223. Ah, beginning a new chapter. I think this is the reason I have been writing this story for so long. When I open up a new document in Google there's this invigorating feeling of…what's next?...which is why I don't plan out much with this story, I keep writing and writing and writing, following where it takes me. It will eventually take me to an end. But not today!

Noah stood at the kitchen sink and looked outside, past the porch and backyard, to the swaying seagrass and churning ocean. The stepstool wobbled, for the floor was slightly uneven, and he shifted his weight back and forth as if he were navigating a boat. "S'rough out there today," he murmured. "Mommy, you think there are fishermen out there?"

Olivia had no idea, but she peered out at the surf and shook her head. "No, I think they're on the hook today."

"Da hook?"

"Yes, that's how the sailors say they're at the dock…hooked up."

Noah giggled. Olivia could practically see him mentally categorizing the phrase for future use. She played with his hair and kissed his head. "Are you ready to start peeling some shrimp, sweet boy?"

"UH-HUH!" Noah loved peeling shrimp. He was unrushed and precise and took great pride in his work. The five Tuckers had had the weekend to themselves, and the rest of the family was arriving later on this day. Tonight they were feasting on shrimp and a charcuterie board-a pairing Olivia worried didn't quite go together but Ed and Noah insisted was perfect. Shrimpies, Noah argued, went well with anything.

Noah worked, and Ed walked into the room still holding the beach house copy of Noon Balloon. "Twins are asleep," he reported into Olivia's neck. "What's goin' on down here?"

"We're getting ready for our guests," Olivia replied. "And we're almost done." She scrutinized Ed's face. He looked tired, undoubtedly from their late night in front of the fire and then in their bedroom. "Why don't you go relax? There isn't that much to do."

"I'll take you up on that," he said, kissing her, "What's their ETA?"

"Sarah, Justin, and your Mom, two hours. Brooke and Sonny and Sof, four."

"Sounds good."

"Daddy, you wanna drink?" Noah asked sweetly.

Ed was about to smack himself in the face for imparting alcohol dependence onto his son when Noah added, "We have iced tea! Gramma loves day raspberry iced tea in Del'ware and we gotta bunch."

"I'll have a glass, bud. Thank you."

"Drink it b'fore you fall'sleep."

Ed smirked. "I will." Ed took his iced tea to the porch and turned on the patio heater they'd purchased after deciding to host for the holiday week. He and Olivia tested it out last night, and despite the temperatures dipping into the forties, they were plenty warm. He stretched out on the loveseat and closed his eyes.

Inside, Noah continued working on the shrimp and, cognizant of the twins' napping upstairs, spoke in hushed tones to his mother. "Mommy, I think dis is gonna be da best birthday and Thanksgiving everr."

"You think?" Olivia asked instead of agreeing with him. She was interested in his reasoning.

"Uh-huh," Noah plucked another shrimp from its shell and used a small, dull paring knife to devein it, "Cause everrone's gonna be right here! If I wanna see Gramma, she's right here. If I wanna play with Sonny, he's here. If I wanna play with Justy or Sare Bear or Brookey, they're right here! S'fun!"

"It is," Olivia said softly, fighting back tears, "We're so lucky to have everyone we love all here under one roof."

"But not G," Noah replied, "Or Mia. Or Mateo."

"No…but…it's good to have our family all here."

"Yep! Do you think we're gonna go out on da boat?"

"Actually, on your birthday it looks like it's going to be nice outside. We'll have to wear warm clothes and we won't be out for long, but I think we'll be able to go."

"But no tubing."

Olivia chuckled, "No, no tubing. Not until summer."

Noah eventually peeled and deveined the last of the shrimp and dumped the bowl where he tossed the shells into the trash. "Mommy, you think I should take dis bag out to the bin? It's gonna stink!"

"Good idea."

Olivia helped him lift the bag out and tie it. Since it wasn't too heavy, she allowed Noah to take it out by himself. He slung it over his shoulder and left through the porch door, letting it slam behind him. She smiled. If Ed had been asleep, surely he wasn't now. She only had a few minutes of alone time, but it didn't take long for her to get lost in her thoughts, or, rather, her gratitude. No one would ever understand how nearly….debilitating…her appreciation for Ed, for the house, the family, the peace she now lived with each day.

Olivia thought she heard the plastic top of the trash bin slam closed, but she couldn't be sure. One thing was for certain and that was that Noah had not returned. She stepped onto the porch. Ed was snoozing away under a blanket on the loveseat, his mouth half open and his legs hanging over the armrest opposite his head. Noah, however, was nowhere to be seen.

"Noah?" She called out softly, not yet panicked and not wanting to disturb her clearly exhausted husband.

No response.

She walked into the yard and rounded the house to where they kept the trash bins. Noah wasn't there. He wasn't in front, either. Her almost-eight-year-old never ran off by himself-he seemed to have an innate sense about the dangers of wandering off-but he also, like everyone, let his guard down in Delaware. There was more freedom here. But Olivia knew the minutes directly following a child's disappearance were most crucial, and she rushed to wake Ed.

Startled, he snapped up, winced and grabbed his back, but when he saw Olivia's face, he immediately reached out for her and asked what was wrong.

"Noah's gone," she said.

Ed stood up and scanned the area from left to right. The sea grass swayed in the breeze, in the distance, the gigantic waves crashed on shore. A few people were out, but the beach was mostly deserted. Then, as his eyes continued south, he caught a glimpse of brown hair peeking out above the fronds. "He's over there," Ed said in a raspy voice, "At the end of the walk."

Relieved, Olivia collapsed into him. "Thank you," she sighed.

"He mighta thought I was awake and watching him."

"Or his curiosity got the better of him." The wind's direction changed for a moment and she saw Noah was peering out at the horizon through his binoculars. Olivia speculated he must have taken them from the shed on his way back from taking out the trash.

"Yeah?" Ed held Olivia around the waist with both arms.

"He was asking about fishermen…"

"There's a boat out there. Way out there." Ed let Olivia go for a few seconds to whistle to Noah. "Hey! Bud! Don't go any farther, okay?"

"KAY!"

Olivia and Ed sat down on the loveseat. Ed covered them with the blanket, but the heater was so efficient, the cover was almost not necessary. "That feeling…that terror…" Olivia murmured without finishing the thought.

"The worst," Ed replied. "But, I think…yours might be a little more severe than most."

"You think?"

"I know."

Olivia sighed and said, "Because you don't feel it like I do."

"I've felt it," Ed clarified, "But no, not like you. Maybe…somethin' similar when you were on the job, but, no, most of the time I get concerned, but I'm not usually imagining the worst."

"And I am."

"We balance each other out," Ed gave her a kiss, "And that's not the only way."

"I love you," Olivia squeezed his arm and stared into the sea. She noticed the only visible boat start to travel out of distance and wasn't surprised when, a minute or so later, Noah came running back. "What'd ya see, sweet boy?"

"Not much," Noah said with a shrug, "Prolly too cold to even be out on a boat deck! I wonder if they live on that boat and sail all around the world jus' catching fish and sellin' it when they get to land," Noah grinned at his mother and added, "And are on the hook."

"Sounds like a nice life to me," Ed remarked. He noticed Noah standing directly under the heater. "Nice isn't it?"

"Yep! Nice an' warm! S'good so we can be out here even if it's not summer. Good idea."

Olivia and Ed both replied, "Thanks," at the same time.

Noah giggled.

Ed sat up. "Can I interest the two of you in a game of cards before the twins wake up and before everyone gets here?"

"Phase 10?" Noah asked.

"Sure, bud."

"I'll go get it!"

"You ready?" Ed asked, nuzzling Olivia's neck.

"I am," she cooed back at him. He snuck in a few more kisses while Noah was hunting for the cards and Olivia playfully extracted herself from his grasp. "Uh-uh, Captain," she said, "Don't try to soften me up right before we play. You know I'm not gonna go easy on you."

Ed smirked and replied, "I wouldn't have it any other way."

…..

The kids knew their Dad was far more permissive than their mother, and on the rare night Olivia was out somewhere and not home for bedtime, it was common practice for them to stay up later than was typically allowed. Noah, well into teenagehood, was pretty good at self-regulating, but the tweens still seized the opportunity to stay up later, even if it was a mere ten or fifteen minutes, with gusto. On their last night alone at the beach, Ed and Maggie ate dinner at the Shack and stayed longer than planned because the live music was energizing and fun. They walked home on the sand and recapped their day-jet skiing (Ed let Maggie take one out on her own on the bay), making sure the house was ready for everyone, and tossing around the softball on the beach. The kitchen floor was done and they could have made their own dinner, but Ed didn't feel like cooking and Maggie desperately wanted to go out.

"Should I be worried that you love a beach bar this much?" Ed joked after they toasted with her non-alcoholic strawberry daiquiri and his ice cold beer.

"Nope," Maggie said before sucking down just enough of the frozen concoction to not induce a brain freeze, "I love the atmosphere."

Ed couldn't argue. The Shack was just that-a literal shack. Somehow they had a flat top and some deep fryers to serve food, but the real draw was the deck which seated almost fifty tables and featured a stage and live music every night. The decor was cheesy-full of old license plates, multicolored strands of lights, and cheeky signs such as Free Beer Tomorrow and There Will Be a $5 Charge For Whining. It was casual, accessible from the road and the beach, and it wasn't uncommon for patrons to be without shoes. The restaurant was almost always open.

"Me too," he had replied.

Now Ed was sitting in one of the porch chairs, his legs resting on the coffee table beside the unfinished game of Monopoly they had started that afternoon. Instead of quitting, Maggie suggested they leave everything that wouldn't blow away as is, but Maggie conked out on the loveseat almost immediately upon returning from the shack.

Ed cradled a small glass of whiskey and concentrated on breathing in the salty ocean air. Though he was excited to see his wife and sons tomorrow, he had to admit he would miss this alone time with Maggie. He had not been very present when Brooke and Sarah were this age, but he had been ultra-present for every single age of the younger ones, and Maggie was his last chance at getting it right with a daughter. She wasn't easy. Maggie was full of energy, ideas, and unbridled optimism. If she wanted to do something, she would craft a decent, if not convincing, argument to go ahead and proceed. Noah and Wyatt would spend parts of their days reading or studying or otherwise occupying themselves. Maggie liked to entertain and to be entertained. She liked action. Wyatt's penchant for spending entire afternoons reading baffled her. So, Ed knew when he decided to take Maggs with him to Delaware that he was in for a nonstop adventure.

Asleep, Ed could detect a slight resemblance to how Maggie looked as an infant. Though relaxed and in the midst of deep slumber, it always looked as if her jaw was set, as if she were about to make the most convincing of arguments. Cascades of her long brown hair hung down and around her head-Ed worried about that hair-it was exactly like her mother's and Ed's only salve was that Maggie usually wore it in a ponytail. Most of her body was hidden under the blanket, but one arm hung out, the wrist full of beaded bracelets and her fingernails painted, as she often did, in several different colors.

As he got older, Ed worried about dying. Not constantly, not so much that it interfered with everyday life, but he did worry that he may not get to see and be involved in much more of their lives. He had no reason other than age to feel this way. Both he and Olivia were in excellent health. He took better care of himself than ever before, but he estimated he had, maybe, fifteen or twenty good years left. It wasn't enough. He wanted forever. He wanted to know how everything turned out.

Ed glanced at his glass which was now empty. He reached for the bottle and poured one more, promising himself this was the last one. The alcohol was getting the better of him and maybe the reason for or the contributor of his odd mood. He felt content, wistful, and desperate all at the same time. He wanted to bottle the day, this time in his life, because it felt perfect. Maggie and Wyatt weren't yet actively resisting his or Olivia's presence. And Noah, well…Noah was, to put it honestly, the perfect kid.

Ed adjusted his feet, jostling the table, and Maggie woke up. Her eyes fluttered open and she stretched. "Daddy?"

"Sorry, kiddo," he said.

"Are we sleeping out here?"

"Wasn't plannin' on it, but you fell asleep. Ready to go to bed?"

"Yeah." Maggie sat up and stretched. She looked around, bleary-eyed, as if the porch and its surroundings were unfamiliar to her. "Today was fun," she said.

"Sure was," Ed replied. He stood up and walked over to kiss her head. "Love you."

Maggie bear-hugged him before he could walk away and replied, "Love you, too."

Ed swallowed hard and absorbed the hug for as long as Maggie allowed. "Better get upstairs," he said, "Big day tomorrow."

"Water skiing!"

"Yep…"

"Daddy?"

"Yeah?"

"This was fun."

"It was," Ed smiled at her, and tried to conceal his emotions,"It was a really good day."

"Yep!" Maggie suddenly was consumed with energy, "I'm gonna go to bed but watch Netflix so tell me if it's too loud."

"Okay," Ed replied with a grin and playfully shoved her toward the door, "But don't stay up too late."

"I won't!"

Ed watched her climb the stairs and disappear into the second floor corridor knowing full well he would have to go into her room and turn off Netflix in less than ten minutes.

….

By the time the sun set and dusk descended over Bethany Beach, the number of people at the house swelled to eleven and Olivia and Ed, seated at opposite ends of the dining table, held their wine glasses up and led a simple, yet poignant toast "to family and to having everyone here under one roof."

Noah, normally patient with adult routines such as this, nearly spilled his water after everyone said "cheers." His eyes were wide and he couldn't wait to get his hands on the shrimp which he'd cleaned and Ed grilled to perfection. For the first few minutes of the meal, he rocked back and forth, waiting for everyone to pass the dishes around the table and serve themselves. Olivia eventually winked at him, nodded, and took a bite of her own food, signaling it was okay to dig in.

"Gawwwd, this is so good," Sarah gushed with her mouth full. "Great job Daddy and Livvie."

Justin, Sonny, and Brooke nodded in agreement.

"Eddie," Caroline said, "You are an excellent chef. I never thought I would say that, but you're goddamn excellent."

"Gahdamn essellent," Wyatt murmured. Clearly he wasn't trying to attract attention or make anyone laugh, for he was intently concentrating on his food. The adults' ensuing laughter startled him and he frantically looked at Olivia, then Ed, and back to Olivia.

"It's okay, sweet Wyatt," Olivia cooed. "But remember we don't have to repeat everything everyone else says."

Wyatt returned her sweet smile.

Noah shook his head and said, "Wyatt always likes to r'peat everrthing!"

"We've tried to explain that to Grandma," Ed replied, "But she's set in her ways."

Caroline's eyes sparkled. She sipped her gin and winked at Ed.

On the other side of the table, Brooke helped Sofia manage her plate and utensils and secretly admired her daughter for her stubborn decision to eschew the booster seat. Maggie and Wyatt had refused to sit in theirs and Sofia followed suit. The three little ones were rarely on the same page, and Sofia, for once, was finally in the twins' club. The shrimp and charcuterie were easy to pick at, but the salads were more challenging and Brooke didn't want too much of them to end up on the rug below.

"Are we doin' a bonfire tonight?" Sonny asked.

"I don't see why not," Ed replied then looked to his wife, "Unless, Liv, what's the wind like?"

"It's supposed to die down," she said, "I bet we'll be okay. Might have to be careful with the marshmallows though."

"Well for Chrissakes," Caroline interjected, "We don't have to risk burning the place down! There's a fireplace in here!"

"Chrissakes," Wyatt murmured.

Ed exhaled an exasperated sigh. "We'll see," he partially grumbled, "Small fire should be okay."

"Didn't mean to cause problems already," Sonny said, raising his palms and facing them outward.

"Noah," Justin interjected cheerfully, "Did you do the Wordle today?"

Noah grinned. "Yep! Got it in three!"

"What the hell is this Wordle?" Caroline asked.

"Gramma, it's da funnest game! You haveta guess, well," Noah scrunched up his face, "I'll jus' show ya, okay?" He ran to the kitchen, grabbed his phone, and squeezed himself in between Caroline and Justin. "See? Ya start by guessing a word and it tells you if some of da letters are right and in da right place."

"Oh, my, I love it. Will you put it on my phone?"

"You can jus' type it in Safari."

"What's Safari?"

"Da Internet!" Noah started giggling, unsure whether or not Caroline was being serious.

"Oh, okay." Caroline narrowed her eyes and peered at Noah's stats. "I see you're at 97 percent. That's pretty good."

Noah's shoulders slumped. "I missed one," he reported in a dejected tone of voice.

"Sweetie," Olivia said, "It was a word you didn't know! Give yourself a break."

"What was it?" Brooke asked.

Noah started to pronounce the word, but he stammered. "Kuh-uh-ul…"

"Caulk," Ed clarified.

Noah crinkled his nose and shook his head. "Weird word," he muttered.

"Very weird," Sarah said. "Caulk, caulk, caulk." She grinned at Wyatt, "What? You only wanna repeat the bad words, handsome?"

Wyatt ducked his head bashfully.

"CAULK!" Maggie shouted. She glanced quickly at Wyatt before bursting into laughter as if she thought she was rescuing him from the pressure of repeating a word. "CAULK CAULK CAULK!"

"I feel like we should go to Home Depot," Justin said.

"Family trip!" Sonny said. "We'll do that instead of playing cards and having a fire after dinner. How's that sound, kids?"

"Might be more dangerous than the fire," Caroline quipped, "I'll stay here if you don't mind."

"Gramma," Noah stepped up to be the voice of reason, "We're not gonna spend da evening at Home Depot!"

"Evening," Sarah giggled, "My you're fancy."

"It's a syn'nym for night."

"Thank you, Noah Webster."

"Welcome."

…..

Wrapped in towels and semi-damp after their shower, Ed and Olivia kissed for several minutes in the middle of their bathroom. Ed held Olivia as if he was not planning on letting her go for hours, maybe days. During pauses they swayed together. Olivia stroked the back of his neck with her fingertips and the sensation began to arouse Ed all over again. She tilted her head back, smiled, nudged him toward the vanity, and they let the towels fall to the floor.

When they finally made it to bed, Olivia laid on her back, her head on Ed's chest, and she gazed at the ceiling while they recapped the day. "I still smell the fire on us," she said, "Do you?"

Ed sniffed her hair. "No…well…may-er, no."

"It's okay if you say yes," she replied playfully, "I won't be offended." Over the course of the past hour, Ed had been in intimate proximity of every inch of her body, so there was no way she was self-conscious about the lingering scent of the bonfire.

"Good. The last thing I wanna do is offend you," Ed replied. His voice was raspy, flirtatious, loaded with affection and he detected a hint of a shiver from Olivia's body.

"It was so perfect today. Another perfect Tucker day. Another perfect day with you." Olivia craned her neck for a kiss. "I love you."

"I love you."

Olivia settled in even deeper into the pillows and Ed's body. "I think I realized today how much Noah is growing up. He's always been smart, but…it's on another level now."

"I know. He's gonna give everyone a run for their money. Matching wits with 'em all. And Maggie and Wyatt? I guess I noticed the same thing with them. How is it we haven't noticed how much they've grown up?"

"It's different when we're around everyone. We're a little more hands off."

"You're right." Ed took a deep breath. "I'm so much more present with these three than I was before. I like it."

"I like it, too. I love watching you be a Dad."

Ed adjusted his position so he could see her face. He smirked. "You think we're gonna say all these same things in a few years? When it gets hard?"

"No." Olivia deadpanned.

Ed laughed, growled, and kissed her all over her face until she was consumed with laughter. "Whadda we got on the agenda tomorrow?" He asked when he caught his breath.

"We didn't really plan anything. So, whatever we want."

"I wanna stay in bed with you all day."

"That's going to have to wait until…well…Italy?"

"I'll make it happen before then," Ed stated confidently.

Olivia cupped his face and replied, "I know you will."

…..

Somehow Sonny and Justin got roped into taking Noah, the twins, and Sofia for a late morning walk along the beach to look for shells. The second the kids reached the sand, they dropped the pails and sprinted ahead. "AHOY!" Noah shouted. "We're here on shore searching for the evil CAPTAIN HOOK! Keep your eyes out, babies!" He made slashing motions with his arms as he ran, and the little ones copied him. All of a sudden, Maggie froze, turned around, and pointed at Sonny. "CAPN DERE!" She shouted. "GET HIM!"

All four kids charged Sonny. The twins knew exactly what they were doing and got him at the knees. Once he had fallen onto the sand, Sofia climbed on top of his chest. Noah danced around, cheering them on. "We're gonna get da stolen treasure!" He shouted, "HOOK! Where's da treasure?"

Sonny was laughing so hard he didn't immediately respond.

"That's it," Noah said authoritatively, "Tickle it outta him!" He glanced at Justin knowingly and added, "This'll work."

A few minutes later, Sonny had successfully warded off the toddler attack and was standing once again. "What happened to searching for shells?" He asked.

Noah shrugged, "Not many out here," he replied. "Let's go up to da boardwalk."

Justin and Sonny trailed everyone and Sonny was still brushing sand from his clothes. He shook his hair in the breeze and another handful of sand flew in Justin's direction. "Sorry, man," he said.

"No problem. Glad you're the evil one and not me."

Sonny grinned. "I'm used to it. Someone always thinks I'm evil in my job."

"I'll bet."

"Good to be here though," Sonny continued, "I haven't had a break in a while."

"Once you get going nonstop, it's hard to break out of it," Justin was able to commiserate even though he admittedly did not fully understand the demands of Sonny's job. However, he, too, had fallen into the trap of being addicted to his work once or twice since he'd started his doctoral program.

"Yeah, one day, I'm gonna live out here, like this, on the beach without a care in the world."

"That's your plan?"

"Nah, well, I don't know. I'm just talking."

"We probably won't leave the city," Justin said, "But we'll spend more time down in Florida at our condo. And traveling."

"You're what, thirty?" Sonny asked, "I admire you for having those plans."

"Twenty-eight," Justin clarified. "And they're not exactly plans…more like thoughts. But the condo's just sitting there most of the time. Not as convenient as here right now for sure."

"No, this is sure convenient," Sonny replied, "Hey, what's your mom doing this week?"

"She's finally getting off the couch and going to my aunt's house," Justin replied, "It's been hard on her not moving around but she'll be in a boot pretty soon. What about your mom?"

"She's having everyone over…my sisters…nieces and nephews."

"Sorry you're missing it?" Justin asked.

Sonny shrugged. "Not really. I needed to get out of the city for a few days."

Justin squinted at Sonny from behind his sunglasses. He sensed tension from Sonny which was odd. To him, the guy always seemed cheerful and upbeat. "Tough cases?"

"Yeah," Sonny replied quickly, "To go from bein' an SVU cop to the ADA's office working the same type of crimes…it wears on you. And the ones I have going on now are bending my mind into a pretzel. A lot of moving pieces. A lot of people telling the truth or telling half truths." Sonny stared at the sand, "It's hard right now. But, it'll get better."

"I hope so." Justin smiled at Maggie who was running at him. The kids all were wearing jeans and hoodies, but it was warm enough for them to go without shoes and the little girl kicked up extra sand with her toes on each step. "Hey girl," he said to her.

"Hey JUSSY!" She shouted. "You tay me inna water?"

"Nope. Too cold."

"Peeese?" Maggie asked, peering up at him with wide, pleading blue eyes.

Justin grinned and held out his arms. "Alright, but I'm tellin' you, it's cold. Look, not even Noah wants to put his feet in."

"My feet IN!"

"Okay." Justin rolled up his pantlegs and picked her up. Nearby, Noah was giggling and Wyatt chattered his teeth. Sofia was the only kid interested in gathering shells, and she paid little attention to the others. Justin whispered to Maggie as he approached the shore, "Okay, here we go. Ready?"

Maggie nodded confidently.

"Okay." Justin dunked her legs into the water up to her ankles and waited for the shriek. It was delayed, but it came.

Maggie kicked and laughed. "COLD!"

"Told ya," Justin said. He put her down and she sprinted back to the softer sand.

"TOL'YA!" Wyatt shouted. "TOL'YA! TOL'YA!"

"Good to know they support each other," Sonny joked.

Justin grinned. "A little friendly trash talk never hurt anyone," he replied, "But they are…oddly good at it for this age."

Sonny smirked and agreed. "Yeah, they are."

…..

When Olivia walked into the bar she expected to see Ed, but she didn't expect to see Ed and Chief Dodds sitting together drinking bourbon. It had been only a month since Mike died, and Olivia did not feel ready to socialize with his father. Judging by the expression on Ed's face and his body language, he wasn't comfortable with it either. Nevertheless, here they were and Olivia had to forge ahead.

As soon as the Chief saw Olivia, he slurred, "I'll leave you two alone."

"Chief," Olivia said softly, "Stay. At least to finish your drink." He clearly didn't need any more alcohol, but it was all she could think to say. Ed stroked the small of her back under her blazer and she leaned into his touch, appreciating the silent indicator that they were a team and would navigate this situation as such.

"Nah," he said, "I'm gonna head out." He stumbled off the stool and grabbed Olivia's elbow. "I'll talk to you tomorrow." He shuffled away, struggling to disentangle his trench from his arm, and waved to the bartender before pushing his way outside.

After kissing Ed hello, Olivia took the seat Chief Dodds vacated. "How long have you been here?" She asked.

Ed gestured toward his drink, "That's my first one. He was here first."

"I'm glad it wasn't awkward for long."

"I think it's always gonna be awkward, don't you?"

"You're probably right."

Olivia looked so sad, almost, sick, that Ed stood up and wrapped her in his arms. After a minute or so, she murmured, "Ed, I'm okay."

He stepped back, sat down, and started to speak before trailing off. "I…"

"What is it?"

"I just want to make everything…get everything…back to the way it was. Before."

A few moments passed before Olivia responded. She cocked her head and asked, "Are you sure?"

Curiosity filled Ed's face.

"I mean," Olivia continued, "Heartbreaking tragedy aside…you and I…we're good, right?"

The words rendered Ed speechless. Olivia rarely ever put her own feelings first and she certainly had not, until now, been able to separate Mike's death from anything else in her life. She was waiting for an answer, a hint of a smirk on her face, perhaps realizing she had thrown him for a loop.

"We are," Ed finally managed to croak. He cleared his throat and took a sip from his glass trying to attribute his inability to respond to something physical rather than mental. "Very good."

Olivia leaned forward for a kiss. Ed obliged and before they resumed their positions on the barstools, she said, "Now, are you going to buy me a drink or am I on my own?"

"You are absolutely not on your own," Ed replied as he signaled the bartender, "What can he get you?"

"Same as you," Olivia said, "The wine here…it's not the best."

They smirked at one other and shared another kiss.

"Thanks for humoring me and comin' here," Ed said.

Olivia smiled and replied, "I'll meet you anywhere, Ed Tucker."

…

The next morning, Noah woke up and saw little else beside Maggie's arm which was draped across his face. He gently put it aside, sat up, and rubbed his eyes. Waking up at the beach house the first few times always felt like a surprise. He had to remember he wasn't in New York and he had to adjust to the silence of the house. In the city when he woke up, he always heard something-coffee being made, dishes clanking in the kitchen, even the rustling of a newspaper-but here, on the second floor of the large house, it always seemed like he and his siblings were the only one home.

After a stop in the bathroom he tiptoed down the stairs and smiled at the sight of his grandmother, mother, and father sitting on the porch encircling the heater. They were all covered in blankets and had mugs in their hands. Noah rushed to join them.

"Hi guys!" He said brightly.

"Morning, Noah!" Caroline said first.

"Morning, sweet boy," Olivia reached out for him and gave him a hug and a kiss before letting him pass by and move on to Ed.

"Good sleep?" Ed asked.

"Yup!"

"Even with the twins?" He asked seriously.

"Even with those babies," Noah answered honestly. He climbed into the chair with Caroline and burrowed under her blanket. "Maggs had her arm on my face though!"

"She did?" Caroline pinched Noah's chin and inspected his face, "Well, I don't see any bruising."

"Small sister didn't mean it," Noah replied, "She sleeps wild."

"Yes she does," Olivia murmured.

"Whatcha doin?" Noah asked.

"We were just out here drinking coffee and relaxing and enjoying the morning," Olivia said, "Isn't it a beautiful morning?"

Noah peered out at the beach and the ocean. Unlike the previous couple of days, there was very little wind and the waves weren't nearly as violent. The sun had risen and cast a pleasant orange glow through the low layer of clouds. He nodded in agreement and remarked, "Super beautiful."

"And there's a market today, bud over by the mini golf course," Ed added, "We're thinking about going and checking it out then playing a round. How about that?"

"You said mini golf wasn't gonna be open in winter," Noah countered.

Ed smirked and shrugged, "I was wrong. This one's open."

Noah grinned, thrilled at the prospect of competition.

"And the market's a farmer's market and artist market," Olivia said, "So there'll probably be a lot of interesting things to look at."

"And buy," Caroline interjected, "I will give you each twenty dollars."

Ed started to object but Olivia patted his leg under the blanket. He turned and smiled at her. She was right. He could protest, but Caroline would give the money anyway.

"Wow, thanks," Noah said, "I have my wallet. I can keep Maggs' and Wyatt's twenty dollars in there so they don't lose it."

"Good thinking," Caroline said.

"I won't spend their money," Noah assured her.

"I would not even think that you could do such a devious thing," Caroline said.

Noah shook his head.

"Now my dear boy, at these markets, they're not regular stores, so you can haggle over prices. Do you know how to do that?"

Ed grumbled again, earning another pat from Olivia.

Once more, Noah shook his head.

"It's when you see a price for something, say a train because I know you love trains, and you want to pay a little less. So, say it's twenty dollars, but you want to pay fifteen so you have how much left?"

"Five."

"Correct. So you want to have five left for candy or something else," Caroline explained, "So you offer the seller ten dollars. He might then offer eighteen dollars, but eventually, you will land on fifteen."

Brow furrowed, Noah looked up at Caroline. "Gramma, I'm gonna need help with dis."

Caroline gave him a squeeze. "Don't worry, dear boy," she replied, "I'll be right there beside you."

…..

#Tuckson