165.

Maggie Tucker awoke first the day after her birthday and promptly dove onto Wyatt's bed, waking him up. He blinked a few times, contorted his face into an annoyed frown, but, true to form, couldn't stay mad for long. Maggie bopped him in the face with her baby doll and said, "Peekaboo, WY!" to which he responded with a grin.

"Ri'bikes, Wy!" Maggie said after she slid off the bed. She ran into the living room and pointed at the foyer where all three kids' bikes were parked adjacent to the wall.

"Ge'No?"

"Ge'Mama!" Maggie countered.

The twins revered their older brother, but Maggie knew Noah's consent wasn't enough to get them out of the house. She took off in the direction of the master bedroom and Wyatt followed. The twins' bare feet smacked against the floor and they made little rumbling noises in time with their steps, so their invasion wasn't exactly unannounced. Nevertheless, it was early, and Ed and Olivia, though not surprised, were not quite awake or alert.

"We ri'BIKE, Mama!"

The mattress was too high for Maggie to climb on, so she rested her chin on the edge and waited for Olivia to roll over. Wyatt wisely went into the hallway bathroom and retrieved the step stool they used for brushing their teeth and used it to give himself a boost onto the bed.

"Wayup!" he said as he burrowed himself into the miniscule space between his parents. "Go onna bi'ride!" Wyatt put a hand on either side of Ed's face and directed his father's gaze toward the closest window. "Issa sunny day!" He then put his face up to Ed's and expectantly and hopefully raised his eyebrows. Had Wyatt asked, Ed would've bought him a brand new, full size Corvette right then and there.

Ed tugged at Wyatt's pajama top. "Gonna go out in your jammies, pal?"

"I chay'clothes!"

Ed laughed and did a couple of bench presses until Wyatt was giggling. Maggie straddled Olivia and remained focused on the task at hand. She repeated, "Mama, bi'ride," at least a dozen times while Wyatt was being hoisted in the air.

"You don't want breakfast first?" Olivia asked.

"NO B'FAST!"

"What about Noah?"

"I go'ge him!"

Maggie didn't need to leave the room. Noah had either been already awake or was jolted into consciousness by his raucous siblings. He walked into the bedroom rubbing his eyes and climbed onto the mattress next to Olivia. "S'early," he slurred as he snuggled into her side.

"A little early," Olivia replied.

"Not even a school day!"

Ed chuckled and nuzzled Wyatt's neck, "You two big-time three-year-olds got us up too early," he growled. Wyatt shrieked with delight.

Maggie climbed on top of Noah, "You three, No?"

"I'm seven Maggs!" He held up seven fingers. "One hand plus TWO!"

Maggie put both of her hands on Noah's face, cracking herself up, and she rolled back onto Olivia. "Silly girl," Olivia cooed and kissed her.

Ed inched his way over and buried his face in Olivia's hair. "You want to have a picnic breakfast?"

She turned, gave him a quick kiss, and grinned. "Sounds like a great way to spend Sunday morning."

"Gramma spends Sunday morning at church," Noah said pointedly.

"Yes she does," Ed replied.

"Is God mad at us 'cause we're not goin' to church?"

Ed typically let Olivia respond to these types of questions, but he immediately answered. "God is never mad at us, bud. God expects us to be good and to be nice to other people and to make sure we're helping out when we can or when others need us. But God's never mad. Grandma likes to go to church because she feels closer to God there. And because she knows a lot of friends there. And they have coffee and doughnuts afterward."

Olivia gently elbowed Ed as a reprimand for the snarky comment.

Probably picturing Caroline surrounded with other gray-haired ladies her age, Noah grinned. "Gramma doesn't go to school so I guess she hasta see her friends at church," he remarked with a shrug.

"You go schoo'NO!" Wyatt sat up, his body language suggesting he had extremely important information to share. "Learn ABC, one two three!" He giggled and continued, "Ten, hunned!"

"SOMESAULT!" Maggie shouted and did a flip in the middle of the bed.

"A, B, C," Olivia repeated, "Ten hundred somersault."

Ed clapped his hands, "Ready, break!"

"BREAK!"

"Break, break, break, break, break!"

The three kids scrambled from the bed and ran around the bedroom chanting the word over and over. Olivia and Ed turned to each other and took good-natured, exaggerated deep breaths. Ed reached for her hand, kissed it, and gazed at her for another few seconds before Wyatt tugged at his ankles. To the little boy's delight, Ed pretended to be dragged from the bed and the three little ones cheered when he finally stood up, signaling they were getting their way.

…

Olivia waved at Assemblyman Barba through the coffee shop's window and greeted him with a hug once inside. Being with her friend and colleague always filled her with purpose and joy. She and Barba had done such great work together while she was on the force and he was in the DA's office, and she periodically found herself missing the long nights and the weeks-long grinds their jobs required. This morning they had a related yet different mission involving G. Barba could've handled it himself, but given the circumstances, he instinctively called Olivia in to join and, if he was honest, to explain what would happen next. First, though, Barba complimented how relaxed and, well, young she looked.

"Thank you," Olivia replied, "I think that's a compliment?"

"It is," Barba replied with a wry grin.

"Well, the virus is gone, things are back to normal, the twins just turned three and their birthday party was perfect, and, you know what we did yesterday?"

"What's that?"

"Spent the morning in the park. No cares in the world. Just...had breakfast, coffee, the kids rode their bikes, came home, did some art, took a nap and made tacos for dinner. It was the most perfect day."

"Sounds terrific. I'm so happy for you, Liv. But I've said that before."

"You probably can't say it enough."

Olivia hadn't yet ordered her drink, so she left the table and stood in the short counter line. She was there on serious business, but she couldn't get the sight of Ed, in his old, well-worn jeans, getting up from their blanket when the twins got stuck or when one of them grew frustrated at Noah riding too fast. The jeans fit perfectly-simple yet sexy. One back pocket, the one where he kept his wallet, was worn more than the other and slightly frayed. It-

"Chai Latte?"

"Oh! Me!" Olivia replied a little too loudly. She grabbed the coffee, shoved a tip in the cup, and strode back to the table and tried to refocus.

"So here's where we're at," Barba said. "When she reported the assault to the school, that's exactly what she reported. An attempted assault."

Olivia rubbed circles around her temples. "So, what's the good news?"

"She had an abortion."

Olivia's breath caught in her throat and she threw her weight against the back of her chair as if she'd been shoved. It was all adding up- the way G's eyes would glaze over and she would appear to be miles away or deep in thought, how she was often jittery or on edge, how she sometimes forced smiles, and how she was perfectly fine allowing all three kids to fall asleep with her on the couch, even if it meant she watched shows with the volume low or off altogether. The young woman, for all Olivia knew, was all alone, wrestling with guilt, trauma, probably bouts of PTSD all the while excelling in a high stress job, in the course of which, she'd been raped.

"She wanted to erase it all," Olivia murmured. "Make the whole thing go away."

"Yeah," Barba replied, "That's how she described it to me. The NDA was the path of least resistance. Then the pregnancy..."

Eyes wide, Olivia replied, "Did she say it was okay to tell me?"

"She asked me to," Barba replied, "I think she felt guilty about not telling you."

"Of all the emotions she needs to feel, that is certainly not one of them," Olivia said, "But I sense she's the type of person who carries a lot of guilt, deserved or not. At times it looks like she's barely able to stand or hold her head up. No wonder she always agrees to watch the kids. They're a lot but they're the epitome of pure innocence and joy-"

"-impossible to be sad around them."

"Right." Olivia regrouped from the shock, "So, there are medical records. There's a disclosure."

"Yes and yes," Barba replied, "But you and I both know any armchair lawyer will argue, successfully, the abortion could have been the result of consensual sex..with anyone. We don't have DNA. And we have the NDA which was the result of her initial accusation. She's about to put herself through the fire, Liv. And I can't guarantee and the DA can't guarantee an indictment much less a conviction."

"Be honest and let her decide," Olivia said, "Lay it all out."

"I will."

"Now I'm not sure if I should be here. She doesn't need to decide one way or another because she thinks it's what I want her to do."

"Liv," Barba stared at her intently, "There's not one instance in our careers when I thought you shouldn't be exactly where you were. G needs you. Even if you don't say a thing. She needs your presence. And, maybe," his lips curled into a smirk, "I do, too."

…..

Olivia collected her phone and weapon from the guard at Sing Sing and hurried outside. Being cooped up behind prison walls could get disorienting after awhile, and the day had dragged on for hours. Carisi and Rollins bantered behind her, and she paused, closed her eyes, and took a quick yet deep breath. Fin, who knew one of the guards and stopped to chat, jogged to catch up with everyone else. "Man," he said, "I never thought that would end."

"And you were an hour late," Olivia snapped.

Fin twisted his lips and sunk into his "really?" pose.

"Listen," Olivia said, "Can you three ride back together? I have a stop to make on the way back."

"A stop?" Fin asked.

"Yes," she shot him a look that clearly communicated she would take no follow up questions. "I'll see you tomorrow." Olivia hurried to the car and ignored the behind-her-back mutters from her squad. She didn't care what they were saying and there was no chance they would guess, unless she was followed, where she was headed. When she felt she was comfortably distant from the prison and the others, she called Ed.

"Hey," he said, "This is a switch, huh?"

"Yeah," she said through a chuckle. "I called day care and told them you'd be coming."

"You take me off the list?" Ed teased.

"No," she replied breezily, "I like to make sure all the bases are covered."

"You're so thorough."

The flirtation oozed from Ed's raspy voice and distracted Olivia long enough for her to worry she'd missed the exit. She confirmed with Ed she had not, checked the mirrors, and grinned when she saw her partial reflection in the rear-view. "So, your Mom needs help with the tables? Is that all? I know she prefers to do everything herself."

"Maybe ask her if she has any boxes to take out to the garage?"

"Will do." Olivia bit her lip and delivered the next question in a flirty tone of her own, "So, are we going to stop by this weekend?"

"A neighborhood yard sale?"

"Sure."

"Not exactly my idea of a romantic date."

"In a way it is."

"Let's do it then," Ed replied, "I'll get the car seat in my truck this afternoon."

"Okay. I don't think I'll be long."

Ed chuckled, "You don't know my mother very well yet. She's going to want to feed you. Get you a drink. Talk about me."

"Three of my favorite things." Ed laughed again and Olivia could tell he relished their lighthearted, easy conversation. "But if it goes on too long I'll explain I have to get back to hang out and have dinner with my two favorite guys."

"Want me to cook or takeout?"

"Surprise me."

"Okay," he said softly. "I'm wrapping it up here. I'll get Noah and the two of us will discuss."

"He'll love that." It was heartwarming to know Ed and Noah were bonding and Olivia was happy to allow them some alone time, but she desperately wanted to be a fly on the wall during this upcoming "discussion" about dinner.

"See you later, Liv."

Olivia said goodbye and had to swallow hard when she ended the call. The words "I love you" were starting to want to roll off her tongue whenever she and Ed parted. She sensed he was experiencing the same urge. Before leaving her apartment or going their separate ways on the street, he would shift from foot to foot, awkwardly prolong the conversation, and there was a hitch in his voice. Seeing Caroline was important to Olivia for reasons beyond the joy of being helpful. Caroline wore her emotions and opinions on her sleeve and had no conversational filter. She unintentionally provided insight and advice, so Olivia did not at all mind the Riverdale detour.

Olivia stopped in front of the house and Caroline waved furiously from the front porch. She carefully descended the steps and greeted her in the yard. "Thank you for coming!" She gave her a hug and held her by the shoulders, "Are you alright?"

"Yes," Olivia replied, "I'm great. Why?"

Caroline shook her head, "I never liked Eddie going to the clink."

"Oh, I, well, I don't think it affects me anymore. I forgot all about it actually."

"No, honey, you may think you forget, but it sticks with you."

Isn't that the truth, Olivia thought.

"But, anyhow, it all worked out because I have too much junk in this garage and the tables are way in the back." Caroline ran her fingers through her short, spiky hair, "One of these days I'll get rid of some things."

"You have an opportunity this weekend!"

"Ha! Wait until you see what I'm willing to part with. Eddie's going to be beside himself."

"Did he tell you we're stopping by?" Olivia furrowed her brow. Ed would have had to hang up with her and immediately call his mother about their weekend plans and this was both unlike him and, time-wise, impossible.

"No, but I figured he would," Caroline said, "Let's hurry. My bread's almost done. We can have some and a cocktail and then I need to start cookies for my Noah. You're bringing him, right?"

Olivia pictured Ed expertly installing the car seat and smiled. "We are."

"Well thank goodness," Caroline replied, "I don't see my grandbabies nearly enough." She shoved open the side door to the garage and pressed the button to raise the larger door. Caroline pointed out a few children's toys, "See? I can't get rid of these! Noah'll play with them when he comes over."

Olivia smiled graciously. Caroline was convinced she and Ed were in it for the long haul. Maybe they were. She let the idea sink in while she extracted the tables from the cluttered garage. Caroline considering Noah a "grandbaby" had been so natural. From the time they first met, Caroline spoke as if she was certain Ed and Olivia would be together forever. Maybe Olivia was wasting her time mentally running through scenarios.

"There," Caroline said after they'd dusted off the final table, "We can leave them out until tomorrow. No rain in the forecast."

"Anything else you need me to do?"

"Have a gin with me."

"I can do that."

"And do you think Noah would prefer chocolate chip or-you know what-I'll make all different kinds. And no matter what you tell Eddie and I am not getting rid of any of the toys. I don't want to have this argument in front of all of the neighbors tomorrow."

"I'll let him know."

"Thank you," Caroline patted Olivia's arm and grinned, "It's always been tough to keep my Eddie in check. But, I think, he may have met his match with you. Now, if you can grab that shaker from the top shelf we'll kick off happy hour a little early. It's five o'clock somewhere."

….

Ed and Olivia had originally planned to take the twins to Mia's recital, but after viewing the program, decided otherwise. There were far too many segments, and Mia's performance was scheduled deep into the second act, after intermission, so Olivia made a last-minute call to G who eagerly agreed to come over and stay with the twins for the afternoon. A few days had passed since she and Barba met with G over coffee, and Olivia had been checking in via text each day. G was coping by immersing herself in her work-this time of year was extremely busy for her and her company-and insisted she was doing her best to mentally prepare for the legal road ahead. During the babysitting-related phone conversation, G sounded normal. Any in-person awkwardness that could have existed disappeared thanks to the twins. As soon as they saw the familiar face, they raced to show off their bikes.

"Wow!" G matched their enthusiasm, "These are awesome!"

"We've already been out for a ride today," Olivia said, "It's a little challenging for one person to take them. So, Maggie and Wyatt, no more bikes. You and G can draw and do puzzles and-"

"-PAY G'TAR!" Wyatt pointed gleefully at Noah's guitar which was lying in the middle of the room.

"Or play guitar," Olivia repeated.

Before she could say anything else, Noah and Ed made a grand entrance from the back hallway. Ed wore perfectly pressed tan slacks with a navy oxford. He was impressive in his business-casual wear, but Noah stole the show in a light gray suit, pink shirt, and paisley bow tie. Using a bit of gel, Ed neatly combed his hair the way Sarah typically styled it and they made sure to send her a picture for approval. She responded with rave reviews and at least a dozen emojis.

"Sweet boy," Olivia rushed to him and gave him a hug, careful not to wrinkle him. "You look so handsome!"

Noah grinned, "This new suit's not tight!"

"Yeah, I'm glad we got you a new one."

"We haveta get flowers."

"We'll get them on the way, honey. Let me grab my shoes and we can go."

Olivia started for the bedroom but Ed grabbed her wrist, "Do I look handsome?" He asked in what he probably thought was a whisper but the exchange was loud enough, even with the twins' chatter, for G to hear.

"You'll be the second most handsome guy there." Olivia gave him a quick peck on the lips and grinned, "Be right back."

….

When Noah entered eighth grade, Ed and Olivia allowed him and the twins to walk home from school unaccompanied. For the first couple of weeks, the space of time between dismissal and arrival home was excruciating, mostly for Olivia, who, despite her best efforts, remained a devout member of the helicopter parent club. She treasured days when Noah had after school activities so she had an excuse to stroll to campus and meet the twins outside of the Lower School doors. The sight of them bounding down the stairs, backpacks bouncing from their shoulders, always made her smile. But, most of the time, the person Maggie and Wyatt ran to meet was their brother, and, on this autumn Wednesday, the twins needed his help.

"We gotta go camping," Maggie said, skipping hellos and any questions about her brother's day.

"Camping?" Noah screwed up his face. Aside from a couple of times sleeping in a tent in the backyard at the beach house, which wasn't real camping of course, he'd never given thought to the activity. His parents weren't exactly outdoorsy. When they traveled upstate, they always rented a cabin with all the comforts of home.

"Yes! Camping! Mr. Shadd showed us pictures of him camping last weekend and we want to go!"

Wyatt had apparently catalogued all the necessary supplies in his head during the slide show. "We need two tents or one big one, a big cooler like we have on the boat, sleeping bags, the kit with forks and stuff…"

"No way," Noah said apologetically. "Mom and Dad are not going to camp...like that."

"Like what?" Maggie asked defiantly, "Camping is camping! You get a tent and have a fire and tell ghost stories!"

"And pee and poop in the woods." Noah retorted.

Wyatt doubled over in laughter as they walked. "Maybe this was a bad idea."

"It's a good idea," Noah said, "If we had a different kind of parents."

"Look," Maggie said, "It's three against two."

"Adults have super votes," Wyatt said.

Undaunted, Maggie replied, "We have to be more per-sua-sive. Mom always says we should try new things. So, we should say this is a new thing we want to try."

Noah cocked his head, silently admitting his sister's idea could work.

"Yes!" Wyatt said. "She always says that to us! So she has to say yes!"

Noah chuckled sagely, "Well, let's try at least."

"You think it sounds fun, Noah, right?" Maggie asked. She slapped at a few strands of her brown hair blown into her face by the breeze and squinted at her brother who was inclined to say he agreed with her even if, deep down, he knew the proposal was a long shot.

"Yep, it sounds fun."

"I'm gonna look up how to start a campfire when we get home."

The light they were waiting for changed, and Noah stepped off the curb and into the crosswalk. "Okay, Maggs," he said, "You do that."

…..

Though the program lasted almost three hours, the children's talent was astounding, so the time passed quickly and without too much grumbling from Ed or impatience from Noah. At one point Ed muttered something about dance leotards he thought too revealing, but Olivia simply patted his arm. When Mia walked on stage, she appeared more comfortable and confident than any kid, even the older ones, who had performed earlier. She nodded to the teacher at the piano and belted out a medley curated from The Great American Songbook.

Noah gradually inched himself to the edge of his seat until he forced himself to stand. He watched his friend with a dreamy smile on his face, and when she curtsied he clapped his hands so furiously Olivia would not have been surprised if she found bruised palms later on. After the finale, Ed and Olivia led Noah to one of the side corridors where Mia's mother had instructed them to wait. Noah held the flower bouquet with both hands and wondered aloud if Mia would like them.

"She's gonna love 'em, bud," Ed assured him.

"Are you nervous?" Olivia whispered in Ed's ear. He was rocking back and forth on the balls of his feet and fidgety.

"A little," he mumbled back.

"Mia's going to love the flowers," Olivia said, "And we got lucky! They match her dress!"

"Her dress is sparkly and silver!" Noah said.

"Yes, so all these pretty colors go with it."

"There she is!"

Mia appeared after a nondescript set of double doors opened and the kids and their parents or caregivers poured out. Noah made a beeline for her and practically shoved the flowers into her arms. A few of the stems bent and cracked between the two first graders when Mia gave him a hug.

"You were super great!" Noah gushed. Unsure what else to say, he balled and unballed his fists, smiled, and looked around for his parents. "My Mom and Dad are here too."

Ed and Olivia came over and said warm hellos to Mia's mother. Her father was nowhere to be seen, so the Tuckers assumed he had been unable to make it.

"Mia!" Olivia exclaimed, "You sang so beautifully! We loved it!"

"Great job, kiddo," Ed added.

"Thanks," Mia replied hurriedly. Her eyes darted around. She was a busy girl and always preoccupied with what other people were doing. "Noah, you wanna see backstage? There's a whole bunch of-"

Mia's mother brusquely interrupted her, "-Mia, we have to go," she said, "The car's outside."

Ed, Olivia, and Noah all shrunk with disappointment. The plan had been to ask Mia and her parents to lunch or for ice cream. Ed and Olivia were also prepared to let Noah tag along if he was invited to any post-show gatherings. They hadn't counted on Mia being whisked away so quickly, especially when her mother had made sure they knew where to find everyone after the recital.

"It was good seeing you again," Mia's mother said to Ed and Olivia, "We're off to Riverhead for the rest of the weekend."

Olivia barely managed to wish them a safe trip before the duo disappeared into the crowd moving toward the exit. Noah waved, but Mia's back was already turned. He looked up at Ed and Olivia who forced smiles and did their best to be cheerful.

"Well, bud," Ed said, "Whaddya say we hit the pub? I want a cheeseburger."

"I wanted Mia to come with us!"

"We did, too honey," Olivia replied, "We didn't know she was going to her mom's stables. I'm sorry."

Noah's cheeks puffed as he blew out a stream of frustrated breath.

Damn, Ed thought, we didn't even get a picture.

"C'we call G and tell her to come to da pub with Maggs and Wyatt?" Noah asked, desperate to capture the post-show celebratory atmosphere he'd been promised.

"Sure," Olivia replied, "I'll call G now."

Olivia stepped aside into an alcove where it was quiet and made the call.

Noah shrugged, "Mia liked the flowers," he mumbled.

Ed made an exaggerated show of rubbing Noah's shoulders as if he were a prizefighter. "She sure did, bud. You made a good choice. And, just think, she'll probably put 'em in a vase at the stables and remember her best friend came to see her sing."

"Yeah…"

"Cheer up," Ed gently shook Noah, eliciting his familiar giggles, "We can ask Mia if she can hang out with us next weekend."

"Kay!"

Ed extended his arm and he and Noah bumped fists.

"Do you know what Mia said when I told her 'bout Ireland?"

"What'd she say?"

"To bring her a lep'rchaun!"

Ed slung an arm around Noah's shoulders, pulled him close, and walked toward Olivia. "We'll see what we can do."

"Thanks, Daddy."

Olivia dropped her phone into her purse and smiled at her boys as they approached. "Well, G sounds like she'd like nothing more than a drink and to hand off Maggie and Wyatt."

"Uh-oh," Ed murmured.

"Those babies are hyper," Noah said.

"I think they've been asking G to ride their bikes this whole time."

Noah giggled.

Olivia shouldered her bag and tossed her hair. "Let's get out of here. I told her ten minutes."

"Daddy! Didja order da car with your phone?"

"I did."

Olivia looped her arm around Ed's and whispered, "Good job, Daddy." She beamed when Ed's face reddened. He shook his head, smirked, and tried not to break into a full-fledged grin. The tiniest changes in tone and the most subtle touches still rendered him putty in her hands and she relished the power she had over him. Judging by his reaction, he did, too.

…

#Tuckson