149. Sorry for the vacation delay! I hope everyone is well and ready for some more Tuckson!

Out of courtesy, Olivia met G at a coffee shop near her East Village office and promised not to take too much of her time. To prove it, she brought Maggie along. The addition of children made the mood more casual and relaxed and Olivia loved taking her daughter places. She craved mother-daughter time, especially now that Maggie was expressing herself more and more with each passing day. Olivia had always anticipated having conversations with her daughter with mixed emotions, but now that Maggie was more vocal, she wanted to learn everything about her little girl. After the meeting she planned to take Maggie for some shopping. Warmer weather was on the horizon and it was time to make a few spring wardrobe purchases. Maggie had started to be particular about her clothing and liked to choose her own outfits, so Olivia was excited about their first cooperative shopping trip.

Inside the shop, they claimed two wingback chairs, and Olivia set Maggie's drawing tablet and crayon pouch on the adjacent coffee table. Maggie wasn't interested in the art supplies right away. She wandered around the area, crouched to inspect a stack of magazines contained in a wire crate, and yanked on the leaves of a faux fig tree. When Olivia gently reprimanded her, Maggie turned, grinned, and gave the leaves another, albeit less aggressive tug.

"I have a feeling she's going to give Ed and me a run for our money," Olivia remarked. She didn't reveal any indication she was embarrassed or troubled by her daughter's mild recalcitrance.

"She and Wyatt have definitely developed distinct personalities," G said, "I noticed so much of a difference compared to the last time I saw them. I think it was sometime in December."

Olivia agreed. "They sure do. And now that they're talking more and more it's more apparent." She picked up Maggie's juice and wiggled it in the air. "Maggs, honey, come over here with us."

Maggie pointed to the person who had captured her attention. "Misser 'Credible, Mama!"

G covered her mouth to stifle her giggle. One of the men now in line was either a personal trainer or professional body builder-he was one of those guys who was so beefy it looked impossible for his arms to completely hang limp at his sides. Olivia chuckled politely and waved Maggie over again, this time, she used her iPhone as bait. Maggie came running for the phone and hopped into Olivia's lap to play a game.

"If you haven't noticed already," Olivia threaded her fingers through Maggie's brown locks, "I'm not above bribing my kids with electronics."

G shrugged, "Is any parent above bribing their kids?"

"I doubt it," Olivia replied. "It's a matter of survival. Speaking of which, the reason I wanted to talk to you is that my Center, oh-have you heard of it?"

"Yes," G answered, mentally calling up the image of the two-page spread in the local section of the New York Times devoted to its opening.

Olivia was always so humble and unassuming about her career that G's familiarity with the Center surprised her. "Oh, well, to make a long story short, the initial donations only go so far. And, in order to grow the endowment, we can't really dip into reserves, so, it's time to think about an annual benefit. I wanted to pick your brain and talk about some possible options. Sarah mentioned you're swamped right now, so I'm not asking for you to take this on too, I-"

"-I'd love to do it," G, determined, leaned forward for emphasis. "I want to."

Her adamant response reminded Olivia of G's comments about Gary Wald and she knew her willingness to spearhead the project was rooted in more than a simple desire to be helpful. However, Olivia also sensed this was neither the time nor the place to dive into personal matters, so she avoided asking any of the questions swirling in her mind. "I was thinking some type of auction, similar to what you do for Noah's school? Unless, well, maybe I'm not thinking creatively enough. I know there are far more options."

"Do you have a dollar amount in mind?" G asked. "What's the goal?"

Olivia produced a stapled set of papers from her bag. "Here's last year's expenses. We're really bare bones, but I'd like to add at least one additional intake counselor."

"What's an intake counselor?"

"I know, it's sounds so clinical," Olivia griped, "But, it's the person who does the initial consult. Their job is to prioritize need-is it mental health? Housing? A job? Medical? Child care? Help navigating parts of the system? Often, those first sessions can last almost an entire day. There were times it took me an entire morning to get someone to say five words. It's a tall order to establish the kind of trust needed to move forward and it's too much for the two people we have now. Ideally, we need two more."

G nodded and skimmed the pages, "Can I take this and can I have a couple days to bat around some possibilities? I'll email you a few options later this week?"

"Of course," Olivia said, "I really appreciate it. And, obviously, we'll need to factor in what we'll pay you."

"Right," G mumbled, feeling awkward like she always did when Ed tried to pay her for babysitting. "I'll include that."

"OVE ALLS, G!" Maggie grinned and clutched the straps of her denim overalls. The buckles fascinated her and she demonstrated unfastening and fastening one for G.

Grateful for the gleeful interruption, G sat back in the chair and relaxed. "I love your overalls, Maggie! Are they new?"

"No," Olivia answered, "I bought them last fall and they were a little too big, so they disappeared into the back of the closet and I rediscovered them today. Wyatt has a pair, too. I might do overall portraits for the spring."

"I love it," G said.

"Well, you probably have to get going," Olivia helped Maggie with the other buckle which had posed a challenge for Maggie's little fingers. "I wrote my email address on the back of one of those sheets but, of course, you can always call or text."

"Got it," G replied.

"Maggs, say bye bye to G," Olivia prompted.

Maggie squirmed out of Olivia's lap and grabbed G's hand, "You come bye bye w'us!"

"Aww," G hugged the toddler, "Sorry, but I have to go to work. We'll play another time, okay?"

Olivia wrestled Maggie's arms into her windbreaker, "If you're free next weekend," Olivia said, "Ed and I would love to go out to dinner. You could come over a little early and we could go over the plans then? Saturday?"

"Okay," G said, "That works."

"Only if you're free."

"I am," G grinned at Maggie, "I'll see you Saturday, Miss Maggie!"

"Sat'day, Monnay, Sunnay, We'DAY!" Maggie chanted.

"We're working on the right order," Olivia joked as she took Maggie's hand.

"I wouldn't mind Saturday, Monday, Sunday," G said, "A day on, then off wouldn't be so bad."

"I agree," Olivia gave G a quick, one-armed hug. At her other side, Maggie jumped up and down using her mother's grip for balance. "We'll see you Saturday. Four o'clock?"

G smiled. "I'll be there."

….

The appointed meeting spot was far out of Ed's geographic comfort zone, but Olivia appreciated both the change and also the cozy bistro's dimly lit, brick-walled confines. Ed was at the bar when she entered, and she noticed a pile of cash next to his drink indicating he planned to move to a table. However, Olivia liked the close proximity bar seating afforded and she insisted they remain there.

"How was your day?" He asked.

The way he always genuinely sounded interested in how her work hours unfolded continually amazed her. She smiled appreciatively and replied that it was uneventful and she was hoping the lull would continue for a few weeks. "We all deserve a breather," she said. The Hank Abraham case had taken its toll on everyone in various ways. "How was yours?"

"Same thing. Nothin' especially interesting."

Occasionally, Ed held his cards close to the vest, so Olivia posed a follow-up question.

She cocked her head and leaned toward him. He seemed a little stiff and unsure of himself which was now very unusual. "Upper East Side IAB business this afternoon?"

"I guess you could call it that," he replied. Noticing Olivia was patiently waiting for more information, he went on to explain he'd spent the second half of his day at the Abraham apartment.

Olivia raised her eyebrows, "I thought the case was closed."

"It is. I was at the neighbor's place. Got his door repaired today."

According to Ed's expression, the good deed embarrassed him but Olivia's heart filled with affection and it was all she could do to not completely smother him with hugs and kisses right there in the middle of the restaurant. Normally it would take weeks for citizens' property to be returned or repaired if it had been taken or damaged during the course of a police investigation. Ed cut the elderly man's wait time by at least half, probably more.

"Hostage Negotiation," Ed explained, trying to emphasize that pulling strings was not a big deal, "We had to get the repair team in there a lot after jobs so I know some guys pretty well. Thought it would be a quick thing but it wasn't. Had to replace the whole locking mechanism."

Olivia smiled, tugged on one of his hands, and gave him a soft kiss on the lips. "That was really sweet of you to do that."

Ed shrugged. "Felt bad for the guy. And, what's worse, he hasn't had cable since that night."

Olivia's heartache was visible. "So you took care of that, too?"

"Yeah," Ed replied in his softest voice. "If that were my relative, I'd want someone to look after him." He saw her expression and noticed her eyes were starting to glass over. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing," she said, "I was just thinking about how so many people miss how kind you are. I'm glad I didn't miss it forever." She leaned in for another kiss and Ed placed a hand on her knee for balance. So this is what a romantic dinner date was like, Olivia thought as she closed her eyes and savored the sensation of his lips against hers. Other men's attempts paled in comparison to what Ed Tucker could do with his simple gestures and unassuming demeanor. For example, he'd touched her body everywhere, but appeared apologetic after the kiss when he dragged his hand away from her leg.

"You want to order?" He asked.

"Sure."

"Sorry to seem like I'm rushing you—"

"—No lunch today?" Olivia guessed.

"Not really."

She picked up the small laminated menu. A few offerings caught her eye and she suggested they split an appetizer to start. Ed hadn't admitted it, but Olivia knew he loved sharing food with her. "We'll eat," she said cheerfully, "And then maybe take a dessert home? Are you…free the rest of the evening?"

Ed felt streaks of heat stripe his neck. "Nothin' on my calendar."

"Well, if you don't mind Noah asking you to play Legos and read him a book, we'd love to have you over."

"You know I don't mind that."

Olivia nodded and smiled. "I know."

…..

While brushing teeth in front of the mirror, Ed kept sneaking glances at his wife and laughing. He had to restrain himself from peeling the towel away from her body and initiating a second part to what had been, very nearly, a too-exciting evening. Olivia rinsed with mouthwash, wiped her face, and kissed Ed's shoulder on her way back into the bedroom. "I would change the sheets," she remarked naughtily, "But I suppose that's not necessary." She let the towel fall and went to grab her sleepwear.

"Go to bed like that and it might be necessary," he gurgled, his mouth full of toothpaste.

Wearing lightweight shorts and a loose tank top, Olivia adjusted the comforter and sheets which had been completely dislodged when, earlier, she and Ed tumbled off the mattress. Olivia assumed most parents of young children had close calls during intimacy. She and Ed certainly had; however, the night's wild, playful sex had had the potential to be more than a close call. If Noah had woken up, the crash would have been very difficult to explain away. Fortunately, Noah was exhausted from school and the season's first soccer practice and it would have taken the F Train rumbling through the room to wake him.

Wearing a pair of black boxers and nothing else, Ed slid under the covers and joined her on the pillow in the middle of the bed. Olivia kissed him and asked, "How's your shoulder?"

"It's okay," he replied in a gravelly voice. "Elbow might have taken the brunt of it."

"Want ice?"

"No," he grinned and draped an arm around her. "C'mere."

They kissed until they were both laughing again. Were they that clumsy? So wrapped up in teasing one another that they completely lost their bearings and teetered on the edge of the mattress before Ed muttered, oh shit, tried to regain their collective balance, failed, and then did his best to cushion her fall?

Olivia stroked the stubble on his face. "I don't think we've done it on the floor in here before," she whispered.

"Nope," Ed said sweetly, "First time."

"A good time," she added.

"Damn right."

Olivia grinned, kissed him again, and experienced a quick, thrilling jolt in her midsection as she recalled how they froze, waiting for running footsteps and Noah's innocent, Mommy? After what seemed like an hour but was probably only a few minutes, they were back at it, kissing, hands flying everywhere, until Olivia pinned him on his back and whispered in his ear. Ed lifted his chin toward the ceiling, his eyes rolled backwards, and he let out a low moan as Olivia began moving on top of him.

"I love your smile," Ed murmured and traced her lips with an index finger. "Whatcha thinking about?"

"You," she replied, "Us."

"You should have sweet dreams then."

"I will." Olivia rolled over so her back was against Ed's chest, her typical falling-asleep position. So many nights of her life had been spent in bed alone, but now she couldn't imagine being apart from him during the night. She clutched his arm and cooed, "I love you, Ed."

"I love you," he replied, sounding sleepy.

"Sorry about your elbow."

"Don't you worry about it," his body shook with laughter, "I'll be rested and ready to go tomorrow."

….

Sarah tossed her empty lunch container in her bag and made sure she had an umbrella. It was not yet raining, but the skies outside of her window were dark gray and threatening. She sent Justin a text to let him know she was on her way, and when she looked up Brooke was standing in the doorway. "Oh, shit," Sarah gasped, "You scared me!"

"The receptionist told me to just come back."

"Yeah, sure, she knows that's fine, but," Sarah gestured at the weather, "I was thinking of this storm and getting home and it's late, well, later than I usually leave. I didn't think anyone would be there. What's up?"

"I had a dentist appointment...thought I'd stop by on the chance you were still here," Brooke fiddled with the button on one side of her rain jacket, "Thought maybe we could grab dinner? Or a drink if you need to get home?"

"Let me call Justin," Sarah said with a frustrated sigh even though she was certain Justin would not have a problem with her going out with Brooke. She promised to bring food home, ended the call, and tossed the phone into her bag. "Where to?"

"Maxwell's? It's close and the storm will have passed by the time we're done?"

Sarah agreed and they hustled a few blocks north to the pub. It was one of Sarah's regular after work haunts and she nodded to the familiar bartender after they took their seats. "How are your teeth?" She asked Brooke.

"No cavities."

"Cheers to that," Sarah raised her glass then screwed up her face, "You're still going to the same office?"

"Yeah. I can change doctors easily, but the dentist? No."

Sarah was amazed Brooke had remained a patient at the same office where they'd had their teeth cleaned as little kids. "Who's the dentist now? The grandson?"

"No, still the son. I think the grandson's still in dental school."

"Well I'll be damned."

Having had enough of small talk, Brooke bit the bullet and launched into the apology she'd rehearsed on the way to Sarah's office. "Sare, I'm sorry," she blurted out, "I'm not sorry for being concerned about Noah, but I am sorry for the way it came out, and, well, for being so out of it that I couldn't explain myself. I talked to Olivia, I've talked to Dad, I get it. Even though I think I'll always worry a little more about Noah, I get it."

"Why worry more about him?" Sarah shot back, "He's fine."

"I know he is," Brooke replied, "But what about when he gets older and starts asking more difficult questions? How do you think he's going to react when he finds out what his father did? When he finds out who his mother was? When he finds out how Olivia found him? I mean, damn, Sare, our parents got divorced and it was hard, I can't-"

"-Noey's parents are Dad and Olivia," Sarah interrupted. "His identity is all wrapped up in being their son, not anyone else's. I don't know how Livvie and Dad are going to handle his questions, shit, I'm glad it's them and not me who will have to figure out answers, but if you're so consumed with all these what ifs, it seems to me you don't really get it."

"How about you trust me that I do?" Brooke did not want to reveal what Olivia told her about Serena. She narrowed her eyes and straightened her back. It was a confident pose and Sarah seemed to pick up on the implicit message.

"Fine," Sarah said. "I hate fighting with you anyway."

"Because I don't fight back," Brooke said, "I never have. You need a sparring partner. That's why you and mom never got along. Both of you always had to top each other's points. It was exhausting living with you two."

"At least until Aidan was born," Sarah said, "Then she didn't give a fuck."

Brooke would have defended her late mother, but she had no ammunition to do so. Their mother definitely tuned herself out of her daughters' lives when Aidan arrived. It wasn't a figment of either of their imaginations. "True," Brooke mumbled.

Sarah's eyes shot wide open. "Wow."

"What?"

"I don't think you would've agreed with me a few years ago."

"Probably not," she replied, "The money and hours spent on therapy must have worked a little bit." Sarah's eyes were still saucers. Her hair pulled into the tight ponytail made her look extra alarmed. "I realized I refused to admit a lot of stuff about mom because it felt like a betrayal. She was so good at casting herself as the victim. Everything was always Dad's fault or Grandma's fault, or, well, even our fault. I honestly didn't see it until a few months ago."

"Wow," Sarah said again.

"And when I realized it, well, I realized how I'd been wary with Olivia, then a little jealous, then a lot jealous-"

"-jealous?"

"Yeah," Brooke took a sip of her dirty martini, "She's such a good mother. So good, it amplified how bad mom was, well, at times. She wasn't always bad."

"No," Sarah said, "She wasn't. But she was no Livvie. Livvie's kids are never going to have to wonder whether or not their mom loves them. And she will never put Daddy in a position where he has to try so hard to prove he loves them."

"Nice insight," Brooke's easy smile returned, "You should be a shrink."

Sarah giggled, "Can you imagine?" She swallowed a gulp of her vodka, "Me? Hell fucking no. People would leave more fucked up or angry than when they came in."

Grateful their usual sisterly banter was returning, Brooke signaled for another round, "I really don't think you'd be that bad."

….

Justin was straddling a laundry basket full of the kids' clothes in front of the washer and dryer when Sonny strolled in from the side door and dropped a case of water and a twelve pack of beer on the floor. "Hey man," he said, "Where'd you go this morning?"

"Paddleboarding," Justin replied.

"Sure was early."

"Yeah, figured it was easier to have my mom watch the kids early rather than this afternoon," he said, "You and Brooke should go. See a lot of wildlife-birds, fish…"

Sonny was skeptical. "I dunno. I'm sure I'd fall into the muck."

"The boards are pretty stable."

"I have horrible balance."

Justin shrugged. He wasn't about to beg Sonny to try the activity. He opened the dryer to transfer wet clothes and found a heap of bedsheets inside.

"I'll get those," Sonny said, eager to be of assistance. "Yours?"

"No."

Sonny unfurled a fitted sheet, taking stock of the size. "Must be Liv's and the Captain's then." He grinned slyly and lowered his voice, "They sure do change sheets a lot. Cap' was just in here a couple days ago with another set."

"You're sure keeping a close watch on him."

"I was a cop," Sonny said, "I notice everything. I wish Brooke and I had to change sheets that often," Sonny nudged Justin, "Know what I'm sayin?"

"Yeah," Justin replied casually even though he was amused at how Sarah-like Sonny sounded. He closed the doors on both machines and suggested they head out to the porch to join everyone else. It was late in the afternoon, a time when everyone usually came in from the beach and made plans for the evening over cold drinks. However, when he and Sonny went outside, Ed was the only person there.

"Where's everyone?" Sonny asked.

"There were rumblings of a shark sighting," Ed replied in a tone that indicated he was in no way on board with the rumor, "So they're out there with binoculars."

"Not interested in shark hunting?" Justin asked.

"Not really, but, I would've gone if I wasn't waiting for the meat guy."

"The meat guy?" Sonny asked.

"Yeah, guy that supplies the market was late today so the owner told me he'd drop off our order. We're doing shish kebabs. Lamb, beef, and chicken. Sound good?"

"You bet," Sonny said.

Justin grinned, "I love lamb. We never think to get it."

"I think I overcook it, but Liv always says it's perfect. You two can give me your honest opinion."

"We will," Sonny assured him.

The doorbell rang and Ed hopped to his feet. "I'll be right back."

"No problem," Sonny said, "Want us to open you a beer?"

"Sure."

"Oh, and, Captain, your sheets are done. I folded 'em and put 'em on the dryer."

Ed's smug smirk countered Sonny's mischievous grin. "Thanks," he muttered as he passed his son-in-law and headed inside, "Gonna need 'em tomorrow morning."

…..

G arrived to a Tucker home bursting with noise and energy. In addition to the twins and Noah, Mia was also there and leading a round of Simon Says. Maggie and Wyatt were understandably horrible at the game and each time they made a mistake Mia and Noah cracked up. The blunders weren't that hilarious, but the kids had worked themselves into a silly stupor. Olivia apologized for the less-than-ideal work environment and promised they would get the kids settled before they left for dinner.

"I blame Ed," she said, "He taught them the game thinking it would be something low-key they could do before Mia had to leave.

G had to agree with Olivia's eye roll and disagree with Ed's assumption. "At least the old-school game survives," she said. When she babysat she often appreciated how Ed and Olivia peppered in classic toys with the kids' more modern, jazzier items. She loved seeing them work the Etch-a-Sketch and build structures with plain wooden blocks or Lincoln Logs. There was even a Mr. Potato Head somewhere in the toy box.

Before Olivia had a chance to offer G a seat and a drink, Mia ran up to her, squinted, and asked, "Who are you?"

"That's G," Noah ran over and inserted himself into the conversation, "She's gonna watch us 'cause Mommy and Daddy are goin' out!"

"Where ya goin?" Mia asked, shifting her interrogation to Olivia.

"You know what? We're going to play it by ear."

Mia giggled and grabbed her pierced lobes.

"That means they're gonna decide on da way," Noah explained.

"You should get Chinese," Mia said.

"Maybe," Olivia replied. "I can order you guys Chinese. Is that what you'd like?"

G studied Mia while they discussed take-out options. Noah was growing quickly and he was a full head taller than his friend. Every single feature on her was bold and prominent. Mia's eyes and hair were dark, almost black. She had a face full of freckles, a perfectly shaped Roman nose, and a dimple in her chin. Her outfit was borderline garish-multicolored striped leggings and a hot pink tunic with scalloped sleeves, and several strands of Mardi Gras beads hung from her neck. Most amusing was her raw honesty and the comfort with which she interacted with the Tuckers and moved around their home. When Olivia ordered the food and announced it would arrive in twenty minutes, Mia raced to the hall closet and announced they had just enough time for a quick bowling match.

"Her mom is about an hour away," Olivia said after she and G sat down at the dining table. "We won't go until she gets here."

"It's no problem."

"No, no," Olivia replied, "I'm not dumping another kid on you."

Ed appeared from the back hallway. His hair was damp and a woodsy scent emanated from his body. He put his hands on Olivia's shoulders and she looked up at him adoringly. "Good shower?"

"Yup," he replied, "Hey G, how ya doin?"

"I'm good thanks. How are you?"

"Great," Ed glanced at the kids, "Why don't I take them upstairs so you two can work."

"Their food's going to be here soon."

"Then we can go downstairs and raise hell in the lobby until it gets here. At least give ya a few minutes?"

"Okay."

"And I'll set 'em up with a movie while they eat."

"Good plan. We shouldn't need much time."

Ed corralled the kids and marched them out of the apartment. Their voices were audible until the elevator doors closed. G produced the work she'd done so far and started talking. While she was making her way through the proposals she noticed the dreamy, content smile never faded from Olivia's face. Happiness radiated from every pore. Even as G detailed the nuts and bolts of each plan, she couldn't help but wonder what it was like to be so perfectly happy. One day, she hoped, she'd find out.

….

#Tuckson