170.

Minutes after Justin left with Pearl, Maggie and Wyatt dragged two bath towels to G and looked up at her expectantly.

"You want to take a bath?" G asked.

"No baff!" Maggie said. "Su'hero!"

Wyatt wrapped the towel around himself, "Needa kip," he said in his soft, slightly raspy voice. "For su'hero!"

"Where are the clips?"

Wyatt ran into the kitchen and tugged on one of the drawers. Even on his tiptoes he wasn't able to see inside, but his expression suggested he was certain the clips were there. Sure enough, they were. G fastened the capes and the twins tore across the room with their arms outstretched.

"Wow!" G said, "You're fast superheroes!"

"We flyin, G!" Maggie said.

"An' we JUMP!"

Wyatt ran into the guest bedroom and climbed onto the bed. G hurried to follow him and shadowed the twins while they bounced up and down on the mattress. Occasionally the towels tripped them up and they fell into a giggling heap. When Pearl returned she joined them until she heard the rustle of her food bag at which point she skidded and slid across the parquet floor to the kitchen for her breakfast.

"Thanks for the coffee and for listening," G said to Justin, "I'm sorry for barging in on you, it's-"

"-not a big deal," Justin finished for her. "Come by anytime."

"Thanks," G smiled and eyed the twins, "What are you three up to today?"

"The zoo," Justin said, "Headed up to meet my mom. Then hopefully a long nap so I can get some writing done."

"Fun! I'm working from home today so let me know if you need me to keep an eye on them if the nap doesn't work out."

"I may take you up on that." Justin replied with a grin knowing his track record with details like naps and bedtimes was spotty at best. "And, don't worry about that guy coming around. We got your back. And so does the doorman."

"You said something?"

"I reminded him to make sure there were no unannounced visitors buzzed up."

"Thanks, Justin."

"No problem."

…..

In Cobh, Noah was absolutely beside himself with awe as he took in the sight of the town which, to him, probably resembled something out of a fairy tale or a movie. Their rented townhome was situated at the top of a steep lane, so they were a short walk away from the busier part of the city yet had a spectacular view of the harbor. The homes were packed together like stacks of pink, blue, and yellow books, and the incline was so steep he wondered aloud if they would slide back down the hill. Ed assured him they would not, but he was relieved when they found the correct address and he was able to park the car. With the stop in Kilkenny, they'd spent more than five hours in the car, and he was ready to stretch his legs and get some fresh Irish sea air.

"The Titanic was down dere?" Noah pointed toward the water.

"Yes it was," Caroline said.

"You 'member it, Gramma?"

"I wasn't born yet, but my mother and father remembered. We were so proud."

"They were goin' too fast!" Noah said, "And they couldn't turn in time!"

"I know," Caroline moaned, "It was tragic. But. We still have the majesty of the beginnings. It's good to remember the beginnings of things even if the end doesn't turn out too hot."

"And you were born here?"

"Yes I was. Right around the corner. I know every nook and cranny of this town."

"Wow."

During the conversation, everyone else shouldered bags and dragged luggage out of the car and were now waiting impatiently for Sarah to find the confirmation email with the lock box code. Brooke shivered. She was wearing shorts and a t-shirt, which had been fine for days in the city, but here, exposed to the whipping winds, everyone would need their warmer clothes, especially as the sun started to set.

"Got it!" Sarah announced. "Let's go!"

The townhouse was four stories and ideally compartmentalized. Caroline took the first floor, the kitchen and main living area were on the second, Ed, Olivia, and Noah took the third, and Brooke and Sarah settled in on the top floor which was a converted attic with low ceilings. "Kinda like a fort," Noah said. He flopped on one of the beds and giggled. "And lookit da bathroom! It's da tiniest bathroom in da whole wide world!" He laughed even harder when Sarah and Brooke tried to go into the bathroom together and pretended to get stuck.

"Help, Noey! Help!"

Noah grabbed Brooke's wrist and tugged as hard as he good. He gritted his teeth and grunted. Finally, Brooke propelled herself toward him, picked him up, and whirled him around, careful not to collide with the low ceilings. "Oof," Brooke said when she deposited him in the room's easy chair, "You're getting heavy, No! I'm used to tossing Sof around!"

"Yup," Noah said, "And I'm gonna get a lot stronger. Daddy said we have a lotta work to do at da beach house when we get back. My muscles are gonna get huge!" Noah flexed and patted his biceps.

"You should tell Daddy just to hire someone," Sarah said.

"Nope," Noah replied, "We can do it. Then we get proud. And, you know what?"

"What?"

"I'm gonna get real work gloves!"

"Well color me jealous," Sarah said. "And also color me very thirsty. I bet they have a good pub or two around here. What do you think, Noey?"

"I think YES!"

"Well, let's get everyone together and go explore before it gets dark."

"Kay!" Noah skipped toward the stairs. "I'll round 'em up."

Brooke laughed.

Sarah raised her eyebrows and warned, "Knock first before you go in your mom and dad's room."

Noah craned his neck over the railing, "Da door's open."

"Oh. That's strange."

"Not private time yet," Noah remarked matter-of-factly and continued down the stairs.

Sarah fell onto the bed and buried her head in the pillows. "Omigod, omigod, omigod."

….

No sooner did he step off the elevator on his floor that Ed bumped into Renee Curry. "Oh, hey," he said, "Get everything turned in on time? Need anything else?"

"It's all good," she said cheerfully.

"Great." Ed stood in front of her, slightly confused. Curry was no-nonsense. It was the major reason why he liked her so much and didn't mind serving as her mentor as she made inroads into the insular world of Internal Affairs. But here she was, blocking his path, with a half-curious, half amused expression on her face. Ed stared back at her blankly.

"How was the rest of your night?" She dared to ask in a low voice.

"It was nice."

Curry raised her eyebrows and smirked. She already had the default IAB expression down.

"Ready for the ten a.m.?" Ed asked.

Curry nodded.

"See you in there." Ed breezed past her, walked into his office, and closed the door. Curry was merely ribbing him and giving him a hard time to further prove she was one of them. He wasn't worried about a leak. Nobody cared about his personal life and who would she tell? Ed was certain she had better things to do other than gossip about him. Nevertheless, he felt like he owed it to Olivia to let her know.

She picked up on the first ring and sounded out of breath.

"Hey," he said, "Have a second?"

"Yeah. I'm just getting in. Noah had a rough morning."

"He alright?"

"He's fine. Just grumpy and didn't want to leave Mommy."

"Understandable." Olivia fell silent. He grinned and said. "You're smiling."

"I am."

"Then maybe I should quit while I'm ahead."

"What do you mean?"

"Saw Curry on my way in. She knows."

"She knows? What did she say?"

"Nothin' directly but...she gave me some shit, without giving me shit."

"And it bothered you?"

"No, but I thought it might bother you."

Olivia took a deep, audible breath. "Maybe this is how we do this," she said, "Live our lives and let everyone else come to their own conclusions."

Ed's words got caught in his throat for a few seconds. "You sure that's how you wanna, uh, um-"

Olivia bailed him out. "I'm sure," she said firmly.

"Alright then," he replied, "In that case, do you and Noah have plans tonight?"

"We do not."

"I'll come over around six?"

"We'll be there."

…..

The harborfront town of Cobh seemed lifted from Noah's book of Irish folktales. If you blocked out the cars, modern boats, and flat screens almost exclusively showing rugby or soccer matches, the footprint did not look all that different from the historic photographs displayed on the walls of the pub where the Tuckers had parked themselves for a late lunch. The main street was paved, but most others were cobblestone or brick. The water-facing buildings, no taller than three or four stories, all housed a shop or bank or market on the first floor, and tenants above could be seen relaxing in their flats with books or the newspaper and occasionally checking on the action outside.

"How many of us are tourists?" Brooke asked.

"What's tourist?"

"It's a person who lives in another place and comes to a place they haven't been before to visit and see the most important sights," Olivia explained. "So, we're all tourists. Well, except Grandma. And maybe Daddy."

"It's who we see in Times Square, Noey," Sarah added.

The latter definition made more sense to Noah. He grinned, nodded, and took a swill of his Shirley Temple. After a full day of touristy activities-a boat ride, a stop at the Titanic Museum, and a walking tour. It was their busiest day of the remaining two and everyone welcomed the chance to rest their feet and enjoy some downtime. The adults were perfectly content to enjoy cocktails or a Guinness and people watch, and, luckily for them, Noah was as well. He sat back in his chair, swung his legs, and peacefully stared out into the sea. Occasionally a person walking a dog would pass or a vendor would walk by hocking trinkets and Noah would engage with them. He used his own money to buy a Titanic keychain and two sets of stickers for Maggie and Wyatt.

"Tourists come to see the Titanic," Caroline said, "And they come back because of the friendly people and fresh air. Olivia? You've been quiet today. What's going through that pretty head of yours?"

Noah giggled.

Ed reached for his wife's hand.

"I'm taking it all in," Olivia relied. Her words were delivered in a soft, reflective voice. She removed her sunglasses and perched them atop her head. "I can't describe how special it is to visit the home where you were born, to be able to make these invisible connections that are so important. It's amazing. And Noah, honey, I'm so proud of you. You're such a good tourist."

Noah ducked his head. Even among family praise embarrassed him.

"It's true, No," Brooke said. "I love how you take the time to read all the things that interest you." She snuck a wry smile at Ed and Sarah. Noah had taken a little too long in the Titanic Experience for their liking, but they patiently waited for him to finish each panel. They did gently suggest he wait until the end of the day to write in his journal. He took each day in Ireland more seriously than the average seven-year-old and gravitated toward his Grandmother who, depending on the location, would tell him stories which were obviously embellished but nonetheless delightful.

"Do you want your journal, sweet boy?"

"Yeah!" Noah eagerly accepted the notebook and pen and got to work writing and drawing on the pages. Similarly to how he explored the exhibits, he took his time and carefully formed the letters using Olivia's iPhone for reference when he needed help.

"Ah," Caroline threw her head back, "I have a tendency to exaggerate but this air makes you feel young again."

"It's so refreshing," Sarah said, "And, it's strange, like, it should be cold, it hits you like it's cold, but it's not."

"I know what you mean," Brooke said. "Oh, shit, I haven't called Sonny. I forgot yesterday and today. I'm a terrible wife and mother."

"No you're not," Caroline said immediately. She looked Brooke straight in the eyes and continued, "You, my dear, are the wife and the mother Sofia and Sonny need. You are always enough. Nobody is ever perfect. So throw that expectation out of the window. And you don't need to feel bad about being here and not checking in. That's why they call it a getaway."

Ed, Olivia, and Sarah were momentarily rendered speechless. In the minute it took for Caroline to reassure Brooke, the three of them saw, for the first time in years, Brooke's entire body relax. Sure, she had smiled and laughed and enjoyed good times, but nobody had realized how much stress she'd been inflicting on herself until Caroline made it disappear with a few sentences.

"Thanks, Grandma," Brooke said softly. "You're right."

"Parents these days put too much pressure on themselves and on their kids, well, not you Eddie and Olivia. You let Noah be. And Margaret Caroline and Wyatt Edward are wild but they should be. They're babies. And they're sweethearts. You know what everyone's problem is?" Caroline narrowed her eyes at each person, "You worry about every little thing. We didn't do that fifty, sixty years ago. We worried about important things."

"Like what?" Sarah leaned forward on her elbows.

"If your family was good. If you were good people. If you were hardworking and honest. If," Caroline stared at them again, "You made an honest living, and, when you were gone people remembered you fondly. The goodness. That's what matters." Caroline kissed Noah's cheek. "But you don't have to try too hard with this one. He has goodness for ten people. You're going to spread all of that to a lot of people in your life, dear boy. Mark my words. You are extraordinary."

Noah leaned into Caroline but continued writing.

"Noey," Sarah said, "You'll probably be President."

Noah looked u at her and twisted his nose. "Da President's a girl."

"Boys are allowed," Sarah said, "It's just...girls have to fix some things before we let boys be President again."

Noah shrugged.

"But I'll vote for you."

"Thanks, Sare Bear."

….

The campsite was picturesque. The site was flanked by sets of thick pines but, straight ahead ahead was a clear view of the lake. Fall colors were not yet at their peak, but the scenery was still gorgeous. While the kids unpacked the SUV, Olivia slid her arm around Ed's waist and rested her head on his shoulder. "This may not be so bad after all."

"It's beautiful."

"So beautiful."

"Like you."

Olivia grinned and kissed him.

It took only a brief amount of time for the test to be erected and campfire wood to be collected. Ed and Olivia took advantage of the kids demanding to take this trip and assigned their brood almost every task. Ed even let Noah start the fire. The fourteen-year-old had experience from the Delaware house fire pit, so Ed and Olivia were comfortable supervising yet not being directly involved. The kids made a loveseat out of one of their hammocks and didn't mind being squished together for a little while watching the sun set.

"This isn't half bad," Ed said. He was not capable of being away from his wife for very long and he slid his camping chair close enough to hers so he could sling an arm around her shoulders.

"Miracle of the great outdoors," Maggie said.

"Where did you hear that?" Ed asked.

"Teacher."

"That teacher of yours...when's the next conference?"

"No conferences unless we're bad," Wyatt said, "But you get academic night! That's right before Halloween!"

"You know about that?" Ed asked Olivia.

"I do. It's on the calendar."

"Only Mom looks at the calendar," Maggie remarked. She was absolutely correct. The family calendar existed both on the refrigerator and online but Olivia paid the closest attention. "When are we gonna do hoddogs?"

Olivia clicked her teeth, "We haven't eaten much today! Let's have dinner."

"Get sticks!" Maggie said, "Sticks for the hoddogs!"

Noah and Wyatt rinsed their sticks with water and caused their sister to snicker. "Puh-lease," she said, "A little dirt's not gonna hurtcha. And we can use the same sticks for the s'mores. Taste a little like hoddogs but that's okay. Wyatt! Your hoddog's gonna fall off," Maggie groaned and fixed the positioning. She glanced at everyone else's, judged them safe, and focused on her own.

Ed smirked at his young daughter. "I like a grilled bun," he said.

"Wrap 'em all up in foil," Maggie replied without missing a beat.

Olivia and Ed changed grins. Their kids were smart. They knew it was to their benefit to make camping a success so they had prepared for every scenario. So far, at every turn, it was obvious they had anticipated a problem or snag or question, and they'd passed every test. The hot dog dinner went over well. S'mores were a success. After eating, Wyatt pulled out the guitar which had originally belonged to Noah and played a few familiar chords.

"C'mon guys," he said, "American Pie. A long, long, time ago…"

Noah and Maggie groaned. Since hearing it in the pub, Wyatt had been obsessed with the song and the story behind it.

"I can still remember…"

Ed and Olivia sang along and, begrudgingly at first, Noah and Maggie chimed in. Olivia clasped one of Ed's hands in both of hers, watched her youngest son strum the guitar, and wondered how she could have existed without him. Spending time with her daughter was always special. She and Noah had their bonding moments. But Olivia and Wyatt shared a connection that was so deep it was difficult to explain. Maybe it was because Wyatt was prone to solitude and Olivia understood the feeling of being alone. Maybe it was because Wyatt didn't mind being alone and Olivia was curious about that-after all, she'd spent most of her life alone not by choice but by circumstance. Wyatt preferring the opposite was intriguing, and he had always been a bit on the inscrutable side. There was something about him even his parents couldn't figure out. And, of course, this both charmed and worried Olivia.

For tonight though, she was happy to participate in the sing along.

She and Ed were parents to a teenager and two almost-tweens and the three of them were crooning their lungs out? Yeah...it was all perfectly okay with her.

….

Ed cuddled up to his wife knowing full well, with Noah in the room, chances for sex were hovering around zero. "Good day today," he spoke into her neck. It was both a statement and a question.

Olivia shimmied an arm under his body so she could hug him. "Really good."

"I'm sorry my mom put you on the spot like that."

"She did but she was right," Olivia said. "And I wasn't trying to hide anything. Seeing you here has been amazing. It's special. And Noah," she choked up, "He's soaking up everything. He has a history."

Ed kissed her cheeks and lips. "He does. And you and I do." He caressed her exposed cheek. "I love you. I think I love you more here than anywhere else. Does that make sense?"

"It does."

"I love you. I love you more now than I ever have before."

"Me too. Each day, especially the normal ones, I love you more."

"The only thing is…" Ed glanced at Noah in the small trundle bed across the room.

Olivia laughed. "If this is the only inconvenience in our lives, I think we're ok."

…..

#Tuckson