224.

The Bethany Beach market was part street fair, part holiday mart, and part farmer's market. There was no noticeable organization to the stalls-a fruit vendor might be next to someone selling jewelry who might be next to a fishmonger-and it spanned five city blocks which was impressive given the population of the town and its surrounding areas and the fact it was off-season. Everyone in the family wanted to go, but they spread out among the vendors. Sarah, Brooke, and Olivia gravitated toward artists selling scarves and other accessories, Sonny trailed Sofia, Ed and Justin shadowed the twins, and Noah and Caroline meandered along, searching for a place to try their haggling skills.

Ed noticed, not for the first time, that he and Olivia were far more permissive with their children than other parents. They always had eyes on the kids, but they also gave them room and freedom to explore. So, when Maggie approached a kiosk and started grabbing for the beaded bracelets on the table, Ed merely watched to make sure she wasn't on the verge of breaking anything. The woman selling the wares reacted by standing up and hovering over the table until Ed took another step forward and gently reminded Maggie to be careful with the items.

Maggie slipped one of the bracelets on her wrist, twirled, and held it up. "Dis pretty, Daddy!" She said of the lavender beads.

"It's very pretty," Ed replied, "What other ones do you like?"

Maggie quickly scanned the table from left to right, held out her arm again, and replied, "Onny dissone!"

Ed reached for his wallet and asked the woman how much she wanted for the bracelet. Nothing was labeled and there were very few signs. It appeared as though she was a newcomer. Upon hearing the price he gave her a twenty dollar bill and smiled at Maggie. She was rotating her wrist in front of her face and smiling. "Like it, sweetheart?" Ed asked while he waited for change.

"Issa mo'bootful thing!"

The woman smiled as she handed a few bills back to Ed. "I should hire her for marketing," she commented.

"We'll make sure to show everyone we meet," Ed replied, "Thanks."

"Thank you. Have a good day."

Ed reciprocated and smirked. He had seen the woman sneak a glance at his left hand and thought about how Sarah or even Olivia would tease him if they had seen. Sensing she was still eyeing him, he was extra attentive when he took Maggie's hand and led her toward where Wyatt and Justin were standing.

Justin immediately noticed the new accessory. He tapped the bracelet, grinned, and said, "Niiiiice!"

"Dissis my bace-let, Jussy! S'pupple! S'MAGIC!"

"Magic, huh?"

"Issa 'visible bace-let!"

"You're invisible?"

Maggie nodded.

Justin spun around and around. "Maggie? Maggie? Where are you?"

Maggie laughed uncontrollably. She staggered and crashed into Wyatt who managed to remain standing. "I RI'HERE!" She said. "JUSSY! S'ME!"

"Oh, oh," Justin pretended to be surprised, "There you are!"

Maggie copied Justin's movements and reaction only she pretended she couldn't see Ed. "Daddy? DAAAAAADY?" She furrowed her brow and looked around the crowded street. Ed was right in front of her, but Maggie did an excellent job of making everyone believe she was lost. So much so that after a few more "Daaaaady" calls, a couple approached, clearly concerned and ready to offer help.

Ed stopped them, "Sorry," he said, "And thank you. Imagination's gettin' the better of her."

Maggie ran over and hugged Ed's legs.

"Oh, oh, okay," the lady said, smiling, "I get so worried…"

"Sorry about that."

The couple waved and walked off.

"Good thing Liv didn't see all this," Ed told Justin, "We had a scare with Noah before you got here. She didn't need this. I know it was nothin', but, she…"

"...fears the worst," Justin finished for him.

"Yup. Always."

"My mom was like that after my Dad died. It took her years to get back to sort-of normal. She's not there yet. She'll never be. But at least, when she can't reach one of us, she doesn't panic call everyone else."

Ed started to reply, but Wyatt was now tugging at his hand, "Dada! 'Repas!"

"Arepas?" Ed asked, "Where?"

"Oh'dere!" Wyatt pointed across the street. Sure enough, about ten or so kiosks down, there was an arepa stand.

"Can he read?" Justin asked. Like Ed, he had no idea how Wyatt would have known the arepas people were eating nearby came from that particular stand unless he could make out the words.

"Uhhh…well…I dunno what exactly they're learning in preschool but I'm pretty sure it's letters and numbers, not actual reading."

"Wyatt," Justin said. "What's that say?" He pointed at a sign reading bathrooms.

Wyatt concentrated on the letters. He bit his lip, smiled, and gave his answer. "BABY!"

Ed and Justin chuckled and shrugged.

"Close enough," Ed quipped. "C'mon, kiddos, let's see what bargains Grandma and Noah have negotiated for us."

…..

At another stand a little farther north, Olivia tried on an oversized shawl with huge, wide sleeves and posed in front of the narrow mirror in the kiosk. "What do you think?" She asked Sarah and Brooke, "I have a couple of these, but, is this too busy?"

Brooke and Sarah assessed the blue plaid design.

"It looks super comfortable," Brooke said.

"But, Livvie, how about a different one?" Sarah suggested.

Olivia raised her eyebrows, "This one makes me look like an old lady?"

Brooke started to say it did not, but Sarah beat her to it.

"Yes it does," Sarah said, "It looks Grandma-ish. How about just a solid color and not blue-it's too policeish-how about this lavender? You look so good in purples and those deep pinks. And you could wear your black jeans and a nice tight black top underneath to give your man a little hint of what's under there."

"Her man is our Dad," Brooke reminded Sarah.

"Oh, Jesus, Brookey, I'm speaking, like, well, like Livvie's our friend, which she is, but, also, well, you both get it."

Brooke smiled and gave her sister a playful side-hug. Sarah had been trying to cut back on her alcohol consumption, but she was operating with an anything-goes attitude while on vacation. That morning she'd had two strong brunch cocktails. Brooke knew because Caroline had been playing bartender and almost gotten everyone drunk before Sonny took over.

Olivia smiled and chose another garment. This one, a rich eggplant, elicited approving smiles from Sarah and Brooke.

"That's the one," Brooke said, "And the material isn't as bulky. It's more sleek. I love it."

"Same," Sarah said. She inspected the price tags and let out a low whistle. "Whoa. These babies are not cheap."

Olivia shrugged. "I'm going to treat myself," she said, "This'll be great for New Years Eve."

"Your anniversary," Sarah cooed.

"Our anniversary," Olivia repeated into the mirror.

"Are you doing anything special?" Brooke asked, "We'll stay with the kids if you want."

Olivia removed the shawl and handed it over to the kiosk operator. She nodded and handed over a credit card and turned back to the girls. "We're going to ring in the new year with the kids as usual," she said, "It's what we always do and what we love. But…we'll take you up on that offer the next weekend?" Olivia smiled because Ed had no idea about her plan to whisk him away for a couple of days.

"Of course," Brooke said, "Where are you going?"

"I don't know yet, but, I want to surprise him."

"Do you want to go down to our condo?" Sarah asked.

"I don't know…maybe…that's a lot of travel for a weekend."

"Do a long weekend," Brooke said, "We're okay with the kids."

Olivia smiled but sighed. A long weekend meant someone was going to have to stay at their apartment, which wasn't a big deal, but it meant taking Noah and the twins to and from school. It meant three bathtimes and bedtimes and wake-ups…it was a big job and Olivia and Ed had it down to a science. It would be a huge imposition for someone else to take on. It was easier to leave the twins and Noah with Sarah or Brooke when the twins were babies. Now they were actual, real, energetic, sometimes stubborn kids.

"Thank you," she said. "It's a few weeks away. In the meantime…Thanksgiving tomorrow."

"I love Thanksgiving," Sarah gushed. "And we have so much to be thankful for."

"We do," Brooke said.

Olivia completed her purchase, turned around, and saw Ed with Maggie and Wyatt. Their faces were covered with food remnants. They were smiling, bouncing, and the epitome of happiness. "We do," she repeated, "We sure do."

…

"Gramma," Noah said as he put a marshmallow on his stick, "Those people today did not know about haggling."

"No they didn't," Caroline said, "Times have changed."

Sonny shrugged, "Raw materials aren't cheap anymore. And these people are just barely making a profit."

"They should still want to sell," Caroline countered, "Nobody today wanted to sell."

Noah transferred pens and pencils to a new pouch that was emblazoned with Bethany Beach in blue silk-screen letters. "Nobody wanted to sell," he said, "But we bought! Thank you for dis pouch Gramma. Now I have a case for my beach pencils. Babies, if you need more colors, they're here." Noah held up the pouch and then put it on the lower shelf of one of the end tables. Maggie and Wyatt gave him a quick glance and went back to their toys.

Caroline made her way out to the porch and took a deep breath of the chilly sea air. "What a lovely day it was," she said to Olivia and Brooke, the only other members of the family willing to brave the drop in temperature. "I wonder…how differently might life have turned out had I landed in a small town like this one instead of New York?"

Olivia and Brooke assumed the question was rhetorical, so they didn't immediately respond until Caroline spun around and gave them a pointed look.

"Well, um," Olivia began, "It would certainly have been less hectic I would imagine. Ed may not have become a police officer. Everyone would have had different paths."

"And we wouldn't be here right now," Brooke added.

"I don't know about that," Caroline countered, "If two people are meant to be together, they will find one another. Eddie would have found Olivia somehow. Fate has a strange way of making those things happen. Olivia? Did you travel at all when you were young?"

"Rarely," Olivia replied. "Every once in a while we would go to the beach. Oh, and when I was old enough to occupy myself during the day my mother would take me to conferences when she had them. We went to Ohio, Michigan, North Carolina…"

"North Carolina!" Caroline said brightly, "That would be the connection! You would've run into Eddie in North Carolina. We went there many times when he was younger. That's why he bought the condo there!"

Brooke started to point out the numerous plot holes in Caroline's theory, but she caught herself before uttering a coherent word.

Olivia smiled. "The condo in Kill Devil Hills," she cooed, "We had such a great time there. Wow. It seems like a long time ago."

"Our first family vacation," Brooke said.

"Partial family vacation," Caroline corrected, "I was not present."

"You sound annoyed," Brooke said.

"I am!"

"Caroline," Olivia said, "I didn't realize you were one to hold grudges!"

"I have grudges from 1956 onward!"

"Grandma, you once told me that for every grudge or every missed opportunity for forgiveness caused wrinkles on your face."

"Oh, Jesus, Brookey do you remember everything I goddam say?"

"Yes. And you should be flattered."

Caroline peered out at the surf again and murmured, "I suppose I am."

…..

When Ed answered Olivia's call she could hear crowd noise in the background. It was early in the afternoon, so she was surprised to catch him somewhere other than his office. "Hey," she said curiously, "Whatcha doing?"

"Cole and I snuck out early," he said, "To catch the basketball games."

"Ah, March Madness begins."

"Yes it has. You wanna come over here?"

"I wish I could," Olivia sighed. She stared into the squadroom and quickly realized there wasn't much going on. It had been quiet, though she knew better than to say that out loud. "You know what? I can." She could practically feel Ed's shock through the phone and knew his jaw had dropped. "Where are you?"

"Shaffer's. Chelsea. On 8th."

"Okay," Olivia replied, "I'll see you in a bit."

"Can't wait."

The Lieutenant did not make a dramatic exit. She merely told Fin and Rollins she had something to take care of and wouldn't be back until tomorrow morning. With a wave, she assured them everything was fine and breezed past them, toward the elevator, where she ran into Carisi and told him to have a nice evening. Before he could ask any questions, she was inside the car and headed to the lobby. In the taxi, Olivia checked her makeup, reapplied lipstick, and tousled her hair. Suddenly she was extremely excited to see Ed, even if he was with Cole and who knew who else. The freedom of everyone knowing about their relationship had never struck her like it did at that moment.

Shaffer's, like many New York City bars, was longer than it was wide with the bar and most of the televisions on one side and round, high top tables on the other. Olivia found Ed and Cole at the bar, right up front by the door, and she grinned when she saw them there, faces flushed, eyes slightly glassy, watching the action on the screen.

"You two usually hide in the back," she said as she placed her hand on Ed's back. He turned and she kissed his cheek which she immediately sensed was thrilling for him.

"Got here late," Cole replied with a shrug. He nodded and winked. "Good to see you, Lieutenant."

Olivia had told Cole at least five or six times he could use her first name, but Cole never did and she decided to give up correcting him. "Good to see you," she said and looked up at the screen. The score was close. "Is a number two seed going down early?"

Cole audibly groaned and shook his head.

Ed explained. "Draper here's a Villanova alum so he's not having the afternoon he thought he'd be having. The underdogs are hanging in there close."

"Best team in college basketball," Cole muttered, "But they have an attitude problem."

Olivia raised her eyebrows, "I didn't know you were that close with the program."

"I'm not," Cole said, "I can see it in their body language."

Figures, Olivia thought.

"Whaddya want to drink?" Ed sweetly asked as he waved over the bartender and also dragged over the stool he wasn't using. "You wanna sit?"

"I'll have a beer, whatever you're having," Olivia replied, "And, no, well, actually, yes. I do." She smiled at him and their two sets of eyes sparkled.

"Told ya those boots are good for ya when you're on your feet all day."

"The sad thing is," Olivia replied, "I wasn't on my feet much today at all."

"And now you're here."

"Now I'm here." Ed had been leaning closer to her, hoping for a kiss, and Olivia did just that. "Gosh," she said, looking around at the intense basketball fans, "This is so…normal. I love it. Who plays next?" She asked, noticing the game was in its second half.

"I'm gonna ask them to put on Middle Tennessee and Michigan State only because I picked Middle Tennessee."

"You did? Isn't MSU a powerhouse?"

"They are, but…I got a feeling about Middle Tennessee."

"Got it." Olivia thanked the bartender for her beer and took a sip before offering a toast to Cole and Ed. "To Villanova and Middle Tennessee," she said.

"And cutting out of work early," Ed added.

"And that."

Cole offered up his glass, but was seething. The lower seeded team was within striking distance.

Ed shrugged at Olivia and snuck another kiss. "Game could go into overtime," he said, "Are you going to stay?"

Olivia tugged at his tie. "I'll stay…think you can bring me home?"

Ed's smirk nearly made her buckle at the knees. He twirled a piece of her hair around his index finger and lifted his chin, pretending to look past her, at something off in the distance. "I think I can do that."

"Good."

….

When they forgot to close the blinds in their bedroom in New York, it wasn't a big deal. The windows faced north but their view was obstructed by other higrises. At the Delaware house, failing to close the blinds at night meant an early morning wake-up call, even in late fall. Thanksgiving morning began with bright, blue skies and abundant sunshine. Ed had awoken about an hour before daybreak, and, instead of forcing himself back to sleep, watched the day come to life. He thought about closing the blinds, but he didn't want to leave Olivia's side until it was absolutely necessary, though he did feel bad when she started to squint and sleepily fight against the light.

He rolled to his side, cupped her face, and kissed her cheek. "Want me to-"

"-No," she said, anticipating the question and willing to trade the glare for his presence.

"Okay." Ed wrapped both arms around her and waited a few minutes before speaking again, "I was thinkin' about how, tonight when we eat, Noah's gonna want to go around the table and have everyone say what they're thankful for, and," he made sure to look into Olivia's still-sleepy eyes and continued, "I just want you to know, there's no way I can explain how thankful I am for you and for us, Liv. I'm thankful for us every day. Not just today. Every. Single. Day."

Olivia rubbed Ed's back with the hand that wasn't pinned between her body and Ed's. She took a deep breath and exhaled a pleasant, contented sigh. For reasons unbeknownst to her, Ed's words did not make her cry. This time, they made her feel even more whole, even more at peace with her life, their lives…with the world. "I am too," she replied, "And I'm thankful we get stronger every day. There's never any doubt about us. Never."

"Never," he echoed.

They kissed and cuddled until they heard footsteps and children's voices in the corridor coming their way. When they got closer, it became apparent that Noah was trying to get the twins to go downstairs without their parents and Maggie and Wyatt insisted on jumping on the bed.

"Pa'ents gonna wayup!"

Ed and Olivia laughed when they heard Wyatt's raspy voice. Wyatt could be very demanding when he wanted to be, and Olivia suspected he wanted some time with his parents all to themselves.

"Open up!" Maggie said in a strained voice. The doorknobs at the house gave her trouble.

Noah groaned, "Babies…"

"C'mon, Maggs!" Ed shouted from the bed, "You can do it!"

Noah giggled. "Dey're already up!" He pushed the door open, "You were hiding!"

"Not hiding sweet boy," Olivia said, "We were talking about how thankful we are."

"For us?" Noah asked as he helped Maggie and Wyatt climb onto the mattress.

"Exactly," Olivia replied. She sat up, reached out for all three, and snuggled them in her lap. "I love you so much."

The kids giggled and squirmed. They jumped and crashed into each other and into Ed and Olivia. They took turns doing somersaults, one at a time, because Noah explained they were all too big to flip at the same time. Eventually, he sat cross-legged, opposite Ed and Olivia, and tapped his fingers on his knees. "Are we gonna be up here all day?" He asked with a twinkle in his eye. He knew Thanksgiving required a tremendous amount of preparation and even he would be asked to pitch in.

"Yeah," Ed joked, "Why not? We'll have everyone else bring us food and anything else we want."

Noah pointed to the wall-mounted flat screen, "And we can watch da parade and da football right here, too!"

Maggie plopped herself on Ed's chest and pressed her face to his. "Daddy, daddy, daddy, daddy," she sang.

"Maggie, Maggie, Maggie," Ed repeated though he couldn't fully articulate the syllables.

"Take me onna boat?" Maggie asked.

"Not today, baby girl. Tomorrow."

"Fy'me den, peeeease?"

"Sure."

Ed lifted her and flew her around in the air above him before passing her over to Olivia. They "flew" each of the kids like this for several minutes until Ed's and Olivia's arms were weak and wobbly.

"Time for a break," Olivia said.

"And coffee," Ed added.

"I'mma have coffee!" Wyatt announced with a grin.

"Oh no," Olivia cooed, kissed his cheeks, and gave him one more snuggle, "I think you're plenty awake, Wyatt Edward. And so are Noah and Maggie."

"Magga seepy head!"

"Sometimes," Olivia said as she watched Maggie scamper out of the bedroom, "But not today! C'mon. I bet it's warm enough for a walk on the beach before breakfast. How does that sound?"

"Good." Wyatt clung to Olivia as she stood up, preferring to be carried downstairs. These moments were becoming less and less frequent, so she was perfectly happy to do as he wished.

…

The Tucker refrigerator was covered with March Madness bracket pages printed and completed by each member of the family. The women's tournament brackets were on the left and the men's on the right and the kids took the responsibility and delight of highlighting the winners and drawing a line through the losing choices. Noah kept a spreadsheet on his computer with scores and leaderboards which he shared with everyone. It was yet another fun Tucker family competition.

The morning of the third round, Maggie stood in front of the refrigerator chewing a piece of toast and assessed her prospects. Both her brackets were in the running, but two of her men's tournament Final Four picks had tough games that afternoon. "Mom," she said, "Can I please get checked out of school early today? I wanna watch these games so bad!"

"No, sweetie," Olivia replied calmly and in a tone that should have conveyed her decision was final.

"Please? I never get to miss school."

"Because you're supposed to be there."

Getting nowhere, Maggie groaned. When Ed walked into the kitchen, she started to ask him the same questions, but he interrupted. "If Mom said no, I say no."

"UGH!" Maggie shoved the rest of her piece of toast into her mouth and stomped off toward her room, probably to finish getting ready for the day.

"Congratulations," Ed said to Olivia as he poured coffee, "We're the most popular parents in the city this morning. Wyatt and Noah already made their case. Glad we were on the same page with that."

"We've done some pretty lenient things," Olivia said, "I'm surprised one of us didn't cave."

Ed paused and thoughtfully peered across the apartment at the clear morning sky. "Uh…should we cave?"

"Ed!"

He shrugged. "What's a half day going to hurt?"

"Then what about when they ask about the next game? And the next?"

"The rest of 'em are on weekends or at night." Albeit playfully, Olivia glared at him. He shrugged again and leaned over for a kiss. "I know you hate it when I make a good argument."

"I don't hate it," she replied, "I'm annoyed I didn't see it coming."

Maggie stalked back into the room. "You know," she said, "It's really unfair that you get to sit here and drink coffee all day then go and like grab lunch or order pizza and watch the games-"

"-we might go to the pub and watch," Ed chided her.

"-or THAT!" Maggie clenched her jaw and her blue eyes were fiery. As she often did, she'd pulled her hair back into a ponytail, so the anger could be seen on every inch of her face. She grabbed her backpack and jammed her arms through the loops. "C'mon, brothers!"

"Make sure you get to school," Ed said, "Don't skip."

At this, Maggie had to smile. She and her brothers were capable of a great deal of shenanigans, but skipping school was out of the question. Even if it was to watch an important basketball game.

While the kids tied their shoes, Olivia mouthed "are we going to tell them" to Ed. He shook his head. Let them be upset, he figured. They'd get to school, forget about it, maybe get in a little bit of trouble for watching on their phones, but it would be more fun to make the early check out a surprise. The trio left slightly dejected. But they wouldn't be for long.

…

By noon, most of the kitchen work had been completed and the family gathered on the porch. A few had poured bloody marys or mimosas. Sonny and Justin sipped beer. Noah tossed a cornhole game bean bag from one hand to the other, hoping someone would want to play. He'd been promised a football game after their early dinner, but he was eager to move a little more. Finally, Sarah got up and dragged Brooke with her. "Who else is in?" She asked.

Olivia raised her hand. "I'll play."

"Mommy, you're on my team!" Noah said. He grabbed her hand and led her down the stairs.

"We got winners!" Sonny shouted.

"Who's we?" Caroline asked.

"I don't know," Sonny replied, "You want to be my partner, Caroline?"

"Then who's going to baste the turkey?"

"The game doesn't last that long," Sonny pointed out. "And someone can baste. Anyone can baste. Is basting that hard?"

"It is if you forget."

"Ma," Ed interjected, "I will baste and promise not to forget if you want to play cornhole."

Caroline nodded in agreement. "Remember to get in between the wings and legs."

"Got it."

"And the sides need to stay on the burners."

"Sure thing." Ed grinned at his mother. "Are you planning on joining a traveling cornhole team this afternoon?"

"Don't get sassy, Eddie."

"Sorry Ma."

"Hey, Caroline, was Eddie a handful growing up?" Sonny asked.

Justin sat up on the edge of his seat, interested in what Caroline had to report. To him, Ed always presented as a stalwart, reliable family man who had always followed the rules and never given anyone any unnecessary problems. But, of course, he had no idea about his childhood.

"Eddie?" Caroline replied thoughtfully, "Eddie was not a handful. None of my children were. The times were different. If kids made mischief, they made it outside when they were playing and we didn't watch them every second of the day. But I suppose…yes…there was a time when I had to go to the school because Eddie and his pals were giving a teacher a hard time."

Ed hung his head, knowing the story she was going to tell.

Justin and Sonny grinned.

"So," Caroline continued, "Eddie and his pals had an elderly teacher, I think he taught Civics and I forget his name-"

"-Frierberg," Ed reminded her.

"Ah, yes, Frierberg. Well, Mr. Frierberg left his car keys out on his desk all day long, so Eddie and his friends took turns moving the car from where it was parked in the morning to another space. So the poor guy would leave school wanting to get home and couldn't find his car."

Sonny and Justin burst into laughter.

Ed shook his head in shame.

"They did it what? Five, six times before you got caught?"

Ed nodded. "We were gonna call it quits, but…one of the other kids busted us. They knew the ones who would squeal and they started with him."

"What was their punishment?" Justin asked.

"I don't know about the other ones, but I made Eddie cut the man's grass for the entire summer."

"Better than getting arrested for stealing a car," Ed muttered.

"Wow," Sonny replied, "A whole summer…Mrs. Tucker didn't play."

"No she did not," Caroline said, "And…she still doesn't. So you better bring your A-game, Mr. ADA Carisi."

"Yes ma'am."

…

#Tuckson