136.

Olivia's dream included a long table with seats for sixteen, maybe twenty, with sun reflecting off water glasses, the gentle roar of voices, there were jokes, steaming platters of delicious food, and gleaming smiles. When Ed woke up and saw Olivia smiling in her sleep, he assumed it was a fluke, but nevertheless enjoyed the sight of opening his eyes and immediately viewing his wife in the muted dawn sunlight, her face bathed in contentment. Deciding to let her sleep, he quietly and carefully slithered out of bed and ended up in the kitchen hunting for breakfast ingredients. He cobbled together the makings of an impromptu morning feast and paused to pour a cup of coffee. The apartment was completely silent and he longed for a voice-one of the twins urging the other to wake up or Noah talking to himself while his computer booted up. But it was still early and everyone was sound asleep. For a moment, a dark thought drifted into his mind-had he remained a single divorcee, he would have had many mornings like this one, up early, motivated to make breakfast, but having no one to serve.

The coffee was good. Robust. Strong but not bitter. One of the luxuries Olivia allowed herself was a fancy coffee machine, and, at first, Ed was indifferent to it, but he had to admit the contraption made some pretty damn good brew. He missed the newspaper. Olivia insisted they pause the print subscription, and he complied without complaint. Nothing in there but political back-and-forth and heart wrenching stories anyway, he figured. They were now a month into quarantine and several states were beginning to let their stay-at-home orders expire. Twitter exploded in debates, and Ed loved reading threads of liberals and conservatives spitting virtual vitriol back and forth. He scrolled through updates and checked Instagram. The photo he'd posted of the kids staring out of the window as the sun went down the night before now had ten likes.

The first kid up was Wyatt. He shuffled out of the bedroom rubbing his eyes and Ed rounded the island to intercept him. "Mornin, Wyatt Edward!" Wyatt erupted into soft, gentle giggles when Ed hoisted him in the air and gave him a bear hug. "You sleep good, pal?"

Wyatt nodded and said, "Kime a tree."

"What's that?"

"I kime a tree and get a boo birdie and den he fly away!"

"A blue bird?"

Wyatt shoved his fist in his mouth and nodded. "Uh-huh."

Ed tried to remember if Wyatt had ever climbed a tree or seen someone climb one. "Who climbs trees, bud?"

"You kime, Dada," Wyatt replied, "You a big boy."

Ed chuckled and kissed Wyatt's head. "I'll help ya climb trees one of these days, okay?"

"Kay, Dada. Go uh'in da leaves!"

"That's right." Ed swapped Wyatt's nighttime pull-up for a clean one and carried him to the kitchen, "You want to help me make breakfast?"

Another nod.

Ed dumped pancake mix into a bowl, added an egg and milk and gave Wyatt a whisk. "Stir it up. Go slow."

Wyatt crossed his legs and concentrated on the task. He followed directions and made agonizingly slow circles around the bowl, pausing only to take sips from the juice Ed sat at his side. "Makin b'fast, Dada," Wyatt said at one point.

Ed's entire body swelled with love for his toddler son. Wyatt was so focused on the task, so intent, so dedicated, and Ed felt a faint pang of guilt. Wyatt always seemed to receive the least attention of the three kids. He was so quiet and well-behaved. He instinctively stayed where his parents could see him. Ed had a certain, unique affinity for all of his five children. Sarah was unapologetically honest. Brooke was an endearing overthinker. Noah thrived on learning and was voraciously curious. Maggie was passionate, fun-loving, and a little wild. Wyatt was sort of a mystery. He revealed himself in tiny pieces; however, his disposition included a precocious level headedness and sense of duty. Wyatt's personality was probably the closest to Ed's.

"Vi'us in here, Dada?" Wyatt stopped stirring and looked up at Ed.

"No, bud," Ed ruffled Wyatt's brown locks which would soon need a home haircut. "No virus in there. No virus in our house." Ed hoped that was true.

"Vi'us make us ca' go on da sides," Wyatt murmured and started to stir again.

"I know you wanna slide, big guy." Ed studied the dimples in his son's hands, both clutched the whisk in a death grip, and his feet and how he subconsciously wiggled his toes while he worked. "We'll slide again soon."

"Wa'side now."

Ed's eyes raked across the living space and got an idea. "Know what? I think we can slide in here." Wyatt grinned and his eyes sparkled. Ed cupped his head and held it to his chest for a few seconds. "Love you, Wy."

Wyatt giggled. "Dada, gotta stir!"

"Oh, sorry," Ed grinned, You're doin' a great job."

….

The hotel room overlooked a marina and boasted vaulted ceilings and a fireplace. Ed insisted he had no idea and had booked the room without Googling it and only because it was closest to the wedding venue. The romantic digs were obtained by pure chance and he thanked whatever fates had allowed it to happen because Olivia roamed around the room with a dreamy expression on her face and waved him out to the balcony with a sexy cock of her eyebrow.

"This is gorgeous," she sighed.

"Glad you like it," he replied as if the whole thing had been planned.

Olivia hugged his arm and stared out at the boats bobbing in their slips. "Such a wonderful night…"

Ed stayed still, soaking up the closeness. She was right. It had been a wonderful night. They drank obscenely expensive whiskey with his distant relatives and chased it with succulent dessert wine. Buoyed by alcohol, Ed participated in a few more up-beat dances and swayed Olivia around during each ballad. He gave up on proper steps, wrapped his arms around her, and filled with warmth when she returned his smiles and kisses. It was a night he didn't want to end and they stayed late, leaving when the band packed up and ceded the stage to a deejay.

"Okay to drive?" Olivia had asked.

Ed nodded and rocked back and forth on his heels while they waited for the valet, proving he could balance. There had been nights they left a restaurant, hopped in a cab, and been all over each other. But, on this night, Olivia stared out into the clear, starry sky, and they spent the short two mile commute to the hotel in silence. Ed didn't necessarily think this was a bad thing, but it was enough for him to proceed with caution.

Now, on the balcony, he was having trouble controlling himself. She was still wearing the teal dress. Her toes curled around the lower railing rung, and she'd folded her hair into a messy chignon. Ed could still detect a faint hint of the perfume she must have dabbed on after they first arrived at the club. The sight of her in profile was too much. He kissed her neck and immediately apologized.

"Sorry," he said, "I, uh-"

She turned and kissed him on the mouth. It was a ferocious smooch but she tore her lips away from his too quickly for Ed's liking. She stared into his eyes. Her makeup was already smeared. "Why haven't we done this more often?"

He smirked, "Gone to weddings? We, uh, have to know people who get married to do that."

"I mean get away for a night."

Truth be told, a getaway such as this wasn't something he thought Olivia would have wanted. She prioritized Noah and her job above all else. Even when she was off-duty, every ring of the phone threatened to end what should have been a day away from the precinct. From Ed's vantage point, a brief getaway was just not feasible, and, until now, he'd hesitated to throw the idea out there.

"Ed?"

He was taking too long to answer.

What the hell, he thought as he turned to face her and grabbed her hands, might as well be honest. "I suppose I kinda figured somethin' like this would be too stressful for ya."

"Why?" Olivia asked even though she knew the answer and Ed considering her insanely busy schedule made her love him even more.

"You've got so many people needin' your attention," he started to explain.

"You can need my attention too," Olivia moved closer to him. "Ed, I know...the two of us...hasn't been easy at times, but I hate to think it's…"

"-Liv-"

She stepped even closer. Their faces were inches apart. Their bodies touched. In the harbor, the water softly crashed against the retaining wall; other than that, there was no other sound.

"-I hate to think you're worried about upsetting me," she said.

"More like worried about pressuring you," Ed let go of her hands so he could wrap his arms around her waist. "I don't want you to feel that. Not from me."

"How about," Olivia played with his tie and her lips started to curl into a smile, "You stop worrying that you're pressuring me, and I won't worry about hurting your feelings if I have to say no to something you suggest?"

Ed smirked. "I think you'll still worry about that."

"You're right. But, I'll try." She closed her eyes and pressed her lips to his. The breeze kicked up then and sent strands of her hair flying against his face. She pressed her forehead to his and stared into his eyes. "This is one of my favorite nights. Ever."

"I'm glad you're havin' a good time." He opened his mouth to say something else, but Olivia stopped him.

"Please don't thank me again for coming here."

"How'd you know that's what I was gonna say?"

"I don't know...I just knew."

He smiled, conceding, once again, he'd met his match. "Want to go back inside? There's, uh…"

"Ed?"

"Huh?"

She ran her fingers across his lips and replied, "All I want is you."

….

Fear was not an emotion Noah expressed very often. Since he was exposed to an above-average dose of adult talk and paid close attention to everything, he would express worry and concern over certain topics; however, Noah rarely expressed being afraid. As a result, when their little boy ran into the living room late one afternoon clutching his laptop and a look of dread on his face, both Olivia and Ed were instantly alarmed.

"What is it, Noah?" Olivia asked.

Noah practically threw the laptop at her. "Look," he said, pointing at the screen with a trembling index finger, "Dat bug!"

Ed didn't have to look. He was certain Noah's Internet travels had taken him to the news of the discovery of the "murder hornet" on the west coast. Sure enough, Noah had zoomed in on an image of the black-and-orange predator.

"Da video said it kills da honeybees by eatin' their heads!"

Other than deciding it was time to monitor Noah's computer usage more closely, Olivia passed the computer to Ed and lifted Noah into her lap. "The hornet's not in New York, sweetie, so we don't have to worry. And people are already working to get rid of it so it doesn't hurt the honeybees anymore."

"It can sting people," Noah replied, refusing to even consider Olivia's reassurances, "Even the guys in da bee suits! The guys said da stinger feels like fire!"

"That sounds really scary," Olivia said, hugging him more tightly.

Noah shuddered. "I hope they don't come to New York. Or to Del'ware. Or to any place we're at."

"I bet they're gonna work really hard to make sure it doesn't spread," Ed offered. "Everyone knows we gotta protect the honeybees."

"How they gonna do that?"

"I read that they're setting traps," Ed explained, "And they look for the queen to make sure she can't make a nest. If she can't make a nest, then the hornets can't go after the honeybees." Ed crossed his fingers that his oversimplification was sufficient to mollify his son.

"Dat's a good idea to set traps," Noah sat up in Olivia's arms. His demeanor shifted from terrified to resolute. "But...what if da hornets get trapped and then they have baby hornets that don't have moms and dads?"

"Other hornets will take care of them," Olivia said. "And they'll find other ways to get food. That's why they were going after the honeybees. They use them for food." While Ed's explanation was missing some facts, hers was completely fabricated to the point she was a little ashamed. However, Noah bought it. He left the computer with his parents and decided he was going to draw a few pictures to include in his next round of letters which he'd finished writing the night before.

"Corona virus, murder hornets," Olivia murmured, "What's next?"

Ed shrugged, "I dunno, but, well, pile it all on now. Let's deal with everything at once so we can get back to normal. And still have bees. Call me an idiot, but I didn't realize how much they mattered to the food supply."

"I would never call you an idiot," Olivia replied, "And I didn't know that, either."

"It's true. Fruits, vegetables, avocados...are avocados a fruit or a vegetable?"

"I think a fruit."

"Ah, okay, well, all of those and almonds, olives, coffee-"

"-Coffee, huh?"

"Yes."

"Well, we must save the honeybees," Olivia declared, sounding like she was giving a public service announcement, "if not for anything else, for the coffee."

…..

In the days after the hurricane, Bethany Beach quickly returned to life. The shops and restaurants reopened and the boardwalk bustled with both locals and tourists. The Tucker house also swelled with people. Brooke and Sofia made the trip without Sonny, who was in the middle of a high profile trial. He planned to take the train down as soon as it concluded. Justin and Sarah brought Carmen, Justin's mother, Anthony, Mari, and the new baby, a boy named after Justin and called JJ. When she learned she was pregnant months after adopting the children from Puerto Rico, Sarah vacillated between being terrified and feeling bestowed with blessings. However, her pregnancy was difficult-she was ill for most of the first trimester, hospitalized once during the second, and finally put on bed rest until she went into labor, three weeks early. JJ was breech and delivered via emergency C-Section, and, like Wyatt, spent his first weeks in the NICU while his lungs strengthened. The relief and elation at him being home was clouded by JJ developing a bout of colic which took its toll on the entire Vidal family. Ed and Olivia helped out by hosting Anthony and Mari for weekends, but the pair, though well-adjusted, didn't tolerate being away from home for more than a night. Now, at four months, JJ was past the colicky stage but he was still a clingy baby. Sarah and Justin were happy to have a lot of extra hands for a week.

For Noah, Maggie, and Wyatt, the best part about having guests was that they got the privilege of sleeping in the downstairs den. The den wasn't large, but it was big enough for a pull-out loveseat and two convertible chairs. A flat screen was mounted on the wall in the middle of two built-in bookcases which housed dozens of books, some of which were left by the previous homeowners. Wyatt loved to peruse those titles and, to the amusement and bewilderment of his family, once spent an entire day poring over a hardcover anthology of the Stories of John Cheever. Beneath the bookshelves, two large cabinets housed an impressive collection of board games as well as a photo album specifically designated for the beach.

Olivia had taken great care to get the lighting right in the room. Each chair was paired with a floor lamp which could be angled in such a way that it wouldn't bother other occupants if it were left on the entire night. A third lamp was situated in the darkest corner of the room and its multicolored shades gave the space a funky twist. A basket near the door held three neatly folded, handmade throw blankets, and magazines were stacked on the bottom platform of each end table. An interior decorator would probably declare the room cluttered, but Olivia found it to be warm and inviting. The kids loved the privacy and seclusion it afforded. If the adults' movie choice or conversation didn't suit them, they could retreat to the den. When it functioned as their bedroom, after everyone else was upstairs, it felt like the entire first floor was theirs.

Under normal circumstances, Noah, Maggie, and Wyatt had their own rooms and no distractions when it was time to sleep. All together, though, they stayed up late, watching shows, talking, or playing games. On this night, talking predominated.

"Noah?" Wyatt asked, "Are all kids happy?"

Noah finished chewing a handful of Chex Mix he'd shoved into his mouth seconds before Wyatt asked the question. "No," he replied sagely, "Some kids have a life that's really bad. They don't have what we have."

"I know that," Wyatt replied.

"He wants to know why JJ whines all the time," Maggie said, finding herself in the familiar role of translating her twin's true thoughts into words everyone else could understand.

"And Anthony and Mari," Wyatt added, "Do you think they're sad they don't know what happened to their first mom?"

Noah shrugged. Anthony had never given an indication that he thought about his mother, and Noah wasn't sure if he even remembered surviving the storm that had taken her away. Noah tried to think of himself at four; he dug deep for early memories, and he couldn't clearly remember much before Pre-K. Even when he looked back at pictures from his infancy and toddlerhood, he had trouble imagining a life without both his Mom and Dad, and even though he knew certain details about his birth mother, he had little desire to learn more.

"It's hard to be sad about a person you don't know," Noah answered, "I don't think Anthony remembers her. There's no way Mari can. And they're both lucky Sarah and Justin adopted them. And, JJ, well, he's a baby. He's not crying because he's sad. He's crying 'cause he wants something."

"That baby always wants someone to hold him!" Maggie said in an exasperated tone. "But, he's so cuuuute!"

"We should ask Sof if she wants to sleep here with us," Wyatt said out of the blue.

Noah and Maggie regarded him with skepticism. Sofia was less than two years younger than the twins, but she and the Tucker kids had never developed a close bond. This bothered Olivia more than she let on, and it bothered Ed, too, but he was more pragmatic about the reality of the situation. Brooke and Sonny moved to a house of their own in the suburbs shortly after Sofia's second birthday, so distance stood in the way. Additionally, Brooke was exceedingly overprotective of her daughter and had developed into the type of hovering parent Ed had regularly criticized at the toddler gym and the playgrounds. Sofia was shy, always gravitated toward her mother, and was oddly quiet for a girl of six. Even though Wyatt wasn't the chattiest kid on Earth, he was still adventurous, confident, and gregarious is his own way. To the worry of both Ed and Olivia, Sofia seemed headed down the path of a hermit's life. Consequently, they didn't fault their kids for forgetting to include Sofia in things such as a camp out in the den.

"She's not gonna sleep here," Maggie snapped, clearly annoyed with what she deemed Wyatt's fantastical thinking.

"We could still offer," Noah said casually, trying not to give the perception of taking sides.

Maggie remained dismissive. "Sof's gonna say no. What would she do anyway? She doesn't like our shows and never plays games except Uno and I'm sick of Uno."

Noah grinned. He had Maggie cornered. "We could play Sequence," he said. It was Maggie's favorite game, "With four. I'll play with Sof."

All of a sudden, a competitive glow illuminated Maggie's face. She nodded and squinted at Wyatt, silently telling him he better bring his A-Game to the showdown. "Alright," she said slowly, "Go get her."

Footsteps could still be heard overhead, so Noah didn't mind going up to extend the invitation. Maggie fetched the board from the cabinet and unfolded it on the coffee table which would have to be shoved to the side when it was time to unfold the beds.

"Be nice Maggs, okay?" Wyatt said softly. He didn't mind competition, but he hated conflict. It was a fine line he walked often.

"Okay," she hissed, "Just...play right."

Wyatt relaxed and agreed. He and his sister had a connection that, in games like Sequence, could be considered borderline cheating. They were often so in sync, Wyatt felt guilty about winning. While Maggie celebrated, Wyatt agonized over ethics.

"I hope she comes down," Wyatt said, "I like playing four better than three."

"Me too. More fun with partners." Maggie squinted again. "If Noah tries to say boys 'gainst girls, say no, okay?"

"He already said we could be partners."

Maggie wore a dubious scowl.

"Okay," Wyatt relented, "I promise I'll say no."

Maggie grinned. Wyatt's promises were rock solid. "Thanks, brother."

Rolling his eyes slightly, Wyatt mumbled, "You're welcome."

…..

It took both Ed and Olivia to make sure the kids could use the makeshift slide safely. Using the back of the couch, a dining chair, and a chair from the twins' set as a base, Ed angled one of the old crib mattresses on top of the makeshift structure and invited the kids to try it out. He and Olivia stood on either side, and the trio took turns shooting down the slick surface and into a pile of pillows and stuffed animals.

"This is da BEST slide, Daddy!" Noah exclaimed after his fifth or sixth turn.

Dragging the mattress up from their basement storage pod was worth the hour of fun the slide provided. At one point, Noah went down headfirst and unintentionally ended up somersaulting into the cushions. Of course, Maggie and Wyatt wanted to do the same, and, from there, more experimental acrobatics ensued. By the time the trio started getting overly hyper, it was time to start dinner. Ed leaned the mattress against the foyer wall, much to Noah's delight, for he assumed this meant there would be more indoor sliding in the near future. After dinner, Ed and Olivia played Skip-Bo with Noah and gave the twins the Trouble board to keep them occupied. Maggie and Wyatt invented their own version of the game and were occupied long enough for Ed to declare victory twice.

"You're da winner again," Noah sighed after the second game. "C'gratulations."

"Thanks, pal," Ed replied. He collected the cards into a pile and shoved them back into the sleeve.

"Time for bed," Noah murmured.

"How about," Olivia said slowly. "You and Daddy go out for a little walk while I get the twins in bed?" Ed raised his eyebrows and Olivia put a hand on his arm. "It'll be good for you to get out. Just wear your masks, okay?"

"Kay, Mommy!" Noah propelled himself off of his chair.

Ed stood up and kissed Olivia as he rounded the table, "We won't be long," he said, "And we'll be careful."

"I know you will," she said. "See you in a bit."

…..

The next night Ed prepared an early dinner for the kids and didn't include any food for himself and Olivia. "What's going on?" She asked when she saw Ed slide a cookie sheet full of chicken nuggets into the oven.

"You and I are having a date tonight," he said.

"That sounds nice," she replied, grinning at him.

"It's not the anniversary of our first dinner together, but I ordered from the same place."

Much to her dismay, Olivia strained to think of the first actual dinner they'd shared. Finally, she remembered the sports bar/burger joint she was sure Ed suggested for it's glaringly casual ambiance. "I'm glad they're still open," she said, "Did you get the fried zucchini?"

"I did," he smirked and gave her a kiss that had to be cut short because the macaroni and cheese water was starting to boil. He stirred the pasta and smiled, recalling how he'd bitten into the fried appetizer without thinking and scalded his mouth. "And the burger with the avocado, you, uh, shared with me."

As he spoke, Ed appeared just as jittery and unsure of himself as he'd been on that night a few years ago. Olivia glanced at his fingers and remembered how they'd trembled ever so slightly as he took the piece she'd cut and how electricity jolted through her body when their hands touched.

She patted the back pockets of his jeans and kissed his cheek. "That was a great night," she intoned, "I can't wait to relive it."

"Only this time we're sleepin' together."

She handed over the colander and teased, "And maybe you won't be so nervous?"

"Oh," Ed drained the pasta and shook it for good measure. "I think I'll always be a little nervous around ya, Liv."

"Seriously?"

"Yes," he tossed a cube of butter and poured milk into the pot without measuring.

"Are you nervous right now?"

"A little."

"Well, have a drink or something, Captain," she said, "We have a long night ahead of us."

….

#Tuckson