Chapter 121 A World for Two
Chapter 121 A World for Two
With the place not being crowded, the food was served quickly.
Madison's first eager bite of the authentic Sichuan dishes caught her off guard, causing her to cough.
Matthew handed her a glass of water. "Take it easy. No one's fighting you for it."
Madison's face flushed red after gulping down a glass of water to soothe her cough. The hostess then came by with a pot of plum juice, offering a soothing treat for the palate.
"I forgot to tell you earlier, these chilies are from back home, spicier than the ones in Horizon City. But that's the essence of southwestern cuisine, right? It's the heat that makes it tasty. Here, this plum juice is for you. It helps take the edge off the spice."
"I didn't pay attention myself, but it tastes great. Love the heat, ma'am," said one of the guests.
Madison reached for another helping but took a more cautious bite this time, savoring the flavors with care.
Despite their shared love for spicy food, the three found themselves sweating through their meal yet thoroughly enjoying every bite.
"Didn't I tell you it was good?" Patrick asked, looking for praise as he dug in with a proud grin.
"Yeah, how did you come across this place?" Madison was curious. She had always thought Patrick and their friends were more into upscale dining.
"I saw some recommendations online and tried it a couple of times. I just got hooked," Patrick confessed.
"No one knows good food like you do," Matthew couldn't resist teasing.
"That's true. I've been spoiled by your cooking so much that I've become a food snob," Patrick declared, clearly pleasing a certain someone. Then, he diligently started picking bones from his wife's fish, ignoring Steven.
Patrick, sitting opposite the couple, felt perhaps it wasn't such a good idea to join Matthew and his wife for dinner after all.
Madison said she needed to pick up the kids from school, and Matthew wanted to join her, but Madison insisted he stay back to handle the work he had pending.
Reluctantly, Matthew got into Patrick's car while Madison hailed a cab to go by herself.
Picking up their little treasures, Quentin Garcia and Hannah Garcia came out holding registration forms. Hannah couldn't wait to get home and excitedly told her mom, "We're going to a summer camp next week for the whole week. Quentin and I are both going!"
Madison glanced at the form that Hannah handed her, detailing the camp's offerings at a nearby resort. She was considering letting the kids attend but wanted to discuss it with Matthew first. "Let's wait for Dad to get home, and we'll decide together, okay?"
"Okay," agreed Hannah.
Holding her children's hands, Madison walked toward home.
Matthew got home from work in the evening and barely had a foot in the door when Quentin and Hannah pulled him over to the couch. "Dad, check this out." They handed him the summer camp registration form.
After a close look, Matthew asked, "Do you guys really want to go to summer camp?"
Both kids nodded eagerly.
Seeing their hopeful eyes, Matthew chuckled and asked, "Does Mom know? Did she say it's okay?"
Hannah blurted out before her brother could speak, "Mom said to ask for your opinion."
"Why don't we discuss it with Mom over dinner then?"
With that, he sent them off to wash their hands while he headed to the kitchen to find his wife.
Madison was serving stew when she heard him enter, already guessing the kids had approached him about the camp.
"Honey, what are you cooking? It smells amazing."
"I've made chicken soup. Did Quentin and Hannah talk to you about summer camp?"
Matthew, washing his hands to help with setting the table, replied, "Yeah, they seem pretty excited about it."
"They showed me the form right after school, insisting we wait for you to come home to decide."
"If they want to go, let them. It's the same camp the school offers every year, and most kids attend. Plus, my little ones are so independent, they'll be fine."
Madison turned with a smile. "I was thinking the same. Let's let them have some fun. I'll fill out the form Tonight, and they can hand it to the teacher tomorrow."
"Sounds good to me. I always listen to my wife," Matthew said playfully, stealing a quick kiss on her cheek.
The kids walked in just in time to catch the kiss. They playfully covered their eyes, pretending not to see, their antics turning Madison's cheeks a rosy red.
Unlike her husband, Madison was shy and blushed as she hurried out with the dishes and silverware.
*
On the day Quentin and Hannah left for camp, Madison and Matthew made a special trip to the school to say goodbye, reminding the kids to stick together, listen to their teachers, and Quentin to look after his little sister.
By now, they could almost recite her words by heart. "Don't worry, Mom, I'll take good care of my little sister," Quentin assured her solemnly.
As they boarded the school bus, the two siblings waved from afar.
"All right, hon, everything's fine. I checked the schedule; it's mostly just for fun. Think of it as them taking a little vacation on their own."
Matthew looked at his wife's reluctantly parting expression and hurried to comfort her.
Madison agreed, acknowledging the school's thorough planning. It wasn't worry, just the realization of how much their kids had grown. They had been so tiny at birth, every movement delicate as if they could break. And now, they could spend a week away on their own—it was hard to let go of their growing up.
"Headed to the studio? Let me drive you there."
Matthew dropped Madison off at her studio before heading back to the office.
While Rachel was away on business, Madison was busy with work. At lunch, eating takeout, Matthew called. They spoke lovingly, and Matthew, sensing the absence of Quentin and Hannah, suggested they dine out that evening instead of cooking.
Madison liked the idea as it allowed her to stay longer at the studio and finish her work.
Before their dinner plans, Matthew was supposed to pick up Madison after work, but just before Matthew called, Madison received a call from Willow Nelson.
"Madison."
"What's wrong? Where are you?" Madison was taken aback when Willow started crying as soon as she answered the call. She felt anxious, as Willow had always seemed cheerful and carefree, never showing such distress before.
"I'm at a barbecue place."
"Are you alone? Send me your location, and I'll come to you right away."
"Yeah, alone."
Madison was glad that Willow had sent her location, considering she was alone and seemed to have been drinking. After getting the coordinates via Facebook, Madison quickly grabbed her bag and hurried out.
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