108.

The departure gate was located near a short ramp, and Noah quickly realized he and the twins could occupy themselves by rolling down it atop Caroline's small rolling carry on bag. The area wasn't crowded, so Ed and Olivia let them run around and play, especially since they had several hours of travel ahead of them. There was no direct flight to an airport close to Sarah's condo, so a connecting flight was necessary. The kids were armed with backpacks full of books, electronics, headphones, coloring supplies, and snacks, but hurtling down the ramp was, for the time being, their preferred travel day diversion.

Ed had gone off to purchase coffee, and when he returned he noticed Olivia concentrating on her phone. Jealousy surged through his chest, for he mistakenly thought she was texting on the phone she used for the Benson Center. However, when he handed over the coffee he recognized the familiar case and calmed down. Olivia thanked him for the coffee and showed him pictures Brooke had sent of Sofia on the airplane. The Carisis had departed for Hawaii a couple of hours earlier.

"First flight," Olivia said, beaming at their granddaughter. "And a long one, too."

"Ah," Ed was completely at ease now, "We took Noah to Paris when he was little. Now that's a first flight for the record books."

"He was so good," Olivia recalled wistfully.

"Yeah he was."

The twins were now barrel-rolling down the ramp and Noah stood at the bottom, acting as line judge.

"Hey, No," Ed called, "If you're done with Grandma's bag, bring it over here, pal."

Noah dragged the bag over to Ed and Olivia. "C'we go see Gramma and Sare Bear and Justy?"

"I don't know exactly where they went," Olivia answered. The three of them had gone off to have a Bloody Mary, but there were no bars in the immediate vicinity.

"C'you take us?"

"Sweetheart, we're going to be getting on the plane soon, so we're going to stay here. But, maybe Daddy will take you to the bathroom and you can go get them?"

"Good idea," Ed hopped to his feet. He let out a familiar whistle. Maggie and Wyatt snapped to attention and ran over to the bank of chairs the Tuckers had claimed. Through the large window they saw an airplane waiting outside and pointed excitedly.

"Yes, sweet twins, what's that?"

"Ah'pane!"

Wyatt outstretched his arms and ran around in a tight circle, "Vrooom!"

"Fy me, Dah!"

Ed hoisted Maggie into the air, whirled around a couple of times, and landed her in Olivia's lap. "Noah and I'll be right back," he said to Olivia.

She held Maggie with one arm and squeezed his fingers with the other hand. "We'll be here."

Appreciative of the subtle yet tender touch, Ed smirked. He was suddenly excited, almost giddy, about the two flights and the forced yet very welcome togetherness. When Olivia brought up Sarah's offer, he'd immediately agreed but was secretly concerned the trip would do more harm than good. After all, they had been lacking alone time and sharing a three bedroom condo with six other people didn't sound like a very effective remedy. But now he was filled with optimism. All those years ago at the North Carolina beach condo was where their relationship took one of its most serious turns. Noah, Maggie, and Wyatt loved the beach and Ed and Olivia loved watching their kids enjoy the sand and the surf. They would have to get creative when it came to intimacy, but that had never stopped them before. Yes, Ed was certain, this vacation had arrived at exactly the right time.

…

As soon as the pilot gave the all clear signal and the seat belt light went off, Olivia unbuckled Noah and let him walk around in the space between their Delta Comfort seats and the bulkhead wall. They had a row of three seats to themselves, so she wasn't worried about bothering other passengers and little Noah immediately made himself at home in what he viewed as ample space for play.

During takeoff, Olivia buckled Noah in the middle seat. With it now vacant, Ed moved over next to her, took her hand, and kissed it. She put her head on his shoulder and her hand over his. "I'm excited," she said softly.

"So am I."

"I'm also looking forward to forgetting everything for a while," Olivia added. "So if you catch me going into work mode, say something."

Ed tilted his head so he could see her face, "You really want me to do that?"

"Yes." She gave him a soft, sweet kiss on the lips. "I really do."

"Okay." They kissed again. Ed plucked the in-flight menu card from the pocket in front of him. "You, uh, feel like celebrating a little?"

"Sure."

Even though the flight attendants were busy, Ed rang for one anyway. He ordered champagne, they had a toast, kissed again, and agreed they would need a different drink since they did not appreciate champagne the way they were supposed to.

"Ah, that's better," Ed murmured after he took a sip of the whiskey he ordered.

"Definitely," Olivia replied.

"So, we'll see how we like these seats after seven hours," he said, "And then, if we need to, on the way back we can see if we can upgrade."

"This is perfect," Olivia said. She'd seen Ed longingly eye the Delta One pods on the way to their row, but this setup was better for the three of them and they had plenty of space. She smiled and gestured to Noah, "He has his little playroom...and we're all together. Those seats up there are kind of...too separate for what I want right now."

His cheeks blazed crimson and he smirked proudly.

Olivia touched one side of his face, "You're blushing, Ed Tucker."

"Yeah," he croaked, unable to say much else.

The armrest was already raised, so Olivia had no problem settling in against him. He slung an arm around her shoulders and kissed her head.

"Want to watch something?" She asked.

"Nah, not right now...if that's okay with you," Ed tightened his grip, pulling her even closer to him. "It's nice like this."

At their feet, Noah was more than content with his trains and cars. He made noises and talked to himself, and, other than the constant drone of the engines, his sweet voice was the only thing Olivia heard. "Yes," she said, glancing down at her son, "It certainly is."

…

During the layover in Charlotte, the group of eight had time for lunch and a few cocktails, so by the time the plane was in the air, Caroline was asleep in the first class seat next to Sarah that Justin had generously given to her. He gamely took Caroline's seat, and Noah jumped at the chance to sit next to him. For takeoff, Ed sat at the end of the row while Olivia and the twins were across the aisle, but as soon as the all clear was given, Ed moved next to his wife and they put the twins together in the window seat. Maggie and Wyatt started watching a movie, but, with full bellies and lacking naps, quickly dozed off.

"Y'alright over there, Justin?" Ed asked, though it was very clear he and Noah were having a great time with Noah's collection of puzzle books, drawing pads, and the in-flight entertainment system.

"We're good," Justin grinned at Ed. He had let his beard and hair grow a bit and looked more rugged than Ed remembered, yet, he was no less kind.

"Justy, wanna play tic tac toe next?" Noah asked, paying little attention to his Dad, "Then we can watch a movie, den, after," he tapped one screen which they'd frozen on the flight tracker, "We'll be almost there!"

"Sounds good!"

Ed turn the knob and let down his tray table, "We're pretty much unnecessary right now," he grumbled good-naturedly.

Olivia was paging through a magazine and looked at Ed through her reading glasses. With her big, wide, curious eyes, raised eyebrows, and chunky frames, she was irresistible and Ed planted a quick, sloppy smooch on her lips. "Wow," she said dazedly.

"You are so gorgeous," he whispered.

"Well thank you," she said with a grin, "And, maybe it's okay for us to be unnecessary for a little while." She peeled off her glasses and glanced over Ed's shoulder. Justin and Noah were now wearing headphones and fixated on the screens. "I, um, I want whatever's been going on between us to end. Now."

The muscles in Ed's face twitched and he fidgeted. He knew better than to assume the Christmas morning lovemaking meant everything was back to normal, but he hadn't expected Olivia to be this forward about making up.

"And it's pretty clear what the problem is," she continued.

Stunned, Ed managed only to blink. He waited for her to elaborate.

"We don't work separately. And I let us fall down the list of priorities. That," she stated firmly, "is my fault. And I'm sorry."

"No," Ed reached for her hands, "We both let it happen."

"Things got crazy and chaotic all at once," Olivia said, "And we let it control us. Especially me. The Center, Ed, it's...so important, but I've been thinking, it's important to me but more so to the people who come there for help, and we have a staff to help them. A very competent staff. I need to delegate better when it gets busy, and I have to stand up to the precincts who are looking to us to do part of their jobs."

"They have been takin' advantage of you, well, not you personally, but the Center in general."

Olivia nodded. "And, I'm thinking about giving up my office there."

"Liv, no...the idea was for you to be there-"

"-and it was a great idea. But I can be part of the advisory board. I can fundraise. I can consult and give training to other precincts, I don't have to be in the trenches. I retired, Ed, so I wouldn't be there anymore and I've drifted right back to the job."

Ed cupped one of her cheeks, "Don't make any final decisions just yet," he said softly, "Let's clear our heads this week, celebrate the New Year, our anniversary," he pressed his forehead to hers, "And, when we get back, if ya feel differently, you feel differently and can go from there. No matter what, I'll support you."

"Whatever happens," Olivia said, "I promise...you and the kids come first."

"Liv, these past few weeks haven't been tough only because you were busy. We had Thanksgiving and Christmas back to back, things with the kids, my Mom...and it seemed like every time we were settling down to be together, something came up."

"Tis the season to be interrupted," Olivia quipped.

Ed let the hand that was on her face drift to her thigh. "I hate interruptions," he rasped, letting his lips brush against hers.

"Next time life gets busy, let's hit pause."

"Deal," Ed played with her hair and smirked, "We'll hit the brakes."

"I love you, Ed."

"I love you, Liv." He kissed her again and took a look at the twins and then Noah and Justin. Everyone was either asleep or occupied. "You wanna watch something? Do the crossword?"

"No," Olivia rested her head under his chin, "I want to...just do this for a little while."

"Okay," Ed replied, "Whatever you want."

….

While the Tuckers enjoyed some hotel pool time, rain showers descended upon the city, and when they returned to the room, the three kids stood at the balcony doors and watched the sheets of rain collide with the Seine. It was early evening, but the dark skies made it seem much later. Maggie, Wyatt, and Noah delighted in seeing pedestrians scramble for cover under awnings or their own raincoats.

Ed found a television channel broadcasting the weather and learned it was supposed to be rainy and overcast most of the night, so he suggested room service or delivery. Everyone agreed, but not on the type of food, so he and Olivia went into the suite's bedroom to change and left the kids to decide. He kissed Olivia's neck as she peeled off her coverup and swimsuit.

"Let's take a quick shower," he whispered into her neck. "They're gonna need at least a half hour to decide."

Olivia grinned and took his hand. Sure enough, when they reappeared in the living room dressed casually in gym shorts and t-shirts, the kids had not yet decided on a restaurant. They'd narrowed it down to two and offered the final decision to their parents.

"Italian," Olivia said, "Pasta would be good."

"And breadsticks!" Maggie said.

"And breadsticks."

While Ed and Noah navigated the ordering app and Wyatt searched his backpack for cards and the Uno deck, Olivia wandered back into the bedroom for a warmer shirt. The pool area had been oddly cool, and they kept the suite's air conditioner running full blast. She pulled a lightweight hooded sweatshirt over her head and whirled around just in time to see Maggie sprint into the room and belly flop onto the bed.

"I love this hotel," she said as she slapped damp brown strands of hair away from her face.

"Isn't it great?" Olivia replied.

"Uh-huh!" Maggie wrapped herself in the comforter and shuddered, "Brrrr!"

"I'll turn the air down a little bit," Olivia said, "Do you want to take a bubble bath before the food gets here? That'll warm you up."

"No, don't wanna."

Olivia kissed Maggie's forehead and noticed she was still wearing her bathing suit, "Okay, sweet girl. But get out of those wet clothes!"

Maggie giggled, "But we might swim again! S'rainy!" She shrugged, "Nothin else to do!"

"I packed you five bathing suits. You can put a dry one on if we go again."

"Kay." Maggie rolled out of the covers and bounced on her knees. She watched Olivia hang the towels she and Ed had just used. Maggie screwed up her face. "You took a bath?"

"Shower."

"When?"

"While you and your brothers were deciding what to eat."

Maggie thought their obliviousness was hilarious. She fell backwards in a fit of laughter before bounding again to her knees. "Mommy, why you and Daddy always take a shower together?"

Olivia felt the back of her neck get hot. For a few seconds, she had no idea how to respond, but Maggie's innocent yet curious face set her at ease. She sat on the edge of the bed and told her daughter the truth. "Because we love each other," Olivia said, "And when Moms and Dads love each other so much, there are some things they do to spend a little time together and be close, just the two of us."

Maggie nestled into Olivia's side, "That's good," she said softly.

"Yes it is."

"Cause some of my friends' moms and dads don't even live in the same house! How come that happens?"

"Sometimes people who thought they loved each other, well, they don't love each other as much as they thought. Or," Olivia paused, searching for an explanation that her ten-year-old would understand, "The mom or the dad does something mean to the other person, and it's so mean they can't forget it. That's why your Dad and I are always telling you to be nice...to everyone...and to ignore the mean people."

"S'hard," Maggie sighed.

"I know, sweet girl," Olivia said, "Because we want everyone to be nice and to be kind like us."

"Yeah." Maggie shivered.

"Sweetie, come on, go get some dry clothes."

"Kay," Maggie jumped off the bed and, on her way out of the room, she proclaimed in a syrupy-sweet voice, "Then we're gonna eat then I'm gonna crush the brothers in Uno!"

…..

Everyone raved about the condo's interior and its unobstructed view of the pristine white beach and the teal-hued Gulf of Mexico. They stood on the balcony for a while, taking in the views. Noah and the twins chattered away as they noticed swooping seagulls, a few novice surfers, and people lounging in and on the edge of the pool ten stories below.

"Sare Bear," Caroline said, "There's only one thing wrong with this place, dearie."

"What's that Grandma?" Sarah asked, wide eyed and a little hurt her beloved grandmother was not one-hundred percent happy with the vacation home.

"There's no goddamn food!"

Wyatt grinned mischievously, but before he could open his mouth, Olivia covered it with her hand. "No, no, Wyatt Edward," she said sweetly, "No copying Grandma. Or Daddy."

"Sare Bear, we gonna go to da place with da cowboys? We went last time?" Noah jumped up and down, excited about the prospect of revisiting the shack-like restaurant where they'd eaten outside and line danced to the live music.

"Flora-Bama?" Justin asked, eyeing Ed and Olivia. He knew they weren't exactly restaurant snobs, but the famous beach bar seemed almost too divey for them.

"Yes." Sarah frowned and checked her watch, "Noey, it's too late. They don't let kids in after six...or maybe it's seven, but either way, too late. We'll go for lunch there sometime okay?"

Dejected, Noah shrugged. "Kay."

"I'm sure there's another fun place we can go tonight," Olivia said.

"Yeah…"

"Hey, No, want to check out some places?" Justin pointed to the living room, "We have a magazine in there on the table. It has pictures of all the restaurants around here."

Noah was easy to cheer up. He skipped inside and sat on the couch with the magazine. Maggie and Wyatt followed. The adults went inside and unpacked as the sun started to set. Ed wheeled three suitcases into their assigned bedroom and he and Olivia unzipped each one. Olivia put a few items into an open drawer then wandered to the sliding glass door an opened the curtains.

"Gorgeous view," she said. "I'll love waking up to this. It was nice of Sarah to give us this room."

"My view right now's better."

Olivia turned around and saw Ed smirking uncontrollably. He was still dressed in the jeans and navy polo he'd worn for travel, but the clothes perfectly fit his body and she could see a faint outline of his chest muscles and his biceps bulging against the sleeves. Lately, she hadn't taken the time to appreciate how strong and sexy he was, and she promised herself never to do that again.

Ed slowly walked over. He took her face in his hands and gave her a passionate kiss on the lips. "Don't give up the office," he whispered as he stared intently into her eyes. "It's not right. I don't want you to give it up."

Olivia shot him a hesitant smile and raised her eyebrows, "You've been thinking about this the whole flight?"

"Yeah," Ed replied with a shrug.

They hugged each other tightly and remained in the embrace even when they heard someone approaching. "Livvie, Daddy, I know it's not really decorated, but I thought we could-" she stopped in her tracks after stepping into the room and into the intimate moment. "-do a little shopping this week," she mumbled.

Despite the interruption, Ed and Olivia didn't let each other go. They pressed their cheeks together and looked at Sarah.

"I'd love to go," Olivia said.

"Great! Well, uh, I'll...um…"

Ed helped her out, "We're almost ready," he said.

"Do you want me to get the kids in some different clothes?"

"We'll do it," Olivia said, "Will you send them in here?"

"Sure." Sarah spun on her heel and walked back into the living room with a triumphant expression on her face. Thanks to Justin's texts, she knew the flight had been a success as far as her Dad and Olivia were concerned and finding them wrapped in each other's arms seemed to indicate an end to the tension. She sent the kids into the bedroom and double checked to make sure the sofa bed guard rails had been delivered. They had, so there was no reason why the twins and Noah couldn't sleep in the living room, at least for tonight.

"Why are you looking so self-congratulatory?" Caroline asked from the kitchen where she'd poured herself a cocktail.

"I see you've found the liquor cabinet," Sarah replied.

"It's the only cabinet with any food in it, dearie."

"Food is arguable," Sarah retorted, "And, I look like this because I am so happy. This is going to be the best, most perfect week ever."

Sarah flounced into her bedroom leaving Caroline sitting at the bar shaking her head and curling her spindly fingers around the tumbler of gin.

…

#Tuckson