeeze for a little while. I'll put my heavier things in the front closet."
With Ed's assistance, Noah clambered onto the bed and started jumping. Tucker shadowed, prepared to catch him if he took a tumble.
Olivia already hung his suits and shirts, and they took up less than half the closet space. Every other part of his wardrobe was neatly folded in one of the bottom two dresser drawers. She'd graciously consolidated her two underwear drawers into one, but not easily. Her overstuffed drawer was still open, spilling over with panties. Ed laughed.
"What?"
"Nothing."
She marched over to him and held him by the belt. "Captain, are you making fun of me?"
"Actually, no," Ed kept one protective eye on Noah who was still bouncing. "I think it's funny that our underwear drawers are next to one another."
Olivia got the point. "Yeah, who would've thought, right?"
They had just started kissing when Noah, as Ed had predicted, teetered near the mattress' edge. He pulled away and grabbed him one-handed, saving, at best, ear-piercing screams or at worst, a trip to the emergency room.
Ed flipped Noah upside down, tossed him on the bed, and he and Olivia tickled Noah until he erupted into deep belly laughter.
"It's a good thing Tuck's here, Noah!" Olivia exclaimed. "That could have been bad. He saved you."
"Tuck saved me!" Noah got up and tried jumping again, but Olivia put him on the floor. "Save your energy, Brookey's coming for dinner."
"Brook-ey, Brook-ey, Brook-ey, Brook-ey." Noah chanted, then stopped abruptly and asked, "Sawah?" In his world, Ed's two daughters always had appeared together.
"No, bud, Sarah's in Philly."
"Phil-ly, Phil-ly, Phil-ly."
"I don't think we need to worry about him running out of energy," Ed remarked. "I told Brooke to come over around seven. That still work?"
Olivia nodded. "What are we ordering?"
"I thought maybe I would make tacos. How does that sound?"
"Great! Do I need to go to the market?"
"Noah and I stopped on the way home."
"Well aren't you just the best two men in the world." She grabbed his waist again and pulled him close.
With Noah safely on the ground, Ed and Olivia could devote their full attention to another kiss. She loved the way he kissed her. So passionate. Like it was both the first and last meeting of their mouths.
Olivia pouted a little when he drew himself away.
"I have to start dinner," he explained and kissed her once more.
"I'll finish up in here," she said and kissed him back.
Banned from the bed, Noah found the iPad and expertly navigated to his games. The bloopity-bloop sound effects added to the pleasant chaos.
"No, you want to bring that out here with me?" Ed asked him, hoping the answer was yes.
Noah happily followed Ed into the kitchen.
Olivia turned on her heels, did a complete 360, and began rehanging her clothing, wedging the items tightly together. Storage problems, though, did not diminish her joy. With Ed here, her home was now complete.
…..
Brooke arrived thirty minutes late but with cupcakes, so as far as Olivia and Noah were concerned, she was forgiven.
"You live in the Bronx for three years and you're not late once. Now you're ten blocks away and you're late?" Ed observed incredulously.
"Sorry dad," she placed the cupcake container across the island and gave Ed a peck on the cheek. "I got carried away unpacking and lost track of time. Won't happen again, sir."
Ed grinned. It was impossible for him to be irritated with Brooke for very long. Sarah? Different story. He was sure his youngest daughter intentionally made boneheaded decisions solely to nettle him.
"Where's Olivia?"
"She's in the bedroom."
On cue, Olivia emerged with two fistfuls of hangers holding winter blazers and long-sleeved blouses. "Hi Brooke!" She said brightly. "I'm just about done in there."
Brooke glanced curiously at Ed who shrugged. Olivia returned from the front closet and took a seat on a bar stool, prepared for friendly ribbing.
"I know, I know, I have an overabundance of clothing. I can't help it."
"Have you donated anything?" Brooke asked. "We have one of those big bins at our school."
"I have a bag ready to go."
Ed snickered, "There are, what, four or five things in there?"
"Eight," Olivia corrected impassively, "And one sweater was a gift I've never worn."
With mock alarm, Brooke asked, "When's your birthday?"
"December."
"Ok, good, I have some time to think. I don't want any gift from me in the dump pile."
Olivia chuckled, "Nonsense. You have fabulous taste. Anyway, enough about me and my unhealthy attachment to clothes. Are you getting settled in?"
Brooke was enthusiastic. "Yep! The moving guys were really nice and shoved all of that stuff in the bedroom. I'm keeping the ugly Big Brown for now," she gave her father the side-eye, "but I'm feeling good being back in Manhattan."
"How long will the commute be when school starts again?"
"About an hour, maybe a little less. But since my sweet daddy is so generous, I should be able to save a bunch for a down payment."
Ed rolled a tomato and an onion to Brooke. "Will you chop these for your sweet daddy?" He turned to stir the meat and mumbled, "You know, there are schools here in the neighborhood."
Not again.
"Dad, I'm staying at my school for now."
"Ok," he conceded, not wanting to argue but holding out hope the commute would wear on her and she'd look around for a job anywhere but the South Bronx.
Time for a subject change. "Dad, do you want me to paint the walls? I took down some of your pictures to put my things up and you can tell the sun has faded some of the paint. Especially in the living room."
"You want to paint the walls, or do you want me to hire someone to paint them?"
"Preferably hire. But I can do it, too. But, then again, I won't be upset if you happen to hire someone."
That reminded Olivia of how few decorative-type items Ed brought. She arranged his framed photos among hers, but the apartment's ambience still was ninety-nine percent Olivia and Noah. "Ed, why don't you bring some of your wall art over here?" She suggested.
It really wasn't all that important to him. "Which ones?"
"Those old New York maps are nice. And that giant Galway print? I love that."
"Ok," he agreed, "if you insist."
Olivia gazed at him. "I do," she replied sweetly.
Brooke observed the subtle flirtation with her customary nonchalance, but she had to stifle a giggle when she thought about how Sarah would have responded. Her little sister regressed to her gossipy, giddy teenage self when she witnessed Ed and Olivia PDA.
"Bwookey?"
Brooke's initial arrival hadn't been exciting enough for Noah to abandon the iPad and his comfy beanbag, but the adults' conversation drew him to the kitchen. Brooke pushed the knife and cutting board aside and sat Noah on the island. "Hi, No! I thought you were ignoring me!"
It didn't take long for him to notice the cupcakes and he reached for the box.
"Noah," Olivia warned, "We'll have a cupcake after tacos."
"Tuck making tacos?"
"Yeah, bud," Ed responded.
"Tuck tacos! I like Tuck tacos! Bwookey, you eat tacos?"
Brooke nodded. "I love Tuck's tacos. Yummy!"
Olivia beamed at him, "He's been talking a lot since he's been going to camp."
That reminded Ed of the newsletter. "There's a family day thing next week. A musical or play, or something like that," he said, "the info is in his bag."
Olivia liked that Ed knew more about camp goings-on than she did. She found the newsletter, admired the photos with Brooke, and then saw the family day advertisement. "A musical performance, drinks, snacks, and an informal meet-and-greet," she read. "Next Friday. I'll make sure the squad is covered so I can go."
"What time does it start?" Ed asked.
"Ten and ends at twelve-thirty."
"Is the meet-and-greet first or last?"
"It doesn't say."
"I'll just go in late. Hopefully it's last." A meet-and-greet with Upper West Side moms and dads did not thrill him, and he didn't think it would be particularly appealing to Olivia either.
Olivia invited Brooke to join them. "Do you want to spend one of your half days off at Camp Apple Seeds?" She asked.
"I wouldn't miss it for the world!" Brooke responded eagerly, "And, if you want, I can just take Noah for the rest of the afternoon if you have to work." She addressed Noah, "What are you going to sing, No?"
"Circus song."
Clueless expressions all around.
"It will be a surprise, then," Brooke concluded.
Noah wasn't finished, "twinkle, twinkle," he added, reaching over to twirl a strand of Brooke's bobbed blonde hair.
"Oh, I know that one!"
"Fwog song."
"Frog song?"
Noah bounced up and down, "Ribbit! Ribbit!"
"Sounds like a good show."
Ed turned off the burners and transferred the meat and rice to serving bowls. "It's ready."
Olivia jumped up and quickly cleared the table. Brooke transferred Noah to the high chair. Ed had already prepared his plate and he began eating happily, carefully using a plastic Thomas spoon to scoop the rice into his mouth.
"What do you have going on this weekend?" Ed asked Brooke as they munched on the tacos.
"Actually," Brooke said slowly, "I'm having drinks with Luke O'Neal. Remember him? We went to high school together and he joined the Marines right after? He just got discharged."
Ed raised his eyebrows.
"And he's starting classes at Hudson in the fall." Brooke added. "In criminal justice." Come on, Dad. Lighten up. A Marine? Future cop? Irish?
Ed remained unimpressed.
Olivia lightened the mood, "Sounds nice to be reunited with an old friend. Where are you going?"
"We're going to hit golf balls at Chelsea Piers and then I don't know, he mentioned a couple of places, but we'll play it by ear."
So it was a date.
Ed pictured his daughter at the driving range and smirked. "You're going to hit golf balls? Have you ever played golf before?"
Brooke, glad he loosened up so quickly, shrugged off Ed's good-natured teasing. "I have not, but, as I understand it, there are nets and things to protect others from my lack of skill."
"I can't wait to hear all about it," Ed said dryly.
"I'll call you right after." Brooke was equally sarcastic but her Tucker-blue eyes were filled with only adoration for her grumpy but lovable father.
Olivia, entertained, sat back in her chair, eyes darting back and forth from Brooke to Ed. Between them, Noah, oblivious to the banter, moved on from the rice to a toddler-sized taco. He ate almost daintily, picking up stray pieces of cheese and ground beef and placing them back in the soft tortilla before each bite. Olivia wondered if he was trying to be extra good in order to ensure he would actually get his hands on one of the cupcakes.
When dessert time finally rolled around, Noah abandoned the manners he'd displayed only a few minutes earlier and tore into the chocolate cupcake Brooke placed in front of him. His face and hands became covered in crumbs and frosting, and the treat disappeared quickly. Olivia tossed Ed a washcloth, and he made a dramatic show of wiping Noah's face, taking the rag away and then burying his face in it. Noah squealed.
"You're a chocolate mess, bud!"
"More cupcake!"
"I don't think so," Olivia said. "We'll have another one tomorrow night."
The three of them cleaned up and then played a game of Scrabble. Brooke left around ten o'clock but not before agreeing to text Ed when she got home.
Olivia put away the game and switched off the lamp and the kitchen lights while Ed put Noah in bed. He'd fallen asleep in his beanbag watching a movie which Olivia didn't like for him to do, but she often made exceptions when company was over.
Ed nuzzled Olivia's neck when he returned. "Dare I go in the bedroom?"
She slapped his back playfully, "Go ahead. You just can't sit in the chair or easily slide the hangers around."
"The bed's free though?"
She cocked an eyebrow, "I made sure it was clear."
Ed took her hand and led her to their cluttered bedroom.
"Maybe I should just get rid of some things," He joked.
"Don't be silly," Olivia said, "We'll get a bigger place soon."
It was so nice to hear her talk like this, and Ed could deal with the cramped space as long as he was sharing it with Olivia. He would have voiced this to her, but her lips were already on his neck, so he decided it could wait until later.
