Seventy-seven.

Sarah prided herself on her patience, but she arrived at her wits' end when Maggie and Wyatt incessantly peppered her with "Where's Mama?" and "Where's Dada?" questions. The toddler interrogation began Sunday morning after their phone call to Olivia and Ed and continued throughout the afternoon. When Brooke and Sofia arrived for dinner, Sarah greeted them with a frown.

"Welcome to the house of complainers," she grumbled.

Brooke handed Sofia off to Sarah and kicked off her topsiders. "What's going on?"

"The twins miss their parents. Maybe they always missed them when they were away, but now they can talk about it and it's really hurting my feelings."

"Oh, come on."

"The struggle is real."

"They're two," Brooke remarked dismissively, "I wouldn't take it personally."

"Well, I am." Sarah hugged Sofia to her chest then gave her eskimo kisses until she giggled. Sofia gently smacked Sarah's face and played with her necklace, but when she spotted the other kids playing in the living room she whined until Sarah put her down.

"Whatcha playing?" Brooke asked the older kids. She played with Noah's hair and grinned at the twins.

"We're buildin' a neighborhood," Noah replied. "There's Maggs' house and that's Wyatt's and dis one's mine!" He pointed proudly to the largest of the Playmobil houses and added, "But those babies have a tree house and I don't."

"That's nice of you to let them have it," Brooke said.

"Sof! You need a house!" Noah rummaged through the large plastic bin. Unable to find a regular house he offered Sofia an alternative. "Dis is da pet hotel, but it can be your house, kay?"

"It looks just like a house," Brooke said encouragingly, "It has three rooms!"

"Yep! But no bathroom but we'll put it next to my house," he erupted into laughter. "Da family's gonna have to go outside to go potty!"

Sarah summoned Brooke to the kitchen and handed her a glass of her favorite seltzer. In a low voice she asked if Brooke had been watching the news. The day after Ed and Olivia left for Miami, news of a missing mother of three was broadcast across the city. By all accounts, she'd simply vanished into thin air after a spinning class. The next day, another woman disappeared under similar circumstances.

"Of course I have," Brooke said, "And Sonny hasn't been home since it happened."

"So did they go voluntarily or not?" Sarah asked, "Because I feel like the police and news people are trying not to freak out the public but by not freaking us out they're not giving us information to protect ourselves. Surely they're related."

"Two different neighborhoods…"

"So what? It's not exactly hard to get from SoHo to Murray Hill. Although those crosstown commutes are nightmares…"

"Son told me there's no hard evidence they're related...or not. I can't believe there's no video. He said the first one left Equinox, turned a corner, and...nothing. The other one, same thing but she was coming out of her therapist's office of all places."

"Hmmm...coming out of places where you're...not exactly clear-headed."

"Good point."

Sarah leaned forward on her elbows. Strands of blonde hair fell across her face but she didn't bother swatting them away, "You think they've thought of that?"

Brooke gave Sarah a patronizing grin, "I think so."

"Well, Sonny didn't demand you stay in, so it must not be that dangerous," Sarah surmised, "But I'm sure Livvie might be freaking out and texting any minute."

Raising her eyebrows, Brooke studied her sister's face to determine whether or not she was serious.

"What?" Sarah asked.

"Do you really think Olivia and Dad are keeping track of the news?"

The familiar, devilish grin crossed Sarah's face, "Well I'll be damned, Brookey," she said, careful not to speak too loudly, "I think I've finally started rubbing off on you."

….

Ed and Olivia had commandeered a corner of the hotel pool that overlooked the ocean and was partially shaded by two royal palm trees. In two days in Miami Beach they had become regulars, and Ed merely had to make eye contact with one of the servers in order to receive another round of drinks. He and Olivia began the afternoon with pina coladas, but, judging them good but a little too sweet, switched to bourbon-based cocktails. Ed was secretly happy this particular resort wasn't family-friendly, for he knew Olivia would miss the kids even more if there were masses of children playing in the pool. The absence of kids, however, did not cause her to let her guard down when it came to skin care.

Olivia hoisted herself from the underwater bench onto the concrete and reached for her bag.

"Whaddya doin?" Ed asked.

"Your shoulders are getting red," she held up the bottle of sunscreen, "Come here."

"Sure."

Olivia smiled as she lathered the coconut-scented cream onto Ed's skin. She pushed her oversized sunglasses onto her forehead so she had the clearest view. "There you go," she snapped the lid closed, tossed the bottle aside, and kissed his cheek. "All set."

"Thank you." He turned and kissed her on the lips. When the sunglasses became dangerously wedged between them he quickly pulled away. "Sorry...don't wanna break those."

"Especially since they're my last pair," Olivia adjusted the shades and rolled her eyes. "I can't believe I lost my good ones!"

"I'm positive they were on the table last night. We'll check back with the restaurant later. Maybe they turned up."

"Or someone swiped them."

"Or that."

"Well, I'm in sunglass jail," Olivia said, "Those were expensive. Cheap ones for...a year."

"A whole year?"

"Yes."

Ed leaned in and kissed behind her ear, "I'll getcha another nice pair." He noticed her jaw twitch, "What's wrong?"

"Do you think," she sat with one leg tucked under her body so she could face Ed, "We spend too much money?"

Ed put a hand on her thigh, and replied, "No."

Expressing her disapproval with the flippant answer, Olivia pressed her lips in a straight line, and Ed changed his tone.

"We're good, Liv. We have money."

"But we...don't think twice about spending it. And we have three kids to put through college."

"We have their college accounts," Ed pointed out. He wasn't being glib. The money Sarah insisted on paying him as compensation for the funds "wasted" on her first wedding had gone into a fund for Noah. When the twins were born they set up separate accounts for Maggie and Wyatt and set up monthly contributions. Sure, they'd splurged on the Delaware beach house after Ed sold his Hell's Kitchen apartment, but they both had pensions, Roth IRAs, and hefty savings accounts. Between Sarah's graduation and meeting Olivia, Ed had worked so often he never had the opportunity to spend much money. Even after Olivia adopted Noah, she wasn't exactly living paycheck to paycheck.

Acknowledging his point, Olivia nodded, but she didn't look convinced. Ed put a hand on the side of her face and kissed her again, this time on the lips. He lingered there for a few seconds. "We'll dial it back a little bit," he said reassuringly.

"I just don't want to be irresponsible," Olivia murmured.

"We're not," he replied, "But, I get it. We'll tighten up."

"Okay." She broke into a tentative smile. "Sorry...conversation got a little heavy for paradise."

"I like any conversation with you, my dear." Ed leaned in for another kiss and threw Olivia off balance. They half-crashed into the pool, held onto each other, and laughed with their faces an inch or so apart. "You okay?" Ed gallantly asked even though it was clear Olivia was uninjured.

"Absolutely," she replied, "Good thing we didn't have the drinks."

Ed glanced at the plastic tumblers, "Drinks are safe."

And so am I, Olivia thought as Ed swayed her around in the shallow water. So am I.

…

The approach of Father's Day exacerbated the agony Olivia experienced in the weeks following Mike Dodds' death. Mother's Day was difficult too, but Olivia didn't have to live with day-to-day interaction with Mike's mother. Chief Dodds was a constant presence in her professional life, and she dreaded seeing him as the June Sunday drew closer and closer. The only respite she had was when she was in the presence of Noah and Ed. Her son's smile and his innocence always conjured feelings of happiness and optimism, and Ed seemed to have a sixth sense about how to love and care for her in the midst of a crisis. He provided welcome distractions-most notably the trip to Paris-but also patiently comforted her when she was brooding and despondent. Lately, Olivia was experiencing the added pressure of feeling inadequate in the sense that she knew she wasn't carrying her part of the emotional load in the relationship. More alarming was that she was also becoming suspicious of Ed. Why was he still there? What did he get out of it?

Deep down, she knew these questions were unmerited and frivolous, but that realization only compounded the guilt. Why was she trying to create a rift with Ed when he had made it abundantly clear, in words and actions, that he was committed to her and to Noah?

The day before Father's Day began before dawn when Noah woke up fifteen minutes earlier than his usual six a.m. Ed didn't stir when Olivia slid out of bed and gently closed the bedroom door behind her. Noah greeted her with a cheerful "Hi Mommy!" and wrapped his arms around her neck. "Where Ed?" He asked.

"Ed's sleeping," Olivia replied in a whisper, "You're up so early, sweet boy."

"C'toons an' milk?"

"Yes," Olivia kissed his cheeks, "Then what? We have the whole day!"

"Spash pad!"

"Sure, we can go to the splash pad." Olivia put Noah down, turned on the television, and went to pour his milk.

Noah had other ideas. Instead of curling up on the couch with his blanket, he giggled and made a beeline for Olivia's bedroom. He expertly opened the door and heaved himself on the bed, wedging one foot between the mattress and boxspring for a boost. Olivia arrived in time to see Noah belly-flop onto Ed's back and bellow, "Wayup! WAYUP horsie!" He grabbed the neck of Ed's white t-shirt and used it as his reins.

After taking a deep, nasally breath, Ed's eyes fluttered open and his lips curled into a smile. "I think there's someone on my back, Liv," he said in his extra-gravelly morning voice.

"I think there is, too," Olivia cooed.

Before Ed could inquire further, Noah let himself fall forward so his cheek touched Ed's face. "It ME!"

"Oh!" Ed managed to flip over without throwing Noah off the bed. "It's my bud! Mornin' pal!" Ed lifted him in the air and Noah held out his arms to fly. Ed swayed him from side to side and then did a few bench press-style lifts.

"C'mon! Spash pad, Ed!"

"We're goin' to the splash pad?"

Noah nodded vigorously.

"Well I better get movin' then."

"MOOOOOVE!"

"Noah," Olivia picked up her son, "Let's let Ed at least have some coffee first. And you have your milk."

"Bet Mommy needs her coffee, too," Ed added with a smirk.

"Yes she does."

Ed hopped out of bed and kissed Olivia on the cheek. "I'll be right out," he whispered in her ear and grinned when he felt her shiver.

"Okay," she whispered back, making no attempt to temper her joy.

While Ed made his pit stop in the bathroom, Olivia resettled Noah in the living room and poured two mugs of coffee. She stared into the steam, took a deep breath, and surrendered herself to the overwhelming sense of peace filling the apartment. Ed came up behind her, slid his arms around her waist, and spoke into her neck.

"Morning."

"Good morning."

She replied in a tone decidedly more cheerful than the one she'd been using in the past few days. Ed held her more tightly and kissed the other side of her face. "I gotta run home before the splash pad. Hot out there. Need some shorts."

"You have plenty of time," Olivia replied but secretly she was thrilled. All of a sudden she knew how to make things up to Ed even though the whole concept that she somehow owed him anything was completely her creation and existed only in her head. While he was away, she'd hurry and take Noah out to buy a card. On the way she'd see if her toddler had any ideas for a last minute gift. A card would certainly be a special gesture; a present would be icing on the cake.

"Yeah," he said, "Coffee and cartoons first."

"And the newspaper?"

Ed grinned. He preferred the print copy of the New York Times but Olivia only subscribed to the electronic version. "Mind if I use your iPad?" He asked.

"On the table," Olivia gave him a little shove. "I'm right behind you."

…

After their swim and cocktails, Ed and Olivia wandered back to their room and Ed promptly removed Olivia's flowy yellow cover-up and damp bathing suit. Paying no mind to the heap of wet garments on the floor, Ed and Olivia fell onto the bed and made love in their frisky, playful, alone-in-a-beachside-hotel-room style.

"Do you always want to scream like that?" Olivia asked as she shot Ed a teasing grin and kissed along his collarbone even though she had just begun to catch her breath. Ed's skin was sticky, salty, and streaked with remnants of chlorine and sunscreen, but Olivia didn't care. He was incredibly sexy in this moment-flushed from sex and suntanned at the same time.

"Yes," he answered breathlessly but found the energy to lift his head and whisper in her ear, "But I like to hear you more."

"I'm still tingling," she said, knowing it would cause him to smirk proudly.

"Good," he threaded his fingers through her hair and scratched her head. She kept kissing him and he closed his eyes so he could focus solely on the sensation of her lips traversing his chest.

"I love you so much, Ed."

"Mmmmm," he droned, "I love you, Liv."

Olivia heard his stomach growl and realized they hadn't eaten anything substantial since last night. Most of the calories consumed that day had been of the liquid variety. She smiled and looked up at his face. "How about we get cleaned up and get some food, Captain Tucker?"

"Yes. Same place?"

Olivia laughed. Ed quickly developed an affinity for the rustic seaside seafood shack they discovered on their first night. The combination of live music, fresh, generous portions, oceanfront views, and proximity to the hotel couldn't be beat. Olivia was also certain he intended to do everything he could to locate the misplaced or stolen Tom Ford sunglasses.

"Same place," she said, pressing her lips to his. "C'mon. Shower then we'll call the kids before we leave."

"Oh yeah, the kids."

…..

Clad in orange-and-blue Mets gear, Wyatt stood out among his siblings who were both sporting crisp, white Yankees jerseys. Maggie and Noah had inherited their father's love for the Yankees, but Wyatt had always preferred the Mets. His reasoning was simple-they had the same colors as his beloved "Knickerbockers," so, in his mind, rooting for the Mets was a no-brainer.

"You're gonna get heckled," Maggie warned.

Wyatt shrugged.

"Probably not too bad," Noah tugged on a fitted ball cap, "It's Yankees-Mets so there'll be a lot of his people there."

Maggie giggled, "His people! Like they're all aliens!" Her smile quickly turned into a frown, "Do you think this is dumb? It's giving away the surprise."

She was referring to their baseball attire and the tickets they'd purchased for Ed for Father's Day. The two teams were playing in the Bronx later that afternoon and the three kids were giddy with anticipation. They couldn't wait to see their Dad's expression when he opened the card. The twelve-year-old twins and teenage Noah had pooled their money and, with a small contribution from Olivia, bought seats right behind the Yankees' dugout.

"Not dumb," Wyatt said, "We're goin' to the pub for lunch first. He'll think we're wearing this stuff because the game's on."

Noah nodded in agreement.

"Uggghhhh!" Maggie groaned, "Where are they? I'm SO hungry and they've been gone forever."

"They walk five miles," Wyatt said, "That's an hour and a half."

"I dunno how they walk so long," Maggie said, "When I went I was tired after two miles. Or maybe I was bored."

"Bored," Noah said.

"They just talk, talk, talk."

There were very few times when Noah, Maggie, and Wyatt sensed they weren't exactly welcome around their parents, but their parents' weekend morning walks definitely qualified as parents-only time. Ed and Olivia usually left before the kids were out of bed, stopped for coffee, and, if the weather was warm, enjoyed their drinks on a park bench while watching the city slowly come to life. Once in a while the kids went along, but Ed and Olivia walked fast and seemed to operate in their own little private bubble.

"Where's the card?" Wyatt asked. His blue eyes were wide and worried. Maggie had been the last to sign last night and he didn't completely trust the card and gift in his sister's possession. Wyatt kept his hair longer than Noah and the ends of his light brown locks curled around his ears and above his eyebrows like they'd done when he was a toddler. While he waited for Maggie's response, his Olivia-esque jaw locked in place and he stared intently at his twin.

"On my desk," Maggie darted into her room and returned with the powder blue envelope. She gave it to Wyatt and rolled her eyes, "It's fiiiiine! Not bent. Not wet." She nudged her brother and shot him a signature Maggie grin. There was a hint of an apology in the smile, for she knew both Wyatt and Noah got annoyed with her penchant for forgetting to use drink coasters.

"Hide it," Noah muttered when he heard the key in the door.

Maggie shoved the card into her crossbody tote. "Look normal," she said through clenched teeth.

Looking normal on demand was tough, especially since the trio was standing in between the foyer and the living room-a place in the apartment used to get to or from the front door or Maggie's room. Nobody ever simply hung out there, so the three of them dashed to the island.

"You three are all ready," Olivia remarked when she rounded the corner. She winked, acknowledging their secret, and smiled sweetly.

"We're starving!"

Ed wiped his face with a paper towel. "We'll hurry," he murmured and headed for the master suite.

"Everything all set?" Olivia asked in a hushed voice.

"Yep!"

"Where's the card?"

"Shoved in Maggie's purse," Wyatt muttered.

"Mine's in the drawer over there," Olivia gestured to the credenza, "Will you get it and put it with yours?"

"Got it," Noah replied.

"Alright," Olivia said, "Pub and the game."

"Dad's gonna be so excited!" Maggie jumped up and down.

"He will be sweet girl," Olivia kissed the side of Maggie's head.

"I'm SO hungry Mom!" Maggie whined.

"I know. Fifteen minutes. Then we'll go. Sit tight." Olivia heard the water stream through the pipes and went to join Ed. She wondered if the kids knew or paid attention to their routine of showering together. At times like this it was the most expeditious way for them to get ready, so she assumed, if they noticed, they would...maybe...appreciate them saving time? And water? Olivia chuckled. Would she ever stop second guessing her parenting?

Maggie, Wyatt, and Noah were accustomed to their parents exchanging affection with one another, but they weren't focused on the shower while they waited. Maggie peered at the envelope Olivia asked her to pack and asked if it was sealed.

Noah checked the flap. "Yes it is."

"I wanna see what she wrote."

"That's private!" Wyatt said.

"Dad's gonna prolly put it on the shelf anyway!"

"He should read it first," Noah said. "And it's not open."

"For Mother's Day he wrote her a love letter," Maggie said. Exuberance oozed from her face. "Have you ever written a loooooove letter, Noah?"

"Nope."

"Have you Wyatt?"

Wyatt's cheeks turned red. "Uh-uh."

"Well, when you're ready, Daddy'll show you how."

…..

Ed ordered his part of the meal without reading the menu. He and Olivia typically shared their dishes and tonight was no exception. After their shrimp cocktail and oysters, crab legs and bacon-wrapped scallops would follow. Olivia took a sip of sangria and plucked one of the liquor-soaked cherries. After eating it she tossed the stem aside.

"Can you tie that in a knot in your mouth?" Ed asked.

"What?"

He repeated the question.

"I've never heard of such a thing."

Truly shocked, Ed let his jaw drop. "Seriously?"

"Seriously."

"Give it to me."

Olivia handed over the stem and watched, amused, as Ed worked it around in his mouth. It took a minute, but he triumphantly produced the tightly tied stem.

"Very impressive," Olivia grinned and patted his hand, "And very...middle school?"

"Hey, whatever keeps us young."

Olivia bit her lip and raised an eyebrow, "I feel pretty young."

"Do ya now, Lieutenant?"

"I do." They traded a few kisses before being interrupted by the arrival of the small plates and another round of drinks. Ed handed Olivia a plate and waited for her to serve herself before taking his portions. Satisfied with the entire evening, he sat back, chewed a bite, and smiled.

The one drawback to the restaurant was that it catered to sports fans and boasted several flat screens mounted above the bar. Two of the screens were tuned to national cable news and Ed did a double take when he saw the headline from New York. "Damn," he muttered.

"What?" Olivia followed his gaze and immediately concentrated on reading the closed captioning. She finally mumbled an agony-filled, "Oh God."

"Girls didn't mention it when we called earlier. Probably on purpose."

"I need to call Sonny," Olivia stared to reach into her bag but reconsidered without removing her phone. "Don't you think," she leaned forward over her plate, "If he really thought Sarah and Brooke were at risk...if they thought they were...they would have said something?"

"I'm sure they would have," Ed reached for her hand and kept one eye on the screen. "And with all this heat? They're safe, Liv." A pit formed in Ed's stomach and he selfishly worried that this would signal an early end to their mini-vacation. He could brush off things like this, but he hadn't been at SVU for over twenty years. Olivia, at times, had trouble remembering SVU crimes didn't mean her family was destined for the same tragedy.

"I'm just...I'm going to call Sarah." Olivia resolutely set her jaw while she waited for her to answer. "I'll feel better if I talk to her and Brooke about this."

Ed nodded.

During the call, Olivia's facial muscles gradually relaxed. By the time she hung up, she was actually smiling. "Brooke said Sonny told her they have leads...flooding those neighborhoods. Brooke's going to stay with Sarah tonight until Justin gets home and then Sonny's going to take Brooke and Sofia back." She inhaled and exhaled slowly. "Everything's okay. Under control."

"Sounds like it."

"Excuse me sir?"

The interruption came courtesy of a man dressed in a navy suit, attire far more formal than the floral button-down shirts and khaki shorts worn by the waitstaff. Eyebrows raised, Ed looked up at him and waited for more information. The man introduced himself as the manager and held out a familiar sunglasses case. "I'm sorry it took so long for us to reconnect you with these," he said, "They were locked in the night manager's office and she arrived a few minutes ago."

"Thank you," Olivia said so quickly she was afraid she'd interrupted the man's explanation. It didn't matter, though, for her extravagant eyewear had fortuitously ended up back in her hands.

The manager smiled, nodded, and wove his way back through the restaurant.

"The waiter must have turned them in," she said, "Now I feel bad for thinking he or someone else may have taken them."

Ed shrugged. "Logical explanation."

"I guess we left a little too quickly…" Olivia checked the contents of the case, closed it, and dropped it into her bag. The sun was setting and the glasses wouldn't be needed until tomorrow morning.

"Good call puttin' 'em in there," Ed quipped, "We may need to make a quick exit again tonight."

Olivia grinned, "It is our last night here."

"We can't go back to the room until I get a dance with my beautiful wife, though."

Olivia held up her glass, "Cheers to that plan, Captain. I love how you're always thinking ahead."

They clinked glasses and kissed, but Ed merely gazed into her eyes. He didn't talk for an awkwardly long time.

"Ed? Are you not speaking anymore tonight?"

"Bear with me, baby, I'm strategizing for after we dance."

"Strategizing huh?"

Ed smirked and cocked his head. "Olivia Margaret, you're blushing."

"I know."

…

#Tuckson