226.

Ed and Olivia made sure to pack as many of Noah's favorite things into his birthday as possible. On the boat they dined on shrimp cocktail and a cheese platter, and Olivia pre-mixed Shirley Temples for the kids while the adults swilled Coronas. Using an old map of the area, Noah drew the course he wanted Ed to take and marked all the places they should stop. Caroline made sure to bring an Uno deck, and they played a few hands while parked in a cove sheltered from the wind. After the boat ride the party of eleven walked a few blocks to a mini golf course and played a round. For dinner, they ordered pizza and topped the meal off with a two-tiered, blue and green fondant-draped cake with Happy 8th Birthday, Noah written in fancy script on the top. Instead of the "o" in his name, the decorator used a small eight. The detail made Noah giggle with appreciation. "Dat was smart," he said through his laughter. "I'm gonna write my name like that on Monday!"

Later, after the twins and Sofia were in bed, the adults and Noah sat around the bonfire and made small talk while staring into the dancing flames. Tired but trying to stay up as late as possible, Noah sat up in Olivia's lap with his elbows on his knees and his face in his hands.

"You have a good day, Noah?" Sonny asked from the opposite site of the pit.

Noah nodded vigorously. "Uh huh," he replied and continued, "We got to go on da boat and the weather co-op-er-ated and we played all the games and golf and pizza! S'a great day." He paused and looked at each person, "Thank you."

After chuckling at his precocious comment about the weather, Olivia pulled him backward and held him close. She pressed her head against his and whispered, "You are a wonderful, amazing boy, Noah. I love you so much."

Noah smiled, reached up, and patted the side of her head.

"What do we have on tap for tomorrow?" Sarah asked cheerfully.

"It's our last day," Brooke murmured ruefully, "I wish we could stay on vacation forever."

"Me too," Sarah said, "But I suppose we must go back to reality. And…we must pick up Pearl from Mrs. Carisi. She was so nice to take her."

"She probably prefers it out there," Justin chimed in, "She has a yard to run around in and people there all the time to play with. I worry about her getting bored at home."

"Sare Bear we should take Pearl to da dog park more often," Noah said.

"Yes, I know," Sarah sighed, "Hindsight…it probably wasn't the smartest idea to get a lab and live in the city but, hey, what are we supposed to do? I can't put her out on the street."

"You could rehome her," Sonny said.

"No way!" Sarah snapped.

Ed and Caroline, who had been content to let the others banter, glanced at each other. Caroline had, more than once, remarked that Pearl was too big to be cooped up in a Manhattan apartment. She mentioned to Ed that she would take Pearl if Sarah would allow it. Ed agreed with her assessment but argued the dog was too much for Caroline to handle. He pointed out that she and the dog were almost the same weight.

Worried, Noah sat up again. "Sare Bear and Justy you can't give Pearl away! We love her!"

"We're not giving her away, Noey," Sarah replied sternly. "But maybe we should take her out in the open more often."

"Take me when you go," Noah said.

It was a demand, not a question, and Sarah saluted. "Yes, sir."

A gust of wind sent the tip of the flames dangerously close to Justin and Sarah.

"Oh, shit," Sarah exclaimed.

"We should probably wrap it up out here," Ed said, squinting at the black sky.

"Fine with me," Caroline said, "I need to win my money back."

"What are we playin, Gramma?"

"Your call," Caroline replied, "You won the last game."

"How 'bout Farkle?" Noah grinned as he named the dice game that had become his new favorite mostly because he kept winning.

Sarah and Brooke groaned.

Caroline stood up and reached out for Noah's hand, "Let's go," she said, "Ignore those sore losers."

As Noah skipped away with Caroline, he said, "Don't know 'bout sore but they don't have as many dollars as they did yesterday!"

"Omigod, omigod, omigod…."

"Trash talker," Justin murmured, shaking his head, "Eight years old and the best trash talker among us."

Ed draped his arm across Olivia's shoulders and shot everyone an exaggerated smile. "We are so proud."

Olivia grinned. "We sure are."

….

Ed smiled at Olivia from the opposite side of their small sidewalk table and told her, between bites of calamari, how happy he was to be able to enjoy the spring weather now that they were both feeling better. The onset of spring brought with it a cold for her, a sinus infection for him, and a constant battle with pollen which finally seemed to be subsiding.

"I love spring," Olivia said, "But it's a pain in the neck getting those warm temps here!"

"I know it," Ed replied, "It was unbearable the past couple of weeks. How's Noah doin' with it?"

"Surprisingly, he seems to be fine."

"When's his next checkup?"

"Not until the fall," Olivia replied, "Unless something goes wrong. But…gosh…at the last appointment she mentioned he might be growing out of all the lung issues and I hope that's the case. He's been so miserable before. I hate seeing him sick. Were Sarah and Brooke sick a lot?"

"Nah," Ed shook his head, "Sarah pretended to be sick more than she actually was, so that caused some problems once or twice. With school personnel."

"Oh really?"

"Yeah. Her mother and I…we always made them go to school unless they were throwing up or had a fever, and Sarah got up one morning-this was when she was in middle school out on Long Island-and told her mom she needed to stay home. Angela sent her. And Sarah ended up collapsing in a stairwell."

"Seriously?"

"Yeah," Ed replied with a sheepish chuckle, "Got dizzy walking up the stairs and collapsed. Wasn't unconscious, she was just…just couldn't do it. So we were a little more lenient after that."

"Wow…"

"And, yeah, I was pissed because as soon as I heard 'your daughter collapsed' I was almost out of the building before they clarified and said she was in the nurse's office and drinking juice and just needed someone to pick her up. I went, but I thought I was goin' to the hospital at first."

Olivia smiled sympathetically, "They could have started with, Sarah is fine, but…"

"Exactly." Ed raised his eyebrows. Olivia was gazing at him with a glint in her eye and he couldn't figure out its meaning. "What?"

"I…I can see how you're still annoyed with them. With the school. You're such a fierce Dad…all these years later and the emotion is still real for you. You'd move heaven and Earth for those girls."

Embarrassed, Ed's cheeks flushed. He rolled his glass in between his palms. "And you'd move 'em for Noah," he finally said, "I know that for sure. And I also know you're hard on yourself. And you don't give yourself nearly enough credit."

"Do you give yourself enough?"

Ed sat back in his chair and briefly looked up at the blue sky. "Probably not," he eventually responded.

"We have one thing in common," Olivia said, "When it comes to parenting, I think we both look at ways we could have done things better. Actually, in everything…you're more reflective than anyone gives you credit for."

"I'd agree with that," Ed replied.

Olivia took a long drink of her wine but didn't break eye contact with Ed. "I love that we can have days like this and conversations like this."

"So do I," Ed said. "Do you…want to make a day of it? Maybe we go to your place? Get Noah? Do the zoo or something?"

Olivia glanced at her watch. "The zoo?" She asked doubtfully. It wasn't late, but she wanted as much alone time with Ed as possible.

"Or even a walk by the river? I know he loves the boats?"

"I think that's the perfect way to wind down a perfect Saturday."

"And, uh," Ed began hesitantly, "I noticed you haven't had the work phone out…"

"Yeah," Olivia replied softly, "I'm working on the work-life balance…" She looked at him and they both laughed. "I think it's going…okay."

"I'm glad. I like it…like this."

"So do I."

The waiter approached as if on cue. "Another round?" He asked.

"Yes," Olivia said immediately, "Why not?"

…..

The Monday after Thanksgiving, Olivia took the twins to Riverdale to help Caroline unpack from the trip, remove her Thanksgiving decorations, and transition to Christmas ones. "Come in, come in out of the cold," Caroline said as the trio made their way in through the front door. "Mother nature decided she was sending winter immediately!"

"It is cold," Olivia remarked. "And windy."

"WINNY!" Maggie shouted and spun around and around until she flung herself into Caroline's recliner. "VERRY WINNY!"

Caroline covered her with a blanket and turned on the television, "Are you going to watch shows in Grammas chair, Miss Maggie?"

Maggie nodded and said, "Uh-huh. C'I'ha'chocit milk?"

"Sure," Caroline replied, "Wyatt Edward? Do you want chocolate milk?"

Wyatt smiled and nodded. He dragged two pillows from the couch and parked himself on the floor. Caroline covered him with another blanket. "Tay'ou Gramma," he said sweetly.

"That boy is a saint," Caroline said to Olivia as she made her way through the dining room to the kitchen, "I think he's the most perfect one."

Olivia smiled politely as she always did when Caroline ranked the kids in a certain way. However, she had a hard time crafting a counter argument. Though Noah didn't have many imperfections, Olivia was certain he was going to have a hard time once he started realizing that life's ups and downs weren't always going to fall his way. She worried about Noah's ability to deal with setbacks. Even at three, she recognized Wyatt's natural ability to assess situations from a distance. He was a deep thinker and he took a long time to make decisions. Simple things, like in the mornings, Maggie and Noah were several sips of juice in before Wyatt finally decided what he wanted to drink. Noah was the most confident. Maggie was the most relentless. Olivia grinned as Wyatt arranged the pillows to his liking. Wyatt was definitely the most thoughtful and the most deliberate.

With the twins occupied, Olivia and Caroline got to work. Olivia mostly stood around and followed Caroline's directions and it took nearly two hours for everything to be transferred to and from the attic. On the last trip, Caroline reminded Olivia to make sure everything was on the shelves and not sitting on the beams in the middle.

Olivia diligently went among the rows and made sure all the boxes were lined up. She was on her way out when a box labeled "Jack" caught her attention. She paused and listened. The twins were now at the table with crayons and large paper and she could hear Caroline telling them to draw her a nice picture. Olivia lifted the lid on the box and her heart broke. The first thing she saw was the plastic-wrapped prayer card, most likely used at Jack's funeral. Under it was a small box, almost certainly his Christening gown. Olivia replaced the lid, closed her eyes, and went back downstairs.

"We're all good up there," She said.

"Goo'here, MAMA!I" Wyatt reported.

"Yes," Caroline said with an approving smile, "They're drawing Christmas trees for me."

Olivia surveyed the twins' work. "I love it," she said of their scribbles.

Caroline winked at Olivia from the other side of the table. "So do I. Now. What shall we have for lunch? Sandwiches? Do you want to go out to eat?"

"Sandwiches are great," Olivia said, "I'm not in a hurry to get back out into the cold."

"I need to take Sare Bear's advice and use her condo during the winters," Caroline said, half-jokingly, "But I suppose I would be lonely."

"Maybe we should take her up on the offer in February," Olivia suggested, "Noah has a break then."

"When are you going to Italy with Eddie?"

Surprised, Olivia replied, "Oh, wow, I'm not sure…I didn't think he was that serious about it quite yet."

"My dear, he's serious."

Blushing and chuckling, Olivia nodded.

"He's madly in love with you. I've never seen anything quite like it."

Unsure what to say, Olivia gazed at the twins with a dreamy smile on her face. Outside, the wind whipped the trees and leaves fell to the ground. Soon, Ed would come over and clear Caroline's yard one last time before the snow fell. With Sonny's or Justin's help he would pack away the summer outdoor furniture and make sure the garage was as organized as possible. Even when he wasn't nearby, Olivia kept finding more reasons to love him.

….

Ed bounded the steps to the craftsman home that had been the Carisi family base for years. He knocked on the door and seconds later Mrs. Carisi opened the door. "Ed Tucker!" She said in a cheerful, welcoming voice, "Good to finally meet you!"

"I'm not sure I deserve such a warm welcome," Ed said as he stepped inside.

"Well, you're doing a mitzvah by getting this dog off my hands," Serafina said and jerked her head toward the yard where Pearl was running around, chasing something only she could see.

"Next year we'll have you over to the house in Delaware instead of Sarah and Justin," Ed offered with a teasing twinkle in his eye.

"I just might take you up on that."

"Please do." Ed smiled. He liked the vibe of the house. It reminded him of his boyhood abode-busy, messy, and always smelling of freshly cooked delicious food.

"So can I get you a drink?" Serafina asked.

"Uh, sure."

Serafina held up a bottle of vodka. Ed nodded. The two of them toasted to vodka sodas and Ed capitalized on an unforeseen opportunity. "Have you been to Italy?" He asked rather abruptly but needed to seize the moment. .

"Of course. Both coasts. I haven't always been trapped on Staten Island."

"I'm taking my wife there."

Serafina winked and nodded. "I like that."

"Yeah, Well-"

"-No, I like that you're saying you're taking her. Not that you're going to take her. It's an odd slip of language, right? But if you would've said I'm going to take my wife there, I would not have taken you seriously."

Ed settled into his chair. He was getting more than he bargained for on the errand to pick up Pearl, but he was sure it was an errand he would never regret.

"So…Amalfi Coast?" Serafina asked.

"Uh, yeah, that was my thought."

She nodded approvingly. "It's not that far from Rome. Don't sleep on the towns between. They're charming. Give me your email address and I'll send you some suggestions." She slid over a tablet and a pen and watched Ed scrawl an address he seemed to have a hard time remembering. "You sure this is it?" She asked.

"Yeah, uh, Liv and I share an email, but this one's different. I want to surprise her."

Serafina smiled. "And some people think romance is dead."

"Yeah, well," Ed replied, "Not for me."

…..

Wyatt walked out of the school building and smiled when he saw his Dad. Most thirteen-year-olds would have been appalled and irritated at a parent picking them up from debate team practice, but Wyatt was relieved. It was winter. It was cold. And he was the youngest one there. He could have taken the subway. He could have caught a cab. But he was glad his Dad was there to make decisions for him. Wyatt waved to his teammates and hopped down the steps to where Ed was waiting.

"Hey, Dad!"

"Hey, bud! Good session?"

"Yeah…I think so. It's gonna be tough this weekend."

Ed steeled his jaw and winked at his son. "I'm pretty sure you're gonna be fine."

"I dunno….my partner…"

"We talked about this before," Ed said reassuringly, "You have to trust other people. Wyatt nodded but Ed could tell he wasn't convinced. The kid knew both his part of the debate and his partner's segment. "Wyatt…"

"I'm not going to be obnoxious," he said, "But I'm prepared."

Ed chuckled. He loved both his sons' studious natures. Maggie was a lot like Sarah in that she got good grades without trying very hard. Wyatt and Noah probably didn't have to try as hard as they did, but they were both fixated on perfect report cards. They almost always put their studies above everything else so much so that Ed and Olivia sometimes had to remind them that it was okay to go out and have fun. One time, in protest, Wyatt replied that learning was fun, and the phrase summed up both his and Noah's general dispositions.

"So, it's Friday night," Ed said as they walked to their subway stop, "Any plans?"

"The Knicks are on at nine," Wyatt said, almost robotically.

"We'll watch."

"Yup."

Ed eyed his son. While they waited for the light to change he asked the typical questions and Wyatt gave the typical answers. "Hey, you alright bud?"

"Yeah…Dad?"

"Yeah, bud?"

"A girl likes me."

Ed couldn't help but grin. "Aw, bud, I'm sure a lot of girls like you."

"But I really don't like her."

"Oh…"

Wyatt smiled, "I don't mean I don't like any girls," he said, "But I really don't like her."

"Then, I guess, you have to be nice to her but be honest. You might have to have a tough conversation."

"Have you had a tough conversation?"

"Yes."

"When?"

"Uh…." It was a few years before you were born. I was dating this woman who…I think we were going out because we were the only people single. But I had to end it. I didn't like her."

"And then you met mom."

Ed chuckled. "Yeah, then I met Mom and everything fell into place."

"Easy."

"Not always," Ed gazed sagely at his son who inherited his eyes and a lot of his personality but otherwise looked like a carbon copy of Olivia. "But if you find the right person, and you'll know it's the right person, well, it's worth it not always being easy."

"Okay…" Ed accelerated across the intersection. They passed a few restaurants and his stomach growled. He was about to ask his son's opinion on dinner when Wyatt grinned and said, "This is definitely not that type of situation."

Ed laughed. "I didn't get the sense that it was," he said, "But…thanks for looping me in."

Wyatt smiled and offered a tiny shrug. Looping his father in was always a no-brainer. He'd probably tell his mom later, too, if the subject came up somehow. Unlike almost every teenager in the world, he didn't hide much, if anything, from his parents. They were reliable, loved him, and never had an ulterior motive. Who else would he ask for advice or turn to during times of uncertainty?

"I wonder if Mom has had tough conversations," Wyatt murmured.

"Kiddo," Ed replied, "She's had more than you'd want to know about."

"Well now I want to know."

"Trust me," Ed said with a smirk, "You really don't."

…..

"SARE BEAR!"

Sarah smiled and held out her arms for Mia who was sprinting toward her but hadn't been seen in months.

"Hi Mia!" After the hug Sarah held her at arm's length and was about to hug her again when her nanny came. Sarah switched gears. "Hi Noey!"

"Hey, Sare Bear! You wanna take Mia with us?"

Mia's Nanny and Sarah met eyes.

"Well," Sarah said, "If Mia's nanny is okay with it."

"She's okay with it," Noah said.

Mia's nanny came over, apologetically eyed her charge, and confirmed she was, in fact, okay with it. "Call me when you're ready for me to get her," the Nanny, who was not one the Tuckers had met before, said, "She's with me for the week."

"Daddy's in Antigua," Mia added.

"Oh…okay," Sarah said, suddenly feeling additional affinity for Mia. Sarah couldn't imagine being as reckless with a child as the adults in Mia's life were with her. "We shall call when we're ready to go home."

The nanny nodded and disappeared into the crowd of pedestrians.

Sarah smiled at her charges. "Okay, kiddos, what shall we do?"

"I think we shall go to da taco boat," Noah said.

"Eee," Sarah replied, "The taco boat is closed for the season."

"Season!" Mia exclaimed, "Who says when it's taco season or not?"

"The business," Sarah replied. "But, how about we go to have some sidewalk tacos?"

"That'll be lovely," Mia said, twirling.

"Kay," Noah said, looking around, "We gotta take da train?"

"Yes. Two trains, actually."

Noah smiled. He loved rushing from one line to the next and was, perhaps, the only New Yorker who saw the beauty in doing so. "We gonna switch at Times Square?"

"Yes."

"Lessgo!" He started marching forward.

Mia looked up at Sarah and they shrugged at each other. Noah was in one of his determined moods. And there was no stopping him.

….

#Tuckson