All familiar characters are Janet's. Mistakes are mine. You could call this 'phase one' of me moving this story out of the Manoso's penthouse.

"Are you ready for your day out, Olive?" Steph asked, kneeling on the hall carpet and holding up a pastel-rainbow, unicorned windbreaker for our baby to slip her arms into.

Ella had embroidered 'Rangeman' in the spot where a pocket would be just so our daughter could match our typical outerwear uniform.

"Be pay," Olivia answered.

"Yup, it'd be a crime to waste a day like this one when Jersey doesn't divvy them out too often, so we're going to be playing outside all day today." She zipped up the lightweight jacket and paused when she finished the task to kiss our daughter on the nose. "You are one lucky little girl, you know that? Not everyone has such great Uncles who're willing to volunteer for solitary confinement for two whole weeks just so they can hang out with you again."

"And also withstand tests before and after their isolation to make sure they're all negative for everything other than being strange," I added.

I know I'm not God, and I can't control everything and every situation around me, but I for damn sure will take every precaution I have at my disposal to keep my family as safe as it's possible for them to be. There are multiple reasons why today is important, but the most important one will always be my daughter.

"They are unique guys, not strange ones," my wife said, chastising me. "Olive, can you get Mo and Gunny to the door so we can head out as soon as Daddy grabs your snack bag?"

"Is it Olivia's snack bag or yours?" I teased.

"Mainly Olive's, but I may get hungry watching her and the guys play. I wouldn't want to miss a minute of it by having to come back up here for something more substantial to eat than shared toddler trail mix and squeezy applesauce pouches."

"You could just ask me to run back up here and get you something," I pointed out. "I'd count the seven flights of stairs as extra cardio for the day."

"You saying something like that is exactly why I packed myself some food. If I asked you, you'd come back to me with cucumber chips and hummus, or a yogurt, sprout, and poached chicken-filled pita ... not a box of Butterscotch Krimpets. I'll need the sugar to keep up with actual physical activity."

"You say that like you aren't aware that I hired a company to come in and disinfect the gym daily, which you've been using for the hour after they leave while Edna and your Dad babysit. You haven't been just sitting around waiting for our current circumstances to change."

She sighed. "Fine. I just wanted some type of cake to celebrate today. There, I admitted it. You are a hardass, but I really like your ass ... so I'm not going to complain much more about it."

I dodged the impatient group ready to leave the confines of our apartment so I could kiss my wife. She's the only one who can drive me nuts, make me angry, get me to laugh, and cause me to harden, in the span of a single heartbeat. I don't deserve her, but I'm still never going to give her or what she alone does to me up.

Gunny jumping up to scratch near the handle on the front door, got Steph and I moving towards the trio. I unlocked the deadbolt and Steph dropped the proverbial racing flag.

"Release the hounds, Olive-Pie," she instructed, turning the knob for our daughter.

The hall-walk and elevator ride were non-stop motion until we got off on the ground floor and went out the back exit, leading into the small backyard behind my building. Tank, Bobby, and Lester, were already loitering in the yard, anxious to be outside almost as much as they are excited to see Olivia again.

"I herw," our baby announced to the backyard, her arms open wide for dramatic effect and to illustrate her point that her little body is in fact right there in front of them.

And she hasn't even been around Santos lately for his 'Look at me!' attitude to rub off.

"We're so glad you are, Olive-Pit," her GodTank said. "We've missed you."

Olivia was in the process of running over to him, but she paused when she got within a few feet of the wall of Rangeman Muscle.

"You go bye-bye," she told her Uncles.

I saw Steph clutch her chest like that accusation of our daughter's physically hurt her.

"Remember what Daddy and I told you, Olive?" Her Mama said. "Your Uncles had to stay in their rooms for a little while so they wouldn't get sick. They would neeever stay away from us unless they had to. It was hard for GodTank and Uncle Bobby and Uncle Lester not to play with you everyday."

"It's been tough," Brown agreed. "I never want to see another video game as long as I live. I was actually welcoming any business calls or reports Tank emailed me to deal with."

"Dude, don't say that," Santos advised. "That's just asking for more work and no play."

"Good," Bobby answered. "I'll take it."

Lester sighed so loudly, Olivia laughed while Gunny and Mo invaded his space to investigate the source of the sound.

"Shit," Santos muttered. "Give a guy a little room you two."

"Swit!" Olivia shouted in-between bent-over belly laughs.

My wife glanced at me. "Great. It's only been a few weeks, and we already have to retrain them not to swear in front of our little parrot."

"That we have to worry about influences other than just our own is a nice change."

"I agree," Steph said, watching as our daughter was lifted high in the air and then held close by Tank.

Her light-up sneakers were sticking straight out behind her, and if the sunlight were less bright today, the flashing kid-lights would have brought to mind two fireflies hovering in the air in front of the two of them.

"It's not only Olive," Steph said. "We've missed all of you too. Video chats, phone calls, and texts, are okay in a pinch, but I like being able to elbow you in person whenever you need it."

"I know what you mean," Santos replied. "You've been off five for so long, there's nothing left in your desk snack drawer for me to break into and steal."

He received one of the aforementioned elbow to the ribs, and honestly both couldn't have looked happier to be within 'ribbing' distance again.

"Fork over the small fry," he said to Tank. "If this ends up being our only chance to see our Olive-Pit in the flesh, I want equal time."

"Godfathers get preferential treatment," was Tank's response, keeping a proprietal hold on my daughter.

"Only in 'The Godfather' movie," Brown told him. "We pull just as much weight when it comes to our Rangeprincess. I can prove it." He walked a few feet away from us. "Look what I have, Olive."

Steph's mouth dropped open as he dragged out an AK-47 replica from the safety of the other side of the backyard's outside gate.

My wife was already shaking her head. "I know you guys dream of weapons whether you're awake or asleep, but Olive's waaaay too young for target practice. And she may always be too young to handle one of those things."

Brown tsked. "We wouldn't do anything to harm our girl. And we wouldn't allow her close to anything that she could use to hurt herself or anyone else. Give us a little credit here. While we were on a hardcore lockdown, we were in daily communication with Hector who helped us repurpose stolen arms into ones that'll make Olive smile. Since Tank's being greedy, grab yours, Lester, and we'll give Steph and our Olive-Pit a two-gun salute."

Stephanie stuck her fingers in her ears in preparation for the bottle rocket-type sound that usually come from them. If she weren't so worried about what they're up to, she would have recalled that I've long since banned everything from fireworks to nail guns in or around my properties to avoid triggering myself or any of my men with noises similar to what you'd hear on a battlefield. But then Stephanie noticed that Tank wasn't protecting Olive's ears, so she took her hands of hers to go Mama Bear on him

"Cover Olive's ears, Tank. I don't want her to get scared or for her ears or head to hurt."

"Ear protection isn't necessary, Babe," I told her, tugging her to my side so I could help her enjoy the show.

Being an isolated Boss doesn't mean I still don't know everything going on under my building's roof.

"Huh? Why not?" She asked.

"Just watch."

Her blue eyes shot to Olivia one more time before she allowed her attention to stray back to Santos and Brown. I nodded, and Tank pointed so my daughter would know where to look. Mo and Gunny seemed even more confused than they had when they realized this was a play date that involved four extra people than what has been our typical ones lately. And our dogs zeroed in on the 'armed' Uncles, waiting to see what they should do next.

"Ready," Lester said to Bobby.

"Aim," he said back.

"Fire!" They ordered each other simultaneously.

"Oh ... my ... God," Steph whispered. "They are completely insane, but also the sweetest guys I've ever met … after you of course."

I kissed her temple before responding. "They needed something to do, plan, and look forward to. They're as lucky to have Olivia as she is to have them."

"No question," she said, watching two steady streams of bubbles coming out of the business ends of once deadly machine guns.

Gunner and Ammo started barking at the iridescent projectiles until the scent of the bubbles hit them.

Bobby answered Steph's raised eyebrow when the bubbles were immediately eaten up by one or the other of our dogs.

"My bubbles are bacon flavored. Lester's are peanut butter. We knew the mutts would like them, and anything they like ... Olive will want in on."

My wife nodded in approval. "Sneaky and sweet. A deadly combination."

"And one that works," I told them.

Olivia was already squirming to get down and join the mayhem, causing Tank to glare their way as Olivia's attention was purposely lured away from him. To make him feel less abandoned, Steph left me momentarily to give him a one-armed hug.

"Thank you for helping do all of this for her," she said quietly, though I still heard what she'd said.

I lost sight of my wife for a brief time as Tank hugged her back with both arms. "That little girl has already given us more than we'll ever do for her. You could say she and Julie have reaffirmed our reason for existing."

I nodded in agreement even though both were still busy thanking the other. Today is one step closer to 'normal' when the world continues to be anything but. Only Tank likely suspects that this play date was arranged for the sole purpose of the four of us not being alone for Memorial Day. I knew seeing and holding Olivia after weeks of keeping their distance, and two of those spent in 'solitary confinement' as Steph called it, would help dull the ache caused by all the brothers and sisters we've lost, sometimes right in front of us or even worse ... in our arms.

Feeling someone take their last breath stays with you. The pain never goes away, but watching a competitive game of balloon tennis break out between Olivia and Tank once all the bubble ammo was dispersed, I couldn't help but think … there are certain joys in life which help you remember that being the one left alive isn't something to always feel guilty about.