182.

One thing was for sure. Once G returned to New York, she would have to dry out for at least two weeks, maybe a month. The Tuckers, all of them, loved their cocktails (or their Shirley Temples), and it blew G's mind that they all seemed to be able to drink all day and night long and manage to stay coherent, take care of children, and otherwise live their lives normally. On the morning of her last full day at the house, she awoke early with a headache so ferocious she couldn't will herself back to sleep, so she popped four ibuprofen, downed the water she didn't remember toting upstairs, and stared at the ceiling.

The night before had been so much fun she almost didn't mind her current state of agony. Ed and Olivia were supposed to go out on their own, but the forecast called for rain and Ed insisted they needed a clear night for their date. So, they barbequed hot dogs and hamburgers, played cards, and, after the kids had been asleep for a while, Sarah suggested they go for a drink at one of the beach town's only dive bars.

Ed immediately volunteered himself and Olivia as the couple to stay back. He acted as if he were generously giving the younger members of their crew another night out, but G could tell he desperately wanted to be alone with his wife. They were always sweet with each other, but Ed was clearly in an extra romantic mood which she, Sarah, and Brooke joked about once they were on their way to the bar.

The dive was, possibly, the smallest, most rustic place G had ever seen call itself a bar. The handpainted sign outside advertised "Open 365 or 366 Days", but G couldn't imagine they did much business in the winter months. The open front and the lack of a proper heating and cooling system made its patrons mostly depend on mother nature for comfort. Sarah advised it would be better to walk the four blocks home instead of using the restrooms. A lone acoustic guitar player sat in the corner, occasionally singing lyrics but mostly just swaying on his stool and strumming away. There were no tables-only ledges ringing posts and nailed along the perimeter walls The few barstools that had survived the past fifty years were graciously given to older patrons. The crowd was certainly full of regulars, but, when Sarah entered, the bearded, wiry bartender practically leapfrogged the sturdy oak bar to give her a hug. G looked to Justin, but no shock or surprise registered on his face. Later, G would learn Sarah had been coming here regularly since the first Tucker vacation in Bethany and would often sneak off to this place for a quick shot or two.

The only thing G regretted, other than this splitting headache, was the drunken conversation the five of them had on the boardwalk after getting fries from a late night stand, but the more she thought about it, the more she wondered if she really regretted it all that much.

It happened innocently. Suddenly. They were walking along with their fries and their to-go drinks from the bar, and another group approached. They were all male, young, early twenties, minding their own business, but they had also been out partying and, as they passed, one of the men stumbled into Brooke.

"Ugh, sorry," the guy slurred and kept walking along.

Brooke mumbled something.

G stood frozen while everyone else kept walking.

Sarah turned around when she realized they were missing their friend. "Hey? G?"

Paralyzed, G did not blink or say a word.

Sarah rushed over but made sure not to touch her. "G?" She said softly, crouching so they were eye to eye, "G? Honey?"

Finally, G came to. She shook her head and apologized. "I, uh, I-"

"-it's okay."

"No!" G snipped. "It's NOT okay! FUCK!"

Sonny and Justin looked at each other, wondering what to do. Their jaws dropped. Brooke stepped forward and joined her sister, but they couldn't quite figure out what to say.

"My fucking boss," G muttered. "Fuck him."

"G," Brooke couldn't take it anymore. She reached over and gently grabbed her hand.

G recoiled.

But Brooke didn't let go. "G," she said again.

"Why?" G's shoulders shook and she whimpered, "Why me? What the fuck did I do? And he gets to just DIE and I can't evenfuckinggooutandhavefunandbumpinto-"

"-G." Sarah held G's face in her hands and made sure to make eye contact. "You're not giving yourself enough credit. Do you realize you were out tonight and having fun? You were dancing and drinking and laughing and did you once think of any of this?"

G shook her head. "But it's not going to go away. He's not going to go away."

"But you know you can escape it," Brooke said.

Sonny and Justin took another step back.

"That's right," Sarah said. She stumbled sideways, regained her balance, and linked arms with Brooke and G so the trio was huddled together as if they were sharing the most coveted of secrets. "Did you feel safe tonight?"

"I did," G replied.

"So you can feel safe again."

"Yeah. I guess I can."

After that, they walked arm in arm back to the house and made fun of Justin and Sonny as if nothing remotely dramatic or serious had happened. Back home, Sarah suggested a hot tub session, but Justin objected and gently suggested they have a nightcap on the back porch before turning in for the night. They ended up playing Cards Against Humanity, drinking more, and G couldn't remember getting back to her bedroom, though her confines looked pretty much in order. She'd even managed to change into a shirt and shorts to sleep in.

"Ugh," she groaned as she sat up. As much as it pained her to move, she had to hit the bathroom. It was still early and she opened the door slowly and tiptoed into the hall.

"Hi G!" Noah rounded the corner from the steps with a juice box in his hand, "Wanna sip?"

G had been silently praying she wouldn't run into Ed or Olivia, so, if she had to meet anyone out there in the corridor, Noah was the best option. The ice cold apple juice did sound good, but G smiled and declined, "Oh, no, thanks though."

"I gotta stay in bed til seven."

"Oh?"

"Yeah...dat's da rule."

G chuckled.

"But at da beach I always sleep late but not t'day!"

"Do you want to hang out until seven?" G asked. "Maybe go for a walk or sit on the porch?" Her headache was present but muted. The meds were working.

Noah glanced at his parents' bedroom door. "I can go for a walk," he said, "Those babies are asleep and Mommy and Daddy just say seven 'cause they don't want us running around by ourselves. But if I'm with you it's not by myself!"

"Nope."

Noah turned around and skipped to the stairs. At the bottom he asked, "Wanna juice?"

G grinned, "Yes. I'd love one."

….

Olivia was dressed in an oversized t-shirt and a pair of ratty, torn jeans, and Ed had a hard time concentrating on anything other than the slivers of skin visible through the frayed threads. She waved her hands around as she fumbled through some sort of...explanation? Apology?...whatever it was, it was totally unnecessary but Ed gathered it was important to her to air it all out. She hated to lose it in front of him. But at the same time she felt better after, but, then again, she didn't want him to feel like he was the sounding board for every single thing wrong or upsetting in her life and was she making any sense?

"You're making sense," he said reassuringly. Tentatively he grabbed her hand and ran his thumb up and down, "Liv, I, uh, I'm glad you felt better after talking to me. I always want you to talk to me, okay? About anything."

She nodded and forced a smile to chase away tears. "There's something else."

"What's that?"

"I'm really loving hearing you say Liv."

He smirked. "I wasn't sure if it was allowed quite yet, but, uh, I figured I'd go for it."

"I'm glad you did," Olivia replied. The tears in the rearview now, she scooted closer to him, "And I'm glad you're here. It's nice to be able to...just be with you."

Ed badly wanted to gather her into his arms, plant a passionate kiss on her lips, and take her to the bedroom. He wanted to kiss every inch of her body, to see how many more of those adorable freckles he could find, to see her completely lose control in the best of ways...but there were other nights ahead of them. In the most innocent way possible, he put his arm around her shoulders and she leaned against his chest, letting all her weight sink into him.

"Do you want to watch TV?" She asked.

"Not necessarily."

"Sure?"

"I'm sure," Ed replied, "I'm incredibly happy right here."

Olivia kissed the top of his hand, "Me too."

…

Inside the master bedroom, Ed and Olivia heard the entire exchange between G and Noah, for they'd had to hit pause on their amorous activities when they first heard a child's footsteps descend and then ascend the stairs. In the clear, Ed resumed kissing his wife's bare chest and easily got back in the mood. Olivia's skin flushing, her moans, and the feel of her hands clutching his arms and shoulders spurred him on. He knew how much she loved morning sex, how every sensation was heightened and enhanced by a night's worth of sleep, and, with Noah occupied and the door locked, he had a little more time. True, he was aching to be inside of her, but he could lie there kissing and teasing her all day if Olivia would have let him.

"Ed."

He settled on top of her and stroked her face. "Yeah?"

Olivia closed her eyes and droned, "Yessss."

"Not even started," he murmured, smirking, and stared at her until she opened her eyes again. "I love you."

"I. Love. You." She gulped. "So much."

They kissed in between gasps and tiny, dazed smiles as they reached their peaks. The sun blazed in and bathed the room in a bright yellow light that surrounded them like a halo. For a while afterward, they cuddled together under the top sheet and stared out into the bright blue morning sky.

"C'mon," Ed said, "Let's go out to the shower."

"I don't...shit."

"What?"

"Ed," panic filled her eyes, "We left the, um, you know, the-"

Ed grinned, "-why can't you say lube?"

"I don't know," she replied weakly, "It's so...pornographic?"

"Wellll."

Olivia could see his ego swelling right there in front of her. "Someone must be awake."

"I don't think so." He lowered his voice to a whisper. "Just...put on a robe. If anyone's awake we'll get coffee and come back up here."

"Okay." Olivia kissed him on the lips. "You realize you've turned me into a completely different person when it comes to...these things."

"Nah."

Olivia watched him walk to the bathroom-his bare body turning into a shadow-and realized what she'd just said was not totally accurate. Ed hadn't made her become more sexually in tune with her body, her wants, and her needs, he'd merely given her room to be comfortable exploring intimacy. Four years into their marriage, she was still discovering new depths to their love.

Feeling her stare, Ed tilted his head back and grinned. "Whatcha thinkin?"

"I'm thinking I want to be in that shower right now."

"Well then," he skipped into a pair of shorts and grabbed a t-shirt from the towel rack, "Let's go."

…..

Noah ended the call and tossed his phone on the coffee table. It went skidding across the smooth glass top, but Wyatt caught it before it hit the floor and deftly slid it back to safety. "Well," Noah said, "Other than Mom, how's everything else looking?"

Ava peered at Noah, Wyatt, and Mia over her reading glasses which she'd needed since high school. Her long tawny locks were pulled into a tight bun. Ava always appeared studious and serious. The former was true. She was enviably smart. But she also had a wicked sense of humor, and she answered sarcastically. This nonsense was taking up way too much of their time. "Social media...no problem, comments online, nothing to be concerned about, a blip. We don't need a response to this trash."

"Think of the scandal we could create right now, the four of us," Mia joked.

Wyatt blushed.

"You're right," Ava said, "Let's do it. All of us. One big group kiss. Forget the hug. Hugs are for prudes." She closed her laptop, scratched the top of Wyatt's head, and helped herself to a small pour of bourbon from the bar cart Noah and Mia kept handy but rarely used. "So, tomorrow, we have the school in Spanish Harlem. Do you have your speech?"

"I need a speech to talk to third graders?" Noah asked.

Ava cocked her head, "Has it occurred to you that you're the mayor? Hizzoner? You always have to have a speech. Sheesh." She shook her head in disgust.

"Are you giving a speech speech?" Wyatt asked. Even though Ava was the more political of the two of them, he had worked as a consultant researcher for many elected officials and knew the intricacies of speechwriting.

"It's a meet and greet," Ava answered. "But he needs prepared remarks. Even if he doesn't use them." She glared at Noah and Mia, who was his chief I'll-wing-it-with-my-charm enabler. "You never know. If they have a stage in their school, which they do, you could be up there totally flying blind, so, best to have something prepared, especially after this." She wiggled her spindly fingers at the computer.

"I thought you just said it was nothing?" Noah asked.

"It is. But we're proving it's nothing by soldiering on as professionals. This isn't a game."

Mia giggled. Ava glared.

Wyatt spoke up. "I think it's really good we can all laugh about this," he said. Ever the one to want to smooth things over, he added, "We should probably tell the kids something though, right? I mean, they have friends. Whose parents know you. Know us."

"Sounds like the perfect time to teach the kids to tell people to fuck off."

Mia, Noah, and Wyatt choked and laughed. Ava rarely used profanity. In fact, Wyatt had warned his family before their first meeting about her aversion to swear words. Maggie asked if she was a devout Christian. Wyatt said no, she merely thought profanity was vulgar and disreputable. Maggie snickered. Ava was nerdier than Wyatt. Noah and Mia giggled. Ed stifled laughter. Olivia stifled it better and promised they would all watch their mouths, besides, they weren't potty mouths anyway.

"Unless Sare Bear crashes!" Maggie had said.

So, hearing Ava pronounce "fuck" so casually sent the other three unto hysterics.

Wyatt looped an arm around her neck and kissed her cheek the way he'd learned from his Dad. "Love you," he murmured into her ear.

She grinned. He was almost a foot taller than her, so her chin collided with his as she met his eyes. "I love you. And," she added with a wink, "If we get the fuck off call from school, I'll handle it."

"Unless you're rescuing the Mayor because he went somewhere unprepared and without a speech."

"Right," Ava said, "Unless that."

…...

Noah proved to have more stamina than G anticipated, and she shook and angled the juice box, hoping for a few extra drops to slurp. She wasn't desperate enough yet to ask Noah for some of his, but she did realize she had Apple Pay on her phone and they could run up to one of the boardwalk shops if need be. As Noah chattered away, G figured out how to gracefully suggest a detour. She couldn't exactly say, 'hey, Noah, we all got fucked up last night and I'm hungover and that means I need water and this organic apple juice isn't cutting it.'

"G, you gonna be here for da fireworks on da Fourth of July?"

"No."

"Why not?" Crestfallen, Noah stopped walking and pouted.

"I have to get back to work."

"You work in da summer?"

"Yes. Actually, most people work in the summer."

"Not teachers and not kids!"

G chuckled because she remembered a friend's mom always insisting teachers did not get summers off. "That's true," G said, "But even though I work at a lot of schools, I have a lot of work to do. Like, I'm planning the benefit for the Benson Center right now and it has to be really good. Perfect."

"Oh yeah," Noah slowly recalled what he'd heard about the project, "Itsa fund-ray-zer. I said fun raiser b'fore but Daddy said it's fuh-fuh-fund, like for money."

"I hope it's fun and we raise a lot of funds."

Noah laughed. "Good one, G." He skipped along another few paces and asked, "I wonder if I'm goin' to it."

"It's not really for kids," G said. Although, the creator of the series based on Olivia's book committed the entire cast for an appearance and G wondered if that included Wyatt. She was a fan of the show and noticed, toward the season finale, he'd been featured more and more. "But maybe your Mom and Dad will let you be my assistant?" She suggested this without thinking about how crazed she'd be on the night of the benefit and how Noah was not likely to forget the offer.

"Ooo, yeah! I go to work with Sare Bear so I have 'sperience being a 'sistant. Oh, and Barba, too. You know Barba?"

"Yes," G replied. A little better than you could ever imagine, she thought.

The waves were picking up, and one particularly strong one left a few pristine shells at their feet. Noah clapped in delight. "Imma take some of dese to Maggs and Wyatt. They pretend da shells are baby sharks."

G smiled, "I remember yesterday they had a whole bunch in their buckets."

"Dese are bigger," Noah said, "So we'll put 'em in there and they're gonna think da babies grew!" He collected a few of the best, unbroken shells, and shoved them in his pockets. "S'okay if they think they're sharks," he said, "It's jus' pretend, not lying."

"Oh, right, yeah."

"Lying isn't good."

"No, it's not."

"You ever told a lie, G?"

"Well...I used to tell my Nana her peas and carrots were good, but I really didn't like them. I ate them to be polite. So, I guess, it was a lie, but it didn't hurt anyone. And it helped me because vegetables are good for you!"

Noah giggled, "Gramma Care'line makes da best carrots. I don't like any carrots but hers! Grammas are good cookers."

"Yes they are. Hey, maybe we should turn around? I bet your parents are up."

"We left da note."

"Oh, right."

"But we can go back," Noah said. He sucked down the rest of the contents of his juice box, "And I'm still thirsty."

"Yeah," G said, "So am I. Hey-want to stop for a fun drink on the way back?"

"On da boardwalk?"

"Yep."

"Yes!" Noah hugged G's arm as he skipped along. "Dis is da best morning ever at da beach. Thanks, G!"

"No," She said, "Thank you."

….

#Tuckson