Ninety-two.

By everyone's assessment, Thanksgiving had been a success. It was one of the larger parties Caroline had ever hosted. Almost all of her grandchildren were in attendance and they brought a smattering of spouses, significant others, and great-grandchildren. Noah held court as the oldest kid there and spent most of the night chasing or being chased. When Caroline wondered aloud whether or not he would want to get into his pajamas and listen to her sing lullabies, Noah readily went for his bag and plucked out his sleepwear. Unlike Maggie and Wyatt, he did not stir when Ed carefully shoved his arms in his coat sleeves and carried him to the car.

Two years earlier, Ed and Olivia began the tradition of putting up their Christmas tree Thanksgiving night while the kids were sleeping. In the morning, they would wake to find the gigantic faux evergreen in the living room, screech with delight, and run to unwrap the ornaments. It was like a preview of Christmas morning.

Ed had already taken the boxes out of storage and hidden them in their bedroom, so he and Olivia got right to work. While he constructed the tree's spine, Olivia poured spiced bourbon-a treat they saved for the winter months-and sorted the branches. Each year they debated buying a real tree, but deferred to the fake one because of the lack of mess. Even so, Olivia fantasized about watching Ed one day cut down a tree in the middle of the forest and tie it to the roof of their car. If they ever spent Christmas at the beach house, she would suggest such an outing.

It took the two of them and a step stool to secure the final section. Afterwards, they took a few steps back and stood, arm-in-arm, admiring their work.

"Wanna put the lights on tonight?" Olivia asked.

"Nah," Ed took a sip of his drink and kissed the side of her head.

"You're right," Olivia replied in a hushed voice, "Noah'll probably want to help, too."

"Every man needs to know how to properly string lights."

Olivia leaned into Ed and laughed at the inside joke. They were terrible at placing lights in uniform increments along the outside of the tree. Each year it took them at least three tries to get it looking right. She let the arm that was wrapped around his drift to his back pockets and lifted her chin for a kiss. "Happy Thanksgiving, Ed Tucker."

"Happy Thanksgiving to you."

Olivia took a deep breath and sighed, "I feel good right now," she said, "Calm. It's been a hectic fall."

There was no place to put his glass, so Ed wrapped one arm around her waist and replied, "Hey, you're bein' too hard on yourself. On us. We have three little kids, Liv. Life's supposed to be hectic. I like it a little hectic."

"But I want to enjoy it. I want to slow down. It's...I can't. I like these new opportunities. I love the Center. I'm starting to enjoy the show even more. Barba's work...that's intriguing, too. I-"

"-Hey," Ed said again. His face contorted into a slight frown, "Liv, if I've learned anything in the past few months it's that you need to have all of these things in your life. That's you. And I love you. I love that you have that passion, that drive. And think sometimes…" Ed fidgeted and trailed off.

"Sometimes what?"

"Let's sit?"

"Sure."

They moved to the sofa and situated themselves on the couch, facing each other. Ed held Olivia's hands and continued, "I think you kinda judge yourself according to me," he said, "I think you've seen me have no problem leavin' the job, being a Dad, and I think it bothers you but also makes you feel guilty," Olivia balked and Ed squeezed her hands more tightly, "We are so good together, Liv, but we don't have to be the same. You know once you were talkin' to me about balance. Remember that?"

"Yeah."

"And the same concept applies now," Ed said, "But we balance each other. I think you still forget sometimes we're in this together.

"I do. It's not that I forget you. It's-"

"That's not what I meant."

"It's hard to get out of that habit. Reacting like I"m alone. And that's really what it is..a reaction."

"I know," Ed replied, his gravelly voice soft and sincere, "I just hate seein' you beat yourself up for not meeting expectations nobody really has for you. You are the best wife. Best Mother. Best daughter-in-law. Best step-aunt." Olivia laughed and let her head fall against Ed's. He stroked the back of her head. "I think that's what you'd call it?"

"I think so," Olivia murmured.

"Mmmm…"

"Ed?"

"Yeah?"

"Are we going to put the lights up in our room?"

Ed smiled. "Of course."

"Tonight?"

"If that's what ya want."

Olivia made little circles on top of his thigh, tilted her head back, and cocked an eyebrow. "That's what I want, Captain Tucker. Lights…a lot of you..."

Ed planted a firm kiss on her lips. "Then lights and me you'll have."

"And the bourbon, too?"

"Never forget the bourbon."

….

Olivia stomped around the apartment barking pleas at the caller who was obviously not willing to accept what she was proposing. The call began on a fairly innocuous note with pleasantries and even a comment that elicited a laugh; however, Olivia's amused reaction was short-lived. Ed watched, awestruck, as her expression flipped on a dime from a precious Benson grin to a fierce scowl. When she said goodbye, she flung the cell phone on the couch so it wedged between a pillow and the back cushion.

"I'm happy to be here and not wherever that guy is," he quipped, handing her a glass of wine. "Or, whoever he is."

Olivia didn't wait for Ed to ask a more direct question. "Do you remember Elias Kemp, Jr.? And," Olivia glanced at the ceiling, recalling another name, "The Dentist…"

"Alexander," Ed muttered.

Eyes wide, Olivia replied, "I cannot believe you remember that name."

"I'm not the idiot hardass some people think I am, Benson."

"Well, I never called you an idiot hardass," she said, flirtation in her voice, as she sat down next to him. The phone remained in its temporary holding area. She grinned, tipped her glass toward his, and kept smiling as they traded a few kisses. "I may have chosen some other choice adjectives, but never idiot."

"Hardass?"

"I think I used worse."

"Like what?" Ed asked playfully.

Olivia knew he was joking so she matched his tone in order to not kill the buoyant mood they'd created. "Don't make me say it," she said, "I don't want to go back to those days, do you?" She kissed him again. It was a passionate, suggestive kiss and she stared into his eyes afterward.

"No," he croaked, "No I don't."

"Good."

Ed held his wine with one hand and curled his other arm around Olivia, holding her close and feeling like the luckiest man on the planet. They were getting along so well lately. He couldn't explain why, but it felt like they'd reached some invisible milestone or had come to an unspoken agreement that they were, finally, together. Except, of course, for that pesky reality that their relationship to everyone other than themselves and Noah was a secret.

"So… who was it?"

"Who was who?" Olivia took a drink and was genuinely puzzled.

"On the phone."

"Oh," she shot him a self-conscious grin and laughed, "I completely forgot. It was Jimmy Mac."

"The guy from the Ledger?"

"That's the one."

"I heard he's got half a liver and cancer...somewhere," Ed's face contorted and he added, "Esophagus I think."

"That's horrible," Olivia said, "I hadn't heard that."

"Well, I could be wrong. My sources aren't always that reliable."

Olivia swatted at his leg, "And he finally admits it!" They laughed together and kissed again, but she knew Ed was still curious about the call. "Every time he picks up a story on the scanner, or from someone he knows in the department, he calls, and then lurks, and then, if he's really interested, won't stop calling for about a week until I convince him the case isn't all that Ledger-worthy."

"Sounds desperate."

"In a way, he is. Hanging onto his career by-"

"-Not what I meant," Ed interrupted in a voice decidedly softer than his usual tone, "I meant he sounds desperate to talk to you."

"Maybe a little of that too," Olivia replied cockily.

The expression on Ed's face grew a tiny bit more serious. He cupped the side of Olivia's face and ran his hand over her cheek. Her skin was so smooth and perfect. Her eyes were sparkling and she soulfully gazed back at him, expecting him to utter something profound.

"I know how it feels to be desperate to talk to you," he said, "And I can't get too cocky about bein' here right now 'cause I know what it's like to not be here."

"What's that like?" Olivia challenged, nudging him even further out of his comfort zone.

"There've been many afternoons when my primary objective was to figure out how to see you again," he admitted sheepishly, "So I get it. I get him."

Olivia shook her head, "No," she said, "You can't completely get him, because, Ed Tucker, you...you're here, with me, and you don't want anything else but to be here with me. With everyone else, there's always an ulterior motive. Always some nuance...some...something owed."

"You're right."

Olivia put both their glasses on the coffee table and rose to her knees. "I'm glad you're here, Ed. And I miss you when you're not." She kissed him until they were off-balance. They stood up and ambled to the bedroom, kissing and laughing at themselves, especially when they misjudged a corner or bumped into a door. Minutes later their clothes lined the perimeter of Olivia's bed. All through the night, while they made love, whispered to one another while staring out into the night, made love again, and fell into a peaceful, deep sleep, Olivia's phone remained pinned between the couch cushions.

….

In addition to the Thanksgiving night tree tradition, the night also marked the beginning of the Christmas-themed pajama rotation. Dressed in a matching blue set striped with strings of lights, the kids circled the tree as if it were the first time they'd ever seen it. Maggie and Wyatt tried to echo Noah's observations-The tree was huge. You could see it all the way at Grandma Caroline's house. It was like the one that was by the place where they went ice skating every winter.

"You gonna skate with me this year?" Noah asked his siblings. Maggie and Wyatt responded with a few garbled sentences Noah pretended to understand. "They're gonna skate," he announced to his parents, "I'll help 'em balance but then when I go fast you gotta hold their hands, kay?"

"Okay," Olivia said as she set a tray of mini muffins and fruit on the plastic Little Tikes table and watched with a satisfied smile as her children skipped happily over and started munching on their breakfasts.

Ed rounded the corner from the foyer and placed two storage bins of ornaments in front of the tree. From a nearby bag he produced the lights. They'd been neatly wrapped the year before and Ed unfurled them with ease.

"Think we got enough lights, Daddy?" Noah asked.

"Yep," Ed replied, "But we can get more if we run out. Gotta test 'em first though."

"I'll plug 'em!"

"Alright."

Once it was confirmed the lights were all in working order and no bulbs needed replacement, they got to work stringing the strands on the tree. The twins watched and munched, and their mouths slowly became ringed with crumbs. Olivia sat on the floor and pulled them into her lap, sneaking a few snuggles before the ornaments came out.

A tree-decorating veteran, Noah made sure to step back and hold the twins at bay as Ed and Olivia unpacked the most fragile baubles including the spheres printed with each child's name and birthdate and the one gifted to them by Caroline as a wedding present. It featured a photograph of Ed, Olivia, and Noah with the word family printed all around the bright blue globe.

"Those go right there," Noah pointed to the middle of the tree at his eye level, "All together. One, two, three, four! Right in dis row!"

"That's right," Olivia said. She and Ed solemnly threaded branches through the hooks. Olivia blinked back tears. This, too, was a tradition and it had been since the first time she and Ed decorated a tree together. She remembered how overwhelmed she'd been that night as she and Ed sipped wine on her sofa and admired their work. There were so many more ornaments on the tree now and most held significance far more important than simple holiday decor.

"Here's my handprint from preschool!" Noah was digging through the second box of less-likely to be broken items and found the handprint formed from Plaster of Paris. He compared the size of his four-year-old hand to the seven-year-old version and smiled proudly. "Whoa! Lot bigger! Babies, when you get to school you'll have a hand on da tree, too!"

Ed hung a few more and Olivia noticed him pause to gaze at one emblazoned with the twins' newborn footprints. He took a moment to reminisce and could practically feel those brand new toes feeling so delicate in his hands. He remembered laying Maggie and Wyatt on their plush new rug and watching in awe as they kicked, stretched, and moved their little tongues and lips around, getting used to the way their bodies worked.

"TANE! CHOO CHOO!" Wyatt found one of several train ornaments and headed for the train table. He played with the train for a minute or so before Noah led him back to the tree.

"Dis train goes on da tree, Wyatt," Noah explained. He took his little brother's hand and helped him secure it to a branch. "There. We put it on a low one so you can play with it if ya want, but then ya gotta put it back."

"Choo Choo, No!"

"You got a lotta trains over there," Noah said.

Wyatt went back to the table and gathered as many locomotives as he could carry into his arms. Ed, Olivia, and Noah chuckled when they saw Wyatt try to figure out how to balance the cars on the tree. Noah held up his hands and helplessly remarked, "Now he thinks all da trains are orn'ments!"

"P'cess!" Bored of the trains, Maggie rummaged through the box and found the Disney princess set Sarah had given her last year. "My p'cess! Dada!" She handed the ornament to Ed and he put it on the tree for her.

"Get the other ones, baby girl," he said, "I'll show ya how to put it on."

There were so many precious photos taken that morning, but the one Olivia snapped of Ed crouched next to the tree helping Maggie with the princess ornaments was an instant favorite. The combination of the lights reflected on their faces and Ed's sturdy frame alongside the toddler's resulted in an image showing the epitome of fatherly affection, security, and holiday peace. Maggie's lips were pursed in concentration and Olivia caught Ed mid-sentence. It was a gorgeous photograph which she would eventually print and frame. She hoped to one day give it to Maggie and hoped she would treasure it for the rest of her life.

…

Olivia fussed with throw pillows and adjusted the angle of picture frames while she waited for her family to arrive. For some reason, she was nervous. The past three months had been excruciating. Noah leaving for college had been difficult, but having all three of her children away for the first time ever was near torture. Increasing the torment was Maggie's decision to attend Stanford. Olivia cried in Ed's arms every night for the first two weeks she was gone. Wyatt and Noah were closer-Boston and Washington, D.C. respectively-but it was little consolation to Olivia.

Amused, Ed sat at the island, patiently paging through the newspaper, not really reading but pretending to do so to avoid staring and smirking at his wife. He, too, missed the kids, but he'd been so focused on helping Olivia adjust he hadn't had much time to process his own feelings of emptiness. Furthermore, the kids frequently sent texts and pictures, particularly Maggie who spent her weekends along the coast. The long distance communication comforted Ed but did little to fill the void in Olivia's life.

In addition to Maggie, Wyatt, and Noah living away from home, Sarah, Justin, and their kids were wrapping up a stint in South America. Over the past five years, Sarah's job had taken her family to Spain, London, and, most recently, Argentina. She and Justin were thrilled to have the opportunity to live in different, exotic places. Olivia and Ed were happy for them and even took their brood to visit the Vidals in Barcelona and England, but they both preferred everyone all together in one city or, at least, within a short road trip.

Ed swore Olivia reacted to the sound of the key in the lock before the noise actually reverberated down the foyer and into the apartment. It seemed like it took her a total of two steps to get to the door and Ed wasn't yet around the corner when he heard her gasp, "I am so happy to see you. Happy Thanksgiving!"

Noah and Wyatt were the first to arrive. They would all go to the airport later to pick up Maggie. Olivia clung to her boys for a few extra seconds and, with smiles on their faces, they patiently waited for her to finish the hug. Two well-traveled black suitcases sat on rollers behind them in the hall. When Ed got a turn to hug his sons, their parkas crunched under his grasp.

"Good trip?" Ed asked as he backed away and snaked an arm around the waist of his weepy wife.

"Crowded," Noah said, "And this guy next to me didn't stop talking on his phone the whole way, but," he paused and gave his mother another quick hug, "It's good to be home."

"And the craziest thing?" Wyatt chimed in, "We were on the same platform! Noah's train came in five minutes after mine!"

Olivia and Ed grinned. In many respects, Wyatt was still so childlike it was difficult to picture him strolling around his Ivy League campus and engaging in abstract discussions about philosophy and literary theory. Olivia patted his cheek and brushed his brown bangs to the side. "I've missed you so much. And," she squeezed Noah's hand, "You, too."

Noah burst into gentle laughter, "I know Mom, you're used to me gone."

"I'll never be used to any of you gone," she said. "But, enough of this, come on, get comfortable. Your Dad and I need updates."

Wyatt and Noah wheeled their luggage to the bedroom they'd shared since Wyatt was six and Noah ten. They reappeared at the island, the de facto family meeting place, where Ed served Noah a beer and slid Wyatt his favorite orange soda. Ed held his own beer glass in the air, "A toast," he said, "To having the five of us back together again."

They clinked glasses and took sips. Noah eagerly told his parents and brother about his latest project. He'd been working as a staffer on Capitol Hill as part of his graduate program and clearly relished the research, pace, and content of his work. Wyatt spoke of study groups, professors, and pick-up football games in the Harvard quad. He loved the Boston/Cambridge area and added that he only had a few more "extra touristy" things to see and do. Noah joked about the challenges of living alone for the first time in his life; Wyatt good-naturedly complained about having roommates.

"When does Maggie land?" Noah asked after he'd taken a long swig of his beer. He didn't drink much, but it tasted good and he still felt warm from the train.

"Nine," Wyatt answered immediately.

Ed and Olivia exchanged glances. Almost the entire country separated their twins, but Maggie and Wyatt kept close tabs on each other.

"And I want you to know right now," Wyatt said in the most authoritative voice he could muster, "She's gonna say I have a girlfriend but I promise you she's just a friend."

"Who's that?" Ed teased. "Oh, yeah, you mean Lana?"

"Lana is…" Wyatt trailed off. He could feel his face getting hot and knew he needed to mount as brief a protest as possible, "She's a really good friend."

Noah nudged his brother, "Maggs said she crushed you in Socratic Seminar."

"She didn't crush me," Wyatt retorted, "She, uh...she knew I wasn't prepared for one particular part of the argument, and-"

"-so she crushed you."

Wyatt's cheeks were beet red. "Yeah."

Ed sidled up to Olivia and kissed her cheek before reassuring Wyatt. "Nothin wrong with that, bud," he said, "I loved it when your mom crushed me."

Olivia raised her eyebrows, "Loved?"

"Well," Ed's own cheeks flushed, "My mistake. Love. She's still crushin' me every once in a while."

….

The twins danced around the room to music Noah played from Olivia's iPhone. When he hit the pause button, he shouted "FREEZE" and the twins did their best to stop on a dime. More often than not the attempts resulted in one or both of the toddlers toppling over which sent Noah and then Maggie and Wyatt into fits of giggles. Sarah and Brooke looked on skeptically and placed bets on how long it would take to get everyone in bed and asleep for the night.

"Keep us posted, Livvie," Sarah slurred. She and Brooke had spent the day with Aidan and Dave. When they both showed up tipsy that evening, neither Olivia nor Ed were surprised. "Brookey, since it's just you and me tonight, why don't we bar hippity hop back to my place?"

"I thought Justin was home?" Olivia asked.

"He left a day early," Sarah whined, "Actually, calendar error. He and I both thought today was tomorrow." She waved her hands in front of her face, "Maybe we need to still live with parents? So, anyway, it's me and Brookey tonight since Sonny Bunny agreed to babysit, even though," she touched her index finger to her chin, "I don't think one babysits his or her own children. Daddy? Do you say babysit?"

"No."

Sarah guffawed at Ed playing a round of freeze-dance with the twins and Noah. He stumbled a little and smacked his forehead. "Ya got me, Maggs and Wyatt! You win!" Maggie and Wyatt attacked Ed's legs and he flipped them upside down, one at a time, kissing their noses on the way down.

"Daddy, flip me!" Noah said.

"C'mere, bud!" Ed flipped Noah and then, for good measure, flew him across the room and landed him on a beanbag. Noah erupted into belly laughs when Ed tickled him, the twins squealed and ran over, and the cacophony almost made Olivia miss a phone call from a familiar number.

She stepped into the back hallway to talk and was back after less than a minute.

"Everything okay?" Brooke asked.

Olivia nodded and called Noah over. Breathless, he rolled off the couch and skipped to the island. "Guess what, sweet boy?"

"What?"

"Mia's going to sleep over tomorrow night!"

Noah jumped up and down, "She IS?"

"Yes!"

Ed twisted his lips and looked at Olivia quizzically. She smiled back and winked. They'd talk about the details later. For now, Olivia found herself elated to host Mia for a night, and, even though she wouldn't entrust Noah and the twins to anyone other than family, she was honored Mia's mother and father called upon the Tuckers to help them out.

Sarah threw her arms into the air, "SLEEPOVER! Omigod, can I sleep over too?"

"Sare Bear, this is for little kids," Noah informed her with his hands on his hips.

"Oh."

"And," Brooke gathered her purse and gently knocked Sarah off a barstool, "You promised to hang out with me and Sof tomorrow while Sonny works. There's your sleepover."

"Fine," Sarah said, "But we shall Face Time."

Noah grinned. "Yep! We shall!"

…

#Tuckson