239.

Raised eyebrows. Indignant, clenched jaw. Rigid shoulders. It was as if Olivia shedded her mom persona right there in the apartment and reverted to Lieutenant Benson at the interrogation table. Only, the table was now their kitchen island and the guilty parties were a combined age of six.

"Maggie. Wyatt. We said no more passwords at school," Olivia said sternly. "And what happened today? Did you make other kids have a password to go through the obstacle course?"

Maggie and Wyatt nodded.

"That's not nice," Olivia said, "And we always want to be nice."

"Are nice, Mama," Wyatt replied. "Too cowded wi' no password."

Maggie chimed in. "Yeah! All bunch'up! An dey say SPREAD OUT!"

Wyatt held out his arms. "Li'dis."

Ed stood nearby, red-faced from attempting to control his laughter. It appeared that Lieutenant Benson had finally met her match in the form of their preschoolers. The whole truth finally came out. Maggie and Wyatt constructed such a popular obstacle course that they had to figure out some method of crowd control and the passwords seemed completely logical. They weren't malicious. They had been misunderstood.

Olivia looked up at Ed, presumably for help, and let out an exasperated sigh when she saw his amused expression. "I don't understand how these kids have all this free time at school," she muttered. "They're there for three hours. Aren't we paying them to teach?"

"I thought so," Ed replied.

"Did you let everyone who wanted to do your obstacle course do it?" Olivia asked the twins.

Maggie and Wyatt shook their heads.

"No, Mama," Wyatt replied. His eyes drifted to the ceiling as he thought and finally replied, "Liam, Ellie…MAGG! Magg din'go!"

"You didn't go, Maggie?" Olivia asked.

Another head shake. Maggie had taken one for the team, and Olivia couldn't help but feel a little sorry that she didn't get to try out the course she'd helped create. "Okay," she said softly, "Tomorrow, though, we're not doing passwords. Okay? No passwords, just tomorrow."

Ed smirked at Olivia's strategy. She was going to have this same conversation every day for the rest of the school year.

"T'morrow ars'an'cafts," Maggie said.

"Arts and Crafts?"

"Uh-huh."

"Oh, well, good," Olivia said, "No time for passwords. Okay…go play."

Ed helped the twins get down from the stools and they skipped over to the toy box. He leaned across the island toward Olivia and said, "You handled that well, Lieutenant."

Olivia frowned at him. "They're going to have a reputation as problem kids," she griped. "I can't believe this."

"They're gonna go to another school for Kindergarten," he said, "So we only have one more year of having to buy really nice Christmas gifts for preschool teachers."

Olivia was not assuaged. "I hate thinking they look at their class lists and groan when they see their names."

"They don't. And, if they do, that's their job. You mean to tell me Maggie and Wyatt are the worst kids? They're not mean, they don't hit kids or throw things…they're cute…" Ed grinned, grabbed her hands, and kissed each one. "It'll be okay."

"You know," Olivia cocked her head and her lips curled into a slight smile. "I always believe you when you say that to me. I always have."

"I only say it when I mean it."

"I know." Olivia leaned forward for a kiss. "I'm going to go check on Noah."

"Okay."

Olivia went into Noah's room. He was sitting at his desk, navigating the internet with his brand new wireless mouse which he'd managed to install himself. His homework-a diagram of reversible and irreversible change, was on the floor. He'd used marker for the drawings and was probably worried about the colors bleeding if he folded the legal-sized paper right away.

"What are you working on, sweet boy?" Olivia kissed the top of his head and peered at the screen.

"Jus' exploring on Google Earth," Noah replied. "See?" He zoomed in and out over Central Africa. You can do dis. Or…" he clicked around bit, "You can go on tours da people arready made for you! S'cool. An'I'm makin' a list of places I want to go."

Olivia smiled. Noah had journals full of lists of various titles. Her favorites were his Christmas lists-the ones where he listed the presents he wanted to buy for all the people in his life. They were sweet and thoughtful and also, in some places, hilarious. In this case, Olivia noticed he'd organized trips by his age.

"Oh, good thinking," she said, "So you have some trips you want to take when you're older and some, oh, as soon as you turn nine?"

"Uh-huh!"

"Don't forget to go backwards, too," Olivia said. "Because you've been to Ireland and France."

"Oh yeah!" Noah said.

The first trip he was to take after his next birthday was to Texas. Olivia knew his obsession with Texas and seeing real cowboys came from an illustrated map in his Kindergarten class, and she was not at all surprised he hadn't forgotten about it.

"So…Texas first?"

"Uh-huh! And Sare Bear said they don't really have cowboys all over there but I SAW guys in da hats on street view and also horses, so I know there's some cowboys!"

"I'm sure there are."

"I saw them."

"We'll get you to Texas, sweetheart," Olivia said, "I promise."

"Sare Bear said she would take me."

"Do you mind if I go with you?"

Noah giggled. "Mommy….you're funny. A'course I want you to go!"

"What about Daddy and your brother and sister?"

Noah replied as if he'd been expecting the question. "Daddy, yes. But you tell those babies if they're not good in school they can't go anywhere!"

"Okay honey," Olivia said softly, "I'll tell them."

"Are they troublemakers?" Noah asked.

"No…they're…they're creative. And not used to school yet. So, we'll make sure to keep an eye on them and help them understand there are things that are okay at home but not okay at school."

"Yeah…"

"Don't worry, sweet Noah," Olivia assured him, "They'll get it."

"Kay," Noah said, turning back to his computer.

"Are you hungry? Daddy's making tacos."

"Yup! How long?"

"About twenty minutes."

"Okay," Noah said, "Dat's 'nough time to go to Japan!"

Olivia grinned. "Sounds good. See you when you get back."

…..

Over the years, Ed and Olivia had been emailed or called or asked to come to school to meet with teachers only a handful of times. Each of those times annoyed Ed. He tensed up, answered questions tersely, and always wore the same stern expression as if the teachers were the cops he once interrogated at IAB. Olivia usually rolled her eyes and silently pleaded with the school staff to humor her husband. After all, the meeting topics were never very serious.

Except for this time.

Wyatt had, apparently, physically assaulted another boy.

Maggie, his self-appointed attorney, argued Wyatt had done absolutely nothing wrong. Her brother, she claimed, merely reacted after the boy had been running away from someone else and bumped into him. The recess monitor saw it differently. Ed believed Wyatt and Maggie. Olivia did, too, but she was willing to hear the whole story. However, the whole story wasn't available. The school administrators, the dean of students explained, were still conducting their investigation.

"Investigation," Ed muttered sarcastically as they walked out of the school building, "What the hell kind of investigating do they need to do? It sounds like, at least, an accident. At worst, it was Wyatt who was assaulted." Maggie's vigorous defense played on a loop in his head.

"I swear, Dad," she had told him that morning, "Wyatt was just standing there minding his own business and that boy flew into him!"

Olivia reached for Ed's hand both to calm herself and him. "He wouldn't hurt anyone. Out of all the kids, he's the most gentle."

He was, though, bigger than the other boys. "I wanna see this other kid," Ed grumbled.

"They can't give us his name."

"Maggie can."

Despite the gravity of the situation, Olivia chuckled. "And here I thought your last partner was Draper."

Ed started to laugh, but he noticed the light poles surrounding the small park across from the school where the alleged assault took place. "They have street cams up there," he said, "I bet they caught it."

"You're going to request street cam footage?" Olivia asked incredulously and then wondered why she was so surprised. Of course she and Ed could pull some strings and get the footage. They still knew people. Then again, this was a sixth grade tussle. It was a little over the top.

"Yes," Ed replied adamantly, "I'm gonna make some calls." He pulled out his phone and smiled.

"What?" Olivia asked.

"Maggie," he replied, showing her the screen. "She wants to know how much trouble Wyatt's in because they would really like to go out for sushi for dinner."

"He's not in trouble, but I know sushi's not your favorite."

"We'll go to that place on Fifty-first and Ninth. They have a big menu." Ed typed a reply and grinned when Maggie sent a slew of random emojis in response. "You'd think they never go out to eat."

Olivia smiled, but her thoughts quickly drifted to their son who had been dejected, yet steadfast in his assertion he'd done nothing wrong. In Olivia's mind, there was no way Wyatt would intentionally hurt anyone. He still hugged his teachers every once in a while and would come home, embarrassed, because other kids made fun of him. If anything, she was irritated these adults had not stepped up to defend him.

"I hope Wyatt's okay," she murmured, "I hope he doesn't get railroaded."

Ed raised his eyebrows, for Olivia sounded more like a cop than she had in a while. He dropped her hand so he could put his arm around her as they walked up to the avenue for a taxi. "He's not gonna get railroaded, Liv," Ed assured her, "We're gonna get the cams."

"This school is going to think we're insane."

"We cannot be the most insane parents in the place," Ed insisted. "No way."

"We might be getting close. Top five at least."

"Nah," Ed kissed the side of her head the best he could, "Top ten."

…..

Sonny knew he needed a break. After the accident, which he blamed on an errant driver hitting his parked car, he took the following Monday and Tuesday off from work and did nothing more than sit around the house and play with Sofia while Brooke mostly studied and went to class. What she didn't do was question his slothfulness, and Sonny couldn't decide if he was grateful for that or not. He would probably press her for doing something so out of character, but, then again, Brooke had good instincts for this kind of thing. She probably sensed it wasn't time for her to pry. But, in a strange way, he wanted someone to pry. As Tuesday wound down and Brooke took Sofia to her weekly baby yoga lesson, Sonny found himself texting Ed. For some reason, he felt comforted by making contact with the one person who would be most furious at him for almost-infidelity.

Ed called or texted with Brooke and Sarah daily. He always made sure to at least say good morning or good night or send a hope your day is going well at some point, usually mid-morning after the twins were dropped off. The sons-in-law did not get the same treatment. But, when Sonny persisted in the text conversation, Ed knew something was up. He made it easy on him and asked if he wanted to grab a quick drink even though they did not exactly live close to one another, so there would be nothing quick about the whole thing.

They met at Hair of the Dog, a Lower East Side bar close to several subway lines, and, unlike many eating and drinking establishments in the area, very low key. The service, food, and ambience were all average, but Ed had always liked the place because, in a city that kept getting trendier and trendier, he felt comfortable walking in wearing jeans, a henley, and his trusty cargo parka.

Immediately, he noticed Sonny looked like shit. Most notably, he was unshaven, which was not only unusual but almost unprecedented. Ed couldn't remember the last time he'd seen Carisi so disheveled.

"Brooke finally leave ya?" Ed asked as he slid onto the stool next to his son-in-law. It still amused him that his daughter was married to Carisi. He remembered how the guy used to annoy him to no end and now here he was, part of the family.

Meanwhile, Carisi hoped Ed truly was joking, for he was still emitting IAB vibes. He managed a sound somewhere between a grunt and laugh and replied, "Nope. Not yet. You're still married too, right?"

"Yes, but I'm not the one who texted me on a Tuesday afternoon to meet for a drink."

Carisi ducked his head and smiled sheepishly. "Ah, well, I've just been drinking too much lately I think. And in a rut. I think I need a change."

"Another one?"

Ed's reaction confused Carisi. Ed had always been nonchalant about his daughter's life decisions yet seemed edgy about this particular, noncommittal comment. Carisi shrugged and took a painful sip of his beer. "I'm wondering if it would be better to go somewhere else…somewhere with a slower pace. I feel like I'm heading for a burnout. I worry about Sofia…she…" Sonny rubbed his face with his palms, "These past few days, I notice, she's…she's introverted…I don't know…I think, maybe, the suburbs would be a better place for her to grow up."

"Or Staten Island?"

"Maybe."

"What are ya not telling me?" Ed asked.

Sonny fidgeted. He looked around the bar as if he were searching for a familiar face to help him out. The idea he had wasn't new to him, but it popped up every once in a while and now, when he was at his most pitiful version of himself, seemed like a decent time to bring it up. "I, uh, Tucker, uh, Ed-"

"-out with it."

"Is there a plan for Caroline's house? You know…in the future?"

Sonny cringed. Ed sat back and regarded him with his best fatherly expression. Caroline was well into her eighties, so it was logical for the family to think about her passing. "I don't know," Ed answered honestly. For all the conversations he'd had with his mother, they had never talked about end-of-life plans. He assumed maybe John or Margie knew. After all, they were older. Nevertheless, he made a mental note to ask Olivia how best to bring this up.

"I mean…I guess…" Sonny stammered. "It would be…"

Ed put a reassuring hand on his shoulder. "I get it. I really do."

"You and Liv looking to maybe take the place?"

"It's not a damn summer cottage, Carisi," Ed sniped, then, seeing Sonny hang his head again, he continued in a more pleasant tone, "The truth is I really don't know. And Liv and I…it's not for us. Noah loves his school. We have the Delaware house. And I don't know my mom's plans. But," Ed shot Carisi his most sincere expression, "I get it. I think it would be perfect for you and Brooke and Sof."

"I don't think we could afford a house any other way," Sonny said, "Until Brooke maybe starts getting some clients."

"You're a good man, Carisi," Ed said. "I know Brooke's been kind of up and down in the past few years, but you've been the one constant good thing in her life. Hang in there."

Tears welled in Sonny's eyes.

Ed frowned. "Hey, come on. It's all gonna work out." He saw Carisi smirk through the tears and raised his eyebrows. "What?"

"It means a lot to hear that…good man…from you," Carisi explained. Inside, his stomach flip-flopped. What Ed perceived as a smirk was actually a wince. If Ed knew about the almost with Rollins, he certainly would have chosen other words. "Thanks," he croaked.

"Anytime."

…..

Usually Ed arrived first whenever he and Olivia met for drinks or for food, so Olivia found unexpected enjoyment in beating Ed to the cafe they'd agreed upon for lunch on this breezy early fall day. She watched him approach, striding quickly, eyes darting around, and when he spotted her he shot her the smile he reserved only for her.

"Hey," he said, greeting her with a kiss and an elbow squeeze-another subtle move Olivia had come to crave. "How'd the first day of preschool go?"

"Well," Olivia replied, "On the scale of the first shots, the first ER visit, and the first day at day care, I would say…somewhere in the middle."

"Talkin about you or him?" Ed asked, grinning.

"Me," Olivia admitted, "Noah was fine. Went right in, found his cubby, sat down on the rug…and waved goodbye."

"Aw, Liv," Ed took one of her hands, "I'm sorry."

Olivia smiled and looked into his eyes. "And he has no idea I'm in agony and he's…well, I don't know, fingerpainting or something." She sighed. "Strange how…I'm not a stay-at-home mom, he'd be at day care or with Lucy if he weren't at school, but, this feels so different."

"It's a milestone," Ed remarked.

"True."

"And you have a lot more to go-Kindergarten…college…" Ed teased.

Olivia groaned. She had not let go of his hand and concentrated on the feel of his fingers gripping hers. Ed was so good at being protective and even a tiny bit possessive without being overbearing, and she appreciated this quality perhaps most of all his attributes. "I wish you would've been there with us today," she said softly, almost hesitantly.

Ed knew how difficult the admission had been for her to utter, so he made sure not to overreact. "Next time," he said, "I'll be there next time."

"So…Kindergarten?"

"Yeah," he said, "Unless there's somethin' else comin' up I don't realize."

"I hope not…this whole watching your kid grow up thing is hard," Olivia said, "But, I'm learning, it's easier…with you here. So, yes, if you'll block off the Monday after Labor Day two years from now, that'd be great."

Ed smiled and kissed the top of her hand before looking into her eyes and saying, "Done."

…

When Ed returned home, the twins had already been bathed and were sitting in their beanbags paging through books and sipping an after dinner hot chocolate. The hot chocolates were a two-or-three times a week routine, but the rule was the kids had to drink them in the beanbags or at the table. The first thing Ed saw when he pushed through the doorway were their pajama-clad three-year-olds sipping their dessert drink and looking like they were actually reading the books. Noah was sitting at the table working on a drawing. Ed kissed the twins' heads and went over and sat across from Noah.

"Homework, bud?"

"Nah, jus' makin' a picture for my teacher."

"Oh? That's nice."

"Yeah, she hadta go home 'cause she was sick today."

"Uh-oh. Hope she's okay."

"Me too," Noah replied, "So we had Miss Bee come in and teach us but she's not as good."

Ed smiled and replied, "Yeah, the subs aren't usually as good as the real thing. I hope she's back tomorrow."

"Me too."

Olivia appeared from the back hallway. Shivers ran down Ed's back when he saw her face light up as if it were the first time they'd ever met and it was love at first sight. Ed tapped the table and said, "No, I'm gonna talk to Mommy in the kitchen, alright?"

"Kay."

Ed touched Olivia's waist and gave her a kiss before he took a seat at the island. Having already fed the kids, Olivia stirred a pot of spaghetti and turned on the oven to heat garlic bread for herself and Ed now that he was home. "Wine?" She asked.

"Sure," Ed replied. She quickly poured a glass and sat it in front of him but didn't let go until she got another kiss. "Thanks," he whispered.

"Thank you," she said with a wink. "So, how's Carisi?"

"Rough," he replied, "Feelin' sorry for himself for some reason. I think that Staten Island sideswipe was maybe something else."

"He told you that?"

"No, he said he was gettin' burned out which is understandable, but he was far too deep in self-loathing for that to be the only problem." Ed saw Olivia's eyes dart from side to side. It was an expression he remembered from their police days and it always indicated she was in the process of putting two and two together. "Whatcha thinkin?"

"I don't want to say it," Olivia said.

"C'mon."

"Is their marriage okay?" Olivia said, asking the hard question without actually asking it.

Ed's jowls puffed. Carisi had certainly had the dejectedly guilty appearance of a man who had cheated on his wife, but he couldn't believe the guy would have been so stupid as to invite his father in law for drinks to maybe confess and then of course chicken out. "Jesus Christ," he muttered, "So that's why he was crying."

"He cried?"

"Well, not really, tears, but, Carisi isn't exactly guarded with his emotions."

"Why did he tear up?"

"I told him he was a good man." Ed stared at Olivia, the cold sting of realization causing the color to initially drain from his face and then rage back in the form of red cheeks and icy eyes.

"I could be wrong," Olivia offered.

Ed raised his eyebrows and managed to be lighthearted given the possible circumstances, "How many times has that happened?" He asked.

"Not many," Olivia leaned forward and grinned. "How about we not worry about this tonight? I missed you this afternoon. Let's get the kids in bed and eat together, watch that channel that shows all the old reruns?"

"Yeah," Ed replied softly, "That sounds nice."

"DADADADA!" Maggie sprinted over with her empty mug and half-threw it on the island. "FY ME! FY MEEEEEE!"

"How 'bout I fly you and your brother to bed?"

"NO."

"Yes. Mommy and I need quiet time."

Maggie frowned. "Stay up lay't'niight! S'Friday!"

"It's Tuesday," Ed replied calmly. "So that means tomorrow is…?" Maggie looked confused so Ed started singing the days of the week song, "Sun-DAY Mon DAY Tues DAY-"

"WE'DAY!" Maggie shouted.

"Good job," Ed scooped her up in a bear hug, and he didn't see Olivia laughing softly, for witnessing Ed Tucker as Dad to toddlers would never get old.

….

#Tuckson