Sixty-three.

The game had three steps:

Run around the coffee table until gasping for breath.

Jump.

Count the phones.

"One! Two!"

Repeat.

"Good job, Noah," Ed praised the boy, and, for an added challenge, set his toy phone next to the others. "How 'bout now? How many?"

Run around table.

Jump.

Noah twisted his lips and studied the objects. Finally, shouted, "One, two, THREE!"

"Yes!" Ed held out his hand for a high five and Noah slapped his palm. The little boy, grinning from ear to ear, took another lap, counted the phones, and dove at Ed for another high five. Ed flipped him once then held him above his head. Noah spread his arms wide.

"I fly!" He shouted. "I fly!"

Olivia had been in the kitchen unwrapping their dinner-a premade chicken and rice casserole from a nearby market. She slid it in the oven and joined the jolly duo. She handed Ed a glass of wine and sat down with her legs tucked under her body. Noah was a bit hyper; Olivia assumed he hadn't had a very long nap at day care, but she merely grinned as he ran around. Once he was bored with the counting/cardio game, he picked up Ed's phone and pretended to take a picture.

"Click!" He said. "Click! Click!"

Ready to rescue the phone, Olivia leaned forward but Ed beat her to the punch. "C'mere, bud," he quickly enabled the camera, "Here, take some for real."

Noah cheerfully snapped photographs all around the living room and then took some of his mother and Ed. They posed and smiled. Later, they would laugh when they saw parts of their heads cut off in the images.

"Noah," Olivia said, motioning him over, "Come sit here. Let's take one of all of us." She took the phone and flipped it to selfie mode. Ed and Olivia tilted their heads toward Noah's and the three of them beamed into the camera. After that, Noah lost interest, wandered over to his toy box, and became engrossed in his fire truck and all its detachable parts. Olivia sipped her wine and remarked that they'd just hit another relationship milestone. "Our first selfie," she said.

Ed leaned in for a quick kiss. "I'll send it to you," he said.

"Thanks. To the other phone?" Olivia added. She and Ed were almost always communicating with their personal devices now.

He nodded. Having access to her "other" number still thrilled him even though he'd been using it for several months. Ed felt his face flush with excitement as he started to send the photo, but Olivia's hand on his wrist stopped him.

"How about another one?" She said, biting her lip. "Here, I'll do it." She put one arm across his shoulders, pressed her face to his, and held the phone in front of them with her other hand. "There, send me both."

Ed tapped the screen a couple of times and smirked at their selfie for a few extra seconds before he tossed the phone aside, "There ya go," he inhaled deeply, "Smells good."

"Oh," Olivia jumped to her feet, "I forgot about the food, hope it's not burning."

Ed followed her to the kitchen and peered over her shoulder when she opened the oven. The casserole was browned and bubbling but not anywhere near overdone. He grabbed a kitchen towel and placed the pan on the stove to cool.

"Thanks," she said, grinning and tugging on his belt loops.

"You're welcome."

After a few pecks on the lips, Ed glanced at Noah and dared to kiss her more deeply. She grinned as much as she could as he swirled his tongue around her mouth. "Somethin funny, Lieutenant?"

A placid expression tinged with a bit of awe supplanted Olivia's smile. She brushed his cheek with the backs of her fingers and replied, "I'm so glad you're here."

"Don't wanna be anywhere else."

"Hungry?"

"Yeah. I'll get the plates."

"I'll get Noah in the booster seat." Olivia patted Ed's stomach and went to grab her son. She loved how Ed preferred to eat at the table, all together, even if the meal was a simple store bought casserole, he didn't care. Being together at the table was important, he insisted. It symbolized everything he valued-structure, routine, a bit of formality...

And family.

…..

When Mia entered the classroom, the teacher greeted her warmly with a forgiving smile, and ushered her to her seat. The class was quiet. Noah leaned back so he could catch his friend's eye and offered her a grin and a shy wave. Later, when they broke into groups for station work, the two friends finally got a chance to chat. They chatted so boisterously that the teacher's aide immediately split them up and curtly marked check marks on the roster sheet next to each of their names. That afternoon, when Noah packed his "Take Home" folder and noticed the infraction, he immediately started crying. Ed and Olivia were shocked to see him, ruddy-faced and watery-eyed, when he met them in the hallway outside of the classroom.

"Bud, what's wrong?"

Too upset to say anything at first, Noah's chin trembled and he buried his face in Olivia's leg. She rubbed the back of his head and walked him a few steps away, around a corner, where they had a little more privacy. "Sweet boy," she said softly, crouching next to him, "What happened? You didn't have a good first day?"

Noah shook his head back and forth.

"Why not?"

With all the reluctance in the world, Noah let his backpack fall to the floor. He unzipped the large pocket and handed the folder to his mother. Gigantic tears rolled down his cheeks as he watched her examine the contents. Finally, he spoke.

"Two," he said as if the number tasted bad.

"Oh, honey…"

Ed joined them with the twins in tow. They'd left the stroller near the front entrance and let Maggie and Wyatt run around while they waited for the final bell. "What is it?" He asked, his jaw firm and rigid, for he sensed whatever had upset Noah was most likely not his son's fault.

"Math stations," Olivia reported, "He...got a two."

"What's a two and I thought they were sendin' him to a different class for math?"

"Not anymore, they give him different work in the classroom," Olivia said, addressing the easy question first, "A two...well, it looks-"

"-We get one, two, THREE points for each one," Noah interjected indignantly; he was now becoming more angry than sad, "An' I got, three, three, three," he jabbed the paper with an index finger, "But TWO here!"

"Why, bud?"

Noah shrugged and started crying again.

"Stay here," Ed said firmly, "I'll be right back."

"Ed."

"I'm just going to talk to her."

…

Over their dinner of pork tenderloin, mashed potatoes, and mixed vegetables, Ed and Olivia traded glances as the kids talked about everything from the disgusting growth on one of the lunch ladies' cheeks to whether or not it was worth it to try and go to the beach for the upcoming four-day fall break. They ultimately concluded it would be better to stay in the city, especially after Noah reminded the twins they always took a short road trip to the Hudson Valley to an apple orchard.

"CORN MAZE!" Maggie shouted with her mouth full of green beans. She poked Noah in the side, "We lost ya last time, No!"

"Yeah ya did," he mumbled.

When it came time to have serious discussions with their kids, Ed and Olivia tried to isolate whoever needed the conversation. If there was something going on with Noah, they took him aside. The same with Maggie and Wyatt. However, when the issue involved two of the three, Ed and Olivia were less likely to isolate. After the meeting with the second grade teacher, Ed and Olivia spent the better part of the afternoon debating how to handle the complaint. Ed was in favor of letting everything slide without mentioning one second of the conversation. Olivia disagreed, so they compromised and opted for a casual chat rather than a formal confrontation.

"We met with your teacher today," Olivia said in her sweetest voice. She was looking pointedly at the twins, so Noah immediately relaxed, not that he was ever in serious trouble. Maggie and Wyatt, however, dropped their jaws and their forks. Wyatt's eyes were huge and they darted back and forth between his mom and dad. A stranger would have gotten the impression that Ed's and Olivia's punishments were severe and unforgiving. Maggie peered expectantly at Olivia and sat back in her chair, ready to accept whatever reprimand was coming.

"She said you're both really smart," Olivia continued, "But we know that."

"I'm on level TEN!" Wyatt exclaimed, either referring to the math or English assessment system their school used.

"I'm on NINE but only b'cause I was SICK!" Maggie furrowed her brow and glared across the table at her parents, "And I was ABSENT on the day they did da last test!"

Ed decided to simply break the bad news, "Your teacher says you talk too much, Maggs."

Wyatt and Noah giggled. Maggie scrunched up her face and rolled her eyes. Olivia couldn't help but smile. Her indignant daughter's face was flushed and her brown hair was swept on top of her head in a messy ponytail. Even though she boasted gorgeous blue eyes, they were deeply set and seemed darker than they actually were. Olivia loved watching Maggie's mannerisms-she was so animated and transparent. Wyatt and Noah could hide their emotions if they tried; Maggie was incapable of such restraint. Sometimes, Olivia worried this trait would become problematic, but, so far, it had merely manifested as Maggie being perceived by others as a force to be reckoned with.

"She's worried you're not taking your work seriously," Olivia added.

Wyatt scrunched up his nose, "The work's easy. We get done really fast."

Noah nodded knowingly. He'd been down the same road.

"But, after you're done," Ed mumbled quietly. Even the kids could pick up on his reluctance to have this conversation, "What are you supposed to do?"

"Go to the choice board," Maggie groaned.

"Your teacher," Olivia countered, "Said sometimes you don't finish quickly, that you talk and then finish at the last minute."

At this, Maggie vehemently objected, and she zeroed in on one particular assignment, "We had one, two, three problems!"

Ed chuckled because Maggie had adopted Noah's habit of counting steps instead of simply saying the total number. Olivia wanted to nudge him, but it would have been too obvious and she needed them to maintain a united front.

Maggie continued, "And then! Then! They were easy! So I did 'em in my head 'cause I didn't wanna do the choice board to I kept 'em in here," she slapped her forehead, "And was gonna put 'em on the paper later!"

Ed threw his hands up. He stood, kissed Maggie on the head, and went to the kitchen for the bottle of wine he and Olivia were sharing. Olivia tried to make a face at him, for he was no help, but she couldn't wipe the smile from her face.

Realizing she was on her own in this discipline venture, she tried another angle, "Sweet girl-"

Ed chuckled. "Sweet girl" wasn't exactly the most authoritative start to a reprimand.

Olivia shot him a glare out of the corner of her eye. It was quick, so only Ed noticed and he sat back and fell in line after that. She began again, "Maggie, you have to follow the teacher's rules, and you have to do your work...when you're supposed to do it. School is for learning first, then being with friends, and your friends may not understand things as easily as you do-"

"-I arready read chapter books! They do baby books! Still Noon Balloon! That's baby!"

Olivia nodded. Even she had to admit that particular title wasn't exactly on Maggie's or Wyatt's level; however, she also acknowledged that she and Ed had spent more time with the twins as they grew up than most parents of second graders, and much of that time had been spent teaching them the alphabet, how to count, and other basic skills so that when they entered Kindergarten they were far ahead of many of their peers, even the kids who had attended elite preschools.

"I like Noon Balloon," Wyatt murmured. Indeed, the story was one of his favorite titles and had been since he was a toddler.

"But it's easy, Wyatt!"

"Yeah…"

"Anyway," Ed interjected, "New plan, Maggs. Do the work and the choice board. No more keepin' the answers in your head 'til the last minute. If you need some harder work we can arrange that after school. Me and you. Right here."

Maggie took a bite and eyed him while she debated whether or not he was serious. Ed maintained a businesslike expression, and Maggie gave up her protest. "Okay," she sighed. "I'll do da work when I'm 'posed to." Unwilling to concede everything, she added, "But I'm gonna do just ONE thing on the choice board!"

"Well, just don't bother your friends if they're still working on the assignment."

Maggie groaned but then brightened. "I'll bother Wyatt!"

Wyatt looked up from his food and frowned, but, as he considered being bothered by his sister, he shrugged. "She always bothers me," he said, "I'm used to it."

Maggie leaned over and hugged Wyatt's head.

"Ahhhhhhh!"

"Alright, alright," Ed said, "Finish your dinner."

"We have dessert?" Noah asked.

"We might have some ice cream."

"Sprinkles?" Maggie asked hopefully.

"We do have sprinkles."

"Syrup?"

"That too."

…

It didn't take long for Olivia to completely calm down Noah and he was soon running around with the twins. Curious about what was taking Ed so long, she peeked around the corner. The classroom door was open, but she couldn't hear anything. Ed wouldn't launch himself into a tirade, but she wished she could hear something. He was most intimidating when he was his quiet, brooding self, and she was worried he would set a negative tone for the rest of the school year.

"Where Dada?"

Wyatt ran past her in search of his Daddy. Olivia caught up with him as Ed was leaving the room. Olivia scooped Wyatt into her arms and looked at Ed expectantly. He jerked his head toward the entrance and signaled they'd talk once they were out of the building. They steered their brood to another set of doors so they didn't have to walk past the classroom. The route took them past the school's large conference room and a group composed of parents and administrators were filing out. A few faces were vaguely familiar and Ed and Olivia nodded hellos; one person, though, caught Noah's attention.

"G!" He pointed at Sarah's neighbor who appeared stunned to hear her nickname called out in such a staid environment. "Mommy! Daddy! Babies! It's G!"

Once she realized the source of the voice, G smiled and strode over to the Tuckers. It took the twins a few seconds to place her, probably because she was attired in a dress and light sweater rather than the casual clothing she wore to babysit. Also, it had been awhile since they'd seen each other.

"Hi there!" Olivia opened her arms and gave G a quick yet firm hug, "How are you?"

"Great," G replied. "I didn't know this was your school!"

"Yep!" Noah said, "Dis my school!" He slapped the embroidered insignia on his chest, "See! I have da uniform!"

"I see that," G replied. "You look very professional."

Noah grinned proudly.

"Whatcha doin here?" Ed asked.

"Ed!"

"I didn't mean it that way," he said sheepishly.

"I know," G said, "I was a few seconds away from asking the same thing. Weird, huh? Anyway, I'm consulting for this year's fundraisers. Most schools have their own teams that run everything. Not this one."

"They don't?" Ed screwed up his face. He seemed to remember writing several checks made out to the school in the past year and assumed all the events and planning had been done in house.

"No," G replied, "Not the major fundraising. They have people to run things like graduation and holiday things, but...not the events that bring in the big bucks."

Olivia wondered why neither she nor Ed knew the school contracted out in this way, but, then again, they didn't pay as much attention to the fine print as they probably should have. "Wow," she said, "That must be a high stress job."

"Oh it is, but, when it's all over, it's satisfying."

"So where's our money goin' first?" Ed quipped.

"Art auction."

"Like, the kids' art?"

"Not exactly."

"I don't remember an art auction last year," Olivia said with her brow furrowed. She wondered how she could have been so completely oblivious to the school's first function.

"You didn't have one," G said, "Which is why they called us in. "Your endowment's huge, but most other independent schools bring in way more revenue from donations during the year than this one. That's why they hired my team."

Noah stepped up and squinted, "You have a good team, G?"

"Yes I do."

"I can be your 'sistant! I was Sare Bear's 'sistant, but now she's the boss and has lotsa 'em!"

"Sounds like you have experience then," G expertly humored the first grader, "I'll make sure I keep you in the loop."

"Yep! I have 'sperience!" Excited, Noah turned around in circles, "Loop, loop, loop!"

Olivia laughed and relaxed, relieved it had not taken her son long to bounce back from the disappointment of the low "two" rating. The twins were getting bored. They ran around and were getting rowdier and rowdier with every minute of small talk.

"We better head out," Ed grabbed Maggie as she ran by, "You wanna join us for ice cream?"

"No thanks," G said, "We're not quite done here, but...you have fun. Noah, I'll let you know when I need your help."

"Kay!"

…..

Ed finished brushing his teeth and splashed water on his face. He grabbed a hand towel, dried off, and rehung the towel on the rack. A pang of guilt stabbed him in the gut as he glanced at the towel, darkened in the places where it was wet. He wandered into the bedroom. Olivia was already under the covers, glasses on, looking at her phone.

"Whatcha doin?" He asked sweetly as he crawled in next to her.

"I can't stop looking at the pictures from tonight," she said, showing him their selfie. "I don't know why...it's like...I feel like a teenager again."

Ed removed her glasses and kissed her cheek. "That can be a good thing."

She turned to face him and kissed him on the lips. "It is." Pulling away for a moment, she noticed the consternation on his face, "What's wrong?"

"I used your towel."

Confused, Olivia scrunched up her face and waited for more information.

"I, uh, I guess I don't know quite yet what...what bugs you and what doesn't."

"What do you mean?"

Ed explained what had happened-teeth brushing, mouthwash, water on face, and the use of the hand towel. "After I did it, I didn't know...if that would bother ya or not."

"It doesn't."

He draped his arm around her and held her close. When he spoke, Olivia felt his lips against her cheek and she tilted her head backwards, wanting more of the sensation. "Don't wanna piss you off." He was only half-joking.

"Toothpaste on the towel would be annoying."

"Agree." Ed kissed her again, "What else annoys ya?"

"About you? Do I limit this search to the past year or all time?"

Ed laughed. "Past year."

"Honestly, Ed, nothing."

"Nothing?"

"Nothing." She puckered her lips for another kiss. "What about you? What annoys you about me?"

"You want the one-hundred percent transparent truth?"

"Yes."

Ed closed his eyes and went for it. "Other than I want to be with you more, nothing."

The room filled with silence as she let the admission sink in. Olivia flipped positions so she was completely facing him. Ed's face was apologetic, but no less sincere. She could tell he desperately wanted to be with her; she could sense his passion and his sincerity, and it almost made her burst into tears. "Ed-"

"-Liv, I know you're job is so important. To you. To the vics. To the city. I. Know. That. But these past few months, the past year actually, all of it, it's...there's somethin' big here, Olivia. I know it. I can feel it. And," he puffed out his chest a bit, "Those instincts have never failed me. Ever. So...I had to say it. Even if it's not possible. I want you to know it's there. Those feelings are there, Olivia Benson."

She smiled and traced his cheekbones. "I feel them, too," she said, "But you're right…" She trailed off but realized Ed was waiting for her to continue, "I'm...trying," she said, "To make it all work. First there was Noah, then you," she let out a sarcastic chuckle, "Thirty years in this and I have everything figured out except how to be a mom and a…."

"...and the woman Ed Tucker's crazy about?"

"Yeah."

"Let's not worry about all that right now," he suggested.

"What else should we worry about?"

"Nothing." Ed kissed her passionately. He felt her respond. She shifted to her back and dragged him on top of her. He propped himself on his forearms and she slid her hands under his t-shirt. "Absolutely nothing," he whispered as he started kissing her neck. "Nothing but right now." Olivia gasped and moaned but didn't form any words. Ed lifted his head. "You okay?"

She managed to wriggle out of her tank top and toss it aside. "Make love to me, Ed," she gasped, "I want you."

Ed continued moving down her body. "Whenever you want me Liv, whenever you need me...I'm here."

She gasped again.

"Tell me you know that."

"I know."

…

Breathless and exhausted, Ed and Olivia cuddled together under a single sheet and basked in the familiar contentment of their afterglow. The moonlight drifted in through the window and they had a perfect view of the clear night sky.

Feeling philosophical, Ed murmured, "I think I was put on this Earth to love you."

"If there were stars out there," Olivia said, playing along, "I would thank them."

"You don't need to thank anyone. I do."

"I thought we agreed a while ago we were mutually grateful?"

Ed kissed the side of her head. "Yeah, we did. I just love you so much, Liv. I love our kids so much."

"It is a little miraculous, though."

"And that makes it that much more special."

"Yes it does." Even though Ed was still not breathing normally and she could feel some soreness setting in, Olivia scratched his belly, a signal she was not yet done for the night, "So...you never told me...what exactly you said to the teacher today."

Ed chuckled haughtily. He had already relayed to her the story-Mia and Noah were talking too much during the station and were told to split up. "I told her they were friends from preschool and hadn't seen each other all summer...and also that the assistant needs to maybe have more patience. Especially on the first day. She said the lady was trying to set a tone. I said it's first grade. We agreed to disagree."

"And you came away with a new chart."

"Damn right," Ed said of the second behavior chart the teacher printed for him, complete with 3's for Noah.

Olivia draped her body on top of his. "I love you."

"I love you." Ed glanced at the clock. "You wanna nightcap?"

"Bourbon?"

"It is the first day of school…"

Olivia laughed. "Well, then, cheers Captain."

Ed reached for his nightstand drawer and produced the bottle. "If I woulda known first days of school could be this good, I woulda had a better attitude."

"Now's what counts, sir," Olivia retorted, "And I think you have great attitude."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah," She replied, "Now...c'mere."

…..

#Tuckson