Chapter106All Settled
Matthew lifted Hannah up onto his lap, adoringly gazing at his daughter, then glanced at his son sitting across from them. Pretending to be deep in thought, he caught his son sneaking glances at him.
Matthew deliberately paused before answering his daughter's question.
"Daddy's going to be here every morning from now on."
Hannah joyfully hugged his head and planted a kiss on his cheek, noticing the immediate sparkle in the eyes of her brother sitting across.
The family of four had breakfast together again, but this time in a smaller eatery rather than the grand villa dining hall. The warm atmosphere persisted, especially noticeable in Matthew's uplifted spirits.
After the morning meal, Matthew and Madison accompanied Quentin and Hannah to preschool.
Back at home, Matthew requested Madison to fetch their family register, eager to go and get their marriage certificate right away. However, Madison objected, insisting that they address matters with the young ones before taking any further steps.
Matthew sat grumpily on the living room couch, looking oddly childish to Madison. He kept flipping through channels relentlessly, clearly expressing his frustration on the remote control instead of actually watching TV.
Madison, ready to leave for the studio, noticed Matthew had no intention of going to the office and continued lounging on the sofa. "I'm heading out. Aren't you going to work?" she asked.
Given the time spent in Paris, Matthew had been away from the office for a considerable period, which was somewhat inappropriate for the head of a major company.
Finally setting the remote aside, Matthew looked up at Madison with a hint of anxiety. "Where are you going?"
Madison, all ready and standing by the entry, replied, "I need to get back to the studio. I've been away for so long, and Rachel's been handling everything with Quentin and Hannah. I'm sure there's a backlog of work waiting for me."
As Madison opened the door to leave, Matthew swiftly rose from the sofa and declared in a tone that brooked no denial, "I'll drive you."
Madison stood still, her hand on the doorknob, pondering whether he actually had a genuine need to be at work.
Matthew grabbed the car keys and escorted Madison to his car. After dropping her off at the studio, he headed back to his company.
The CEO's office secretaries perceived a transformation in their boss upon his return from the trip. Once consistently distant and frosty, making others maintain a careful distance due to the fear of a chill, he now appeared slightly more approachable.
Office gossip buzzed as everyone huddled together. Ariel, their leader who usually stayed out of such talks, sensed their boss had changed since returning. She was sure it wasn't because of Miss Smith, who left in tears during her last visit and hadn't been seen since. Ariel believed it was the visit from the twins' mom that had brought about the change.
Matthew returned to the company, instructed Brian to bring the paperwork to his office, and stayed there working until he left right at three-thirty—late to arrive in the morning and now leaving early.
Exiting the building, he messaged Madison on Facebook to let her know he'd pick up the kids so she didn't have to rush back from work.
Madison was on the verge of leaving the studio when she received Matthew's text, causing her to abandon her bag and return to resume her tasks.
Rachel, seeing Madison return, approached her with a curious look. "Weren't you picking up Quentin and Hannah? Why are you back?"
Matthew messaged that he's already on his way to get them, so I'll head back home later," Madison explained, focusing on cutting the fabric.
Rachel let out a whistle, jokingly adding, "Wow, only our Quentin and Hannah could make Matthew, the same guy who swings billions in minutes, take time off to pick them up. Madison, you should tell him I'll do the pick-ups so he doesn't miss out on making money. Even a tiny fraction of his earnings would be a great salary for me."
Madison also thought that Matthew didn't necessarily have to leave work early to pick up Quentin and Hannah, given their flexible schedules. She was concerned that, as the head of a major company, arriving late and leaving early might not create a favorable impression.
"Maybe I'll talk to him about it tonight," she replied more earnestly than expected.
Frantically waving her hands, Rachel replied, "No, no, no, Madison, I was just kidding. Don't tell Matthew. I mean, I'm happy to look after our little nephew and niece with no need for a salary."
Madison, recognizing the jest, simply laughed and dropped the subject.
Knowing Matthew was home, Madison left work a bit earlier than usual. He wouldn't have made dinner, and she needed to stop by the grocery store for some food.
Opening her house door, Madison heard the children's laughter. After putting away the groceries, she went to find the source of the commotion.
The sight that greeted her was heartwarming, the three of them sitting on the floor, completely absorbed in a racing video game.
Matthew glanced out the door to see Madison reminding their two little treasures.
"Mom's back."
Quentin and Hannah turned and lit up at the sight of their mom, eager to share the fun things they'd done that day and the game Dad was playing with them.
Madison had no doubts about Hannah, who was always clinging to Dad, but she could tell that Quentin was feeling much closer to Matthew.
"I'm gonna start cooking dinner. You kids can keep playing a bit longer, then come wash up, okay?"
After Madison entered the kitchen, she began preparing dinner. She was carefully rinsing vegetables when a sudden voice behind startled her. Matthew had slipped in without her noticing.
"Let me help you."
Madison requested him to boil some water and assist with washing the vegetables. She began chopping them up and started simmering clam chowder. Matthew observed her bustling around, joining in with the preparation, the soothing aroma gradually filling the kitchen and lifting his spirits.
Madison cooked up a fantastic dinner for the family, including clam chowder, meatloaf with mashed potatoes, macaroni and cheese, sautéed spinach with bacon, and barbecue pulled pork. It was a delicious feast.
Matthew washed the vegetables and watched, then called the kids to wash up for dinner after the last dish was cooked. The family of four sat down at the dinner table, Madison and Matthew on one side, Quentin and Hannah on the other.
The kids babbled nonstop at the table.
Matthew cleared his throat, announcing he had something important to share.
All three looked up in unison, eyes fixed on him.
Matthew told the kids, "Dad and Mom are going to be together forever."
The kids might not have grasped everything, but they understood 'together forever.' So, Dad and Mom won't be splitting up?
Madison paused and looked at the children. She wasn't worried about Hannah, but considering Quentin had shown concerns about Matthew before, she had said they would only consider remarrying if the kids agreed.
Now, she watched her son with a touch of concern.
To her surprise, Quentin asked, "Dad, when are you guys getting married? Like on TV, can my sister and I be the flower children?"
Did she miss something?
Madison turned her head, looking confused and expectant, seeking answers on Matthew's face. However, Matthew, with his warm smile, focused on Quentin and Hannah, hardly looking back at her.
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