Chapter102The Finals
After her shower, Madison emerged to find additional items in the room and asked, dumbfounded, "What is... this?"
"Pretending to be clueless, Matthew said, "Luggage."
"Whose luggage?" Madison pressed.
"Mine." He found his wife's bewilderment endearing—who else's could it be?
Internally, Madison questioned why Matthew's luggage was in her room.
"Why did you put your luggage in my room?"
"If we're staying together, naturally, our luggage stays together too. I gave up my room since the receptionist said they were fully booked. It seemed only fair to let someone else have it," Matthew explained with an earnest expression, nearly convincing Madison.
Feeling like Matthew had suddenly become thick-skinned, Madison gave up arguing. She walked to the bed, lifted the covers, and lay down. Sensing her possible distress, Matthew quickly joined her.
"Honey, don't be mad. It's just that I don't want to be alone... Maybe I should go back to the front desk and book another room for myself," came a cautious and somewhat pitiful voice by Madison's ear.
In reality, she wasn't angry or playing hard to get. She had been exhausted for two consecutive nights, and with the competition looming the next day, she simply wanted to rest properly. How could she do that with him beside her?
Seeing Madison with her back turned, tucked under the covers, and silent, Matthew pretended to get up.
"All right then, you rest up. I'll head out," he said.
Hearing him packing up, Madison still mumbled from beneath the blanket, "Don't even think about touching me tonight." She wasn't sure if his earlier claim of there being no rooms left was true, but it was too late now to actually send him out again.
"Okay," Matthew replied quickly, putting back the jacket he had picked up a moment ago.
In a rush, he snatched his pajamas and hurried into the bathroom to shower, as if afraid that lingering for just one more minute might result in him being asked to leave.
As the sound of the shower filled the room, Madison, exhausted from the day's activities, gradually drifted off to sleep.
When Matthew came out of the bathroom, he saw the small figure curled up on the bed, bathed in the soft glow of the bedside lamp, her breathing even and tranquil.
A small smile crept onto his lips.
She had fallen asleep so quickly.
After drying his hair in the bathroom, he gently got into bed and wrapped his arms around her from behind. She made a soft noise, adjusted her position slightly, and continued to sleep soundly.
Savoring the sweet scent of her hair, Matthew soon followed suit, drifting off to sleep.
The next day, Madison woke up to find herself cuddled against Matthew, seemingly holding onto him with her arm draped across his chest, her head resting against him, and one leg over his body.
Feeling awkward about how she was sleeping, she promptly pulled back her limbs and sat up quietly, preparing to leave the bed. Just as she was about to change, she heard his relaxed voice from behind.
"Last night was such a good sleep."
Turning to meet Matthew's smiling eyes, Madison felt a pang of guilt, turned away, and went to the bathroom with her clothes in hand.
Matthew watched her shy retreat with an even broader smile.
After they both got ready, they went downstairs for breakfast at the hotel. Later, Matthew accompanied Madison to the competition venue.
The final competition had simple rules. Turn your sketched designs from the previous round into a finished product. Choose from various fabrics and accessories and complete it all within a four-hour limit. Expert judges would then score the results.
Before the competition began, Matthew gave her a gentle hug and whispered in her ear, "Good luck."
Madison gave a subtle nod, turned around to make her entrance, and bumped into Cindy, who cheerfully encouraged her, "Break a leg."
With poise and confidence, Madison strutted onto the stage as the host announced the beginning of the competition. She started selecting fabrics, faithful to her original vision for the design.
The dress she crafted this round featured elements reminiscent of indigenous American cultures, utilizing a blue tie-dye fabric. This traditional craft reminded her of Native American artistry, complete with flower motifs woven into the fabric and delicate embroidery she had done herself on the cuffs and collar.
Blue, a hue of freedom and romance, reminded her of water, clouds, and the first light of dawn.
As the competition concluded, Madison joined the other four contestants onstage. Despite her relaxed attitude, international stages like this always brought a flutter of nerves. She scanned the audience for Matthew, initially looking toward the back without any luck until she finally spotted him in the second-row corner.
It puzzled her how he had managed such a prime spot.
The moment their eyes met, all of Madison's tension melted away.
The feeling of having someone there for you was truly comforting.
With the results in hand, the host presented them with dramatic flair. Madison paid little attention, her mind drifting elsewhere. Observing the other contestants' creations, she realized her design was unique but not widely appealing. At most, she thought she might get some recognition. However, as the third-place winner was announced, she felt her chances slipping away.
Her thoughts drifted, pondering which gifts to buy for the kids and Rachel.
So, when she heard her name called the first prize winner, she was still daydreaming and didn't quite register it. The host teased, "It seems our first-place contestant is too thrilled to come forward."
When her name was called a second time, Madison was in utter disbelief. She numbly walked forward, mechanically received the medal, and robotically descended, only to be met by Matthew.
"Honey, you were fantastic," he said.
Stunned, she barely noticed his affectionate words, finding it hard to believe she had won the first-place prize.
"Is this real?" she muttered.
Matthew gazed at the bewildered woman in front of him, taking the medal from her with a doting smile. "Who else would take first place if not my amazing wife?"
It took a few minutes for Madison to fully grasp that she really had won, and not just any award, but the top prize. Overwhelmed with joy, she jumped up and hugged Matthew tightly.
"I really won and got first place too! I'm so happy. I thought I'd be lucky to get third at most. When I didn't hear my name, I thought that was it. But I actually won first place. I can't believe it!"
Listening to her excited, incoherent babble, Matthew affirmed, "Yeah, it's pretty incredible."
Madison suddenly returned to reality, realizing she had become too absorbed in the moment. She released her hold on Matthew and stepped back just as Cindy approached. Madison greeted her first.
"Hey, Mrs. Anderson."
Cindy glanced at Matthew standing behind Madison but didn't inquire further. She simply said with genuine sincerity, "Congratulations, truly well-deserved."
"Thank you so much, Mrs. Anderson." Madison thanked her earnestly. The dinner and conversation they had after the semifinal had sparked a lot of inspiration in her.
"I've got to get going. Hope to see you again," Cindy said.
"Take care, Mrs. Anderson."
After Cindy left, Matthew took Madison's hand, smiling. "Let's go, my top designer."
Holding hands and exchanging smiles, they left the venue together.
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