219.

The cast photographs lined up in front of Olivia brought tears to her eyes. Wyatt had been included in the shoot even though his likeness was, contractually, not to be used in any publicity packages; nevertheless, the showrunner gently approached Olivia one afternoon and asked if she would allow Wyatt in a group photo, one with the lead actress who played his mother, and also offered an array of headshots. Olivia agreed and now that they were there before her, she was glad she had done so. Cell phone snaps were great, but there was nothing like the work of a professional photographer. In all but one of the photos, Wyatt smiled and expertly cocked his head to one side or another, as if he knew the move would make him look even more adorable. Olivia remembered how patient the photographer had been with the one more serious headshot. Poor Wyatt had never been told not to smile for a picture, and he didn't quite understand what to do. Olivia held that particular photo in her hands and stared. Wyatt hadn't been able to muster an expression totally devoid of emotion-he smirked-and one could tell by the joy in his blue eyes that something in the studio, or in his imagination, was amusing him.

"We'll send you the link for the digital copies," one of the assistants told her, "And here's your set." She handed over a thick, stiff envelope and waved to Wyatt who was wandering in and out of the maze of director's chairs. "Bye little man! See you next week!"

Wyatt spun around to the sound of the voice. This particular assistant, Sandy, was the one who usually brought him his on-set smoothies, and he grinned and waved back. "Bye Sanny! See ya!"

Sandy smiled sweetly at Olivia. "He's a special boy," she said. "I don't blame you for drawing the line at this show."

Surprised at the comment, for the conversation about this being Wyatt's only foray into acting had, she thought, only occurred with Ed, Olivia raised her eyebrows. Before she could question Sandy, she filled in the blanks.

"Your husband mentioned something when he brought Wyatt earlier in the season. When we were at the playground?"

"Oh, right," Olivia replied, "Yes, well, we sort of fell into this gig…I don't see us seeking out another one." She almost told Sandy about the time passersby asked for Wyatt's autograph, but she remained reticent. "It has been a good experience, though. It really has. You are all so kind to our boy."

"Look at him," Sandy said, sounding more like the autograph-seekers than a seasoned production assistant. "He's precious."

Someone had lifted Wyatt onto one of the chairs so he could better see the work of one of the cameramen. Wyatt studied his movements intently.

"He is," Olivia said, "But you might witness his less compliant side in a minute when I peel him away from the camera."

"I don't believe it."

"Oh yes," Olivia insisted, "He can be stubborn when he needs to be."

"Seriously?"

"Yes. He gets it from his Dad."

…

While Noah was thrilled to be taking a mini road trip with Sarah, he was unhappy about one detail. "Sare Bear," he said as he buckled himself into his booster seat, "We were 'posedta take Carmen's cup three days ago!"

Struggling to adjust the driver's seat, Sarah grunted an apology. "Noey, I am so sorry."

"Why did you forget?"

"I didn't forget," Sarah replied, "I have been very busy at work."

"You said da end of da year is NOT busy!"

Sarah checked her mirrors and steered Ed's SUV away from the curb. There was no easy, direct way to get from the Tucker's building to Carmen's row house in the Bronx. She didn't feel like dealing with taxis or Ubers, so she cajoled Ed into borrowing the vehicle and threw in an offer to stop at Costco to sweeten the pot. "Noey, you are correct and I can't figure out if it's a good thing or not that you are able to remember every single detail from every conversation anyone has with you or around you."

Sarah delivered the reply in one breath, and, apparently a tad bewildered, Noah merely sat back and blinked.

"We've been interviewing people who want to work for us," Sarah explained. "In fact, next week, I am going away for the whole week to colleges at this thing called a job fair which may or may not be fun."

"Dat sounds really fun! Can I go?"

"No, I'm sorry. You have school and I don't know what I'd do with you during the day while we're screening candidates."

"Screening?"

"It means that we talk to people who want to work for us and see if they'll be a good fit. If we think they'll do a good job working for us."

"I wanna do dat."

"Someday," she grinned at Noah in the rearview mirror, "I'm sure you will. One way or the other."

For the next couple of minutes, Noah quietly stared at the river as they sped north along the Henry Hudson Parkway. The bag containing the cup and a freshly written get well card sat to his left and he occasionally pinched the handles to make sure it was still there and sitting upright.

"Sare Bear, you know where Mateo's goin' for Thanksgiving?"

"Where?"

"Texas."

Sarah sighed. She knew exactly what Noah was going to say next.

"When are we goin' to Texas?"

"You're still on that whole cowboys obsession, huh? Noey, I hate to tell you, but I don't think people in Texas are like what you saw on your map at school. They're not all riding around on horses and wearing those big hats."

"Mateo said they do!"

Sarah tightened her grip on the steering wheel and joked to herself that she was going to have to give this Mateo kid a talking-to. "Alright, well, I'll have to ask Mateo exactly where we should go and I'll plan the trip. But not in the summer. I'll melt."

"Dey have beaches in Texas where you can swim and cool off."

"Oh yeah?"

"Uh-huh!" Noah exclaimed with urgency since Sarah had fooled him into thinking she didn't believe him. "Mateo said! And it's on da map!"

"Ah! Two pieces of evidence. Your argument is convincing, Noey Boey. We shall go. I promise. And I believe I've promised before."

"Yeah but it's been a long time since da first promise."

"Ah! A promise renewal! Very good strategy." Anticipating him being unfamiliar with renewing things, Sarah almost launched into a definition of the word and concept, but Noah interrupted.

"Renew like at da library!"

"Yes! Very good! And thank gawwwd you still get to check out books. Anyway, since it's on my mind again, I'll start thinking more seriously about a trip to Texas. Maybe for your spring break."

Noah nodded, "Den it won't be too hot."

"Right."

"But we can still see da Texas beach?"

"Yes Noey," Sarah assured him, although she imagined they would have to spend a month in Texas to visit all the places Noah would want to see, "We'll still see the Texas beach."

….

After New Year's Day brunch was served, the guests splintered off into a few different groups. Sonny, Ed, G, and Sam parked themselves in front of the flat screen in anticipation of the Outback Bowl. Justin, Sarah, and Brooke helped Olivia with the dishes and cleaning the kitchen. Sarah polished off the rest of the mimosas and handed a bottle of red to Justin who deftly uncorked it. The kids sat around the freshly cleaned table and played one of their new favorite games, Sequence. It was played with partners, and Noah graciously claimed Sofia as his teammate. She was plenty smart enough to grasp the rules and strategy, but he knew she was intimidated by Maggie. Wyatt would have been fine as her partner, but he and Maggie liked to play together.

Over in the kitchen, the four pairs of hands made quick work of clean-up duty. Sarah finished off her drink and peered at the bottom of the glass. "Is there a leak in this?" She asked.

Justin shook his head. "Careful," he warned, "I don't know if I can carry you out of here." He rubbed his shoulder and winced.

"What happened?" Olivia asked.

"Did something to it playing basketball a couple days ago," Justin replied. "Or maybe I'm getting old."

"Are you playing against college kids?" Brooke asked.

Justin nodded in the affirmative. "Yeah, it's an intramural league." I think we're the oldest team."

"Did you fall?" Olivia asked.

"Almost," Justin explained, "I was going up for a layup, got fouled, and kinda stumbled backwards into the wall. That's when I felt it…tweak."

"Tweak?" Sarah asked.

"Yeah. A tweak. It didn't snap. Or pop. It…tweaked."

"Okayyy…" Sarah smiled at Sam who was making his way toward the bathroom. "Good game?" She asked.

"Just started, but should be a good one."

"Who are you going for?"

"Michigan State. I can't stand Tennessee."

"Me neither," Sarah glanced at the screen, "That orange is terrible."

"Agreed."

When Sam returned, he stopped at the table and observed the game play. The kids were so engrossed, they barely noticed him until he asked if he could play next. "I love this game," he said with a grin.

"You can play the winner," Noah said. "But you need a partner."

"I'll see if G will play," Sam replied, "Let me know when it's our turn."

Always one to keep tabs on potential romance, Sarah looked on with delight as Sam took his spot on the couch. He had been sitting next to G from the beginning, but she was sure he'd planted himself a bit closer. Through the din of multiple conversations, she heard G accept his invitation to take on the Sequence winners.

"Don't say anything," Brooke warned under her breath.

"Who said I'm saying anything?"

"You plus more wine."

"Don't worry, Brookey," Sarah bopped Brooke on the tip of the nose and whispered, "I shall behave. But, I must say, I knew we were going to get G officially into this family one way or another. And," she held up her glass as if she were proposing a toast, "We seem to have found the way."

…

Brooke dipped a chip into the communal bowl of guacamole and turned the chip over and over, making sure it was coated on both sides. "So," she said, "I start in January and I should be done in under two years. I'm really excited."

Olivia beamed. "Brooke, this sounds like the perfect move for you. I'm so happy."

"Thanks. I…well…it's taken me a little time to figure this out, but," she played with Sofia's hair, "But I think I've finally figured it out. That being said, I know I'm seeing it all with rose colored glasses right now-I'm sure some of it will be heartbreaking-but I also feel like I'll do some good for a few people."

"I am certain you'll do a lot of good."

Olivia put her hand over Ed's. It was meant to be a gesture of affection, but he took it as a reminder to say something. He was equally thrilled for Brooke, but, as usual, Olivia knew exactly what to say and he was still processing it all.

"You let us know if you need anything," he said, "We'll always watch Sof for you, bring you food, replenish your school supplies…" Ed added, grinning.

Brooke lovingly rolled her eyes. "Thanks, Dad."

"I'm proud of you."

"Thanks." Her father's sincerity, though not unprecedented, nearly brought Brooke to tears. She had always known she had his support, but to see him so intently convey it brought on more emotion than she had been prepared to handle. Searching for something, anything to divert her attention, she faked a cough and took a sip of her margarita.

Wyatt and Maggie, who had been consumed with their tacos up until this point, looked up, alarmed. Wyatt pushed his water glass toward Brooke. Maggie told her to put her arms up. Brooke chased the margarita with the water and raised her arms for a couple of seconds. "Thanks, guys."

"We'come," Wyatt said. He re-rolled his taco and took another bite. Maggie, figuring her brother's response sufficed for the two of them, also refocused attention on her plate. Olivia got lost in watching them for a moment. As the twins got older they amazed her more and more.

Olivia stirred her own margarita and, after taking a swig, asked Brooke, "So, what else is going on?"

"This one," Brooke said, pinching her daughter's cheeks, "Is starting swim lessons next week!"

"Oh my!" Olivia said, "How fun! Ed, we kind of dropped the ball on swim lessons…"

Remembering the stories of her father taking the twins to swim lessons, Brooke started laughing. Without a word, Olivia caught on and joined in. Finally, Ed shrugged, sighed, and smirked as his cheeks turned crimson. "They caught on quickly," he said, "So we didn't sign 'em up after that second round."

"I bet the instructors were disappointed," Brooke teased.

Olivia joined in. "I know they were. Poor things."

"Well, I'll tell ya what," Ed replied good-naturedly, "If we get 'em into a class again, it needs to be one where they're in the pool and we're in the bleachers watching them. That was a lot of pressure."

"Oh, honey…" Olivia kissed him on the cheek. "I'll tell you what, I'll take them."

"I think that creates another problem."

Brooke nodded decisively and said, "Sure does."

….

As soon as Sarah exited the highway, Noah announced he remembered being in the neighborhood before. "Carmen lives in one a dese brick houses!" He shouted, stabbing at the window with his finger. "And there! There's da subway dat's on top of da street and not under! It's da SIX!"

"Yes to all," Sarah said. "I knew you would remember. You were here for Justin's graduation party."

"And another time!" Noah said. "We rode on da SIX!"

Sarah took his word for it. She doubted she would have taken Noah all the way from her apartment to the Bronx on the subway, but, then again, when she had first started dating Justin she felt completely out of her mind in love most of the time, so, it was possible. And, Noah had an encyclopedic knowledge of the subway system and all of his rides on it, so it was probably foolish to doubt him.

Carmen lived a block from the train in an end unit of a row of two-story, single family homes. The tree-lined street looked similar to Brooke's neighborhood in Brooklyn, but Noah immediately noticed one glaring difference. "Sare Bear, there's a lot of writing on dese buildings!"

Sarah frowned at the graffiti. Most of it wasn't even well-done. "Yeah, well, a lot of these businesses have closed, Noey," she explained, "And the gates stay down and their cameras aren't on, so people end up using spray paint to write their names and draw pictures."

"It's kinda cool…" Noah murmured, "But…how come they jus' don't paint on paper?"

Needing to get herself out of the conversation as quickly as possible, Sarah said something about how some people couldn't get paper and announced she had to concentrate on parallel parking. By the time she'd wedged her father's SUV between two minivans, Noah had unbuckled himself and was ready to deliver his gift. Sarah made a mental note to take the opposite way back to the highway which was completely residential and graffiti-free.

"Sare Bear, you didn't knock!" Noah said before stepping inside the house.

"I don't have to, Noey. Carmen knows we're coming. And she can't walk very well." Sarah half-dragged him inside and called, "Yoohoo! We're here!"

"Come on in!" Carmen called. The living room was separated from the entryway by a half wall and Carmen was on the other side.

Seeing the pile of shoes on the rug, Noah kicked off his sneakers and toed them aside. In the process, he got a glimpse of the family photos and, under his breath, said, "Dere's Justy!" when he spotted Justin's high school graduation portrait.

"Noey?"

"Oh, oopsie," Noah grinned and skipped into the living room. Carmen was on the couch, sitting up, with her foot propped on the coffee table. "Carmen! You have a big cast! OUCH!" Carmen smiled and said a few words to Noah in Spanish. With Sarah's help, he replied in a few Spanish sentences of his own before they reverted to English. "Can I sign it?" Noah asked. "When I had a cast everrone signed it!"

"Sure," Carmen said. "I'd love that."

"Oh!" Noah handed over the bag. "I made dis for you at school. It's-"

Carmen held up a hand. "Hang on. I want to be surprised."

Noah smiled sheepishly.

Carmen carefully lifted the cup out of the bag and peeled away the tissue paper. She smiled from ear-to-ear and blinked back tears when she read the card. "Noah! My heart! My heart is full," she said. "I love the cup and this card. I'm going to keep it forever."

"Do you have puzzle books?" Noah asked, "Sare Bear said you have puzzle books."

"I do. They're in the drawer right here." Carmen tapped the side table which, like most of the furniture in the home, had been there for decades.

"You can put your pencils in da cup."

"Oh, very good idea. And maybe my reading glasses. I'm always losing them."

Noah twisted his lips. At home, his mother had a tray specifically for reading glasses, and he had an idea. "Next time I do pott'ry," he said, "I can make you a plate for your glasses!"

"Good idea, Noey!" Sarah said. "She can have a set!"

"I would love a set," Carmen said.

"Then we can come back! We can't stay long dis time 'cause we haveta go to Costco."

"But, we can stay for a little bit," Sarah said. "Carmen, want me to heat up the lasagna for dinner?"

"Sure. Thank you."

Sarah went into the kitchen. Noah wandered around the living room, looking at pictures and other trinkets Carmen had placed on every shelf and table. Noah fired off questions and Carmen answered them patiently. When he made a complete loop and returned to the coffee table, he noticed a familiar box on the table's lower shelf. "You have Uno?"

"I do. Want to play?"

"Uh-huh!" Noah grabbed the box and handed the cards to Carmen to shuffle. "Are you cutthroat?" He asked.

Initially, out of shock, Carmen's eyes widened, but she realized she should not have been surprised Noah knew such a word. And, the innocence with which he said it was endearing but also hinted at an expectation that she would say yes.

"I sure am," she said, "I hope you brought your A-Game."

Noah nodded. "I get all A's."

Carmen smiled and started to deal. "Should be a good game, then."

…..

Olivia watched Ed down his first drink in one gulp, and, concerned, moved the refill away from him. Ruefully, he met her eyes and offered a sincere apology. "I'm sorry," he said, "Crap day."

"Want to talk about it?" Olivia slid the glass back to him and reached for his hand. Unlike herself, Ed never shied away from voicing his feelings on one matter or another, so she waited for his response.

Ed took a deep breath. "Would you believe me if I said I felt like I was losing my edge?"

"No," Olivia replied quickly and with a sweet smile.

Smirking, he continued. "These last couple of cases we've caught, it's like I'm looking for reasons to give these guys a break. I'm considering their sides of the story. I've never done that before. You're called into IAB? You're guilty til proven innocent, not the other way around. No thin blue line crap in there. But lately…I can't explain it…the killer instinct…it's getting harder to find."

"You've been at IAB a long time," Olivia pointed out, "Maybe you need a change?"

"Maybe. And maybe I'm tired. I could retire, but I don't feel like it's time. Yet. I don't know…it's possible these two guys just fell more into a gray area than most. They were undercover. One drug trafficking the other sex trafficking. Those guys…I always kind of want to give 'em the benefit of the doubt because of the work they're doing, but, then again, aren't they held to a higher standard because of the work they're doing?" He took a second, less copious swig. "Ya know, one of 'em reminds me of Cassidy. Well, not him but his UC stint."

"Want some advice?" Olivia asked.

"Sure."

She smiled and replied, "I wouldn't put him at IAB to get back in NYPD's good graces."

Ed chuckled sardonically. "That was an asshole thing to do. I regret it."

"Yes it was," Olivia said. She saw Ed's face fall. "But it's…it's in the past, Ed. You were doing your job. And, as much as you may hate to admit it, your job was to, at times, be an asshole."

"Yeah, but…I always wondered…did him being at IAB…did it affect your relationship with him? The, uh, personal side?"

"No," Olivia replied in a soft voice. "We were heading for the end before that. We loved each other but, the compatibility factor, that was a problem we couldn't work through. And finally we both found the courage to admit it."

Ed nodded, digesting what she'd said. He couldn't take his eyes off of her. He appreciated her honesty about what he assumed was an uncomfortable subject. She could have brushed it all off and changed the subject, but she leaned in and unknowingly made him even more attracted to her which he didn't think was possible.

"You know I regret anything I did that made life more difficult for you," he said.

Olivia cocked her head and grinned, "When we're in the heat of the moment it's hard to sort out whose lives we're affecting and how. If we don't have decisions we regret, well, we're either lying or we weren't locked in to our jobs." She leaned forward and put her hand on his leg above his knee. She could feel the sharp crease in his dress pants. "Don't beat yourself up over anything that happened between us," she said, "Especially since…we're here now."

Ed allowed his lips to curl into the tiniest smile. "We are, aren't we?"

"Yes." Olivia's eyes darted between his eyes and his lips. "We are. And I don't envision myself regretting it."

A second before he kissed her, Ed replied, "Me neither."

….

Ed met Sarah and Noah downstairs with the twins' wagon so they could make one trip up with the items from Costco. Sarah handed over the keys, hugged them both goodbye, and headed off toward the Subway entrance. On the way up to their floor, Noah told Ed all about his day-including the offensive graffiti-and concluded by asking what Ed had been doing while he was at school and with Sarah and Carmen.

"We were busy," Ed replied, "Mom took Wyatt to the set, Maggie and I went to the park, then we had a late lunch with Brooke and Sof. Did you eat?"

"We had pizza at Costco," Noah said.

Ed smiled and nodded. It was not Sarah's normal dinner offering, but it would do. When the elevator stopped at their floor, Noah watched to make sure nothing fell from the wagon while Ed pulled it to their door. As soon as they entered, the twins came running.

"NO!"

"NONONONONO!"

Maggie and Wyatt ran to Noah and hugged his legs. They didn't knock him off balance, but Noah pretended they did. He gently fell backwards, careful not to hit his head. "BABY PILE!" He shouted.

From the end of the hall, Olivia smiled and remarked, "It's been a long time since we've had a baby pile."

"We were apart all day," Noah explained from under the bodies of his siblings, "But now we're all together again!"

Ed sidestepped the wagon and the pile of kids. He walked up to Olivia and kissed her as if he hadn't seen her in days. "All together," he whispered as he slowly pulled away.

Olivia smiled. "Yes we are," she said, "The best time of the day."

…

#Tuckson