Sixty-nine.

Ed woke up with a rancid taste in his mouth and a crick in his neck from falling asleep at an awkward angle and not moving until this particular moment. He was sweaty, his shirt was damp, and when he moved it felt like his skin was being stretched well past its limits. Either because of his breath or because of the heat radiating from his body, Olivia had distanced herself from him during the night and was sleeping closer to the edge of the mattress than usual. Stifling a groan, Ed gingerly extricated himself from the covers and shuffled to the bathroom where, after closing the door and flipping on the lights, he laughed at his appearance. His entire face, except for where his sunglasses had been, was bright red as were his arms from the middle of his biceps down. A small triangle of his chest below his throat was the same color. He looked absurdly incapable of taking care of himself. Olivia had made him eat and drink water, so, other than the stale, thick saliva caught in his throat, he felt fine. Two rounds of tooth brushing, gargling, and a shirt change later, he returned to bed.

"Feel better?" Olivia mumbled.

"Oh, yeah," Ed replied, startled at hearing her voice. "Didn't mean to wake you." He rolled over, winced at the sunburn pain, and added, "Do I smell better?"

"Huh?"

"My mouth tasted like a dumpster."

"I didn't notice. You were so hot, though. How's the burn?"

"Can't feel it at all."

"Liar."

"Yes," he kissed her shoulder, "I'm lying but only 'cause I didn't want that to be a reason for no sex."

Olivia was groggy, exhausted from the long day, the heat, the late night wrangling the three kids mostly by herself, but Ed's voice and his lips on her shoulder induced the familiar chills that began at the nape of her neck and shot up and down her body. He was irresistible, especially since she figured he also wanted to make up for coming home in less than perfect shape.

"I'll be gentle," she quipped seductively, turning to him, and initiating a passionate kiss. Wary of his scorched face, she wasn't sure where to put her hands.

"Touch me, Liv," he said breathlessly.

"I don't want to hurt you."

"You're not gonna hurt me."

Olivia slid her hands under his shirt and gently tugged it off. She ran her hands all over his chest, and, noticing he wasn't moving his arms much, went ahead and slid his boxers from his body. Bracing herself on his shoulders rather than his biceps, she leaned down, kissed him again, and rocked her hips into his. When he finally reached for her, he hooked a finger inside her waistband.

"Off," he rasped. Ed could prolong actual intercourse for a long time when he was in charge of foreplay; however, when Olivia was in control, Ed possessed very little restraint. The sight of her-gorgeous face, hair falling across her face and onto his skin, her hands and lips making patterns across his body-it rendered him both speechless and aroused in a way he'd experienced only with her. She shimmied out of her own shorts and straddled him again, curling her knees upwards. He stroked her calves as she moved on top of him.

"God, Liv, I love you. You feel so good, baby," He moved his hands to her thighs. He could feel her muscles flexing and he cried out, moaning and groaning, trying but failing to form words. It was too fast; he knew there was no way, even though her face was contorting with pleasure, she was anywhere close to being satisfied. He sat up, tangled his fingers in her hair, kissed her, and got the leverage he needed to switch positions.

Anticipating what he had in store for her, Olivia gasped, "Oh God" seconds before Ed began swirling his tongue between her legs. She threw her head back against the pillows and concentrated on breathing normally until Ed had coaxed her into a writhing orgasm. He slithered up to her and pressed her forehead to hers.

"I needed you to come first," he whispered.

Olivia clutched the back of his head and kissed him ferociously. She raised her hips to his and grinned as she murmured, "Your turn."

Ed smirked. "I love you so fucking much."

…..

The Tuckers' late lunch and subsequent walk down Michigan Avenue put them back at the hotel mid-evening. Nobody was hungry, so Noah and Olivia cleared themselves a workspace in the room and Ed took Wyatt and Maggie to the pool. It was located on a high floor and boasted views similar to those from their room-the city's skyscrapers juxtaposed with the vast expanse of Lake Michigan.

Maggie and Wyatt wasted no time toeing off their flip-flops and emptying their bag of pool toys onto the tile floor. They had a set of mini torpedos, dive rings, a small football, and a regular, tennis-sized ball that bounced on the water's surface if one threw it properly. Wyatt tossed the rings into the pool and jumped in. Maggie followed him. Ed wondered how he could possibly hear his daughter's giggles when she was underwater. But he heard them. He loved his kids' laughter almost as much as he loved Olivia's.

The Tucker family members never failed to create competitions in any circumstance, and soon Ed was throwing the torpedoes and timing Maggie and Wyatt as they took turns retrieving them. When the seven-year-olds were winded, they took a brief break for a drink of water and jumped back in, this time with the football.

"Hey, how 'bout you two stand on the side and jump in and try to catch it when I throw it?" Ed suggested.

"Okay!"

"Yes!" Maggie exclaimed. "One point for a catch."

"And FIVE points for an acrobat catch!" Wyatt added.

"Yep! Good idea, Wyatt!"

"What makes it an acrobat catch?" Ed asked.

"If you go like this," Wyatt got a running start, jumped, turned 180 degrees, and hit the water.

"Or," Maggie got her own running start, "Like this!" She bent her knees and landed cannonball style. "Actually," she said as she surfaced, "Daddy, you get ta choose, kay?"

"Alright, but let's start with a couple practice rounds."

"Kay."

Wyatt and Maggie lined up poolside and Ed wished he had a waterproof camera. Lanky Maggie, clad in the plain red one-piece bathing suit she used for swimming class, was hunched over, hands on her knees, staring straight ahead with wide, focused eyes. She'd finger-combed her hair straight back and tightened her goggles. This fun pool game might as well have been the Olympics as far as she was concerned. Wyatt, as always, was more casual. He rocked back and forth from his heels to his tiptoes. Ed saw the muscles in his calves relax and contract and was surprised they were so defined. Compared to his peers, Wyatt was big, not pudgy or overweight, but definitely more solid and less scrawny than the other second graders. Ed liked to tease Olivia that, in his day, nobody would mess with a kid looking like Wyatt. Olivia would counter with an incontrovertible truth-Wyatt was the most gentle, sweetest child on the planet. He was more likely to hug someone than fight them. Nevertheless, he, like Maggie and Noah, liked to be good at things. They liked to win. And hotel pool football trick catches were no exception.

"Okay, Daddy, I'm ready," Wyatt said. He yanked on the strings of his black swimming trunks and took a deep breath. He launched himself into the water and easily caught the ball Ed had lofted at his midsection.

"Good, Wyatt!" Maggie cheered.

"Easy one," he said, swimming to the shallow water and handing the ball off to his Dad.

Maggie, too, caught her initial toss. Ed started challenging them, throwing the ball in different directions, higher, lower, in a direction opposite of where gravity was taking them. The three of them became so absorbed in the game that they ignored everyone else. The pool area wasn't crowded at first but soon other families arrived and Ed told Maggie and Wyatt it was time to play something else.

"We gotta give other people some room," he explained.

Maggie audibly groaned. "Fine."

Ed shuddered to think of the sass he and Olivia were in for during their daughter's teenage years. "Why don't ya take the ball, or the other stuff and go make some friends?"

Maggie and Wyatt treaded water and sized up the other kids. A few were younger, toddlers really, but most were close to their age-mostly second, third, or fourth graders. The twins dove to get their rings and torpedoes and waded across the pool with the toys. Ed got out of the pool and by the time he was relaxing on a lounge chair, the twins and the other kids were tossing around the bouncy ball and deciding on rules for another made-up game. Ed realized there was a menu on the table next to him and picked it up.

"Huh," he grunted to himself. "Room service at the pool…" He dialed the extension and ordered a beer for himself and Shirley Temples for the twins.

"Daddy, WATCH THIS!" Maggie shouted.

"I'm watchin, Maggie May!"

Maggie wound up and heaved the ball. It skipped at least eight times across the water before it came to rest and other kid picked it up.

"I get TEN!" Maggie called over to Ed, "Cause no one could catch it!"

"Good job, baby girl."

"Now it's Wyatt's turn! He's really good, too!"

"Got some fun drinks comin for ya," Ed called over to them. A few other parents gave him the side eye-either because their own children had asked to get poolside service or because the sentence was too adult for their liking. Either way, Ed didn't care. Maggie grinned, blew him an appreciative kiss, and let out a loud whoop when Wyatt's throw ended up being uncatchable.

…..

Noah's school celebrated Grandparents Day at the end of September rather than at the beginning of the month when back-to-school kinks were still being worked out. Noah's day began in his first-grade classroom where the students wrote notes and drew pictures for their guests. In the event an older relative was not able to attend, each student was allowed an "honored friend," so a few younger men and women were peppered in among the gray-haired set. Ed and Olivia dropped Caroline off a few minutes early and walked her to the multipurpose room. They found her place card, created by Noah the previous week, and stood off to the side, waiting for the children to enter.

"Eddie, I'm fine, you can go," Caroline said with a wave of her hand.

Ed and Olivia struggled to keep the restless twins close, so they reluctantly agreed to leave. They reminded her to take pictures and that they'd be back at the end of the day. The program included lunch and a tour of the school. By the end of the tour, it would be almost time for dismissal.

The children arrived soon after Ed and Olivia left and kicked off the program with a rendition of Bruno Mars' Count on Me followed by Louis Armstrong's What a Wonderful World. Noah easily found Caroline and she greeted him with a hug and a kiss.

"My gosh, Noah, those songs were wonderful!" She gushed, "You must know those are my two favorite songs!"

"I didn't pick 'em, Gramma!" Noah said, "Da teacher did!"

"Well, I like that teacher."

"Didja see da card I made?"

Caroline nodded at the place card. Noah had carefully printed her name in pencil and outlined it in blue and green strokes. "Well," Noah said excitedly, "I made ya ANOTHER ONE!" He produced the second card with a flourish and bounced up and down excitedly as she read it.

Dear Gramma Caroline,

Thank you for coming to school today! I hope you love school because I love you!

Love,

Noah

Below his name he had drawn a shamrock.

"Thank you so much, dearie," Caroline mussed his hair and took her seat after Noah pulled it out for her. "I will keep this card forever and ever. And you did such a nice job with the blue and green and the Shamrocks. It's beautiful, Noah."

"You see I used three leaves?" Noah jabbed his finger at the card, "Cause you say da four leaf is blarney!"

Caroline let out a loud, guttural laugh, "I see, and I also see you listen very well to your Grandma."

"Yep!" Noah folded his napkin in his lap and thanked the person next to him for passing the rolls. The luncheon was formal and the rolls were followed by a pasta salad and then a choice of baked chicken or fish for the adults and chicken tenders or shrimp for the kids. He gave the basket to Caroline and said, "Gramma, I wanna go to Ireland with you. Like when you went with Daddy? It should jus' be me an' you!"

"You think your Mommy and Daddy will let us?" Caroline asked conspiratorially.

Noah twisted his lips, "Well...probably they'll let us 'cause Mommy and those babies love hearin' da Irish book and we could get a new Irish book when we're over dere!"

"Good thinking, young man."

"Gramma, you gonna get chicken or fish?" Noah asked, holding up the small rectangular menu.

"Fish."

"Me too," Noah replied, "Wish they had Shepherd's Pie."

"You think it would be as good as mine?"

"Nope! No way!"

…

The way Ed interacted with his mother was close to what Olivia had expected. They unrelentingly sassed one another, pretended to be at odds even when they agreed, and often exchanged the same smirk. When Noah met Caroline for the first time, Ed made sure she hadn't smoked in the house for a week and made her promise not to light up while they were there. She assured him she would abstain from the cigarettes and added that she was going to be busy in the kitchen anyway and wouldn't have much time to think about a smoke.

Upon arriving, Noah clung to Olivia, but as soon as Caroline offered him a cookie, the two of them were instant friends. Ed looked apologetically at Olivia, but she shrugged and reminded Ed that he ought to have known by then that she wasn't exactly a stickler when it came to rules such as no dessert before dinner. Caroline sat Noah on the kitchen counter while she made several loaves of soda bread; she rattled off all the people expecting a loaf for the holidays, among them her neighbors, her priest, and her very best friend who was now confined to an "old folks home." Noah listened intently and with interest as he chewed his cookie and sipped chocolate milk. There wasn't much room in Caroline's galley kitchen, so Ed and Olivia parked themselves on the couch in the living room.

Ed put his arm around Olivia's shoulders and kissed her cheek. "Hot in here," he murmured, "Want me to open a window?"

"No! It's forty degrees outside."

"Just for a minute?"

"No," Olivia repeated, "I like it. I mean, I may have to take my sweater off and eat dinner in a tank top, but, I like it."

"That's really fine with me," Ed retorted with his most serious expression.

Olivia gave him a shove. "I also like it because...it's such a home. The pictures, those knitted throw blankets, the lamps...there's such a history here. It's comforting."

"She's lived here thirty years. Moved from the city to the 'country' three decades ago."

"Olivia?" Caroline called from the kitchen, "Is Noah allergic to nuts?"

"No."

"Okay! Kids these days are allergic to everything, my Eddie…" The rest of Caroline's words were inaudible and they heard Noah giggle at whatever she said next.

Olivia placed a hand on the side of Ed's face, "Her Eddie what?"

"She's probably telling him how I told everyone I was allergic to potatoes when I was in grade school."

"Potatoes? Seriously?"

"Was tryin' to be difficult," Ed replied with a smirk.

"You? Difficult? No way."

"I've heard it's possible." Ed leaned in for a kiss, met her lips with his partially open, and slowly pulled away. "I'm so glad you and Noah are here."

"I have to admit," Olivia said softly, "It still seems a little strange, surreal, doing things like this, together, but, Ed, every time...there's something new, we get more and more personal, I want more of it."

Ed lifted his chin and twirled a lock of her hair. "I do too. That's why tonight's so important. I want you and Noah in this part of my life." Olivia smiled, but it was one of her smiles that harbored some reservation-she was happy but unsure, content yet confused. Ed recognized this and held her hands as he continued, "Don't be nervous," he said softly with an emergent smirk, "Be...intrigued...by all the secrets my mom's gonna spew tonight."

Sure enough, Olivia broke into soft laughter. "Sold," she said.

He kissed her hands. "Good...just promise me you won't hold any of what's up next against me?"

"Not at all," Olivia retorted with a sly grin, "I can't wait to hear stories about little Eddie."

Ed cupped her face and kissed her again. "You're the first girl I ever kissed on this couch," he said with a boyish grin. "Prolly the only girl I'll ever kiss on this couch."

Olivia put her hand over his, took a deep breath, and replied, "I sure hope so."

…

The school tour ended in each child's classroom, and once Caroline had inspected each area she asked Noah if he was ready to go.

"You takin' me home?" He asked with squinted eyes. Ed and Olivia always told him how he was getting home before dropping him off each morning and Noah had not been informed of this plan.

"Your Mom's here!" Caroline said, "Look, She's over there."

Sure enough, Ed was in the doorway, looking uncharacteristically impatient. She waved them over. "It's pouring rain and there's more and worse on the way. Caroline, you're gonna come back to our place for a little bit. Ed'll take ya back when it passes."

They gathered Noah's backpack and jacket and hurried to the exit.

"Where's Eddie?" Caroline asked.

"He had to circle the block," Olivia said, "There are a lot of people picking up Grandmas!" She hugged Noah to her side, "Did you have fun today, sweet boy?"

"Yes!" Noah was more concerned with the sky, "It's DARK!"

"Yeah, honey, we're going to hurry home."

"Thunder! Hey! G!"

Caroline screwed up her face, "Noah, what in the world are you talking about?"

"It's G! Dat's Sare Bear's neighbor and she works at da school sometimes!" GEEEE!" Noah waved his arms in the air. G had apparently left the school through a side entrance and was walking along the sidewalk under the umbrella of a man Olivia didn't recognize. She heard Noah call out her nickname and her eyes darted around. When she spotted him, she smiled and waved. Olivia waved, too, and noticed there was also a sense of relief in G's smile. She also caught a glimpse of their SUV rounding the corner. Olivia opened the umbrella and ushered Caroline and Noah to the car. On the way, they crossed G and the unfamiliar man. Noah said a quick hello, but the rain was now coming down in violent sheets.

"C'mon," Ed called out to them, "Get in. Gonna be a tight squeeze, but let's go. It's gettin' bad."

He ran around the car and helped Caroline into the front seat. Olivia squeezed in the back and Noah climbed into her lap. There was just enough room between the twins' car seats for an adult and a little person. Ed had removed Noah's booster. He closed the doors, but before running back to the driver's side, he noticed Sarah's neighbor. She had her own umbrella out now and seemed to be unsuccessfully trying to end the conversation with whoever she was talking to.

"Hey," Ed said, approaching them. "G, you need a ride?"

"No," she said, "I, uh-"

"I got it," the man said.

"Why don't ya come with us?" Ed said, grabbing her elbow and warily eyeing the man, "We'll get ya home."

The question came out as more of a demand. G nodded and followed Ed to the car. She mumbled a thank you, but she was sure he didn't hear it. Olivia, seeing what had been transpiring, shifted Noah to the read of the truck, implored Ed to be careful, and pressed herself as close to Wyatt's car seat as possible. "C'mon," she motion G inside, "There's room."

A bit bewildered, G climbed into the car without protest but, as Ed pulled out into traffic, suggested they drop her at the train. "Columbus Circle or even Lincoln Center's fine," she said, "I can get something from there."

"G, there's a HUGE STORM coming! Da subways not good. You come home with us! Mommy say we're gonna make some lef'overs and wade it out."

"Wait it out, sweet boy," Olivia corrected, turning to G. "The trains have to be a mess. We'll drop you wherever you want, but we're only a few blocks from home...if you want to join us for whatever we can scrape up from the fridge...we definitely have wine."

The rain pelted the windows so hard it was impossible to see exactly where they were. "Sure," G said, "Thanks, though, I don't want to bother you. I'll get out of there as soon as it clears up."

"We want you to be safe," Olivia said, "And it's not a bother."

"I'm sure I can make something edible with what they have," Caroline said from the front seat, "So don't let the lack of a good food offer deter ya!"

G laughed, "You're right...I really don't want to get out in this. Thanks...I'll make it up to you somehow. Babysitting?"

"Absolutely," Ed said, "Let us know your available October dates."

"Will do."

"No," Olivia interjected, "There will be no making it up to us-"

"CAH SEAT!" Maggie shouted jubilantly, clearly to get G's attention. She tugged on her harness and repeated, "CAH SEAT! CAH SEAT, GEEEE!"

Noah giggled from the back, "She wants ya to get her out, G!"

"Sorry Maggie," G said. She managed to extricate an arm and reach over to tap Maggie's nose, "Stay in that seat until we park."

Ed double parked the car outside of their building a few minutes later. Olivia and G unbuckled the twins and plotted their sprint to the doors. "I think," Olivia said, "Let's the two of us get out, you grab Maggie, I'll get Wyatt, and we'll make a run for it. Noah? You want to come with us or park with Daddy?"

"PARK!"

"Okay. Caroline?"

"I may just sit here until it blows over."

"Ma, it's not blowin' over in a few minutes!" Ed snapped. "Look! It's pitch black and comin' this way."

"Even so…"

"Ma, get outta the goddamn car," Ed snapped through gnashed teeth. Traffic was building behind him, a parking spot was going to be hard to come by, and he and Noah were sure to get drenched.

"GAHDAMN!"

G was knocked into Maggie as Olivia whipped around in the enclosed space. "Wyatt!" Olivia said, her eyes wide and shocked. But nobody heard her. Wyatt repeated the phrase and everyone, Maggie included, erupted into raucous laughter.

"That baby," Caroline said through tears, "Looks innocent enough but he's something else!" She turned and grinned at her chubby-cheeked, blue-eyed grandson who was kicking his feet and having the time of his life strapped in his seat as the rain engulfed the SUV. "Wyatt Edward, you have the vocabulary of a sailor!"

"Maybe if we didn't laugh every time he repeats one of us…" Olivia murmured.

"We'll work on that," Ed replied, winking at his wife in the rear view mirror. "Now, can we please get a move on, here?"

"Yessir."

G and Olivia shoved open the back doors, each grabbed a twin, and sprinted through the ankle deep water. Caroline slogged behind them, muttering curse words nobody could hear. They gathered themselves under the overhang and the doorman ushered them in. "Gonna wait for Ed?" He asked, obviously having witnessed everything.

Olivia assessed her babies-both Wyatt's and Maggie's hair was matted to their heads. They looked like Olivia had just rinsed shampoo from their hair in the bathtub. Normally she would wait for her husband, but she would be forgiven. "No," she said, "We'll head up and dry off."

In the elevator the three women caught their collective breath. Maggie and Wyatt, a bit bewildered by the weather, clung to G and Olivia. Caroline was already thinking about food and drink. "Does Eddie have my gin?" She asked. "If not I can text him to stop for some."

Olivia guffawed thinking of how Ed would react to such a request. "We have it," she said. "Tonic too. G? What do you like to drink?"

"Gin's good," she said.

Caroline patted her head, "No wonder my grandbabies love you."

Outside, Ed circled the block and finally found a spot a couple of blocks away. Ed turned around and looked at Noah. He rested his chin on the seatback and waited, wide-eyed, for instructions as the downpour intensified.

"Bud, pass me the umbrella that's back there."

Noah looked around. "No umbrella, Daddy."

"What about down on the floor? Under the car seats?"

After a few seconds, Noah replied, "Nope."

"Damn."

Noah raised his eyebrows. "We could take da subway," he suggested.

"Well bud, I think we have a farther walk to the subway than we have to home."

"Den we gotta run," Noah concluded with a great degree of resignation in his voice.

Ed and Noah jogged and splashed their way down the sidewalk, doing their best to duck under awnings; nevertheless, they were completely drenched by the time they reached their building and when they walked into the apartment foyer their shoes squeaked against the tile.

Wyatt was the first to reach them. "Dada! No! Baff!"

Ed grinned at his youngest son, "Sure looks like we had a bath, doesn't it, Wy?"

Olivia rounded the corner and broke into soft, almost apologetic laughter. "You two," she held out her arms, "Come on, let's get you changed." Olivia stripped Noah down to his underwear and carried him in a bear hug to his room. Ed grinned sheepishly at G and his mother, strode to the bedroom, and swapped his wet clothing for a fresh pair of jeans and a t-shirt. As soon as everyone reconvened around the kitchen island, the doorbell rang. It was Sarah looking no worse for wear. She dropped her pink umbrella outside the door and sauntered into the kitchen where she promptly began uncorking a bottle of wine she produced from her purse.

"Don't take this the wrong way," Ed said, "But why are you here?"

Caroline guffawed. Olivia rolled her eyes and turned to grab wine glasses.

"G told me you'd rescued her," Sarah said, pretending to be offended, "And Noah texted me and said you were having a storm party...so...here I am."

"No party without da Sare Bear!" Noah chimed in from the floor where he was starting a Lego construction. "Let's have a parrrtyyyy…" he sang as he worked.

"But don't you worry," Sarah said, "A few drinks, storm will pass, and I'm taking G to meet Justin and," she paused for dramatic effect, "His friend from school."

This was news to G. She raised her eyebrows, "What am I doing?"

"Justin is taking this new professor guy someone for drinks tonight and I'm going and I said I'll bring you since, well, why not?" Sarah's big blue eyes were formed in almost perfect circles. Her offer gushed with sincerity. "And if he sucks then at least we can hang out and Justin can deal with the dude."

"Ohhh kay…" G replied slowly, "But I really need to go home and change."

"No problem," Sarah said. "Now, who's up for a game? Gram? Gin rummy?"

"Sure dearie," Caroline said, "You know I can't say no to anything with gin."

Olivia saw Ed roll his eyes. She patted his back pockets and they shared a kiss before joining everyone else at the table. Seeing the desire in Ed's eyes, she winked and mouthed, "Later."

He blushed and went to find the cards.

….

#Tuckson