185.

A bang and a distant thud jolted Olivia awake. She sat up and looked around the pitch black room. "Ed?" She squinted and tried to make out where he was in the room because he was not lying next to her.

"Power's out," he whispered from the window near the bathroom door.

"What was that noise?"

"I dunno," he replied, "Could've been one of the chairs getting blown against the porch."

"We had winds that strong?"

"I'll go check it out." Ed somehow found shorts and a shirt in the blackness, yanked them on, and headed out into the hallway. Nobody else in the house seemed to have been affected by whatever it was that had crashed outside. Using his phone's flashlight, Ed walked downstairs and, sure enough, saw two of the Adirondacks resting against the porch. He checked the power company's website, saw an "assessing connectivity" message, shrugged, and went back to bed.

"Nothing we can do right now," he said.

"Well," Olivia replied with an air of mystery, "Since we're up…"

Ed grinned and put a hand on the side of her face. "You know how much I love no power sex."

"I remember," she cooed.

"Whaddya remember about it?" Already turned on, Ed shifted his body so it was flush with hers.

Olivia stroked his head as she relayed the details she remembered from a few years ago, "You were at your place but you were worried-"

"-well, yeah-"

"-so you brought over some candles and, I don't know, maybe booze?"

"And water! And cookies for Noah!"

"Right, but it was after ten, so obviously, he was asleep, but still, that was nice. Anyway, there you were, in that black jacket you still have and I love, like a knight in shining armor, so...there, so present. I remember how you looked totally in control but nervous at the same time. Like you knew exactly what to do if the power was out, but if things got any more complicated than that it would terrify you."

"I was havin' trouble gettin' a read on you," Ed replied, "And I didn't necessarily want to get one. I just wanted to be there."

"I was so relieved you were. I'd had to deal with much worse, but, I remember really not wanting to deal with the power outage, kind of feeling exasperated with the whole situation, because it was going to last a while. I think that was the first time, the first night, I let myself rely on you."

"It was an amazing night. Candles...music…" Ed raised his eyebrows as if he'd instantaneously concocted the best idea in the world. "We need to do it with music again. Where's my phone?"

Olivia grabbed his arm, "I hate to be too responsible, but, what if we don't get power for a while? Battery? I mean, we have the cars, but…"

"You're right." Ed started kissing her neck, "And the candles are downstairs and I can't wait that long, so...we'll have to make do…"

Olivia gasped. "If this is making do," her words caught in her throat as Ed slowly ran his hand along her inner thigh, "I'm quite sure I'll be okay with no power for a little while."

…..

When morning came, Bethany Beach was still dark. The power had not returned, and low lying dark clouds lingered, threatening more rain. Every fifteen minutes or so, a wind gust would nearly dislodge another piece of furniture or a swim toy. All members of the household gathered in the kitchen and dining room, sipped coffee, or, in the kids' case, juice, and peered out at the dreary day.

"It's even rainier in New York," Sonny said, staring at his phone, "We're gonna drive right into it."

"Right into da storm?" Noah skipped over to Sonny and tugged on his arm so he could see the radar on the screen. "Dat's very red and orange! Dat means danger!" He turned to G, who, in an effort to avoid being the last one ready to go, already had placed her backpack and suitcase in the foyer. "You gotta stay one more day," he said.

"It does look bad," Olivia chimed in. She and Ed were standing together behind the kitchen peninsula. They'd been inseparable all morning and had not drifted more than a few feet apart since coming downstairs to make coffee using the propane-fueled outdoor kitchen. "Why don't you stay?"

"I'm supposed to have Sof with my mom and sister tomorrow for the water park with the cousins," Sonny said, "But I'm sure they won't mind leaving a little later. Justin? G? You okay with staying a little longer?"

"Please, please, please," Noah chanted. The twins soon joined him.

Wyatt, who still appeared a little sleepy, walked up to G, and lifted his arms, silently asking to be picked up. When she obliged, Wyatt said in his raspiest little-boy voice, "You wanna Pay-Doh?"

Ed grinned, "I think you have to stay now," he said, "Those Play Doh projects take a while."

"Use Lego, too," Wyatt added.

"But keep 'em apart!" Noah added, "Or there's a real mess!"

Justin chuckled, "Speaking from experience, Noah? You mixed Play Doh and Legos before?"

"Uh-huh! Daddy had to scrape da dough out with a knife!"

"Minor issue," Ed said with a shrug. "Now we know better."

"Yup!" Noah said cheerfully. "Hey! Maggs! Wy! Let's play hide seek! Dat's a good inside game! Sof! You can be my partner."

Hide and seek was one of the Tucker twins' most favorite games. Wyatt squirmed and G put him down so he could join the other kids in the living room for Noah's rule explanation. Maggie and Wyatt were very talented at fitting themselves into tiny spaces and had been since they were old enough to understand the game. Justin recalled the time he and Sonny were babysitting and started to panic only to find the twins sitting inside the kitchen cabinets waiting to be discovered. The whole ordeal, for them, had been hilarious.

"We better stay," Justin said, "At the very least, to help find everyone."

"Oh, I know where they're hiding," Sarah said, "They're going straight to the den!"

"Or in our room," Brooke said in a sing-songy voice, "At the very least they could hide among the mess!"

"I'm so glad you're all staying," Olivia said. Her voice oozed with sincerity. And, since they were all more or less trapped at the house, she was looking forward to a day of relaxed family time. They had games, propane, a bonfire if it stopped raining, and each other. "How about breakfast?"

"Daddy does scrambly eggs on da grill!" Noah said, "But it's in a pan not on da slats!"

Sarah cracked up. "I think it was just last year I used the word "slats" in that context," she said. "So smart. But, Noey's always loved words."

"Yes he has," Olivia said.

"Omigod," Sarah said, "Remember when I said," she lowered her voice, "Sex, and he asked what it was?"

Olivia and Ed nodded and laughed.

"Oh, I have to hear this," Justin said.

"Let's uh," Ed eyed the foursome, "Wait until they start playing."

"Good idea, Daddio," Sarah said. "You still have a few marbles rolling around up there."

"Thanks."

….

Olivia was not one hundred percent. She pretended she was fine, but the fading bruise on her cheek and the way she winced at sudden movements suggested otherwise. Nevertheless, she remembered it had been "about a year" since she and Ed veered onto a romantic track and did not want the date to pass without at least a tiny bit of celebration. A week into her mandated leave, she was itching to do something, anything, other than spending another night contemplating her existence in front of a television screen that was turned on but not watched. She and Ed had been in touch nearly every day. He'd brought over dinner one night and stopped by for a drink a couple of days earlier, but it had been hard for Olivia to enjoy his company. The whole Townhouse Incident weighed on her for dozens of reasons. She had not been a great companion, but had not cared one bit. Olivia started to realize he would rather be with her sitting in near silence for a few hours than anywhere else. Tonight, though, she didn't want to wallow, she wanted to go out and not think or talk about anything serious.

She and Ed decided to begin the evening at the bar where they'd met last January-divey, no-frills cozy, and significant. It was here where their relationship turned a corner. It was here where Olivia first felt the thrill of being desired by Ed Tucker. As she pressed her hair into loose waves and dabbed on makeup, she thought of the way he'd cockily offered to buy her a drink and the way his eyes danced when they settled in at the bar. Yes, she thought, she needed that same spark tonight.

Ed arrived wearing jeans, a casual dark green oxford, and his thick black parka. He and Olivia often walked wherever they went, even if the weather was cold and the distance was several blocks, so she followed suit and bundled up as well. Conversation came easily though the topic was Ed's mother's impending hip replacement surgery which she was resisting. Ed called her stubborn more than once, and Olivia chuckled. Apologizing, she explained the apple really doesn't fall far from the tree. Ed shrugged and smirked and hoped he was silently inviting more teasing. God, he loved being teased by her.

The evening was off to a great start. They were both in good moods and unburdened by the potential for a work call. Ed asked if she'd eaten dinner-she had not-and they decided to have a couple of drinks at the dive and move on to another place that served food. Only, when they realized they'd gone too far and passed the bar, they doubled back and saw a "For Rent" sign in one of the grimy windows.

"Oh...no," Olivia murmured.

"You gotta be kiddin' me," Ed grumbled, peering inside as if the sign were merely there to deter anyone but die hards.

"I didn't think these places ever closed," Olivia mumbled. She shoved her gloved hands into her coat pocket and tried not to be outwardly cranky. "Damn…"

Thinking on his feet, Ed eyed a liquor store on the opposite corner. "I have an idea," he said, "Wait here."

He was back in less than five minutes with a paper bag. Inside was a small bottle of Maker's Mark. After opening it, he crinkled the paper around the top and held the bottle up in a toast. "The bar might be gone," he said, "But what happened here that night is still goin' on. Let's toast to keepin' it going for, say, uh," he stumbled over his words having talked himself into a corner filled with hints of commitment and love, two concepts that generally made Olivia slink away.

She took the bottle, making sure to touch his fingers. "How about we toast to keeping it going and leave it there? Open ended? Still to be written?"

Ed nodded. "Absolutely."

Olivia took a swig and handed the whiskey back to him. She noticed Ed warily looking around, taking stock of their surroundings. "Kiss me, Captain," she said with a grin. Slowly, he removed one of his gloves, placed his hand on the side of her face, and planted a kiss on her lips. She smiled and whispered, "Look at us..."

"-manufacturing romance anywhere," he finished for her.

"I was ready to give up, and you...just...weren't."

"The relentlessness can be a good thing sometimes," he replied with a wink.

"Yes," Olivia took another sip from the bottle, "I've come to notice it's one of your best traits."

"Don't say that too loud," Ed joked.

Olivia giggled and leaned into him. "It'll be our secret."

….

By the time afternoon rolled around, the power was still out but the rain and wind had died down enough for everyone to relocate to the porch. "This is, quite possibly," Sarah said, "My favorite place in the whole world."

"You have a condo on the Gulf," Brooke said.

"But it doesn't have a porch like this," Sarah countered. "And if we were all there, it would be very cramped. Doable, but cramped. This porch is the heart of the house. It's its best feature. It's where we all connect, say goodnight, and reconnect the next day. You can see the beach, the dunes, the kids playing in the yard. It's everything...the most important place."

No one cared Sarah was on her second Bloody Mary after starting the day with mimosas. Olivia's eyes filled with tears and Ed curled his arm around her, holding her close. He didn't expect his wife to be capable of forming words, so the sound of her voice a few seconds later startled him.

"At the risk of upstaging my husband," Olivia said of the night before, "I do want to say, Sarah, you are one-hundred percent right. I am, more than any of you can know, thrilled to share this home with you. And I hope, for years and years, decades and decades, this porch sees many more members of our family."

Sarah beamed.

Brooke teased Ed. "See, Dad, that's a good toast. Succinct. Poignant."

Crestfallen, Ed turned to Olivia. "Thought you said the toast last night was good?"

"It was," Olivia said reassuringly, "So good."

"I'll do a toast!" Noah said. "Maggs, Wyatt, you toast, too!"

"Cinn'min toast?" Maggie asked

Noah doubled over in laughter, quickly straightened up, and got serious. "Is dat a hom-o-phone?" He asked.

The adults all exchanged eyebrow-raised glances, waiting for someone to remember the definition and difference between homophone and homonym and whether Maggie's comment qualified as one or the other.

Brooke, the former teacher, answered. "Yes, No," she said, "It's certainly a homophone. Good job. Just, uh, don't use it as an example in second grade."

"Kay! Thanks!" Noah replied with a grin.

The twins stood in front of Olivia, asking for cinnamon toast, and she patiently explained, in the most toddler-friendly language possible, that the treat would not be possible until the lights came back on. Wyatt pointed to the ceiling fan above.

"Da light off!" He exclaimed, looking incredibly worried.

"Yes, sweetie," Olivia replied, "But when it comes back on, then we'll have cinnamon toast." She lifted him into her lap for a snuggle. "What would you like to do? Want to play with Mommy?"

"Ree'a story," Wyatt replied.

"Sure."

Olivia stood up with Wyatt still in her arms and took him inside to read in their favorite story chair. It was situated in the living room at the front of the house. She flung open the drapes, raised the blinds, and called out to Wyatt who had disappeared into the den where most of the kids' books were stored. He returned holding two hardcover titles in one hand and a pair of Olivia's reading glasses in the other.

He extended them to her, saying, "Here, Mama."

"Sweet Wyatt…" Olivia murmured.

"Pu'on yer eyes," he said softly, a little perplexed as to why she did not immediately slide them on.

"Done," she grinned, sat down, and collected him in her lap. "What's first?"

Wyatt handed over Thunder-Boomer! and grinned.

"A book about a thunderstorm!" Olivia said, "Excellent choice."

Wyatt laid his head on her chest and, from memory, started reciting the story's first paragraph. "Day is hot," he said, "Dad plows…now you, Mama."

Olivia kissed his head, "Okay sweetheart," she whispered, "Mommy will take it from here."

….

Saying very little, Noah and Wyatt scrubbed the outdoor kitchen area until every inch gleamed in the late afternoon sunlight. Next, they removed the utensils from the drawers, applied a generous shake of Barkeeper's Friend, then sprayed them down, one at a time, in the yard with the hose. The brothers were not alone in the house. Their wives were inside getting the kids settled. Maggie would be arriving in a couple of hours. Sarah and Brooke and their families would be joining later in the week in time for the fireworks. Nevertheless, Noah and Wyatt could not escape the gaping void they felt in their hearts. They'd both been burdened with grief for the past year, but the sadness was especially acute here at the beach.

"Want to do surf and turf tonight?" Wyatt asked, desperate to try and find some cheer.

"Yeah, sure," Noah mumbled, blinking back tears which he would eventually let fall. The Tucker brothers had never been ashamed of showing emotion.

Wyatt crouched and opened the fridge. There were a few beers and wine coolers in there. He grabbed two beers and stared at the labels for a second. They were suddenly relics of the past, of a time when his Mom and Dad were alive and sitting right here on this porch watching their grandchildren play wiffle ball in the grass. "Here," he handed a bottle to Noah, "Let's take a break. Anyway...I think we're good here."

"Yeah." Noah glanced across the porch at the seating area. They'd cleaned the cushions and the tabletops. Mia had piled clean beach towels in one of the baskets, and, in the other she'd dumped the kids' brand new goggles, masks, and snorkels. The porch itself had been power washed before they arrived as had the Adirondacks that circled the fire pit. He was certain their parents would be proud of the work and effort they'd put forth to maintain the house.

"So, uh, you and Mia can have the master bedroom," Wyatt said hesitantly. It was an offer he didn't really want to make and the words made his stomach flip-flop.

Noah forced a tentative smile. "Mom and Dad sure wouldn't want us to keep it as a shrine."

"Can you see Dad's face?" Wyatt chuckled and did his best impression of his father when he was annoyed or disgruntled, "Why the hell would ya leave the room sitting there?"

His smile more genuine and relaxed now, Noah nodded. "Yeah, and Mom…"

"Honey," Wyatt shifted to a higher-pitched voice, "Don't be silly. You have to use the room. Where will everyone sleep?"

"She did want the house jam-packed," Noah said.

"No problem there."

Noah swigged his beer and peered at the grill. "Now we just need to not fuck up the food."

Talking about his parents, even when he thought he didn't want to, always calmed Wyatt. He smiled confidently and walked over to the grill. He lifted the lid, nodded approvingly, and swore he felt his Dad's presence, as if he were looking over his shoulder. Wyatt closed the lid and walked back to Noah's side. They rested their elbows on the railing and stared out past the tall sea grass at the ocean.

"I think we'll be alright," Wyatt murmured.

"Are you talking about the food or in general?"

"Both."

"Daddy!" Wyatt's son came running out of the house wearing swimming trunks and no shirt. He was sturdily built, the spitting image of his father at that age, and wore goggles around his neck. "Mommy said we can swim!"

"She did?" Wyatt asked, pretending to be surprised.

"YES! Uncle Noah, are you gonna swim?"

"Nah," Noah replied, "I don't like the water."

The little boy cracked up. "Dat is NOT true."

"No, it's not," Noah said, "Yes, I think we should all hit the waves before dinner."

"What are we havin for dinner?"

"Lobster and shrimp and steak."

"Yum!"

"Are you going to help cook?" Wyatt asked.

"Yup," his son replied. "I know how."

"You do?"

"Uh huh!" The boy grinned. "Grampa showed me!"

Wyatt and Noah exchanged glances.

"Then we're good," Noah said, mussing his nephew's hair, "C'mon...let's hit the beach."

…..

Late in the afternoon, Ed and Olivia went for a walk along the beach and then back through town to see if anyone had power. The houses and businesses who did have electricity were running on generators, and they learned from one friendly local that the power company predicted wide-scale restoration later that night. Ed thanked the man and he and Olivia continued on along the main street lined with quaint stores peddling locally-crafted wares, surf shops, and a few small markets, one of which was their trusty seafood place.

"Let's try a crab boil on the bonfire," Olivia cheerfully suggested.

"Love it." Ed started to kiss her cheek, but Olivia's head whipped around at a woman on a beach cyclist who passed by at a pretty fast clip. "Who was that?"

"I don't know," Olivia replied sheepishly, "But, for a second, I thought it was Jo."

"Three times in four days woulda been a little more than a coincidence."

"Right?" Olivia gave him a kiss and clutched his hand. "I guess I'm a little unsettled about her mentioning Elliot, Elliot calling me, like, I'm imagining them meeting somewhere and talking about me...it's just...odd."

"If they're in touch you're bound to come up."

"Sure, but...Elliot's never reached out to me. Never. Any time I've seen him since he retired it was either by chance or when he was invited to the wedding. And, before that," Olivia squeezed Ed's fingers and closed her eyes, "How could he not have called after Lewis? Everyone knew."

Everyone did know. Ed could attest to that fact. The entire department was on alert when one of their own went missing and then buzzed with gossip and innuendo in the aftermath. Ed recalled the sick feeling in his gut when he first heard about the initial crime scene and the clear eveidnce of torture tools left behind. The uneasiness had never fully disappeared. Just as Olivia's trauma bubbled to the surface every now and then, his reaction to all she endured reappeared as well. It manifested as a burning, sinking sensation in his chest, and he chalked it up to a mix of anger and frustration that there was nothing he could do to blunt or bury that part of Olivia's past. So, Ed could not think of a response to Olivia's rhetorical question. At the time, he'd been Benson's adversary and he was nauseated thinking about what the psychopath Lewis could have been doing to her. Elliot Stabler knew. He had to have known. And he essentially disappeared.

"What could I have possibly done to cause him to stay so distant?" Olivia asked.

"I can't explain why he did what he did," Ed replied, "But I'm sure it has nothing to do with you. It has to do with him. I don't get it, but he made all those choices to stay away, Liv."

"It's painful."

Ed hugged her right there on one of Bethany's busiest corners. His grip on her was tight, firm, as if he believed he could somehow extract enough of her heartache and reabsorb it into his body.

"Ed?"

"Oh, sorry," He shot her a coy grin.

"It's okay," she said, "I just want you to know that me being upset with Elliot doesn't diminish how happy I am, how happy I've been, with you. With us."

"I know," Ed replied softly, punctuating it with a kiss.

Olivia took a deep breath. "Okay...crab boil?"

"Yep," he said softly, "Crab boil."

Before heading to the market, Ed gazed at her suntanned face. It had been makeup free for days and the freckles were extra prominent. She was smiling, excited to try something new, to create a new memory. He took a deep breath and smirked. It would take at least ten lifetimes for him to figure out how he got so lucky.

….

#Tuckson