Chapter 174 Bon Voyage
Today marked the day Matthew was leaving for Italy. His flight was scheduled for 9:30 am, and Dorian had already returned from City H a month earlier to make preparations.
Early in the morning, everyone hurried to the airport. Amidst the hustle and bustle, Matthew stood at the boarding gate, with Victor rolling the luggage behind him and little Hannah in his arms.
Madison was holding Quentin's hand.
The boarding announcement echoed through the airport, and Matthew kissed his daughter's cheek before crouching down, setting her on the ground, and gently patting his son's head. "Be good," he advised.
Standing back up, he addressed the group, "Go on back to what you all need to do; we're heading out." He hadn't wanted them all to come, yet here they were.
Mitchell, Liam, and Patrick each came forward to hug Matthew and Victor.
Willow rushed in for a hug, too, "Matthew, come back safe," she said, then turned to Victor behind him, "You too, Victor, safe and sound."
Victor nodded.
Matthew saved his final hug for Madison, whispering in her ear, "Madison, wait for me to return."
Madison's eyes were slightly teary as she nodded with both children in tow.
After Matthew and his party left, the others returned to their separate ways. Concerned for Madison, Willow accompanied her and the children back to Aurora Heights with Patrick before departing.
Madison had invited them to stay for lunch, but Willow, considering that Madison had her hands full with both children and cooking, excused herself, citing urgent business at the company, and left with Steven.
Steven looked reluctantly as if he didn't want to part, muttering under his breath, "Maybe a quick bite would do." However, Willow gave him no chance. In the end, she dragged him away, his protests futile.
Madison planned to stay at Aurora Heights during the school week as it was more convenient and bring the kids back to The Old Residence on weekends to spend time with Mr. Johnson.
Today, Rachel took a day off for the two kids because she was taking Matthew to the airport. After returning to Aurora Heights, she made sandwiches for their lunch, which didn't take much time. Rachel called after lunch just as she had tucked the kids in for their nap.
"Madison, did you guys make it back from the airport after dropping off Matthew?"
"We're back."
"They just went down for a nap, so I'm not going to the studio today."
"No worries, the studio's not too busy lately. I'll come by after work to check on my godson and goddaughter and bring some soup, so you don't need to step out." Rachel was thoughtful; with Matthew away on business, she wanted to help as much as possible with the little ones.
Madison felt grateful and touched, "Alright, pick up whatever you'd like for dinner, and I'll cook it."
"Deal, I won't hold back," Rachel said with a laugh.
At six in the evening, the doorbell rang punctually. Madison hurried to open it, and there stood Rachel with bags full of groceries.
Madison eagerly took them, scolding, "Why did you buy so much? You got them more snacks, didn't you?"
"I just went to the supermarket and couldn't help myself," Rachel explained as she removed her shoes. "I'll sneak a few bites when Quentin and Hannah eat to satisfy my cravings."
"You could just buy some for yourself," Madison remarked, puzzled.
"I'm trying to watch my weight and am afraid to overdo it, so a few nibbles during their snack time is just perfect," Rachel declared proudly, eliciting a laugh from Madison.
Quentin and Hannah had been playing in their room but came thundering out at the sound of Rachel's voice. They'd been told by Mrs. Jonah that their godmother was coming and had been eagerly awaiting her arrival. Each took a hand and bombarded her, "Godmother, you finally came!"
"Yeah, we've been waiting for you forever!"
"You two little darlings, your godmother brought lots of treats. After dinner, we can pick them out," Rachel promised as she settled onto the sofa, flanked by the excited children.
"Wow, thanks, godmother!" Hannah looked up and planted a big kiss on Rachel's cheek. Rachel responded with a warm smile and a gentle kiss on Hannah's forehead.
Madison cleared away the soup dishes in the kitchen and called out, "Hey Rachel, you bought so much shrimp. How about I whip us up some Shrimp Gumbo?"
"Sounds great, Madison. Anything you cook is delicious to me." Rachel completely trusted Madison's cooking skills. She bent down to Quentin and Hannah and said, "I'm going to help Mrs. Jonah. I'll come play with you guys later, okay?"
"Okay, godmother."
Rachel got up and headed to the kitchen. "Madison, let me help you out and maybe pick up a few cooking tips while I'm at it."
Hearing Rachel say this, Madison welcomed the company. "Sure thing."
Together, they moved quickly, and dinner was soon ready, a truly lavish spread.
At the dinner table, Rachel casually asked, "Madison, when is Matthew returning from his business trip?"
Mentioning Matthew made Madison pause for just a moment.
"Godmother, he said he'll be back by the time I start summer break," Hannah chimed in, her words muffled by the food in her mouth.
"Good memory, Hannah. That's impressive," Rachel praised, giving her a thumbs-up. Then she turned to Madison. "Madison, is Matthew traveling for that long?"
Madison nodded, "Yeah, he might be away for a month."
"That long, huh? Looks like I'll need to come by more often to care for my godson and honorary daughter."
Madison replied, "They'd love for you to come over every day to play with them."
After dinner, Rachel spent the evening playing games with the little ones in the living room while Madison tidied up the silverware. Around nine o'clock, Madison ushered Quentin and Hannah to take their baths and get ready for bed. Then she freshened up Rachel's room with clean sheets and a duvet cover before retreating to her own room.
After her bath, Madison lay restless in bed, tossing and turning. She had grown accustomed to sharing her space, but suddenly, the bed felt too big without someone else in it.
She glanced at her phone; Matthew's plane had yet to land. She couldn't help herself, so she sent him a message on Facebook, "Matthew~."
Just those two simple words carried a weight of unspoken feelings. Although they had been apart for just a few hours, his presence lingered in her thoughts.
She typed a message into the notes app on her phone: "Matthew, it's your first day away, missing you."
Log in with Google Account
Chapters
Favorite
Settings
