Chapter105When Will It Become Official
Sent away by Madison, Matthew returned to his villa, feeling low. The vacant space echoed his hollow feelings.
Unable to wait another day, he was determined to take Madison the following day to renew their marriage license.
Madison Gardens.
After Madison returned home, she couldn't shake the feeling that her two little ones had grown up overnight. Hannah had even learned to bathe and brush his teeth all by himself.
After the kids had washed up and bid goodnight to Mom and their godmother, they dutifully trotted off to their bedroom to sleep.
Rachel had already bathed and was now sitting cross-legged on the couch, watching TV. She looked up as Madison grabbed her pajamas and towel, heading to the bathroom for her turn.
With Matthew out for the evening, Rachel seized the chance to satisfy her curiosity. "Madison, what went down with you and Matthew in Paris? How'd you guys make up?"
Standing at the bathroom doorway, pajamas in hand, Madison turned to face Rachel's inquisitive expression, feeling a bit shy. "We bumped into each other in Paris, and then he proposed again. It's just... we made up." Deep down, Madison wasn't sure what to say. Maybe it was the moment he appeared, and she realized he had always been the one.
She had chosen to reconcile with the past and give them both another chance.
Rachel remembered the day Matthew anxiously asked where Madison was. When he heard she had gone to Paris, his face showed concern. He immediately booked a flight and chased after Madison that same day. Matthew never told Rachel that he intentionally went to Paris to find her.
Determined to add a little extra sparkle to the tale, Rachel embellished the story of how Matthew had come looking for Madison and booked a same-day flight to Paris, sharing it with an emphatic flair.
Madison was surprised. No wonder she hadn't seen Matthew working in Paris, only occasionally making phone calls. He had purposely gone after her. On that first day, they met, why hadn't he said anything? She had genuinely believed their meeting was just a happy coincidence, thinking he was there on business as well.
Out of the shower and lying in bed, Madison pondered whether to send Matthew a message on Facebook. Unsure of what to say, she hesitated, realizing it was getting late and concerned he might already be asleep.
Her phone buzzed, startling her. It was a text from Matthew.
"Are you asleep? How about Quentin and Hannah?"
"Not yet, just in bed. Quentin and Hannah turned in early after getting ready for bed themselves. Coming back from this trip, it feels like they've suddenly grown up so much."
"They're always such good kids."
"Yeah."
"Honey..." Accompanied by a pouty emoticon, Matthew sent a message. Reading it, Madison felt a warm flutter touch her heart.
Madison blinked at the text message, baffled by the pouty emoji that Matthew had sent. She simply replied with a question mark.
"When are you planning to make us official?" the following message read.
The question left Madison even more puzzled. A few minutes later, seeing that Madison hadn't responded, Matthew followed up impatiently, "How about we make it official tomorrow? Let's go get our marriage license so I can rest easy. What if someone sweeps you off your feet, and you're gone? "
Now she got it. 'Making it official' meant tying the knot. This guy... she had never realized how shamelessly persistent he was in the past.
Had it been up to her, she would have bolted long ago, not waiting for this day.
"You'll have to get the okay from our little angels first," Madison texted back, deliberately tossing the ball into the kids' court. "Quentin might not be as easy to convince as Hannah, you know." If he managed to win them over, then they'd talk.
"No backsies—if Quentin and Hannah say yes, we're getting our license tomorrow," Matthew texted back as if to cement the deal before Madison could change her mind.
Observing their playful text exchange, a smile appeared on Madison's face.
"Okay," she texted back. If they had decided to be together again, making it official was just a matter of time.
Getting Madison's positive response, Matthew lay sprawled on the large villa bed, beaming like a child.
Finally, he had reclaimed what he'd lost.
*
The following day, Madison was jolted awake by a knock at the door. As she opened it, there stood Matthew, dressed to the nines, even with a tie, holding a bunch of roses.
She gazed at him, slightly dazed.
‘All this formality... did he really need to wear a tie?’
Rachel, Madison's sister, emerged dressed and prepared to go to the studio. With Madison back, there was someone to care for Quentin and Hannah, allowing her to catch up on her backlog.
Spotting Madison frozen in the doorway, Rachel asked, "Who is it?"
Madison quickly returned to the present moment and moved aside to allow Matthew to enter.
Rachel, grabbing her bag to leave, paused as Matthew strode in with the roses.
"Morning, Matthew," she greeted.
"Good morning," he replied, setting the flowers on the table.
"Hey, Maddie, I'm off to the studio. You just got back, so take it easy for a couple of days before jumping back into work, okay?" She glanced at Matthew, then, with understanding, continued while slipping on her shoes, "Oh, and Maddie, I won't be coming over tonight, so don't worry about dinner for me."
"Why not? You never cook for yourself anyway. It's nice to come home to a meal," Madison chimed in.
Rachel quickly interjected, "Ah, I've got some stuff to sort out at my place. Don't fuss over me, all right? We'll text. Gotta go now, bye!"
Rachel hurriedly said her goodbyes, then turned and also nodded to Matthew. "Catch you later, Matthew."
Rachel had a knack for knowing when to disappear. When Matthew arrived early in the morning with roses, she understood it wasn't her place to be the third wheel.
"Sure thing," said Matthew, watching Rachel depart, pondering thoughtfully. Quentin and Hannah's godmother was a gem. He'd have to spoil her with a few of the latest designer bags next time.
After Rachel left, Madison looked at the man in the living room and the big bouquet on the table with a slight headache. He was spending again. Maybe next time, she should recommend cash instead of flowers.
Maddie approached and inquired, "Have you had breakfast?"
Matthew shook his head.
She had figured as much. Where would he have gone this early? She certainly wasn't going to cook.
"I got some oatmeal left. Help yourself. I'm going to wake up Quentin and Hannah for school."
Matthew obediently headed to the kitchen to serve himself some chowder.
Meanwhile, Maddie went to rouse the little ones for breakfast and to get ready for preschool.
Drowsily, they climbed out of bed, got dressed, and Maddie readied their toothpaste. Half-awake, they shuffled in to brush their teeth and wash up, gradually becoming fully awake.
So, when they saw Dad sitting at home for breakfast so early, they were dumbfounded. It took Hannah a good few seconds and even a rub of her eyes before she flung herself at him, ecstatic.
"Daddy, what are you doing here?"
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