Ninety-seven.

Mesmerized, Noah stood on his tiptoes and watched the miniature 9/11 Memorial light up and come to life. "Hey look," he said to Sarah, "It's us! You and me!"

"You think?" Sarah asked, "I like to imagine us skiing over there in the Alps."

"We'll go over there in a second," Noah said, "Ri'now, we're still in New York." Brow furrowed, he looked up and Sarah and asked, "Sare Bear, why'd those guys crash da planes into da towers?"

"Because they were evil and wanted to hurt people," Sarah replied.

"It's nice that there's a m'morial," Noah murmured. "We went to da top of da new tower and the planes didn't hit us!"

"Now there's so much security around the city," Sarah explained, "We're very safe. Now, can we please go to another country or even another city in the United States of America? You're obsessed with New York, Noey!"

"I love New York!"

"I know you do," Sarah kissed the top of his head and hugged him, "And I love you."

"Love you, Sare Bear."

Once Noah was pried away from the New York miniatures, Sarah and Noah meandered through the exhibits and used the magic key to operate the mechanized scenes in rainforests, foreign cities, and famous landmarks. As she predicted, the place was less crowded than the last time they visited; however, Sarah watched smugly as children Noah's age were hurried along by their caregivers. She let Noah take his time and dictate the route, even when he doubled back and spent an inordinate amount of time watching model planes land on the tarmac. When they finally made their way to the exit, Noah knew exactly where he wanted to go next.

"Lessgo see Pearl!"

"Okay," Sarah said, "What about food? Aren't you hungry?"

"We can order with your phone."

"Sounds good. What made you think about Pearl?"

"Saw a dog in one of da cities," Noah said, "An' I didn't get to play with Pearl much last time 'cause she was sleepin' with Wyatt."

"She sure was," Sarah said, "Good idea, too, because I feel bad leaving her in her crate."

"Why's she haveta be in the crate?"

"Because she'll eat everything in the house!"

Noah giggled, "Yeah, she ate part of Maggs' shoe."

"I know," Sarah said, "I owe her a new one."

"Sare Bear," Noah said, "You can't jus' buy one shoe!"

They stepped out onto busy 44th Street and Sarah stopped to determine the quickest route to the subway. She grabbed Noah's hand and they walked toward the heart of Times Square.

"Always gotta hold hands here," Noah murmured.

"Very true. That's why Maggie and Wyatt can't come here yet. They always want to run around," Sarah said.

"Yep."

"Hey! Guess what?"

"What?"

"We're going to take the N!"

Noah grinned, "Dat's da best train!"

…

After their hike, the Tuckers' shoes were mud-streaked and the wind had turned their cheeks pink. On the half-mile stroll back to the marina, they stopped at the Mystery Spot and the kids took turns shouting and singing and positing theories about the odd acoustic effects. When they left, the sun was setting and the trio agreed to wait until the next day for the arcade and the Frankenstein Museum. They stopped at a market for a few items then boarded the boat and cruised back to their rental cabin. Before going inside, they arranged logs in the pit for the night's fire. Olivia made hot chocolate for the kids and spiked cider for her and Ed, and they sipped their drinks on the oversized leather couches in the family room.

The centerpiece of the room was a grand, stone fireplace flanked by a moose head and a pair of elk antlers. There wasn't much room for any other artwork or tapestry-the rest of the living area featured floor-to-ceiling windows, giving residents a gorgeous, unobstructed view of the backyard and the lake in the distance.

Maggie noticed Noah's phone vibrating over and over and peered at the screen, "You gotta lotta messages!"

"I posted one of the pictures from the waterfall," Noah said.

"Hey! There's Mia!" Maggie exclaimed, recognizing Mia's handle, "What'd she say?"

"So pretty," Noah read, "Wish I was there."

Ed and Olivia locked eyes for a split second. Until last year, they had regularly invited Mia along on day trips and had also included her on a few overnight weekend getaways. But middle school had created a physical and emotional gulf between the two longtime friends. Mia attended a magnet school for the arts and was bombarded with a multitude of after school lessons. Olivia sensed Noah wasn't yet at the point where he was interested in girls beyond the scope of friendship, but she did think he'd been slightly hurt when Mia posted pictures from a performance. In the photos, she had her arm around a male castmate, and Noah's eyes clouded when he saw it. Nevertheless, he and Mia remained friends and kept in frequent contact. At the very least, Mia could always be counted on to comment on Noah's social media posts.

"What's Mia doing this weekend?" Olivia asked.

"Nothing," Noah replied, "Well, she's at the stables, but she doesn't like riding so I guess she's just...there."

"She doesn't like the horses?" Wyatt asked, clearly perplexed. Aside from the pony rides at the zoo, he'd never been on a horse, but the idea of galloping along through open space was intriguing to him.

"She's sick of it," Noah said, "And her mom wants her to be in the competitions and she doesn't want to."

"Probably not fun for her anymore," Ed speculated.

"I think it'd be really fun!" Maggie said. She jumped up and skipped around the room. "You can jump those horses! It looks super fun! Daddy, can I go on a horse?"

"Maybe in the spring," Ed replied dutifully. There was a fifty-fifty chance Maggie would forget the half-hearted assurance.

"Kay!"

Ed finished his cider and announced he was going to get the grill ready. After a simple dinner of hot dogs and baked beans, it was time for the bonfire and smores. Ed and Olivia sat back and let Noah help his siblings prepare the gooey sandwiches. After Olivia took her first bite, Ed noticed chocolate had collected in one corner of her mouth. He couldn't resist.

"C'mere," he whispered. He grabbed her wrist and kissed her, making sure to get the chocolate.

"Thanks," she said, "These are so messy."

"I gotcha."

The kids were on the opposite side of the fire skewering another round of marshmallows. Their faces glowed and their jaws were set in concentration. The trio carefully cooked the marshmallows, turning the rods slowly so they browned evenly and didn't char.

"You realize we started this whole idea here," Ed said under his breath out of the corner of his mouth. His voice was barely audible above the crackling of the fire. He and Olivia were still gazing through the fire at their children. Indeed, it had been at Lake George almost a decade ago when they agreed to try for a baby.

Olivia reached over for his hand, "I know," she cooed, "It's a special place."

"You guys want another one?" Noah asked.

Ed and Olivia stifled laughter, for Noah posed the question so that it could be construed that he was asking if they wanted another baby. Ed winked at his wife and reached for the beer he'd brought out to the fire.

"Sounds good," Olivia said, "But I'm okay with this one. Thank you."

"Same here, bud."

"Alright," Noah replied in a tone that suggested he thought his parents were making a huge mistake.

Ed and Olivia finally peeled their eyes away from the kids and looked at each other.

Ed leaned in for a kiss, "I love you," he said softly.

"I'm so happy," Olivia said, "I love you, too."

…

Noah's expression at seeing Pearl in her crate crushed Sarah's soul. He ran to the cage, unlocked the door, and took Pearl into his arms. The dog whined, yelped, and licked all over his face. Noah fell onto his back and laughed uncontrollably as the yellow lab showered him with affection. Sarah took the opportunity to hook Pearl's leash to her collar and she and Noah went right back outside and circled the block with the boisterous puppy. Noah jogged alongside Pearl and narrated her every move. He screwed up his face when Sarah, unbothered, unfurled a plastic bag and bent down to scoop the waste.

"Ewwww," he said.

"All part of having a dog, Noey."

"I dunno if I wanna dog," he murmured.

"Not to worry," Sarah said, "I don't think you'll be getting a dog at home anytime soon. You can always come over and play with mine."

"Yup!" Noah resumed skipping along. He was so focused on Pearl he didn't realize they had made it back to Sarah's building. Sarah stopped and he kept walking until Pearl's leash became taut and he looked back and giggled. "Sare Bear! You tricked us!"

"Gotta pay attention, Noey," she replied, "Come on. Let's get inside and order food. I'm hungry and it looks like it's going to snow or rain or something." She snapped up her collar against the wind, "We're going to Uber you home for sure."

Just then, a car stopped in front of the curb and G emerged wearing a weary expression, but when she heard Noah's voice shout, "HEY G!" she grinned and jogged over. Noah gave her a hug then crouched next to Pearl, "Ya see this little girl?" He asked, "S'Pearl. It's Sare Bear's and Justy's new dog!"

"I know," G said, "I've met her before."

"G's taken Pearl out for me while Justy's away," Sarah said, "She's the best of all neighbors. Okay, can we please get inside? I'm freezing."

They rode the elevator together and discussed their days. Sarah felt a tiny bit guilty that she and Noah had basically goofed off all afternoon while G reported being trapped in two long, stressful meetings, so she invited G to join her and Noah for dinner. G was quiet and kept to herself, but to Sarah's surprise, she accepted.

"Chinese does sound good," G replied. Noah had mentioned ordering noodles and dumplings.

"Then Chinese it is," Sarah said.

"Let me put my stuff down and change real quick and I'll be up."

While they waited for the food to arrive, Noah tried to teach Pearl how to play fetch but the dog was more interested in playing keep-away rather than returning the ball to Noah. When he paused to take a breather and get a drink, he noticed several familiar notifications on G's phone.

"Hey! That's Yahtzee!"

"Yeah," G replied, "I've been playing with my sister for a couple of years now."

"Can I play?"

"Sure Noey," Sarah plucked his phone from its pouch on the side of the backpack. She found the app, installed it, and did the same on her phone. "There. Now we can all play."

"Thanks!" Noah meandered to the couch with his head buried in the phone. He found G and Sarah and challenged them to games. Soon he figured out they could play multiple games against one another at once.

"Noey!" Sarah said, "Three is enough!"

G laughed and accepted the fourth request from Noah, "I guess I know what I'll be doing in my spare time."

"But not at school!" Sarah said with a wink, "You'll get in trouble and then I'll get in trouble!"

Noah managed a preoccupied chuckle, "Sare Bear in timeout," he murmured, picturing her receiving a first grade consequence. "No smileys."

…..

Olivia walked in to a candlelit apartment and Ed Tucker sitting in the middle of her sofa wearing a proud smirk. The air smelled of roasted meat, beeswax, and the crisp outdoor breeze sneaking in from a window Ed had cracked to cool the place down. Olivia hung her coat and blazer and grinned at her boyfriend who she thought would either be asleep or lying on the couch watching the late news. Instead, Tucker had spent the evening preparing a pot roast, looking after Noah, and tidying up after the toddler fell asleep. Ed knew Olivia was going to be very late, but he was determined to insert some romance into their lives.

"I guess I'm not the only one who was working hard tonight," Olivia said. She walked over to Ed and gave him a kiss. "Smells so good in here."

"Hungry?" He patted her hip and stuck his lips out for another kiss.

"Starving."

"Wanna change? I'll get everything on the table."

"Okay."

Olivia swapped her work clothes for attire that matched Ed's-jeans and a t-shirt. She chose a light weight, nearly sheer white v-neck and warm bursts of arousal shot through her chest when she saw his reaction. Ed's desire for her always equated to foreplay.

"Music?" Ed asked as they sat down at the small table.

Olivia noticed he'd cleared the clutter by relocating it to a nearby credenza. "You know what? Let's not. I like it like this. Peaceful."

"Okay." He leaned over and kissed her cheek. "I'd serve you, but-"

"-please do."

"Sure." Ed portioned the meat, potatoes, and carrots onto their plates. "Always my favorite meal," he said, "Not as good as my mom's, but not bad."

"You taste tested it already?"

"Of course."

"Did you have a good day?"

"Yeah. A little slow at the office, no big deal, then I got Noah. It was too cold to do much, so we came back here, hung out, cooked, read some books...and now you're here."

Olivia patted the top of his hand, "I'm here. It's the middle of the night, but I'm here."

"You know I love bein' with you no matter the time," Ed's eyes sparkled in the candlelight. "I mean it." He followed her eyes with his. He was intentionally going overboard and laying it on thick because actually saying to her that he was infatuated and constantly preoccupied thinking about how to make her happy would have been, to Olivia, startling, to put it mildly.

Olivia pushed food around her plate and played with the edge of the placemat. "I can tell you mean it," she said in a soft voice, "It's, I, um, this is the first time I've ever come home, late, to-" she held her hands up, "This."

"You like the roast?" Ed asked, trying to lighten the mood.

"I do. It reminds me of commercials I would see as a kid-I don't remember what was being advertised, but I remember all these perfect families with well-behaved children sitting around dinner tables, eating food just like this. I always wondered what it was like to be in one of those families, sitting at that table," more confident now, she turned to him, "Thank you for showing me what it feels like."

"You're welcome."

They traded a few kisses, sipped wine, and continued eating. Ed talked about how he and his siblings saw those same commercials and wondered how it was possible to have such an orderly meal. Tucker dinners were loud, he said, full of people talking over one another and barked demands to pass a platter, and his mother speculating out loud that her boys had not properly washed their hands.

"Your mother must be a saint," Olivia said, "All those kids so close in age. That must have taken a lot of patience."

"Patience and whiskey."

Olivia laughed softly. "I like to think I'm a patient mother. Maybe not the most patient cop in the world, but, outside of work, yeah, I am."

"I'm not," Ed said, "Elevator in my building? I'm the one who's calling every day, every hour if I need to for someone to come."

"But with your daughters?"

"Forced to be patient."

"With me?"

Ed raised his eyebrows. Olivia had already put down her fork and he did the same. Taking her hands, he looked her straight in the eyes and said, "Especially with you."

"We could have-"

"-No," Ed interrupted, "No hypotheticals. Everything that's happened with us happened the right way, the necessary way. And look," he grinned, "We're here eating dinner together like the most normal couple in the world."

"It's one a.m."

"Today, that's our normal."

A smile slowly crawled across Olivia's face, "I suppose, what could be more normal than pot roast, potatoes, and carrots?"

"Now you're on the right track."

"It's still one a.m.," Olivia said, "You must be ready to collapse."

"How bout we take the rest of the wine and collapse over there?" He jerked his chin toward the sofa.

"Okay."

Olivia took the wine and Ed brought the candles over to the coffee table. Ed leaned back and rested his legs on the coffee table. Olivia reclined against his chest. "I love this light," she said. "We need candlelight more often."

"You got it."

….

Noah quickly became addicted to the Yahtzee app. Sarah couldn't believe how, in the course of a couple of hours, he went from being indifferent about his phone to unable and unwilling to put it down. On subways or in cabs he was usually alert and talkative, but in the Uber he kept his head down and made no sounds aside from the reactions to his rolls. Sarah warned him about playing against random people, but Noah didn't mind the restriction since, in addition to Sarah and G, he was now connected to Justin and Brooke. When he lost he shrugged and murmured, "Gotta start 'nother one." Sarah rubbed her eyes. Her father had accepted the phone purchase without much objection or reproval, but Yahtzee was definitely going to test his patience.

"Put the phone away," Sarah muttered to Noah before they approached the apartment door.

Noah put forth an annoyed sigh, and he and Sarah simultaneously broke into laughter. Sarah didn't typically order him around, and Noah rarely ever responded to her with genuine defiance.

They found Ed standing on the dining table changing light bulbs in the chandelier. The twins, dressed in jeans and matching gray hooded sweatshirts, stared up in awe. "Dada fix yight!" Maggie said to Noah and Sarah. She jabbed a finger in his direction. "BiYIGHT!"

"He can come fix mine next," Sarah said. She bear-hugged Maggie and Wyatt and studied their faces. "You two are getting too old looking!"

Ed hopped down and shook his head. He didn't think the twins looked old at all, and both he and Olivia were perfectly fine with that. They were taller and heavier; their hair had thickened-they no longer had heads full of fine wisps of baby hair-and they were starting to string words together in sentences. Olivia was torn between wanting to freeze time and desperately wanting to have conversations with her babies, even if it meant guiding them through the many crises of growing up. Ed, too, was looking forward to being silly with all three kids as verbose participants.

Ed gently pinched one of Wyatt's chubby cheeks and played with the wavy locks at Maggie's neck. "You think they look old enough for regular beds?"

"Omigod, NO!" Sarah's eyes shot wide open as if she'd been given the worst news, "They're still babies they can't leave their cribs! Look!" She scooped up Wyatt and held him like an infant, "I can still hold him like a baby! You want a buh-buh handsome?"

Wyatt squirmed and Sarah put him down. "Are you sure they're ready for a bed? What if they get up and wander around at night?"

"They don't wake up in the middle of the night," Ed replied, "But they are startin' to climb outta bed. We have locks. Better to have 'em get outta a bed five inches off the ground than jump out of the cribs." Ed bobbed Wyatt up and down across the floor. "Right bud?"

"Jump! Jump! Jump!" Wyatt said through chuckles. He screeched as Ed swooped him through the air in exaggerated leaps. When Ed brought him down for a final landing, he realized Noah hadn't said much since arriving at home. "No? Good day bud?"

"Yep."

"Whatcha doin?"

"Yahtzee."

"Yahtzee?"

"Yup."

Sarah gritted her teeth, "I may have introduced him to online gaming."

"Ah, there's strategy involved," Ed reasoned, "Drink?"

Instead of answering right away, Sarah screwed up her face and asked, "You alright?"

"Yeah," Ed opened the refrigerator and took out a beer, "You want one?"

"Um, sure," Sarah said even though beer was rarely her drink of choice. She hopped onto a barstool and took a sip. "What's wrong?" Then, clued in to the source of his sudden melancholy, Sarah twisted her lips and nodded slowly, "Where's Livvie?"

"Planning meeting with Barba's staff. Before that, the Center. Before that, a meeting with the show's writers."

"Oooo is Wyatt going to be in anymore scenes?"

"I dunno."

"Sorry," Sarah said, "Back to the subject at hand. How are you coping with missing Livvie?"

"I'm not coping," Ed replied, "It's ah, well, a little disappointing is all. Wrong word actually. Look," He rested his forehead on the countertop and lowered his voice, "I knew she wouldn't retire like I did, hang it up and not look back, but, lately, there's so much goin' on in her life. And things keep popping up. The meeting with the writers? They're supposed to be on hiatus right now."

"Have you talked to her about this?"

"Yeah. And I don't wanna make it worse because she feels guilty, but she's also pulled in all these directions and she lets herself get pulled. She wants it all, and she can have it-"

"-But in the meantime you miss your wife."

Ed took another drink and nodded.

"You're not going to split up are you?"

He burst into as much laughter as Ed Tucker ever mustered, "Good one."

"Just checking."

…

#Tuckson