Thirty-Nine.

Olivia wrapped her hair in a towel and went straight for bed. Her hair would be a mess in the morning, but it was nothing a ponytail couldn't solve. Back on her regular side, she settled in next to Ed, closed her eyes, and smiled as he plastered his body to hers.

"Night, sweetheart," he whispered.

She could tell he was beyond tired. His words were slurred, he sounded drunk, and, had she turned to look at him, she would have seen his eyelids drooping.

"Mmm," she sighed, "I love you."

"Love you."

His arm was draped across her chest and he fell asleep gently stroking one of her breasts. This happened often, Ed hated to relinquish any hold on his wife, and he maintained contact with her as long as possible before he surrendered to sleep.

….

After they finished their late dinner, Sarah gave Justin the rundown of Brooke's angry rant. She presented the facts as Brooke as dictated them-Olivia suggested a trip and told Sonny (in uncertain words) that she believed their marriage needed to be "saved."

Never one to take family conflict lightly, Justin spent several minutes sorting through the story. He asked clarifying questions. He leaned forward, elbows on his knees, and furrowed his brow. Sarah started at him in amazement. Her solution was to tell Brooke to lighten up and to tell Olivia that Brooke was pissed and overreacting...Justin saw so many more nuances to the situation.

"Brooke's sensitive," Justin said. "She doesn't wanna be, but she is. And...I bet Olivia saying that, whatever she said, was totally innocent. So you have a well-meaning person and a person who's already a little tense, and a lotta times, that combination doesn't work out so well."

Frustrated there wasn't any one, quick, clear, fix, Sarah practically dove on Justin and covered herself with a throw blanket. "I one hundred percent do not believe Olivia told Sonny she thought their marriage was in trouble."

"I don't either."

"She probably said something like...it seems like you two need a getaway and Sonny took that and, and…boiled it down to our marriage is in trouble."

"Or maybe he feels that way and saw an opportunity to bring it up?"

Sarah kissed Justin's leg because it was convenient. "That is so Sonny," she said. "He's a good guy, but he's really...I dunno, he's really...he's a little off in relationships."

"Whaddya mean?"

"I mean...he's very rigid with Brooke. It's like, I think even Livvie would agree, he's best when he's at work and he wants the whole wife and kid thing but he's really not good at it. But he's good at doling out advice to others."

"But he seems like such a cool guy. At least, we get along."

"Of course you do! You're not his wife!"

Justin started laughing and kissed Sarah a few times. "I agree with you," he said, "I think Brooke's overreacting. Knowing Olivia, I think she really said whatever she said trying to be helpful. She's not like that. She doesn't get in people's business."

"I know!"

"So you're the point person on the deescalating of tensions?"

"Yeah," Sarah sighed, "It's my job apparently. I tried to call Livvie and my Dad, but neither one of them picked up, so you know what that means."

"Yep. They're ignoring you."

Sarah burst into laughter and playfully punched him in the stomach. "Yeah, that's exactly it."

….

Ed and Olivia left the bar with an unspoken understanding that he was going to walk her home. They strolled along for a block or so until an unexpected sheet of rain began mercilessly pelting the city. Ed ushered Olivia to a storefront awning and, noticing her shivers, offered his warmer coat.

"Here," he said, shrugging it off, "Gimme yours and take this."

Her first instinct was to object, but she had neither the time nor the words to object. She traded her damp trench for his parka. "Thank you." She took a deep breath, inhaling the cool crisp dampness of the night accompanied by Ed's masculine scent.

"You're welcome."

Olivia stepped closer. He dared to put an arm across her shoulders, sensing she wanted this type of contact. Olivia sidled up to him as if they'd been cuddling under awnings on rainy nights forever.

The rain was born of patchy clouds moving rapidly over the island and, ten minutes later, the downpour became a barely noticeable mist. They swapped jackets and proceeded the seven or so blocks to her street at a brisk pace, for the temperature had dropped at least five degrees.

"Good seein' ya tonight," Ed said.

"It was."

"Maybe, uh, if you're not busy this weekend-there's the winter festival downtown...if you and Noah wanna go...not much for him prolly, but we don't have to stay long."

"Let's plan on it."

He smiled. Olivia shivered. She had learned there was a distinct difference between Ed Tucker's smiles and his smirks. Smiles were serious. And he looked a little awkward, as if he weren't used to that particular expression.

"Well," she said, "Good night."

"Talk to you soon."

He kissed her on the lips, but expected a chaste peck. They weren't exactly in make-out stages yet, but Olivia held his elbows and returned a more passionate smooch. Afterwards, she shot him a wink and walked nonchalantly into her building. However, in the elevator, she struggled to catch her breath. Kissing Ed was becoming so easy, so natural, and she wanted more of him. Had the two of them dared to lay bare their feelings they would have discovered a mutual desire to keep learning anything and everything about one another.

…..

Olivia was at work the next day when she finally returned Sarah's call. She hadn't left a message and hadn't continued to call, so Olivia and Ed assumed the emergency, while urgent, was not a matter of life or death.

"Hey, Sare, sorry I didn't pick up last night. We were asleep."

"Uh-huh." Sarah twirled around in her office chair and propped her feet against the floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking Battery Park. She smiled at the Statue of Liberty. Of all symbols, she loved the statue the best. Each time she gazed at it, she got a little chill. She made a note on her Post-it stack to take Noah to Ellis Island on their next adventure.

"Everything okay?"

"Not really," Sarah said.

"Oh…"

"Well, for one thing, European markets are tanking the fuck out...but that'll rebound," Sarah paused for effect, "But another thing, perhaps more pressing, is that Brooke thinks you told Sonny, and I quote, their marriage is in trouble."

The words slapped Olivia in the face. "Why does she think that?" She asked, keeping her cool.

"Mostly because that's what Sonny said."

"Oh God."

"I know you didn't say it."

"I didn't," Olivia said calmly, trying not to sound defensive, "I told Carisi he should consider taking some vacation time while it's slow...and I think...I may have mentioned they haven't had the easiest year, but I certainly didn't tell him I thought their marriage was in trouble."

"I knew it. I told her those words didn't sound like something you'd say. At least not only to Sonny."

"Thanks."

"But do you?"

"Do I what?"

"Think their marriage is in trouble?"

Olivia paused. She trusted Sarah's confidence, but she felt weird about discussing Brooke with her, at least in this context. Nevertheless, she ran her theory by Sarah. "I sense she's unhappy," Olivia said. "And struggling. With a lot. And I think she's dealing with it all on her own. Which is fine...but she has a husband…"

"You know what is really wrong, Livvie?" Sarah dangled a heel on her big toe, "Brooke needs more of my personality and I need a teensy tiny bit of hers."

"Perhaps, but we are what we are."

"So now I have to tell Brooke you didn't say that and Sonny just...paraphrased wrong."

"He didn't completely make it up. There was an implied meaning. But he may have filled in the blanks with his own words...it's a lot easier to say your mother in law believes your marriage is in trouble rather than tell your wife you think you need to work on some things."

Sarah squeezed a pen cap between her teeth. "Does that actually happen?"

"Does what?"

"Do couples work on things?"

"Maybe they don't use those words but all couples have faults. All couples have to intentionally work on things."

"What do you and Daddy intentionally have to work on?"

"We're going to have to work on what life looks like and feels like when I retire."

"Are you scared?"

"A little. I don't know how I'll react. I don't know what to expect."

"No matter what, even if you have a hard time, Daddy will do anything to support you while you adjust."

"I know, which is why I'm only a little scared and nervous and not hopelessly terrified." Olivia returned to the subject at hand, "Let me talk to Brooke. This is between the two of us. There's all this uncertainty and anger out there and it needs to end before it gets worse."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes."

"Are you mad at Sonny?"

Olivia managed a sardonic chuckle. "Mad? No. Annoyed? Yes. But I'll worry about him later."

"Argh. The drama. Let me know if you need me for anything."

"I will."

"Oh! And, I want to take Noey to Ellis Island Wednesday if that's alright."

"Of course."

"Good luck, Livvie."

"Thanks."

After she ended the call, Olivia stared blankly around her office wondering just how much luck she was going to need to talk Brooke out of her anger.

…

Wearing personalized Minnie Mouse ears and a beige cowboy hat respectively, Maggie and Wyatt were easily tracked in the airport convenience store. Olivia parked herself at the register and watched with an amused expression as the six-year-old twins wandered around the store choosing snacks for the long flight home from California. They had eaten at In-N-Out Burger before returning the rental car, but Olivia wanted to make sure they had emergency food in case hunger struck in the next six hours.

Noah and Ed were across the concourse in a pub watching the Knicks in the NBA playoffs. They had been following the team closely and had tickets to the next game in New York, but the team had to win on this particular evening for the tickets to be worth anything. Olivia had been cheering for the Knicks, too, but neither she nor the twins were as absorbed in the drama of it all. Noah and Ed barely noticed when she ushered the twins to the store.

"Mommy!" Wyatt came over with an armful of chips, candy, and, on the healthier side, a granola bar and a banana. "We gotta have drinks, too, but I can't carry it all!"

"I'll get the drinks, sweetheart."

Olivia collected an assortment of water and soda from the cooler and joined the twins in line. Two people were ahead of them. A man clad in a sleek business suit quickly purchased a newspaper, and the woman in front of Olivia stepped to the counter and waved over a daughter of her own.

"Oh no," she snapped when she saw her child had a snack collection similar to Maggie's and Wyatt's. "One snack. One drink."

Apparently used to this type of restriction, the girl groaned, handed over the food of choice, and stalked back to return the other items. They left quickly, the twins piled everything on the counter, and Olivia swiped her credit card. She thought nothing of the mundane routine until Maggie, her mouth already full of gummy bears, remarked, "That girl's Mommy was mean," she said in a garbled voice.

"Yeah," Wyatt said, digging into his plastic bag, "She hadta put all dat stuff back!"

"Yeah!" Maggie huffed as if the other mother had committed the worst of sins.

Suddenly ashamed for spoiling her kids, Olivia murmured, "Maybe next time we'll have some limits…"

Wyatt looked up, his eyes partially blocked by the brim of the hat, and frowned.

Maggie added commentary, "You always get us what we want!"

Oh God, Olivia thought, what have we done?

Maggie and Wyatt skipped along a couple of steps ahead of her. Maggie's brown locks shot out from under the ears and she wore shorts with one of her new Disney t-shirts. The bright orange color wasn't either of her parents' favorite, but it looked good against her tanned skin. Wyatt's t-shirt had "Santa Monica" printed on the front and a retro-looking montage of palm trees and the pier on the back. The plastic shopping bags dangled from their wrists. Who wouldn't spoil those kids? They were adorable and sweet. Polite. Loving. They certainly did not behave like kids who got whatever they wanted, but Olivia had to admit, most of the time, Maggie was right.

"We're back, Daddy!" Maggie hugged Ed's legs and held her bag wide open. "Lookit!"

"Ooo-Twix. My favorite."

"I getted it for you."

Ed gently pinched one of Maggie's cheeks, "Thank you, Maggie May."

"I got you these, Daddy!" Wyatt held up a bag of barbeque potato chips. "And Noah...I buyed da banana chips! 'Member?"

Keeping one eye on the giant screen, Noah tapped Wyatt's hat. "Thanks, Wy!"

Fears quelled by her little ones' thoughtfulness, Olivia sidled up to Ed. He offered her his stool but she preferred to stand and rest her chin on his shoulder. The twins climbed on their own stools and leaned against the high top table. They mimicked Noah's reactions to the game and played with the plastic swords in their near-empty Shirley Temples.

"Mommy?" Wyatt asked. There was less than a minute left in the game and everyone was tense. "You gonna be happy if the Knickerbockers win?" Wyatt had seen the full name in a game program and the studious boy had used it ever since.

"Sure will," Olivia grinned at Wyatt while he slurped the rest of his drink and swiped a few of Maggie's gummy bears. "But even if they don't win, I'm the happiest mom in the whole airport."

Wyatt swiveled around and surveyed the people scurrying along the concourse. "Thatsa a lotta moms," he remarked, unwittingly making a joke.

The whole family shared a laugh and then a roar.

The clock ran out.

The Knicks...and the Tuckers...were going home with wins.

….

Smoothing things over with Brooke was neither taken lightly nor a process accomplished over the phone, so Olivia offered to come to Ft. Greene early the next morning for coffee. Initially, Brooke hesitated and even started to make up an excuse to decline, but she eventually agreed to meet at a diner near their apartment. When she saw Ed after work he gave her a kiss and assured her everything would be fine. Then, the five of them headed out for a stop in the park and dinner at the pub.

They found a flat stretch of path that was neither busy nor cracked. Ed unloaded the twins' three-wheeled scooters and Olivia fastened helmets on their heads. Noah had been riding his scooter all along and waited patiently for his siblings.

"Kay, babies, lessgo!"

Ed and Olivia trotted alongside Maggie and Wyatt as they propelled themselves forward. Maggie's mouth hung wide open when she wasn't shouting her big brother's name and Wyatt determinedly repeated "GOGOGO!" with each push.

Noah sped for the curb, the designated boundary, did a fancy spin stop, and triumphantly waited for the twins. When they arrived he lavished them with praise, "Good job! Really good job! You did it almost all by yourself!"

Maggie tried to jump up and down and Ed caught her before she toppled over. "Oops, careful baby girl. Jump on the ground, not on the scooter."

"Jump! Jump! Jump!" Maggie chanted.

Wyatt joined in and they jumped around until Noah announced it was time to cruise back toward the stroller. They repeated the loop for a while. Each time, Ed and Olivia gave the twins a little more independence, and, by the time Noah announced it was time to play wiffle ball, they were getting pretty good at piloting almost all by themselves.

On the grass, Olivia served as all-time pitcher. Ed helped the twins make contact with the ball, but Noah could whack it well over his mother's head. When this happened, Maggie and Wyatt sprinted to get the ball while Noah trotted around in a circle celebrating his home run.

"Bah, Mama! BAH!"

"Thank you, sweet twins. You're up, Wyatt."

"UP!"

"C'mon, bud," Ed waved him over and handed him the bat. Ed stood behind his two-year-old son and helped him swing. Wyatt's blue eyes lit up when he hit the ball. He copied Noah and ran in a circle. "Home run, big guy!" Ed shouted. "Great hit!"

"GRAYHIT!" Maggie sprinted to the ball and heaved it to Noah. "KICK!"

Noah giggled and chased after the errant toss, "No, Maggs, that's throw! Mommy! These babies are c'fused!"

"Sometimes that happens when you're little, sweet boy. Thank you for helping them."

Noah handed the ball back to Maggie. "Throw it to me 'gain, small sister."

Maggie complied. Noah was standing a little too close and couldn't react in time. The ball beaned him in the middle of the forehead. It wasn't a terribly hard throw, but it stunned Noah and he started to cry.

Olivia and Ed rushed to him and inspected his head. Other than the skin being slightly red, there was no sign of any injury.

"You're alright, bud," Ed said softly.

Olivia gently rubbed the top of Noah's head and kissed him. "Got a little jolt, there, sweet boy."

"Small sister!" Noah sniffled. "How'd ya learn ta throw like THAT?"

Wyatt and Maggie were both staring at their brother, shocked and disconcerted, for they rarely saw him upset. Olivia lifted Maggie and instructed her to give Noah a kiss though she stressed the throw hitting Noah was an accident.

"She's got an arm," Ed murmured proudly.

"When small sister has da ball you gotta get back!" Noah said. The smile returned to his face and he was ready to play again. "Maggs, you're up. I'm goin' wayyyy back here!" Noah trotted off several feet away, way farther than Maggie could hit it even with Ed's assistance. Wyatt joined him and Noah coached him into a ready position.

As Olivia started the pitch, she heard Noah say, "If it comes at your head I'll get it for ya, Wyatt. Don't worry."

Maggie and Ed hit a soft pop-up back to Olivia. She caught it, noticed Wyatt chasing her, and started jogging away. He screeched, caught up, and squealed again with Olivia dropped the ball, swung him around over her head, and promptly cried out in pain.

She put Wyatt down and gripped her arm.

Ed ran over, "What happened?"

"Tweaked something," Olivia said, grimacing, "Ugh…I..."

Ed leaned in and kissed her cheek while very gently rubbing her arm. "Thought it was over?"

"Yeah."

"How bout we wrap up the game and go eat? I'm getting hungry."

"I'm hungry, too, Mommy!

"HUNGY!

"We're goin' to da pub, babies!"

"PUH!"

Olivia smiled weakly and shook her arm. "How about one more at bat for everyone? I'm good for a few more pitches."

"Sure?"

"Yes." She kissed Ed's lips.

"Hey!" Noah snapped, "No kissin' on da field!"

Olivia grinned, "I'm gonna kiss you next sweet boy!"

Noah giggled and took off, daring his mother to give chase. "AHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

"I'm gonna getcha!"

"AHHHHHHHHHHH!"

…..

As soon as the third kid was confirmed asleep, Olivia summoned Ed to the bedroom via text and mauled him. She was ravenous, fueled and turned on by the perfection of their family evening. When they arrived at the pub it was still warm enough to sit on their small outdoor patio, and Noah led the twins in one of their favorite games, a toddler friendly game of iSpy. Noah would say a word such as dog and the twins were responsible for spotting one. When he directed them to find a taxi, there were so many, Maggie and Wyatt rattled off at least ten "tassis" before Noah collapsed into hysterics.

"I tricked 'em," he said breathlessly.

"Sure did, bud."

"They're learning so many words, Noah. This is a great game. Those twins are going to be so smart when they start school."

"And da teacher gonna say why are you so smart!"

"Yes," Olivia replied, "And we'll point to you."

"Mommy! I won't be there! I'll be in another class!"

"Oh," Olivia said, pretending to be embarrassed by the mistake, "That's right."

After burgers and fries came dessert and a walk home via the long way. Olivia and Ed held hands and listened to Noah chatter away with the twins. Olivia snuck peripheral glances of her husband pushing the trusty UppaBaby double stroller and grinned to herself. The twins would probably be in college before the sight of Ed pushing a stroller was considered something within the realm of normalcy.

Now at home, behind a locked master bedroom door, Olivia, showing no signs of the earlier pain, braced herself on Ed's biceps and rocked back and forth on top of him. When Ed felt her grip weaken slightly, he guided her face to his and they kissed, or, rather, kept their mouths together until they were both spent and Olivia's body was draped atop his, her body heaving with each breath, and her lips curled into a satisfied smile. Ed ran his fingers up and down her back and finally, needing to hold her and kiss her at the same time, rolled to the side, making sure her weight was on her good arm, and nibbled playfully at her lips.

"You're amazing."

"I love you so much. You are the perfect man."

The compliment made him want to do anything and everything to make her come again. He grinned naughtily and nudged her to her back while sliding down her body. "Every. Inch. Of. You. Is. Perfect."

Olivia gasped.

"And. There. Is. No. Man. Who. Loves. Any. One. More. Than. I. Love. You."

…..

Due to the breakfast date with Brooke, Olivia had to start her day earlier than usual the next morning. For someone who once struggled to get a couple consecutive hours' of sleep, she had turned into a serial snoozer. Wyatt and Maggie always woke first and one twin would rouse the other. Once awake, they could be counted on to occupy themselves in their cribs for a while. Their soft babbles transmitted through the baby monitor, and, when they decided their parents were taking too long to spring them, one would shout "MA! DA!" Usually, Ed took on weekday morning diaper changes and milk duty.

As the third alarm rang, Ed buried his face in her neck, sucking gently and smiling at her groan.

"Time to get up, Olivia Margaret."

"Mmmmmmmm."

Ed sucked a little harder.

"Ed!"

Laughing, he half-whispered, "That got ya up."

"Yes it did."

"Good bonus though…" He teased between her legs. They were both naked under the covers. "I love sleeping like this."

"Me too."

Olivia turned her head and caught a glimpse of the clock. "Okay, I have to get moving."

"Coffee?"

Knowing he would consider it an affront if she declined, she nodded, smiled, and kissed his waiting lips. "Thank you."

Keeping his eyes fixed on hers after their lips parted, he offered some words of encouragement. "Brooke's gonna be fine ya know."

"She will be...but I can't have this between us."

"I know...you're, God, Liv, you're...a great mother, friend, whatever we call that relationship...I think I woulda avoided talkin' to her for at least a month hopin' it would blow over."

Olivia kissed him again and sat up. "No you wouldn't. And you haven't. You and Sarah and you and Brooke have had to talk through some things. And you didn't wait."

"That's 'cause I wanted you to be proud of me."

Olivia grinned at the half-serious, half-silly comment. "You always make me smile when I don't think I want to."

Ed shrugged and shot her a cocky smirk. Seeing Olivia roll her eyes ever so slightly, he asked, "What?"

"If you keep looking at me like that I'll have no choice but to miss breakfast."

Ed's expression didn't change. Olivia tossed a pillow at him. He slowly lowered it. "I'm still here, Liv." She was already standing and leaned in for a last kiss before getting showered. "I'm always still gonna be here," he added.

"Good. I'll meet you here in about fourteen hours."

"You bet."

…..

#Tuckson